Introducing IRIDE
Our environment is both unique and fragile: from the air we breathe to the soil in which we grow food and the seas that support marine biodiversity. Phenomena such as earthquakes, flooding, pollution and wildfires can affect our natural habitats and our daily lives.
The Italian government has launched IRIDE, which stands for International Report for an Innovative Defence of Earth. This Earth observation system is designed to deliver comprehensive satellite data to support the monitoring of a range of phenomena. This helps public authorities to make decisions based on objective data from space.
It is often referred to as a ‘constellation of constellations’ because its satellites form six distinct groups. Each constellation consists of satellites that carry different sensing technology and, therefore, provides different types of data.
The satellites are equipped with radar and optical sensors, so they can observe Earth in all weather conditions, night and day. They provide capabilities to monitor ground motion, land cover, water resources, coastal areas and more. The mission enables frequent territory mapping in support of emergency and security operations.
The programme took its first step in December 2021, when ESA and the Italian government signed an agreement. The first IRIDE satellite was launched in January 2025, followed by seven additional satellites in June 2025, forming the first IRIDE constellation (HEO).
Eight satellites for the second constellation (Eaglet II) were launched in November 2025. The other IRIDE satellites will be launched in a staggered approach achieving full deployment by 2027.
The IRIDE system
IRIDE is a comprehensive end-to-end system, from the satellites in orbit to mission control data processing and finally the applications of the data:
- In space - six constellations of satellites in low Earth orbit. The satellites combine instruments that use both microwave imaging (via synthetic aperture radar, or SAR) and optical imaging, at medium and high spatial resolutions and across different frequency ranges, including panchromatic, multispectral, hyperspectral and infrared bands.
- Mission control and data - ground infrastructure for satellite control, data acquisition, processing, archiving and distribution.
- Public services - geospatial services enabling applications for Italian public administration authorities.
Applications
IRIDE offers a wide range of geospatial services to institutional users, including regional and local authorities. It will provide data products such as maps, monitoring and multi-temporal analysis. These are derived from IRIDE satellite data and integrated with other dataset sources such as models, ground networks and data from other satellites.
IRIDE will also enable development of commercial applications by start-ups, SMEs, and industry players, fostering innovation and growth in the field of Earth observation.
National mission
IRIDE is a national mission initiated by the Italian government. It is coordinated by ESA, which provides technical assistance to Italy, in collaboration with the Italian Space Agency (ASI) and more than 70 companies across Italy. It is financed by Italy’s Recovery and Resilience Plan (Piano nazionale di ripresa e resilienza – PNRR), along with funding from Italy’s National Complementary Fund. The programme budget totals €1.07 billion.
