Photo: Exobotics

Exobotics is teaming up with Simera Sense, one of Africa’s up and coming space startups, to engineer and integrate a hyperspectral imager into one of their nanosatellite platforms. The two companies announced the collaboration, Oct. 4. It will likely launch into Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) later this year.

The hyperspectral imager will perform high resolution imaging, at less than 5 metres per pixel in the 450 nm to 900 nm range, allowing for the collection of a variety of space related data which can be utilised across sectors both within and beyond the space industry.

Exobotics is a UK startup with offices in London, Cambridge and Cornwall, that manufactures small satellite subsystems. The company developed a bespoke payload support system to enable the image to work with a wide range high-speed radios in S-, X-, and Ka-bands to improve performance and flexibility in space. Potential use cases for the hyperspectral imaging technology include monitoring and forecasting crop health, measuring the emissions of pollutants, object detection, and more.

The companies said this is part of a wider collaboration which will later focus on turn-key integrated satellite platforms.

“Simera and Exobotics have great synergy, and by working collaboratively, exciting solutions are in the pipeline. We look forward to a successful hyperspectral mission launching later this year, and future collaboration with Exobotics, continuously making leading Earth observations missions effortless for our clients,” Ana-Mia Louw, general manager at Simera Sense said in a statement.