Hyperspectral Imager for Nano-Satellites to be Developed

A hyperspectral imager for nano-satellites will be developed under a collaboration agreement between Exobotics and Simera with deployment anticipated later this year.

“Reducing the barriers to entry for space is vital for the growth of the wider economy, and many sectors, such as FinTech, mining and agriculture, need to be made aware of the benefits space can bring at an affordable cost."

Nadeem Gabbani, Founder of Exobotics.

The hyperspectral imager will perform high resolution imaging, at less than 5 meters (≈16.4 feet) per pixel in the 450nm to 900nm range, allowing for the collection of a variety of space related data which can be utilized across sectors both within and beyond the space industry.

Exobotics has developed a payload support system to enable the image to work with a wide range high-speed radios in S, X and Ka bands to improve performance and flexibility in space.

Potential use cases for the hyperspectral imager technology include monitoring and forecasting crop health, measuring the emissions of pollutants, object detection, and more.

Hyperspectral Imager is Part of a Wider Collaboration

The manufacturing of the hyperspectral imager is part of a wider collaboration which will later focus on turn-key integrated satellite platforms in order to improve accessibility to space for customers.

"We are delighted to be working with Simera to produce and integrate the hyperspectral imaging payload which will provide high-resolution imagery for a variety of use cases for our customers," said Nadeem Gabbani, Founder of Exobotics. “Reducing the barriers to entry for space is vital for the growth of the wider economy, and many sectors, such as FinTech, mining and agriculture, need to be made aware of the benefits space can bring at an affordable cost. Access to space needs to be cost effective, easy and fast, which is why we oversee the end-to-end design, manufacturing and testing phases for payloads and nano-satellite platforms, which can be achieved in 9 to 12 months through our fast track program.”

“Simera and Exobotics have great synergy, and by working collaboratively, exciting solutions are in the pipeline," said Ana-Mia Louw, General Manager at Simera Sense. "We look forward to a successful hyperspectral mission launching later this year, and future collaboration with Exobotics, continuously making leading earth observations missions effortless for our clients.”

(Source: Exobotics news release. Image courtesy Simera Sense)