SatVu, the British thermal intelligence company, has confirmed it has secured launch capacity for HotSat-4 and HotSat-5 with European launch services provider RIDE!.
The agreement secures the next stage of SatVu’s HotSat constellation roadmap at a time when increased satellite production has made obtaining launch capacity a growing challenge. According to Novaspace, around 16,500 satellites need to reach orbit by 2035, and launch supply is not keeping pace with demand. Operators are now having to book launch slots two to three years in advance.
SatVu's 3.5m MWIR thermal intelligence already supports customers monitoring petrochemical plant activity, measuring the intensity and duration of nighttime maritime operations, and identifying heat pollution across industry and the built environment. With HotSat-4 and HotSat-5 in orbit, SatVu will further expand the imaging capacity available to its customers. A larger constellation means faster revisit rates and the ability to monitor sites for status, intensity and change down to the asset and sub-component level.
"With launch to low Earth orbit severely constrained over the next two years, it was imperative to secure launch slots for HotSat-4 and HotSat-5 to further improve our customers' access to 3.5m MWIR thermal intelligence," said Anthony Baker, CEO and co-founder of SatVu.
"By making launch available to small satellite operators, RIDE! has helped us ensure we once again double the imaging capacity available to our customers, in a time of global crises. We look forward to working with the RIDE! team as our spacecraft gets ready for launch."
RIDE! will provide complete mission management for both satellites, drawing on experience gained from more than 45 launch missions across demanding profiles including constellations and orbital reentry spacecraft.
