Argentina’s Satélite Argentino de Observación Con Microondas (SAOCOM) comprises two L-band synthetic aperture radar (SAR) Earth observation satellites – SAOCOM-1A (launched by SpaceX in October 2018) and SAOCOM-1B.
Both satellites were built by Argentinian satellite manufacturer INVestigacion APlicada (INVAP S.E.) for the Argentinian space agency, the Comisión Nacional de Actividades Espaciales (CONAE – National Space Activities Commission in English), and were originally scheduled to be launched in 2012 (SAOCOM-1A) and 2013 (SAOCOM-1B).
SAOCOM (Satélite Argentino de Observación COn Microondas, Spanish for Argentine Microwaves Observation Satellite) is an Earth observation satellite constellation of Argentina’s space agency CONAE. The first of two satellites is already orbiting the Earth in a polar orbit, while the second one is planned to be launched in 2020.
CONAE contracted the company INVAP as main contractor for the project.