OHB Italia to lead Italy's PRISMA second-generation satellite build
OHB Italia · Thales Alenia Space · Leonardo · Italian Space Agency
OHB Italia, Thales Alenia Space and Leonardo will build Italy's next hyperspectral satellite, tripling ground resolution to 10 meters.
what happened
Thales Alenia Space signed a contract with prime contractor OHB Italia to build the PRISMA Second Generation hyperspectral Earth observation satellite for the Italian Space Agency, per Thales Alenia Space. Thales Alenia Space will build the PRIMA-S satellite platform, Leonardo will supply the hyperspectral instrument, and the mission targets a 2031 launch with spatial resolution improved to at least 10 meters from the first PRISMA's 30 meters, per Thales Alenia Space.
why it matters
PRISMA Second Generation extends Italy's sovereign hyperspectral Earth-observation capability through its established industrial base, giving OHB Italia, Thales Alenia Space and Leonardo a multi-year government program as hyperspectral imaging (methane, mineral and vegetation monitoring) draws more commercial competition from newer EO operators.
for who
European hyperspectral EO operators and resellers
signal-to-noise
quick facts
- Companies
- OHB Italia, Thales Alenia Space, Leonardo, Italian Space Agency
- Category
- procurement
- Impact
- notable
- SNR
- 5 / 5
- Event date
- 2026-07-29
- Published
- 2026-07-30 05:32 UTC