Milan, 24 June (LaPresse) – An absolute first for Italy and Europe: the simultaneous launch of seven satellites belonging to the same institutional constellation, Iride. The launch was carried out by Argotec, one of the industrial leaders of the programme, as part of a programme commissioned by the Italian government and coordinated by the European Space Agency (ESA), with the support of the Italian Space Agency (ASI). According to a statement, the launch of the seven Heo satellites took place at 11.25 p.m. on Monday 23 June, aboard a Falcon 9 rocket. A few hours after launch, the satellites' signal was acquired, an operation monitored by Argotec's Mission Control Centre. The Iride satellite constellation is financed by an investment of over €1 billion from the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) funds, supplemented by national funds. It is a “constellation of constellations”, composed of satellites of different technologies and capabilities, designed to monitor natural events, observe climate change and map critical infrastructure for security. The aim is to create the most important Italian constellation for Earth observation, as well as one of the largest in Europe.