Author: Scanway
Publication date:
Scanway – Poland’s leading provider of optical space observation technology – has been selected by the European Space Agency (ESA) to process images of the Moon’s surface as part of a joint mission with Intuitive Machines of the USA, planned for 2026. Building on the cooperation with its US partner that began in December 2024, Scanway has signed a contract with the ESA to develop a system for processing satellite data relating to future exploration of the Moon. The solution being developed by the Company will be the first commercial system of its kind in Europe, providing European countries with access to key imagery of the Moon’s surface. The contract is worth EUR 500,000 and will run until 2027.
- The Company expects to receive approximately 70% of the contract proceeds in 2025, approximately 10% in 2026 and approximately 20% in 2027
- Scanway will supply both an optical instrument for mapping the Moon’s surface and a comprehensive satellite data processing system – according to the company, such an integrated solution is unique in Europe
- The company will process satellite images for purposes jointly defined by ESA, Intuitive Machines and Scanway, covering thousands of km² of the Moon’s surface and delivering gigabytes of data
- The lunar image processing system developed by Scanway will utilise elements of the company’s proprietary Hydra technology, which has so far been commercialised by the company in the industrial sector – this will be the first time it has been used in a space mission
- The contract is an example of the synergy between Scanway’s two business segments – Industry and Space – and represents exposure to the downstream segment, the most profitable part of the space sector
- As a result of this contract, Scanway will acquire key components of the optical processing chain for lunar data, covering: data acquisition, processing, analysis and the prediction of events based on that data, which represents a unique capability on a global scale
– Our collaboration with the European Space Agency (ESA) and Intuitive Machines ensures that Europe has access to key imagery of the Moon’s surface. ESA is keen to have a partner in Europe with strong technical expertise and capabilities, capable of processing lunar imagery for research and scientific purposes, as well as for future exploration missions. Following today’s signing of the contract with ESA, Scanway is now becoming precisely such a sought-after partner. The satellite data processing system we have developed will be the first commercial system of its kind in Europe, providing European countries with access to key imagery of the lunar surface. – comments Jędrzej Kowalewski, President of the Management Board of Scanway S.A.
The contract signed between Scanway and the European Space Agency (ESA) concerns the development of a European multispectral data processing chain for Scanway’s optical instrument, which, as part of a contract awarded by Intuitive Machines in December 2024, will be placed in lunar orbit in 2026. This is the first commercial contract in the history of the Polish space sector in which a Polish company will supply an optical instrument for a lunar exploration mission. Thanks to closer cooperation with its American partner and the signing of a contract with the ESA, Scanway, in addition to supplying the optical telescope, will also be responsible for processing selected images of the lunar surface captured by the telescope, to a standard that allows them to be stored in ESA databases.
– As soon as we received the order from Intuitive Machines in December 2024, we highlighted the possibility of expanding this collaboration in the future, including with the support of European institutions. We are delighted to have been awarded this contract by the European Space Agency (ESA), which confirms our high level of expertise and experience in the field of optical data processing, which we have successfully delivered to date in the industrial sector. To the best of our knowledge, gaining experience in processing lunar data on a scale of thousands of kilometres 2 The surface area of the Silver Globe, which translates into gigabytes of data, represents a unique expertise not only in Europe but also worldwide. It is worth noting that lunar imagery commands significantly higher prices than low-Earth orbit imagery, which creates significant potential for companies capable of processing such data. Scanway will occupy a key position in the supply chain for precisely this type of critical optical data – says Mikołaj Podgórski, COO and co-founder of Scanway S.A.
According to a Euroconsult report, investment in lunar missions is set to rise from US$11 billion generated in 2023 to nearly US$17 billion planned for 2032. Over the next decade, the number of space exploration missions is forecast to more than triple to 751, with lunar missions accounting for a significant 31 per cent of the total. This translates to over 200 such space missions, which will be carried out by: government bodies (46% of missions), commercial entities (35% of missions) and scientific and academic centres (19% of missions).
