SAN FRANCISCO – German thermal data startup constellr announced a multiyear contract Dec. 9 with the German Space Agency DLR.
Under the contract, constellr will begin supplying 30-meter native resolution imagery to researchers working with the German Space Agency. The value of the contract was not disclosed.
Constellr CEO Max Gulde said in a statement that the contract “represents a major step forward in our mission to provide high-quality thermal data to the scientific community. The capabilities of our thermal imaging satellites will empower researchers across Germany to gain new insights and develop innovative solutions to some of the most urgent issues of our time from global food security to climate action.”
Beginning in 2025, constellr plans to establish the High-precision Versatile Ecosphere (HiVE) constellation. Applications include agriculture monitoring, urban planning and climate change research.
“We are convinced that constellr’s data offer will fill a missing gap that we still face today in understanding important elements of our earth system,” including vegetation growth and heat fluxes, Godela Roßner, DLR Earth Observation head, said in a statement. “We are very happy to partner with constellr and offer scientists and application developers in Germany” the opportunity to explore and demonstrate the potential of the data for innovative applications.
Constellr’s first thermal infrared imaging sensor traveled to the International Space Station in 2022 on a Northrop Grumman resupply mission.
In 2023, constellr raised 17 million euros in seed funding.
In recent years, startups gathering thermal infrared imagery and data have attracted investment, made key acquisitions and won government contracts.
Debra Werner is a correspondent for SpaceNews based in San Francisco.
Debra earned a bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of California, Berkeley, and a master’s degree in Journalism from Northwestern University. She…
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