Commercialization Agreement Inked for PAZ-2 Satellite Imagery
Airbus and Hisdesat Extend Long-Standing Collaboration
An agreement formalized during the European Space Conference in Brussels (Belgium) extends the existing partnership between Airbus Defense and Space and Hisdesat for the commercialization of radar imagery from the PAZ satellite in constellation with the German TerraSAR-X / TanDEM-X satellites. The alliance was first established in 2018.
“This partnership aims to push the boundaries of Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) based Earth observation.”
Eric Even, Airbus
Led by the Spanish Ministry of Defense and Hisdesat, the PAZ-2 Earth observation programs in the world consists of twin satellites that will replace the current PAZ satellite, in service since 2018, ensuring and enhancing the current 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 Defense.
“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 Defense and Space.
Reinforcing this commercial alliance “will ensure the continuity of the excellent work carried out since 2018 between the Hisdesat and Airbus teams,” said Miguel Ángel García Primo, CEO of Hisdesat, adding it “will drive the penetration of SAR imagery—capable of performing in any weather condition—compared to other Earth observation tools.”
In July 2025, Hisdesat awarded Airbus Defense and Space the contract for the manufacture of these two new satellites.
The PAZ-2 satellites are scheduled to fly as a constellation and will integrate advanced technologies enabling unprecedented image quality with an improved resolution of up to 4 inches. They will also increase coverage to 6.7 million km2 (≈2.6 million square miles) per day per satellite, offering a maximum image swath width of ≈310 miles.
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 only five minutes.
These enhancements will strengthen intelligence and surveillance capabilities for defense and security missions, as well as civil applications in infrastructure monitoring, risk management, border control, and disaster assessment. The first of the PAZ-2 satellites is expected to enter service by mid-2031.
This next-generation Earth observation program consolidates the leadership of the Spanish space industry, with 65% national participation under the direction of Airbus Defense and Space, which serves as the prime contractor for the space segment.