Lisbon, July 28, 2025 (Lusa) - The Portuguese National Communications Authority last week issued a command and control licence to EOSSat, referring to EOSSAT-1, a South African satellite, the fifth licensed by the regulator, the entity announced on Monday.

The licence was issued on 22 July and the satellite is in orbit at an altitude of 540 kilometres above the Earth's surface. Its mission is in the field of Earth observation, with a special focus on monitoring and supporting smart agriculture management.

“This is the fifth licence granted by Anacom, as the Space Authority (AE), representing the culmination of a collaborative process between Anacom and EOSSat, Ltd., which began in January this year, with a view to instructing the licensing process for the command and control operation of the satellite,” explains the regulator.

Anacom ‘is thus joining the Portuguese space programme in the 21st century to go into space by issuing a single command and control licence’.

The licensing of the command and control of this satellite “safeguards the international responsibilities of the Portuguese State and national strategic interests, in addition to imposing a set of duties in terms of space sustainability and security”.

According to Anacom, the licensing of space operations “points to a growing trend both in the number of applications and in the diversity of space missions that the national space industry, academia and laboratories have expressed” to the regulator.

Anacom expects more space operations to be licensed this year.

ALU/AYLS // AYLS

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