ABB enabling high-quality imaging in outer space

The technology firm ABB from the Greater Zurich Area has won its largest contract to date in the private space sector for the delivery of multispectral imaging systems to the Canadian company EarthDaily Analytics. According to a press release, the contract value amounts to in excess of 30 million US dollars.

The imaging systems developed by ABB are to be used on ten satellites from EarthDaily Analytics that will orbit the Earth. With this technology, the satellites will be able to deliver high-quality imaging in 22 spectral bands with resolution down to just five meters. According to Don Osborne, CEO of EarthDaily Analytics, his company’s satellite network will “provide unprecedented daily global coverage of the Earth at ultra-high, scientific-grade image quality”.

The images captured by the satellites should help to deliver insights on the basis of which measures aimed at environmental protection and sustainable resource management can be developed and implemented. To this end, an analytics system on the basis of Artificial Intelligence (AI) developed by EarthDaily Analytics will examine the images to uncover changes to our planet.

For this project, ABB is also working with another Canadian firm, namely Xiphos Systems Corporation, in addition to Loft Orbital from California, USA. Xiphos Systems is a specialist in the area of aerospace IT solutions, while Loft Orbital is active as a supplier of aerospace infrastructures.