Welcome to a new, belated edition of ‘Last Week in Earth Observation’, containing a summary of major developments in EO from the last week and some exclusive analysis and insights from TerraWatch.
Some housekeeping: I originally intended not to publish this week’s edition but then decided against it, as I had some important operational updates to share with you.
What is the update? We are migrating from our current newsletter publishing platform, Substack, to Ghost, which I consider to be a more efficient and richer alternative, especially since the newsletter has grown so much since 2022.
Why make this change? To create a better reading experience for the newsletter and improve the accessibility of the archive, so that you can easily access the analysis and insights published so far. Also, it helps to not pay the 10% commission to Substack from the revenues I earn from paid subscribers.
What changes for you? Almost nothing. You will continue to receive the emails normally. If you wish to access the newsletter archive or the deep-dives, you may need to log in to your account again, which you can do yourself with a sign-in link sent to your emails.
When is it happening? The migration is planned from Fri, August 16 to Fri, August 23 - so you might have some trouble with accessing the newsletter archive during this period. We hope to be done on Fri, August 23.
Anything else? You should receive the weekly newsletter edition as usual on Mon, August 26, and if everything goes well, you will not need to do anything and just continue to read as usual. In that email, you will also have more information about the new platform. So, keep an eye out for that.
If you do not receive the newsletter as planned on August 26, send me a note!
I will take the opportunity to thank you for your support and encouragement. I am intent on making this newsletter your go-to resource for Earth Observation, as always, with the goal of demystifying EO and its applications for everyone.
Four Curated Things
Major developments in EO from the past week
1. Contractual Stuff: Funding, Contracts and Deals 💰
Funding
- EO satellite manufacturer Muon Space has raised $56.7M in a Series B funding round and also announced that it has signed a contract with Sierra Nevada Corporation to build three radiofrequency monitoring satellites.
Contracts
- GHGSat has contracted Space Flight Laboratory to build two additional greenhouse gas monitoring satellites for the company’s constellation;
- German EO startup Marble Imaging and Polish EO payload maker Scanway signed a contract with ESA to build a high-resolution imaging satellite;
- US defense contractor BAE Systems won a $48M contract from the US Air Force to further develop an existing data analytics platform used by military intelligence analysts.
2. Strategic Stuff: Partnerships and Announcements 📈
Partnerships
Hyperspectral imaging satellite companies Esper Satellite Imagery and Wyvern are teaming up to enhance their data offerings;
Aircraft manufacturer Airbus is collaborating with EO-based economic and infrastructure analytics provider Atlas AI to leverage its data for aviation hub business intelligence;
EO edge computing analytics provider Little Place Labs and space infrastructure firm Loft Orbital are partnering up to test onboard processing and analytics in orbit.
To learn more about edge computing in EO and what it means for the EO applications, check out the TerraWatch deep dive (for paid subscribers).
Announcements
BlackSky reported $24.9M in revenues for Q2 and announced that it is Gen-3 satellite high-resolution imaging satellite will be launching in Q4 2024;
Hyperspectral imaging firm Pixxel announced the launch of Aurora, its EO platform for the analysis and processing of remote sensing data.
To learn more about EO platforms and the market landscape, check out the TerraWatch deep dive (for paid subscribers).
This is a reader-supported publication. To access exclusive deep dives, market briefings and the newsletter archive, become a paid subscriber. If you want to show your support, you can also make a one-time donation here.
3. Interesting Stuff: More News 🗞️
- Indian space agency ISRO will launch EOS-08, an EO satellite focused on environmental monitoring and disaster management;
- Rocket Lab launched Capella Space SAR satellite, the fourth in the Acadia line of spacecraft;
- Indra, a defense contractor from Spain, has acquired small satellite mission specialist Deimos, one of the potential contenders to build the Spanish component of the Atlantic Constellation ;
- Data from a NASA satellite is now used by the US Environmental Protection Agency’s environmental justice tool to address air quality disparities in overburdened communities;
- Satellites have mapped the massive wildfires in Greece, just outside the capital city of Athens, and providing support to firefighters on the ground.
4. Click-Worthy Stuff: Check These Out 🔗
- This article that dives deep into the risks of businesses that focus on predicting where a climate disaster, leveraging EO data;
- This research from the International Labour Organization that used satellite-based nighttime lights data to measure the economic and employment effects of road infrastructure in sub-Saharan Africa;
- This piece that details the case of a Brazilian rancher who was ordered to pay $50m for damage for deforestation, evidenced by satellite data;
- One for the geospatial nerds - this article on the crowdsourced mapping project, OpenStreetMap, celebrating its 20th anniversary;
NYC EO Happy Hour
If you are in the NYC area or in one of the nearby cities, register for the New York City EO Happy Hour on Tuesday, August 27, between 5:30 pm and 8:30 pm EST.
Whether you are an EO professional, an entrepreneur, an investor, or anyone interested in EO for climate, insurance, finance, agriculture, sustainability, etc., join us and connect with the EO Community in the area.
Limited spaces. A selection of snacks and drinks will be available. Register as soon as possible!
Scene from Space
One visual leveraging EO
5. Sea Surface Temperature Records
For 15 straight months through June, global sea temperatures have hit all-time seasonal highs. Hurricanes need two key ingredients to form: warm water and thunderstorms. Exceptionally warm waters are breeding hurricanes like Beryl and Debby, which have caused huge damage across the US and the Caribbean. This article dives deep into how the unusually warm oceans could be bad news for the hurricane season.
Until next time,
Aravind.
