On Thursday, January 29, 2026, the European company Airbus Defence and Space (part of the Airbus SE Group) announced that it had signed an agreement with the Spanish company Hisdesat (Hisdesat Servicios Estratégicos, S.A.) to extend and expand their existing cooperation on the international radar Earth observation market, through the commercialization of imagery and applications from the future Spanish PAZ-2 radar satellites.
Photo and images: Airbus Defence and Space
The agreement, formalized during the 18th European Space Conference held on January 27–28 this year in Brussels, expands the existing partnership for the commercialization of radar imagery from the PAZ satellites in constellation with the German TerraSAR-X/TanDEM-X satellites. This alliance was first established in 2018.
“This partnership aims to push the boundaries of Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) based Earth Observation and provide innovative solutions to meet growing global demand for both military and commercial markets“, said Eric Even, Head of Space Digital at Airbus Defence and Space.
Miguel Ángel García Primo, CEO of Hisdesat, indicated that reinforcing this commercial alliance “will ensure the continuity of the excellent work carried out since 2018 between the Hisdesat and Airbus teams” and “will drive the penetration of SAR imagery—capable of performing in any weather condition—compared to other Earth observation tools.”
The PAZ-2 program, led by the Spanish Ministry of Defence and Hisdesat, is one of the most advanced Earth observation programs in the world. It is to consist of two twin satellites that will replace the current PAZ satellite, in operation since 2018, while maintaining and expanding its existing capabilities. The PAZ-2 program is funded by the Spanish Ministry of Industry and Tourism and will provide radar imagery and services primarily to the Spanish Ministry of Defence.
On July 9, 2025, Hisdesat awarded Airbus Defence and Space a contract to manufacture these new satellites.
The PAZ-2 satellites are to be deployed as a constellation and will integrate advanced technologies, enabling unprecedented image quality with improved resolution of up to 10 centimeters. They will also increase coverage to 6.7 million km² per satellite per day, offering a maximum imaging swath width of 500 km.
To meet the requirements of urgent operations, the PAZ-2 mission will provide reliable near-real-time services, with a latency from acquisition to availability of just five minutes.
These enhancements will strengthen intelligence and surveillance capabilities in military and security missions, as well as in civilian applications such as infrastructure monitoring, risk management, border control, and disaster assessment. The first of the PAZ-2 satellites is expected to enter service in mid-2031.
This next-generation Earth observation program reinforces the leadership position of the Spanish space industry, with a 65% national industrial share under the leadership of Airbus Defence and Space as the prime contractor for the space segment.
In addition to designing, assembling, and testing the two satellites at its facilities in Getafe, Spain, Airbus will contribute its expertise in very-high-resolution, wide-area synthetic aperture radar (SAR) technology, leading a consortium bringing together more than 15 Spanish companies.
Airbus Defence and Space and Hisdesat are expanding their long-standing collaboration in the international radar Earth observation market with an agreement to commercialize imagery and applications from the future PAZ-2 radar satellites. 🛰️
Building on the success of the… pic.twitter.com/kcMouFiel8
— Airbus Space (@AirbusSpace) January 28, 2026