SAN FRANCISCO, April 17, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Orbital Sidekick (OSK), the global leader in space-based hyperspectral intelligence, today announced the successful launch of GHOSt 1 and 2, the first satellites in its planned GHOSt(™) (Global Hyperspectral Observation Satellite) constellation, aboard the Transporter 7 rideshare mission on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. OSK will deploy four more satellites this year aboard the Transporter 8 and Transporter 9 rideshare missions to complete the company’s initial constellation. By year-end, GHOSt will consist of six equivalent hyperspectral imaging microsatellites, each featuring a proprietary hyperspectral imager unique to OSK.
Now in orbit, these first two GHOSt satellites will offer unmatched global monitoring capacity, capturing nearly 500 bands of light across the electromagnetic spectrum with 20x greater sensitivity than traditional monitoring. The payload will produce the highest resolution commercial hyperspectral imagery ever in orbit, with a ground sampling distance of eight meters. This advanced imaging capability will support OSK's Spectral Intelligence Global Monitoring Application (SIGMA™) platform, which provides access to OSK’s data archive, analytics engine, and intelligent satellite tasking system for commercial and inherently governmental applications.
“From day one, OSK’s strategy has been about commercializing the highest resolution hyperspectral imagery and intelligence available,” said Dan Katz, CEO, Orbital Sidekick. “The successful launch of our first two GHOSt constellation satellites signifies our team’s ability to execute on this vision, while scaling our commercial product and establishing our leadership position in the market.”
OSK’s current customers include major energy companies Williams, ONEOK, Energy Transfer, and Colonial Pipeline Co. (CPC). The company is also a partner of the intelligent Pipeline Integrity Program (iPIPE) which supports emerging technologies for improved pipeline integrity and leak detection. Further, OSK will advance its mineral exploration efforts, leveraging its advanced hyperspectral sensor and analytics to support sustainable operations in the industry. The launch of GHOSt is enabling frequent monitoring of global oil and gas pipeline assets, and mineral exploration initiatives, through its SIGMA(™) intelligence platform and will enhance the industry’s ability to meet and exceed compliance and regulatory obligations while supporting environmental sustainability pursuits and a low carbon future.
In addition to the energy and mining sectors, the company has secured government contracts to supply hyperspectral data to the United States Department of Defense through its partnerships with In-Q-Tel, the Air Force, and Space Force. In March, the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) selected OSK for its latest focus area study of commercial space-based hyperspectral imaging (HSI) capabilities under the agency’s Strategic Commercial Enhancements (SCE) Broad Agency Announcement (BAA), further strengthening OSK’s relationship with the defense and intelligence communities.
“It’s gratifying to see our goal of commercializing this cutting-edge technology come to fruition,” said Tushar Prabhakar, COO, Orbital Sidekick. “The GHOSt constellation will now offer unparalleled insights into critical infrastructure and areas of the planet, enabling us to reach new heights in supporting sustainability and safety efforts, anywhere in the world.”
GHOSt builds on the constellation’s satellite precursors, named Aurora and HEIST, which launched in June 2021 and September 2018 respectively. These space-based technology demonstrator sensors established the company’s capability to operate in space while providing enhanced data sets for commercial, government, and scientific entities.
Today, OSK’s market-leading sensing capabilities will enable its customers in the energy, government and defense, extraction, infrastructure, agriculture, and forestry industries to make vital decisions with expansive coverage, rapid revisit times, leading-edge spatial resolution, and greater spectral capability than any competing service.
About Orbital Sidekick
Orbital Sidekick’s proprietary analytics platform and hyperspectral payload architecture provide persistent space-based monitoring solutions powered by Spectral Intelligence™. This unique radiometric speciation and change detection capability enables unparalleled target monitoring services for both commercial and defense users on a global scale. For more information on Orbital Sidekick’s global persistent monitoring services, please visit www.orbitalsidekick.com.
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