SSC President and CEO Charlotta Sund with ICEYE CSO & Co-founder Pekka Laurila | Photo: ICEYE
ICEYE and the Swedish Space Corporation (SSC) have signed a Letter of Intent (LoI) to examine expanded cooperation aimed at supporting Nordic and NATO space-based capabilities. The agreement was concluded during the NATO Arctic Space Forum held last week in Helsinki.
According to the companies, the LoI outlines areas where their respective strengths may align across mission development, satellite operations and potential launch activities. ICEYE operates a Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellite constellation, while SSC manages a global ground station network, mission operations services and developing orbital launch capabilities.
The discussions stem from broader conversations at the NATO Arctic Space Forum, where Nordic and NATO officials highlighted the need for greater collaboration between allied governments and industry in space-related defence applications. The LoI is intended to support work on strengthening Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities for the Arctic region and NATO’s north-eastern flank.
Pekka Laurila, CSO and Co-founder of ICEYE, said, “Through this LoI, we’re evaluating how to combine ICEYE’s SAR offering and SSC’s global ground network and future access to orbit. The intent is to explore concepts that strengthen Nordic collaboration for security and resilience and enable dependable ISR for NATO and the Nordics.”
Charlotta Sund, President and CEO at SSC, stated, “The LoI between SSC and ICEYE aims to develop cooperation based on our complementary strengths, and is in line with and supports an increasing defense cooperation also in the space domain between Sweden and Finland.”
The agreement follows Finland’s earlier decision to acquire SAR satellites and technical systems from ICEYE. In September 2025, the Finnish Defence Forces announced a contract valued at approximately €158 million for the procurement, including options for lifecycle extensions and future system expansion.
On November 12, Finland’s Minister of Defence Antti Häkkänen addressed the NATO Arctic Space Forum, outlining plans to create a multinational community of allied SAR satellite users to promote compatibility and shared best practices.
The LoI marks the start of exploratory work and does not specify timelines for any future joint activities. Both companies operate internationally, with ICEYE and SSC providing services for defence, research, and commercial space missions.
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