Earth observation
Axelspace prepares to expand Earth-observation constellation
With four satellites scheduled to launch in 2021, Tokyo-based Axelspace Corp. is moving toward its goal of capturing daily, global Earth imagery.
AAC Clyde Space to develop cubesats to offer array of services
AAC Clyde Space announced a 19 million euro ($22.5 million) contract backed by the U.K. Space Agency to develop a 10-cubesat communications and Earth-observation constellation.
Orbital Sidekick to develop daily pipeline monitoring tools
Hyperspectral satellite startup Orbital Sidekick (OSK) announced a contract Nov. 19 to work with an industry-led consortium to develop tools for monitoring of oil and gas pipelines.
ESA signs a trio of Copernicus contracts worth 1.3 billion euros
The European Space Agency (ESA) signed contracts for three pairs of satellites for the agency's Earth-observing Copernicus program on Nov. 13 with a total award value of more than 1.3 billion euros ($1.54 billion).
Governments continue to dominate radar satellite data market
Radar satellite operators continue to see the long-term promise of commercial markets and near-term demand from government customers, according to panelists speaking Nov. 10 at the virtual World Satellite Business Week conference.
Maxar eyes September 2021 launch for WorldView Legion satellites
Maxar Technologies plans to launch its first two WorldView Legion satellites as early as September 2021 on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.
NOAA and Google to apply machine learning to satellite data
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced an agreement Oct. 27 with Google Cloud to explore the benefits of artificial intelligence and machine learning to enhance the agency’s use of satellite and environmental data.
International consortium to launch tiny hyperspectral camera
An international consortium plans to launch a hyperspectral camera built by South Africa’s Dragonfly Aerospace on a NanoAvionics rideshare mission scheduled to launch in 2021 on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.
GHGSat unveils free global methane map
GHGSat unveiled a free map Oct. 21 showing average weekly methane concentrations around the world at a resolution of approximately two kilometers per pixel.
Orbital Sidekick wins $16 million U.S. Air Force contract
Orbital Sidekick is speeding up its campaign to build and launch a constellation of six hyperspectral imaging satellites thanks to a $16 million U.S. government contract announced Oct. 15.
Planet unveils rapid revisit and change detection products
Planet announced a series of products including frequently updated SkySat imagery and automated change detection during Explore 2020, the San Francisco company’s second user conference.
SkyWatch and Picterra combine imagery access with AI tools
SkyWatch Space Applications, the Canadian startup that offers software developers a way to embed geospatial data and imagery into applications, announced a partnership Oct. 5 with Picterra, a Swiss firm with a self-service platform to help customers extract information autonomously from geospatial data.
Japan’s iQPS to update technology for future radar satellites
IQPS launched its first 100-kilogram SAR satellite, Izanagi, in November 2019 on an Indian Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle. The firm’s second satellite, Izanami, is scheduled to launch as early as December on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket as part of Spaceflight’s SXRS-3 rideshare mission.
Iceye raises $87 million in Series C investment round
Radar satellite operator Iceye raised $87 million in a Series C round announced Sept. 22, boosting the Finnish startup’s total investment tally to $152 million.
SpaceNet launches new challenge with Planet dataset
Competitors in SpaceNet 7 the Multi-Temporal Urban Development Challenge will have two months starting August 31st to devise change-detection algorithms to track building construction over time.
