Harwell Campus based Open Cosmos has won a highly contested satellite spectrum licence, beating companies backed by US tech billionaire Peter Thiel and Chinese investors. The licence will enable Open Cosmos to build and operate its new sovereign LEO broadband satellite constellation.

The spectrum rights are an important geo-political asset for Europe, marking a significant step forward in the company’s quest to develop independent, resilient space-based communications and data processing infrastructure for the world. 

Hubert Büchel, Minister of Home Affairs, Economy and Sport of Liechtenstein says: “This decision underscores Liechtenstein’s commitment to making use of the frequencies allocated to us. We are pleased that, through this filing with Open Cosmos, we are putting them to good and effective use.”

The UK Government was fully supportive of Open Cosmos’ quest to be awarded these scarce filings. Space Minister Baroness Liz Lloyd said: “This is fantastic news for Open Cosmos and for the UK’s thriving space sector. Securing these valuable spectrum filings is a testament to British ingenuity and ambition, and I’m delighted to see a UK company leading the way in building reliable satellite communications systems for the future.

“With the potential to create hundreds of highly skilled manufacturing and engineering jobs at their Harwell facility, this project demonstrates exactly how our space industry is delivering real opportunities for people across the country while cementing the UK’s position at the forefront of the global space economy.”

The company has had a 100% success rate launching telecom, earth observation and scientific satellites for over a decade. Following the award of these filings, it is now applying this proven expertise to satellite connectivity and communications. This unique offering ensures government, enterprise and institutional users across Europe and beyond to truly understand critical situations on Earth in real-time management, supporting quick decision making.

Rafel Jordá Siquier, Founder and CEO of Open Cosmos, said: “Securing these Ka-band Liechtenstein filings is a defining moment for Open Cosmos, as we gain an invaluable opportunity to realise and achieve Europe’s space ambitions and true potential. With our full-stack approach to satellite design, manufacturing, launch and continued operation, we will be quick to deploy and will see our first satellites go up in the coming weeks.” 

Open Cosmos, which already provides its full range of services to governments in the UK, Portugal, Greece and Spain, will launch its first two satellites of this new constellation in Q1, 2026. These satellites have been manufactured at Open Cosmos’s headquarters in Harwell, Oxfordshire, with teams across Spain, Portugal and Greece contributing to the programme. 

Rocket Lab, one of the world’s leading launch providers, is confirmed as launch partner, with lift-off scheduled from Mahia, New Zealand.