Dutch defense gets Dutch-made Earth observation satellite in 2027

Delft-based FSO Instruments and partners will develop a satellite for the Dutch Armed Forces to be launched in 2027. The PAMI-1 will support intelligence gathering for the Netherlands by offering a sovereign capability to monitor Earth from space. It will also demonstrate laser satellite communication technology that provides fast and secure transfer of information, back to a ground station as well as to other satellites.

The consortium that will develop the PAMI-1 is led by FSO Instruments and Axient Systems. Project initiator FSO, a joint venture of Demcon and VDL, will head the PAMI Project Office and provide the laser satcom, based on groundbreaking free-space optics technology from TNO. Delft-based Axient, wholly owned by the 6,000-person US defense contractor Astrion, contributes its experience in space projects by taking responsibility for mission integration. The project is funded by Raytheon and the Dutch Ministries of Defense and Economic Affairs.

The satellite will be fully built in the Netherlands. VDL ETG in Eindhoven will take care of the construction, using a space-flight-proven platform from Blue Canyon, Raytheon’s small-satellite manufacturer and mission services provider. The Earth observation payload will be developed and delivered by Cosine from Sassenheim, a specialist in optical remote sensing payloads. The project is further supported by TNO and the Netherlands Aerospace Centre (NLR) as well as a range of larger and smaller companies.

The PAMI-1 will launch in the first half of 2027 as the first in a series. Driven by worldwide geopolitical changes, the Netherlands has recognized a need to bolster its information position, among other things through satellite intelligence. Its longer-term space ambitions, both for military and civilian applications, reach beyond a single mission. To fulfill future requirements, eg to collect more data and provide better coverage, multiple satellites will be required for which the consortium partners will invest in associated Dutch manufacturing capacity.