In the low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite market, the spotlight has largely been on major operators such as SpaceX's Starlink and Amazon's Project Kuiper. In early 2026, UK-based space technology firm Open Cosmos began drawing industry attention following an intense spectrum licensing battle.
In January 2026, Open Cosmos secured high-priority Ka-band satellite spectrum rights from Liechtenstein, defeating rivals including Rivada, backed by Peter Thiel, and Germany-based LEO startup Kleo Connect, which has China-linked backing.
The company's ability to win what is seen as a critical entry ticket to "European sovereign satellite communications" was driven by its high degree of vertical integration.
Founded in 2015 and headquartered in the UK, Open Cosmos initially focused on satellite mission design and Earth observation (EO) services, but has in recent years expanded rapidly upstream into infrastructure. Within one week of announcing the Liechtenstein spectrum license in early 2026, the company successfully launched its first two Ka-band satellites into orbit.
Vertical integration speeds deployment
Open Cosmos founder and CEO Rafel Jorda Siquier said in a recent interview with DIGITIMES that traditional satellite operators typically face long lead times from securing spectrum to launching satellites. This is largely because mission design, hardware manufacturing, regulatory approvals, and launch coordination are handled by separate entities, with cross-team handoffs slowing progress.
By contrast, Open Cosmos has consolidated R&D, manufacturing, and operations across its own facilities in the UK, Spain, Portugal, and Greece. Siquier said this vertically integrated model allows the company to align internally at the moment spectrum is approved, enabling immediate preparation for satellite development and deployment.
In terms of business strategy, Open Cosmos does not aim to compete directly with Starlink or Amazon's LEO initiatives in the mass connectivity market. Instead, it targets government and enterprise customers with strong demand for data resilience and sovereignty.
Carlos Zamora, vice president of satellite communications at Open Cosmos, previously said the company sells not just a satellite-to-ground "link," but a complete "network." Siquier added that its ConnectedCosmos constellation differs from traditional redundancy systems.
While most solutions focus on establishing connectivity or restoring service after outages, ConnectedCosmos integrates broadband communications, Earth observation, and IoT data directly in orbit, maintaining continuous monitoring visibility and enabling real-time response.
Optical links target sovereign data needs
Siquier said data is encrypted and transmitted via optical inter-satellite links, significantly reducing reliance on ground stations or third-party network infrastructure while lowering the risk of interception or interference. All data remains within customer-defined control and regulatory boundaries, making the system particularly attractive to clients with strict data governance requirements.
As the Asia-Pacific space sector expands rapidly, Open Cosmos is also scaling its regional footprint. The company established a subsidiary in Tokyo in 2025 and is working with Panasonic under the UK-Japan International Bilateral Fund (IBF) on the QUIVER project to explore scalable satellite manufacturing in Japan.
Asked about potential collaboration with Taiwan, Siquier did not provide a direct response, stating only that the company closely monitors markets that prioritize network resilience. He added that Taiwan's mature technology ecosystem and resilience capabilities make it a market of continued interest, though no further details can be disclosed at this stage.
Siquier also highlighted Taiwan's world-class capabilities in phased array antennas and RF front-end modules, which align closely with the company's current product development direction.
Distributed supply chain ensures independence
He emphasized that as constellation scale expands, supply chain resilience becomes as critical as the satellites themselves. The company aims to build a distributed and reliable supply network, noting that sovereign space infrastructure cannot be built on fragile or highly concentrated supply chains.
Despite the capital-intensive and often loss-making nature of the satellite industry, Open Cosmos has remained profitable for five consecutive years. Looking ahead over the next three to five years, Siquier said the company aims to seamlessly integrate sensing, processing, and secure communications, enabling data to be processed in orbit and delivered in real time to customers' ground systems, positioning itself as a leading independent space infrastructure operator.
Company profile: Open Cosmos
● Founded: 2015
● Headquarters: United Kingdom
● Core business: End-to-end satellite mission services, covering design, manufacturing, launch, and in-orbit operations, with expansion into LEO communications networks and satellite data analytics
Key platforms and products:
● OpenOrbit: Mission management spanning design, manufacturing, and launch
● DataCosmos: AI-driven satellite data analytics
● ConnectedCosmos: LEO constellation integrating EO, IoT, and broadband communications
Recent developments:
● Secured Ka-band satellite spectrum
● Initiated LEO constellation deployment
● Established Tokyo subsidiary
● Advanced in-orbit 6G testing (6GStarLab)
Article translated by Levi Li and edited by Joseph Chen