– Currently, the Moon’s surface is being mapped, amongst other things, as part of NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter mission and by the ShadowCam instrument on the South Korean KPLO mission, which means there are very few satellites compared to the hundreds of satellites currently imaging the Earth. With the current surge in plans for lunar exploration, there is a rapidly growing need for detailed mapping of the terrain around planned landing sites, the location of valuable deposits and minerals, and navigation to support the autonomous movement of rovers. NASA, ESA, as well as private entities within the CLPS programmes such as Intuitive Machines, Firefly Aerospace and many others, are currently keenly interested in lunar imaging data. Companies capable of processing this data will play a vital role in building future lunar infrastructure linked to plans for a permanent human presence on the Moon’s surface – says Michał Zięba, CTO of Scanway S.A.
– Thanks to the expertise we have been developing for years in the Industry sector, including our proprietary Hydra system which has already been commercialised, we at Scanway are well placed to become a key player in this niche and highly specialised field. The contract signed is the first example of commercial work in the space sector utilising our skills and tools developed in the industrial sector – adds Radosław Charytoniuk, CSO of Scanway S.A.
Scanway has been actively supporting the development of the space economy for years, and the Company’s products have been installed on board the two most important Polish and European space missions of 2024. Scanway supplied the largest telescope in the history of the Polish space industry to the EagleEye satellite, as well as a camera system for the maiden flight of Europe’s latest launch vehicle, Ariane 6. Furthermore, the company is carrying out constellation projects with global clients, including Nara Space from South Korea, worth EUR 2.7 million; Marble Imaging from Germany, worth EUR 3.2 million; and a contract worth EUR 9.0 million for a client from South Asia. Constellation projects have the potential for further expansion in the future, as reflected in an additional order from Nara Space for optical instruments for the next satellite in the planned constellation.
About Scanway:
Scanway S.A. is a Polish company that has been in business for 9 years. It specializes in the optical data chain, which includes data acquisition, processing, analytics, and event prediction based on that data. In the Space segment, the company provides both hardware solutions (optical instruments, such as telescopes and cameras) and imaging analytics. In the Industry segment, it offers solutions (products) based on image data processing, including complete quality control systems. The Company’s expertise and experience in both fields are complementary and create synergies. Scanway strives to provide its customers with full access to key optical data in both segments.
As one of only a dozen or so companies worldwide, Scanway has developed a complete range of optoelectronic products for Earth observation from orbit. The company carries out key contracts for space equipment in Poland and around the world, including for commercial clients. It also operates STAR VIBE, Poland’s longest-operating optical observation satellite. The company’s solutions have been incorporated into the most important European and Polish space missions of 2024. Among other achievements, the company installed its equipment (the Scanway Camera System) on the maiden flight of Europe’s newest launch vehicle, Ariane 6, and delivered Poland’s largest-ever telescope, weighing approximately 10 kg (SOP200) to EagleEye—the largest satellite Poland has ever sent into space.
The company has completed over 40 quality control implementations in the industrial sector. As a technology partner to the sector’s largest manufacturers, it develops proprietary software solutions using AI and advanced applications for Industry 4.0.
The company has completed over 40 quality control implementations in the industrial sector. As a technology partner for the sector’s largest manufacturers, it develops proprietary software solutions using AI and advanced applications for Industry 4.0.
In October 2023, the Company made its debut on the NewConnect market. It has fully achieved the goals announced in its initial public offering and is currently preparing to move to the Main Market of the Warsaw Stock Exchange. For more information:
https://scanway.pl/ and https://scanway.space/
Media Contact
Scanway S.A. Corporate Communications Office
Katarzyna Żądło
+48 661 140 260
k.zadlo@scanway.pl
Contact for investors and analysts
Mardoniusz Maćkowiak
+48 605 959 539
mardoniusz.mackowiak@ccgroup.pl