Hydrosat wins Air Power contract for thermal infrared information analytics

WASHINGTON — Hydrosat received a $1.2 million Air Power contract to analyze makes use of of thermal infrared information for nationwide safety purposes, the corporate introduced Feb. 2.

Primarily based in Washington, D.C., Hydrosat is a startup based in 2017 that analyzes information from satellites to review the planet’s environmental situations.

The contract was awarded by AFWERX, an Air Power group that works with startups. The shopper for the info is the Nationwide Air and House Intelligence Heart (NASIC), based mostly at Wright Patterson Air Power Base, Ohio.

The Air Power makes use of thermal information, for instance, for flight planning and for surveying touchdown zones for helicopters.

Hydrosat developed an analytics platform that makes use of floor temperature information collected day by day by NASA’s MODIS and Landsat satellites to assist perceive the results of local weather change or pure disasters. The expertise is used within the agriculture business to forecast crop yields and optimize irrigation. 

Underneath the AFWERX contract, “we’re capable of ship our thermal infrared distant sensing information to the Nationwide Air and House Intelligence Heart to adapt to its distinctive necessities and wishes,” Hydrosat CEO Pieter Fossel mentioned.

The corporate plans to launch its personal constellation of 16 thermal infrared satellites in low Earth orbit however has not launched a timeline for the deployment. Hydrosat mentioned in 2021 it deliberate to launch its first small satellite tv for pc mission VanZyl-1 in 2022 however the spacecraft has not but launched. A spokesperson mentioned the corporate has not but introduced a brand new goal launch date. 

In July 2022, Hydrosat secured a license from the Nationwide Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration for its thermal imaging satellites. 

The constellation of infrared sensing satellites will constantly accumulate floor temperature information that the corporate plans to promote as a subscription analytics product.

The longer term constellation, Hydrosat mentioned, will present “greater decision and quicker repeat cycle, offering higher and extra up-to-date data for flight planners.” The corporate designed its merchandise primarily for the agriculture business, “but its capabilities are additionally aligned with Air Power wants.”