ITU Grants Open Cosmos Launch Delay, Cuts Constellation
The international regulator extended a satellite deployment milestone for the UK operator after it cancelled a 2026 launch following an Indian rocket failure.
Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Space
The ITU Radio Regulations Board granted Open Cosmos a delay on its satellite constellation deployment milestone, while imposing a 50 percent reduction obligation on the planned Low Earth orbit network. The decision came after the UK-based operator cancelled a 2026 launch plan following a failure of an Indian rocket earlier that year.
Why it matters
The ruling shapes how many satellites Open Cosmos may operate and which of its two networks retains regulatory priority, affecting spectrum rights in a crowded orbital environment. It also signals how international regulators balance operator delays against the need to keep unused orbital filings from blocking others.
The regulator's ruling caps the 3ECOM-1 system at 52 satellites, roughly half of the 96-satellite constellation Open Cosmos had planned. It is not yet clear how the company will meet the revised schedule after its 2026 launch was cancelled.
The players
International Telecommunication Union (ITU)
The United Nations agency that coordinates global radio spectrum and satellite orbital slot allocation among member states.
Open Cosmos
A UK-based satellite manufacturer and operator building small satellite constellations for communications and Earth observation.
Rafel Jorda Siquier
The chief executive of Open Cosmos, who welcomed the ITU decision to extend the 3ECOM-1 milestone date.
The details
Open Cosmos changed its manufacturing approach from batch to serial-line production and argued this justified more time. The ITU rules bar the same satellites from satisfying milestone requirements for two or more non-GSO systems, and the board declined a related request filed by Liechtenstein's AK regulator on the company's behalf.
Timeline
January 2026: Two placeholder debut satellites launched aboard a Rocket Lab Electron vehicle.
Earlier in 2026: An Indian rocket failure led Open Cosmos to cancel its launch plan.
2026: Deadline to place half of the 96-satellite constellation in orbit.
November 5, 2026: The ITU Radio Regulations Board granted the delay.
Deeper Dive
The decision applies the ITU Radio Regulations' non-GSO milestone framework, which requires operators to deploy a share of planned satellites within set deadlines or risk losing orbital priority. Open Cosmos's reduction shows the board enforcing those deadlines even when a launch failure is outside the operator's control.
For satellite operators and the users who rely on their services, the revised constellation determines how much coverage is available and when. The ruling also means Open Cosmos must plan around a smaller network while keeping one of its two networks protected under ITU priority rules.
The takeaway
Regulatory milestones are enforced even when launch failures are outside an operator's control, so satellite planners should expect trimmed constellations when deployment slips.
Further reading
For background on how satellite constellations are regulated, see Space.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Advanced-television.
