The Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (MICIU), through the Spanish Space Agency (AEE), has announced the names of the eight satellites that Spain will contribute to the Atlantic Constellation, a cooperation project with Portugal.
This initiative, launched in November 2025, aimed to involve primary and secondary education students from public schools in space science and technology through a school competition.
The selected names are: NEREIDA17, which symbolizes the protection of the oceans; LINCE, inspired by the Iberian lynx and the conservation of biodiversity; ORBITERRA, which reflects the goal of observing the Earth; and CONVIVE, which highlights the importance of resilience and coexistence between humans and nature. Other names like NERPIO, ALBOR, ECOCENTINELA, and CASTELLVÍ also emphasize values such as the quality of the rural environment, early disaster detection, and the recognition of the role of women in science.
Minister Diana Morant expressed that this activity allows youth to leave their mark on a project that will contribute to environmental protection and a better understanding of the planet. The selection of names was made considering criteria of originality, creativity, and representativeness, and a public event is planned to recognize the winners. The Atlantic Constellation, which has a budget of 30 million euros, seeks to improve Earth observation capabilities through sixteen high-tech satellites that will operate together.
