Colombia plans to launch FACSAT-3A, the first satellite in a new three-spacecraft constellation, in 2028. The Colombian Air Force (FAC) is entering a new phase of satellite design and technology transfer following the October 2025 reentry of FACSAT-2 Chiribiquete.
The program aims to expand Colombia’s Earth-observation capabilities for military operations, environmental monitoring, and disaster response. The construction and launch of FACSAT-3A are estimated to cost more than US$15 million, while the three-satellite constellation is estimated to exceed 103 billion Colombian pesos (about US$32.2 million). The figures refer to different scopes and should not be treated as interchangeable. The FAC has secured funding for the initial phase, but the broader constellation will require additional investment. Maj. Gen. Juan Jaime Martínez Ossa, the FAC’s commander, outlined the project on Oct. 1.
What will FACSAT-3A do?
The FAC plans to use FACSAT-3A for Earth observation, collecting imagery to support security operations and civilian applications. The constellation will include FACSAT-3A, FACSAT-3B, and FACSAT-3C.
The imagery could help authorities monitor deforestation, illegal mining, and the illegal exploitation of natural resources. It could also support disaster response and provide information for agriculture, environmental protection, and territorial planning. These uses continue the dual-purpose approach of earlier FACSAT missions, which combined defense needs with services for public agencies and researchers.
The FAC has not yet published a complete set of technical specifications for the constellation. Later spacecraft are expected to follow in subsequent phases.
What happened to Chiribiquete?
FACSAT-2 Chiribiquete reentered Earth’s atmosphere on Oct. 27, 2025, after losing altitude in low Earth orbit. The FAC attributed the orbital decay to increased solar activity, which heats and expands the upper atmosphere, increasing drag on satellites.
SpaceX launched Chiribiquete aboard a Falcon 9 rocket on Apr. 15, 2023. Its payload included an electro-optical camera for Earth observation and an instrument developed with Ecopetrol to monitor greenhouse gases. The satellite operated for approximately two and a half years.
The FAC said it consolidated its analytical confirmation of the reentry on Nov. 11, 2025, and submitted an official report to the Foreign Ministry on Dec. 1 for transmission to the United Nations. However, institutional publications on Nov. 14 and Dec. 31 still described the satellite as active. The discrepancy raised questions about how the mission’s end was communicated.
Can Colombia build its own satellites?
A central objective of FACSAT-3 is to increase the satellite-development work Colombian engineers can perform domestically. The program involves cooperation with the Corporation for High Technology for Defense (CODALTEC) and seeks to expand local expertise in mission design, assembly, integration, and testing.
The FAC’s initial phase is scheduled to begin on Oct. 18, 2026, with 12 officers and noncommissioned officers working on the mission concept, feasibility studies, and preliminary design. The program is intended to transfer technology progressively, enabling Colombia to assume a larger share of development work in later missions.
In Dec. 2024, the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (Minciencias) recognized the FAC’s research and development work, highlighting its technology development center and contribution to scientific innovation. That recognition provides institutional context for the program, although it does not establish its launch schedule or financing.
FACSAT-3C is expected to represent a later stage in this process, with assembly and testing planned to take place in Colombia.
What remains before launch?
The first priority is to complete the design phase and move toward construction of FACSAT-3A. The 2028 launch target leaves time for technical development, integration, and testing, while the later spacecraft will depend on progress in those stages and on available resources.
The next concrete milestone is the start of the design and technology-transfer phase on Oct. 18. That work will determine how quickly the FAC can move from preliminary studies to building FACSAT-3A and meeting its 2028 launch target.