EUMETSAT is the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites.
The programme will also involve AAC Omnisys, a subsidiary of AAC Clyde Space, who provides the mission’s meteorological payload. This is a Gothenburg‑developed microwave radiometer.
EPS‑Sterna
OHB Sweden hailed the award as the largest satellite contract in Swedish history. Under the terms of the agreement, the first six satellites will launch in 2029. The remaining fourteen satellites will replace the initial launches when needed.
“This contract represents an extraordinary milestone for OHB Sweden, and for the entire Swedish space community,” said Fredrik Sjöberg, MD of OHB Sweden. “We built the precursor satellite to this constellation, the Arctic Weather Satellite and demonstrated the functionality of the satellite and quality of data received from it, to improve global weather forecasting.”
“The EPS-Sterna contract is the cumulated evidence that OHB Sweden and its partners are ready to lead, industrialize and deliver critical space infrastructure for Europe.”
Note that under the ESA–EUMETSAT cooperation model, ESA manages the satellite procurement while EUMETSAT develops and operates the ground segment and overall system infrastructure.
Another benefit for Sweden of EPS‑Sterna will be seen by the country’s national meteorological services. The Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute highlights that access to high‑frequency Arctic observations will improve early warnings and reduce dependency on non‑European data sources, supporting Sweden’s climate resilience and public protection.
Arctic Weather
For its part, the ESA highlighted OHB-Sweden’s experience in previously leading the industrial consortium behind the Arctic Weather Satellite.
“Their ability to deliver such an outstanding mission in just 36 months and within a significantly tighter budget than traditional Earth observation programmes demonstrates that excellence and innovation can go hand in hand through a New Space approach,” said Simonetta Cheli, Director of Earth Observation Programmes, ESA.
“All of this gives us strong confidence as we move forward with the new EPS-Sterna constellation in cooperation with Eumetsat. The new constellation will play a vital role in strengthening Europe’s weather forecasting capabilities and delivering timely data where it matters most.”
OHB Sweden AB is a subsidiary of the German OHB SE. It dates 2011 when OHB Sweden took over the former Swedish Space Corporation (SSC) Space Systems division.