NorthStar Earth & Space

Building the Invisible Safety Infrastructure Layer for the Space Economy

The space economy’s explosive growth creates a paradox: as satellite constellations multiply to deliver connectivity and Earth observation services, the orbital environment itself becomes increasingly hazardous to those same operations. NorthStar Earth & Space Inc., a Montreal-based company backed by $35 million in private equity funding, occupies a unique position within the space commerce supply chain—not as a satellite manufacturer or launch provider, but as the builder of critical safety infrastructure that enables all other segments to operate sustainably.​​

Within the 28-segment space commerce supply chain framework, NorthStar functions simultaneously as a Tier 1 Systems Integration provider (developing complete space-based surveillance systems) and a Support Services Infrastructure provider (delivering testing, qualification, and operational safety services to other supply chain participants). This dual positioning reflects the company’s innovative business model: deploying proprietary satellite constellation hardware while selling Space Information & Intelligence (Si2) subscription services to satellite operators, government agencies, and commercial space stakeholders across the entire supply chain.​​

The company’s value proposition addresses a fundamental gap in space commerce infrastructure. Traditional Space Situational Awareness (SSA) capabilities have relied predominantly on government-operated ground-based systems, particularly the U.S. Space Force’s Space Surveillance Network. However, ground-based tracking faces inherent limitations: weather interference, daylight restrictions, geographic coverage gaps, and finite capacity to monitor tens of thousands of objects across low Earth orbit (LEO), medium Earth orbit (MEO), and geosynchronous orbit (GEO) simultaneously. NorthStar’s approach—monitoring space from space itself using dedicated optical sensors aboard its Skylark constellation—eliminates these constraints while providing continuous, all-weather tracking across orbital regimes.​

Supply Chain Integration and Cross-Segment Value Creation

NorthStar’s strategic positioning within the space supply chain creates value across multiple upstream and downstream segments. For Tier 1 Systems Integration providers—including satellite manufacturers like Airbus Defence & Space, Lockheed Martin , Northrop Grumman , Maxar , and Planet—NorthStar’s SSA services reduce operational risks and insurance costs associated with constellation management. Satellite operators face escalating collision risks that threaten multimillion-dollar assets and revenue-generating services, making collision avoidance a mission-critical capability.​​