Sentinel-1 NG: Europe's new radar eyes
ILA 2026 marks the starting signal for the next generation of Copernicus radar satellites, with German value creation on Lake Constance.
Deals · ILA Berlin 2026 Photo: Messe Berlin / Johannes Zappe A contract for watching the Earth
ESA and Thales Alenia Space sign the contract for the first elements of the new radar satellite generation for the Copernicus programme at ILA.
When Europe tracks floods, wildfires or melting glaciers, it relies on the radar eyes of Sentinel-1 satellites. Their future was sealed at ILA Berlin 2026: ESA and Thales Alenia Space signed the contract for the initial elements of Sentinel-1 Next Generation, a 700-million-euro program for two new Copernicus Earth observation satellites.
A substantial share of the value creation stays in Germany: also at the show, Airbus received the 345-million-euro contract for the two C-band SAR main instruments, the heart of the satellites. They will be built and tested in Friedrichshafen on Lake Constance.
Radar for climate, disasters and security
The new generation is designed to look sharper and faster than its predecessors: environmental protection, climate monitoring and the assessment of natural disasters are at the core of the mission. That the signatures were made at ILA underlines the show's role as Europe's space stage, from the Space Pavilion to the live link to the ISS.
For industry the agreement matters twice over: it secures expertise and jobs in German space manufacturing, and it shows that major institutional contracts are not just announced at ILA, they are signed there.