The aerospace manufacturing company Airbus has launched a new startup to provide satellite imaging services. Known as the UP42, it’s designed to help government entities, as well as private organizations, collect and use satellite imaging data.
UP42 won’t necessarily build or launch satellites. Rather, Airbus’s new startup will provide algorithms to harvest and use satellite imaging data. According to Airbus, the algorithms can even detect time-lapse changes in cloud coverage, forest landscapes and more.
Furthermore, the algorithmic services offered by UP42 will be available on the cloud, meaning customers don’t have to invest in expensive on-premises servers or hardware. The servers and hardware used to perform the algorithm processes are maintained by UP42, with customers being able to access and use them over the internet via the cloud.
Statistics show there are nearly 5,000 satellites in Earth’s orbit. Unfortunately, many organizations struggle to use the imaging data created by these satellites — a challenge UP42 is hoping to solve with the startup’s new services.
Airbus is taking a unique approach to selling its UP42 services. While UP42 is still in beta, the startup allows customers to purchase credits, which are then used to purchase satellite imaging services offered by UP 42. According to one report, customers can purchase 25,000 credits for roughly $280.
When speaking about UP42, Airbus’s Dirk Hoke said the new startup offers a variety of tools to help customers access and use satellite imaging data. Hoke added that UP42 has already attracted a large roster of customers, which the company hopes to expand once the service is officially launched and available to the public.
“Our offering is unique – by combining access to a broad range of data sources alongside a marketplace for processing capacity and tools, developers using UP42 will be able to quickly build and scale geospatial products on our platform. We already have an exceptional roster of partners on the UP42 platform and we’re looking forward to working with a range of startups across Europe and beyond,” said Airbus Defense and Space CEO Dirk Hoke.
Airbus Defense and Space — the division behind UP42 — was originally formed in January 2014. Since then, Airbus Defense and Space has invested heavily into satellite services, including satellite imaging algorithms like those used in Up42’s services.
It’s unknown when UP42 will move out of beta. Being that the startup was just recently launched, though, this may not occur until next year. Nonetheless, Up42 could be a game-changer by opening up geospatial data to customers across the world.
