Mittens, operator of Earth observation satellites, formerly known as Maxar, is planning the first major overhaul of its space architecture in almost a decade, aiming to combine their signature high-resolution images with fast repeat visit rates, offered by constellations of small satellites.
8 the company announced in April, which will expand its current fleet of 10 electro-optical satellites of DZZ with two new high-resolution spacecraft and two dozen smaller satellites, intended for more frequent coverage. Together, these tools should ensure continuous continuous monitoring, which is a compromise, which has long defined the commercial remote sensing market.
The new architecture includes two high resolution Vantage satellites 20 centimeters, which will be placed in a sun-synchronous orbit, and the planned Pulse grouping of small satellites, which will transmit 40-cm images from medium-inclination orbits. Expected, that the first Pulse satellites will be launched in 2027 year, and the first spacecraft of the Vantage series is planned to be deployed in 2029 year.
Vantor reports, that the Pulse satellites will be able to photograph the same place on Earth with a frequency of up to 15 minutes. This marks the company's first implementation of fast revisit small satellites and is a unique hybrid solution, said Vantor CEO Dan Smoot.
The move reflects a broader shift in the Earth observation business, where customers seek to detect change, rather than just taking pictures. Existing Vantor fleet, consisting of six WorldView Legion satellites and four legacy spacecraft, created to provide customers with quality images. Simultaneously, newer Legion spacecraft have increased the revisit rate to 15 times a day for areas of high interest. The third and fourth Legion satellites were placed in a medium-inclination orbit for the first time, which made it possible to optimally use the light part of the day.
The company has one of the highest commercial resolutions on the DZZ market, which allows fixing small details for defense, exploration and mapping. Smaller satellites, although offering a lower resolution, can be deployed in large numbers to provide almost continuous coverage. Competitive, such as Planet Labs and BlackSky, have built their business around this model, controlling constellations of dozens of satellites, which repeatedly depict the Earth throughout the day.
Vantor company, which has long been a supplier to the US defense and intelligence services, in recent years has expanded its business thanks to international clients, who need not only accurate reconnaissance of the battlefield, but also the ability to detect change. This dual requirement for high detail and frequent updates has become more pronounced in recent years, as governments tend to monitor everything, from military activity to infrastructure development and environmental change, almost in real time.
The planned constellation marks Vantor's first major expansion since 2017 year, when the company, which then operated under the name Maxar, announced its WorldView Legion program . Six satellites, intended for creating 30-centimeter pictures, were launched between 2024 and the beginning 2025 року після кількох затримок, пов’язаних з технічними проблемами та перенесенням запуску. Нові супутники вже перебувають на значних стадіях проектування, а інструмент для 20-сантиметрової зйомки вже закуплений.
Наразі Vantor має партнерські відносини з іншими постачальниками через так зване «віртуальне сузір’я», поєднуючи власні знімки з даними супутників третіх сторін для розширення покриття.
Source: https://spacenews.com