The price for high-resolution satellite imagery is falling fast – and customers are reaping the benefits

The skies above us will be filled with well over 1,200 earth observation satellites this year that will provide image quality previously only achievable from aerial platforms, at a fraction of the cost.

In 2020, having a crystal clear bird’s-eye view of your specific area of the world was expensive and difficult to access; in 2022 we’re seeing an increasingly affordable and accessible marketplace with a growing array of choices.

There are over 900 earth observation satellites in orbit today – 70 percent of which launched in the last five years.

I predict before the end of this year, the skies above us will be filled with well over 1,200 satellites, many of them new low earth orbit (LEO) satellites that provide image quality previously only achievable by aerial platforms, at a fraction of the cost.

Here are four suppliers to watch.

Satellogic: Founded in 2010 in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Satellogic is a provider of high-resolution satellite imagery to governments and commercial customers worldwide. It’s building a scalable earth observation platform that is democratizing access to geospatial intelligence for better outcomes. The company currently has 17 satellites in orbit. Increased orbital capacity will enable access to up to four daily revisits of any point of interest and collect high-resolution images across more than 4 million sq km/day.

Capella Space: The first U.S.-based company to launch and operate Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellites, which provide 24-hour all-weather earth observation. SAR sensors are self-illuminating and can penetrate clouds, fog, smog, darkness and smoke, providing near real-time visibility in cloud covered areas, both day and night. Capella is based in San Francisco, CA.

SkyWatch: This Kitchener, ON headquartered company provides a satellite data intelligence platform designed to make satellite data accessible to everyone. The software discovers and accesses the world's remote sensing datasets and helps users analyze satellite data in seconds. Skywatch sources imagery from a number of providers, including Airbus, Planet, Space View, SI Imaging Services, European Space Agency, Canadian Space Agency, and 21st Century Aerospace Technology (21AT).

Up42: Is a Berlin, Germany-based company and subsidiary of Airbus Defense and Space that provides users with  access to data from a variety of sources, including commercial and open-source satellite imagery. It is creating an online marketplace that currently provides access to over 20 satellite imagery providers.

A clearer image of our world is coming into focus thanks to the rapid deployment of LEO satellites, one of the five imagery sources Terris can access.

Our triple-powered earth intelligence marketplace and SAAS platform will change the way people buy, view and analyze information from any place on earth. 

Welcome to the new era of earth intelligence on-demand.

(Originally published on the Terris website)