ITU halves Open Cosmos constellation in milestone delay ruling

The ITU's Radio Regulations Board has granted UK satellite operator Open Cosmos a milestone delay for its LEO constellation, but at a steep price: the planned 96-satellite system must shrink by nearly half, to no more than 52 spacecraft.

The decision, published by the International Telecommunication Union on 5 November 2026, lets Open Cosmos protect its regulatory priority for one of its two filed networks under the 3ECOM-1 satellite system. The RRB's statement said: "The Board decided that the modified total number of satellites of the 3ECOM-1 satellite system was not to be greater than 52 satellites, taking into account the satellites already deployed."

Why did Open Cosmos need a delay?

The operator faced an ITU deadline to place half of its entire 96-satellite constellation into orbit during 2026. That equals 48 satellites in a single year — a demanding cadence for a first-time constellation builder.

Open Cosmos launched two "placeholder" debut satellites aboard a Rocket Lab Electron vehicle in January 2026. An earlier failure of an Indian rocket in 2026 then forced the operator to cancel a subsequent launch plan, putting the milestone out of reach.

The RRB accepted one core argument from the company: Open Cosmos had switched its manufacturing procedure from batch production to serial-line production. That change, in the board's view, justified extending the milestone date rather than cancelling the filing outright.

What does the ruling change for practitioners?

For satellite spectrum planners, the case clarifies how the ITU treats milestones across multiple filings. The RRB stated its rules "did not permit the use of the same satellite(s) simultaneously for fulfilling a milestone requirement for two or more non-GGO satellite systems." It warned that counting the same satellites toward multiple systems "could be considered as waiving the need to satisfy the milestone requirements for one or more non-GSO satellite system filings."

"Consequently, the board concluded that it was not in a position to accede to the request," the ITU said, referring to the plea filed on Open Cosmos's behalf by Liechtenstein's AK regulator.

The practical read: an operator cannot double-count early spacecraft across separate constellation filings to keep both alive. One network keeps its priority; the other loses protection.

What did Open Cosmos say?

CEO Rafel Jorda Siquier welcomed the ruling. "We welcome the ITU Radio Regulations Board's decision to extend the Milestone date for the 3ECOM-1 filing, an important event for Open Cosmos and our ambition to deliver sovereign, secure and resilient satellite infrastructure for governments and enterprises worldwide," he told Space Intel Report.

He framed the filings as "an important foundation for our communication ambitions – and at a critical time when sovereign satellite connectivity is a European priority."

Siquier also addressed the Liechtenstein relationship, which anchors the filing route. "Our partnership with the Principality of Liechtenstein remains strong and steadfast, we've protected the Liechtenstein interests, and we look forward to deepening our collaboration as the country develops its national space strategy (and continuing the process initiated at the first Vaduz Space Dialogue), which Open Cosmos is committed to supporting," he said.

What happens next?

The milestone extension clears the path for continued deployment of ConnectedCosmos, the company's connectivity programme built on the 3ECOM-1 filing. With the constellation now capped at 52 satellites — two already in orbit since January — Open Cosmos must complete the remaining deployments under the revised milestone schedule, while its second network filing goes forward without priority protection.