COSMO-SkyMed second generation (Constellation of Small Satellites for Mediterranean basin observation) or CSG is an Earth observation program of the Italian Space Agency (ASI) to replace the first generation COSMO-SkyMed system.
For the second generation, the COSMO-SkyMed constellation has been reduced from four to two spacecraft. The satellites are improved versions of the original design. They utilze an improved version of the Prima Bus. The CSG-SAR (COSMO-SkyMed Second Generation Synthetic Aperture Radar) is also an improved version of the first generation X-band SAR system. The contract was signed in September 2015.
The satellites will operate in the same circular sun-synchronous dawn-dusk orbit as the first generation satellites with a nominal altitude of 619 km and an inclination of 97.86º. The satelites operate in the same orbital plane.
The first Open Cosmos payload will be an auxiliary passenger on the COSMO-SkyMed Second Generation (CSG 1) satellite mission, along with the CHEOPS satellite for the European Space Agency ESA as well as the ANGELS and EyeSat’s French CNES space agency missions. Launch is scheduled for the last quarter of 2019.