HD15 over Eiffel Tower, Paris - Pléiades Neo © Airbus DS 2023
Airbus has achieved a remarkable advancement in Earth observation with the launch of its Pléiades Neo satellites, marking a significant milestone in the field of remote sensing. These satellites, exclusively financed, manufactured, owned, and managed by Airbus, signify a leap forward in Earth observation capabilities for commercial, institutional, and governmental users.
Comprising two identical spacecraft, each with a high resolution of 30 cm, the Pléiades Neo constellation is set to revolutionize Earth observation. The constellation offers rapid tasking and the capability to revisit any point on Earth at least twice daily. The satellites collectively contribute around 500,000 km² of imagery to Airbus' repository daily. The acquired data is effortlessly accessible through Airbus' OneAtlas digital platform, offering immediate access to fresh and archived data, as well as powerful analytics tools.
Equipped with cutting-edge lightweight silicon carbide optical instruments, the compact Pléiades Neo satellites also have inter-satellite links through Airbus' SpaceDataHighway, allowing for emergency acquisitions within 40 minutes of a request. Their high-resolution imagery is characterized by an unparalleled level of detail, enhancing image analysis for both human experts and machine learning algorithms. This level of detection improves object recognition, providing a wealth of information for various applications.
The Pléiades Neo constellation excels in geolocation accuracy and spectral band information, facilitating a range of applications including monitoring strategic sites, commercial activities, and maritime zones. The satellites cater to defense, intelligence, and security sectors, enabling precise location determination, faster responsiveness, and protection strategies. Moreover, Pléiades Neo’s agile imaging supports urban applications like land administration, climate change monitoring, pollution assessment, and emergency response.
The satellites are instrumental in risk analysis and damage assessment for natural hazards. In addition, the Pléiades Neo constellation supports topographic mapping for military and civilian purposes at an impressive scale of 1:2000. The two satellites' coordinated efforts offer rapid, frequent updates for different layers of products, enhancing topographic map creation. Airbus' Pléiades Neo satellites herald a new era in Earth observation, furnishing users with unmatched data quality, frequent updates, and extensive applications across various sectors. This advancement underlines the pivotal role of Pléiades Neo in reshaping Earth's observation-based services in an ever-evolving information-driven world.