EO
Stories about the Earth Observation industry’s eyes on our planet.
EO CEOs Slam ‘Shortsighted and Perilous’ Budget Request
Leaders at six of America’s biggest remote sensing firms are urging Congress to reject cuts proposed in the Trump administration’s fiscal 2026 budget plan—a proposal that would dramatically reduce the government’s purchasing of commercial EO data.
Planet Hits Free Cash Milestone
“People look at the changing way in which these new technologies play into security, as they have in Ukraine—drones and satellites and AI—and they realize that they need them, and they need them quickly.”
Rocket Lab Snags IR Sensor-Maker In $275M Deal
“With this deal, Rocket Lab will officially enter the payload market as a disruptive prime contractor to US national security.”
Spire Emerges Anew After Nine Months Of Uncertainty
Inside CEO Theresa Condor’s plans for a revitalized satellite company.
Muon Wins Stage II Contract from NRO
Muon collects IR data, an area in which US commercial providers lag behind Chinese competitors.
ICEYE and Rheinmetall Form Sat Production Partnership
The new venture, called Rheinmetall ICEYE Space Solutions, will split ownership 60/40 between Rheinmetall and ICEYE, respectively, and expects to begin production of SAR sats in the second quarter of next year.
Europe’s New Spacecraft to Map World’s Forests in 3D
Europe will launch a satellite to map the world’s forests in 3D, to hunt down illegal logging and track climate change by mapping how forests store carbon.
The State of EO 2025
“I think the rubber is really going to meet the road,” Umbra COO Todd Master told Payload. “A lot of interesting tech got put into space. The question now is what of that data actually is needed by customers—that customers are willing to pay for?”
constellr Shares Thermal Image From Its First Sat
By measuring ground temperatures from space down to 30 m in resolution, constellr can help its customers make climate-informed decisions that make a real economic impact.
Esper Satellites Raises $3.1M Seed Round
The funds will help Esper meet the upcoming launch date of its flagship four-sat constellation, dubbed “Four Leaf Clover,” which could see its first two sats launch in February 2026.
New Satellite Constellation Companies are in Decline
The number of new satellite constellation businesses has sharply declined over the past decade as the space market matures and new startups struggle to find angles to differentiate.
Nations Lock Down EO Capabilities As Ukraine War Continues
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine three years ago this week catapulted EO tech into the spotlight, providing a bird’s eye view of everything from Russia’s build up of military equipment along the border to the theft of Ukrainian grain. Seeing the benefits of EO before and during the conflict, industry officials said other countries have been…
BlackSky’s Gen-3 Sat Enters Orbit, Company Lands String of Contracts
BlackSky launched its first Gen-3 Earth observation satellites aboard Rocket Lab’s Electron rocket yesterday, adding higher-resolution imaging to its data offerings.
