Earth observation
A new look at your world
For a weather-independent data source, high-frequency revisits, very-high-resolution imagery or even all of the above in a single system – we can provide the right Earth observation satellite for every customer.
Our innovative off-the-shelf solutions and highly efficient production processes enable a record-time delivery of highly sophisticated satellites. What’s more – we also have a substantial expertise in ground segment infrastructure, technology and operations as well as data management and imagery exploitation.
| No. 1 supplier | to European institutions |
| 30 years | of in-orbit time since 1986 |
| No in-orbit failure |
|
| Prime contractor |
for over 70 earth observation satellites |
More than thirty years of successful earth observation
Since the launch of its first Earth observation satellite in 1986, Airbus Defence and Space has successfully built and delivered almost 50 Earth observation satellite systems, accumulating over 30 years of in-orbit operation. Not a single one of these missions has ever failed in orbit.
Today, many of our satellites are in operation well beyond their originally scheduled lifetime.
At the same time, several new satellites as well as numerous payloads for customers around the globe are currently in construction in our facilities.
Earth Observation interactive map
Latest Earth Observation news
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Media
With launch planned in 2027, CRISTAL will carry an advanced multi-frequency altimeter that will measure sea ice thickness and ice sheet elevations. These data will support maritime operations in polar oceans and contribute to a better understanding of climate processes. CRISTAL will also support applications related to coastal and inland waters and the observation of ocean topography.
Great Barrier Reef: The Copernicus Sentinel-2A satellite image over part of the Great Barrier Reef off Australia’s northeast coast. Extending more than 2000 km and covering an area of some 350 000 sq km, it is the planet's biggest single structure made by living organisms, called coral polyps. The reef is home to over 1500 tropical fish species, 400 types of coral, more than 200 species of bird, 5000 species of mollusc, 500 species of seaweed and six species of sea turtle. It is also a breeding area for humpback whales.
Copernicus Sentinel-2A image over central-eastern Brazil. It shows a large, flat plateau blanked with fields benefiting from rich soils and an apparent abundance of water, before falling off into a green, hilly valley (left). The straight lines in the image are roads, such as the highway running in a nearly straight line from the centre-top to bottom of the image. A distinctive feature in this image is the circles – mainly at the centre. These shapes were created by a central-pivot irrigation system, where a long water pipe rotates around a well at the centre of each plot. The varying colours show different types of crop, or different stages of growth.
EarthCARE will advance our understanding of the role that clouds and aerosols play in reflecting incident solar radiation back into space and trapping infrared radiation emitted from Earth's surface. In the foreground: The ATLID instrument (ATmospheric LIDa)r detects the vertical profile of aerosols physical parameters. Airbus is prime contractor to ESA.
EarthCARE will advance our understanding of the role that clouds and aerosols play in reflecting incident solar radiation back into space and trapping infrared radiation emitted from Earth's surface. In the foreground: The ATLID instrument (ATmospheric LIDa)r detects the vertical profile of aerosols physical parameters. Airbus is prime contractor to ESA.
EarthCARE will advance our understanding of the role that clouds and aerosols play in reflecting incident solar radiation back into space and trapping infrared radiation emitted from Earth's surface. In the foreground: The ATLID instrument (ATmospheric LIDa)r detects the vertical profile of aerosols physical parameters. Airbus is prime contractor to ESA.
Across nearly all major industries, many are looking toward a future of mass adoption of geospatial technologies. But what technical and commercial barriers do we need to break down to truly democratize access to geospatial data and analytics? Globally, institutions and companies have gathered more Earth observation (EO) data than can ever be analyzed using traditional image processing methods. With emerging companies racing to launch their own EO systems, we face an unprecedented increase in capacity and volume of data that inspires us to explore the importance of machine learning and cloud computing infrastructure in generating insights at scale. In this interview, Sean Wiid, Chief Product Officer at UP42, explains the role of platforms like UP42 in enabling the mass adoption of geospatial technologies.
