Bremen, Germany, and Wrocław, Poland – Marble Imaging GmbH, a German company that develops Earth observation services (EO) based on data from existing VHR satellite constellations, and the Polish company Scanway S.A., which supplies advanced optical instruments for space applications, have today announced a strategic partnership.

The collaboration will focus on the joint development of a multispectral payload for a microsatellite Earth observation constellation being developed by Marble Imaging. The target constellation will comprise up to 200 satellites, each weighing approximately 100 kg, which are to be launched in several phases over the next decade, providing regular global imaging at very high resolution.

Constellations – groups of satellites working together to carry out tasks that would be impossible for a single spacecraft to perform – represent the future of the space industry, primarily due to the increased field of view, revisit time and reliability they offer. Industry reports (according to Euroconsult 2022) indicate that over the next decade, more than 80% of small satellites will be launched as part of constellation missions.

– “Our strategic partnership will strengthen European cooperation in the field of Earth observation,” says Robert Hook, CEO and co-founder of Marble Imaging – We are looking forward to working with Scanway to develop state-of-the-art optical and multispectral payloads for our constellation.

The collaboration has only just begun, yet it has already resulted in a win at the prestigious German ‘Kleinsatelliten Nutzlastwettbewerb’ competition organised by the German Aerospace Centre (DLR). This prize will enable the free launch into space (a free launch slot by the end of 2025) an observational telescope, whilst also ensuring the ability to operate it in space for a demonstration satellite of the future constellation. The success of the demonstration satellite mission will pave the way for the planned construction of the constellation, within which Scanway could potentially supply imaging telescopes for up to 200 microsatellites, at a unit price estimated by the company at around 1 million euros per imaging instrument.

Scanway will be responsible for developing and supplying the payload – namely, Earth-observation telescopes that will operate on board the satellites to ensure the highest quality of data. The company’s team has over seven years’ experience in developing optical payloads.

– An exciting challenge for Scanway in this project will be to deliver a telescope with very high resolution, below one metre. The company’s long-term goal is to develop solutions for satellite constellations – this necessitates scaling up the production process. We are aware of this challenge, which is why, from January, we will have laboratory and workshop space nearly four times larger than before thanks to Scanway’s new headquarters, and over the next few years we will be implementing further production scaling processes – says Mikołaj Podgórski, COO and co-founder of Scanway.

The satellites will provide global Earth surface data with a ground sample distance (GSD) of less than 1 metre (at a planned level of approximately 0.7 metres) in the visible (VIS) and near-infrared (NIR) bands with a panchromatic channel, whilst the imaging instrument supplied by Scanway will be approximately twice the size of the telescope developed for the EagleEye mission. Future satellites will also be equipped with payloads for Earth observation in the short-wave infrared (SWIR) band. The data and analyses obtained in this way will constitute a valuable source of information for many customers in the EU and worldwide. Cooperation between talented European companies aims to strengthen the European EO industry.

“The development of our own European constellation is a significant step towards breaking our dependence on the major non-European players who currently dominate the market,” says Alexander Epp, co-founder of Marble Imaging and director of marketing and sales.

Marble’s role will be to process, analyse and transform the EO data obtained into value-added products and services.

– Our aim is to create a future in which making quick and informed decisions using up-to-date, continuous, accessible and detailed EO data will be seamless – “adds Dr Gopika Suresh, co-founder and director of strategy,” she says.

O Marble Imaging:

Marble was founded in August 2023 in Bremen, at the very heart of German aerospace innovation. Covering the entire spectrum of Earth observation, from mission design and management to data processing and analysis, Marble aims to be the market leader in streamlined Earth Observation (EO) services for commercial and government clients. Marble’s founders have over 10 years’ experience in space systems and satellite data processing, and CEO Robert Hook has, over the past five years, been responsible for managing major Earth Observation projects, including the Copernicus CO2M mission. Further information is available at www.marble-imaging.de