A year ago The Munich-based startup Talos announced together with the Max Planck Society The plan was to rebuild the Icarus 2.0 wildlife observation program. Now, this idea has become a concrete space project: Talos has entered into a European partnership with the Bulgarian satellite manufacturer Endurosat to create its own satellite constellation. The project is supported by the German Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space and the German Aerospace Center (DLR). DLR.
The first operational satellite named Raven It is already in production and is scheduled to launch in the first quarter of 2026. Four more satellites are planned to follow by the end of 2026 or the beginning of 2027. Once fully operational, the system will provide up to five daily datasets on animal movements worldwide, serving as a basis for research on biodiversity, migration, and global ecosystems.
Raycho Raychev, founder and CEO of Endurosat, says:
“We are delighted to enable the development of a space-based infrastructure that will provide crucial data on the state of wildlife and biodiversity. This project impressively demonstrates how space data can help address the most pressing challenges facing our planet.”
From cooperation to constellation
While the signing of the cooperation agreement was the focus in 2025, the transition to the operational phase will characterize the project in 2026. Following the successful technology test in November 2025, the deployment of the satellite fleet is now beginning. The first "6U CubeSat"—barely larger than a shoebox—is currently being manufactured in Sofia. It receives data via software-defined radio from tiny transmitters attached to animals. These transmitters measure location, temperature, humidity, pressure, and acceleration.
Talos is leading the mission planning, operation, and development of the animal tracking technology. Endurosat is providing the satellite platform and operating the network of ground stations. Scientific leadership is provided by the Max Planck Society, while the National Geographic Society is offering additional support and will make the technology available to researchers through its global Explorer Network.
Gregor Langer, co-founder and CEO of Talos, emphasizes:
"This is European innovation in its purest form: A Bulgarian manufacturer and a German startup are joining forces for a global research project. With the upcoming launch of our first satellite, Icarus 2.0 will go from vision to reality."
European perspective and global reachte
Icarus 2.0 is a fully European system that replaces the original Icarus project, which operated on the International Space Station (ISS) until 2022. The war in Ukraine ended cooperation with the Russian space agency. Now, an independent European satellite constellation ensures the continuation of the research.
Unlike the 2025 version, the project is no longer just a scientific vision, but an industrially and institutionally supported space program. The integration of Endurosat marks the transition from a bilateral research collaboration to a European technology partnership. Icarus 2.0 is thus evolving from a research concept to a functional "Internet of Animals," a global network that makes animal and environmental data from orbit available in real time.
