Month: November 2025

Four new initiatives to boost Spain’s Earth observation sector

Posted on by mavelar

As the result of an ESA-dedicated commercialisation campaign for Spain, the InCubed Programme signed four new contracts with IVSEN, HAPSEYE, CrossBandInsights, and DVSTAI. From energy infrastructure monitoring to security and geospatial object detection, these projects reflect the growing impact of Earth observation data across key sectors.

Following the success of the last dedicated call for Spain, four initiatives signed a contract with the ESA InCubed programme. This call, launched in collaboration with the Spanish Space Agency (AEE), offered different levels of co-funding to develop innovative and commercially viable Earth observation products and services, while benefitting from the European Space Agency’s technical, commercial and financial guidance.

IVSEN is an advanced satellite-based monitoring solution tailored for energy infrastructure operators. It integrates a very-high-resolution payload (< 50 cm) with reduced mass and volume, along with agile observation modes for flexible operations. An on-board pre-processing algorithm works in tandem with the ground-based processing chain to generate specialised data products and analytics. This project is being developed by a consortium – SATLANTIS, Alén Space, DHV Technology, and GeoAI – with direct contributions from users such as Iberdrola to ensure the system meets real operational needs.

“IVSEN represents a strategic milestone for SATLANTIS, as it strengthens our capabilities in very high-resolution Earth observation — a core technology for the company’s future. We are grateful to ESA for their trust and support in driving this project forward, and for enabling us to deliver an agile solution that will help energy operators and other users monitor and safeguard their critical infrastructures,” stated Juan Tomas Hernani, CEO of SATLANTIS.

ICEYE delivers synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data worldwide through its fleet of satellites, supporting applications such as land use monitoring, border surveillance and environmental monitoring. To expand this capability, the company is developing HAPSEYE, a solar-powered, fixed-wing aircraft designed to operate at altitudes above 20 km for extended periods.

Equipped with a SAR payload, HAPSEYE will complement ICEYE’s satellite constellation by providing persistent, high-resolution imaging that overcomes current limitations in coverage and resolution. This next-generation platform will improve disaster response, security and environmental monitoring. The activity is planned to begin after the test campaign of HAPS Prototype-1, scheduled for late 2025.

“As a pioneer in SAR imaging radar satellite innovation, we are delighted to have been chosen for ESA’s InCubed programme in Spain. Initiatives like this are crucial for accelerating technological advancement and strengthening European competitiveness in the Earth Observation sector – objectives that resonate strongly with our mission at ICEYE. This commitment is underlined by the high-altitude platform station project we are taking on as part of the programme, designed to aid European natural disaster response and Earth Observation capabilities,” stated Lauri Väin, VP of High-Altitude Platforms at ICEYE.

TRE ALTAMIRA delivers satellite radar (SAR) displacement measurements and mapping solutions for sectors such as civil engineering, mining, oil, and gas. Its product, CrossBandInsights, enhances current single-frequency band interferometric SAR (InSAR) products, by combining X- and C-band observations with higher spatial and temporal observations to improve ground movement monitoring. This allows for engineering firms and authorities to detect subtle changes, supporting smarter infrastructure maintenance decisions and strengthening risk management with enhanced spatial and temporal coverage.

“InCubed Spain has given us the unique opportunity to turn our vision into a concrete product that will bring tangible benefits to the Earth observation market. CrossBandInsights addresses a critical need by merging multi-mission C-band and X-band InSAR data to provide more accurate and timely insights on ground deformation,” commented Roberto Montalti, Project Manager at TRE ALTAMIRA.  

“This innovation will support civil engineering companies and public authorities in ensuring infrastructure safety and resilience. We see this project as a clear example of how public funding can be effectively invested to foster innovation, create market-ready solutions, and strengthen Europe’s position in the space sector,” Roberto added.

Thales Alenia Space, a global leader in space manufacturing, has been delivering advanced solutions in telecommunications, navigation, Earth observation, environmental management, science and orbital infrastructures for over 40 years. Among its innovations is DVSTAI (Deeper Vision Self-Trained AI), an evolution of the SatHound project, designed to overcome the limitations of current geospatial object detection methods: traditional approaches often require expert intervention for model design, training, and deployment, making the process slow, costly, and vulnerable to risks such as unauthorised access or data leakage.

DVSTAI addresses these challenges by leveraging deep learning techniques, allowing even non-AI or non-Earth observation specialists to autonomously train and use models through a user-friendly software solution. These models can be tailored to specific applications, including object detection, change detection, and semantic segmentation.

“DVSTAI is a user-centric AI solution that empowers non-technical users to autonomously create, train, and deploy AI models for object detection and vision tasks over satellite imagery. It simplifies the process, reduces costs, and enhances security by eliminating the need for dedicated AI engineers to develop high performing vision models, making it an invaluable tool for EO analysts and service providers,” commented Julian Cobos, Product Line Manager at Thales Alenia Space Spain.

“Thanks to the ESA InCubed programme, Thales Alenia Space will develop new key capabilities for object detection in Very High Resolution (VHR) and Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data and bring DVSTAI solution to the public Cloud in a Software as a Service (SaaS) model, making it accessible for any user to set-up object detection campaigns over open and commercial data sources,” Julian added.

To know more: ESA InCubed, Spanish Space Agency (AEE)

Photo courtesy of Unsplash/Chris Boland

ESA InCubed and UKSA fund five Earth Observation projects

Posted on by mavelar

The joint ESA InCubed/UKSA funding call has awarded over £ 2.5 million to five projects that will turn Earth Observation data into essential public services. The funding supports projects tackling national priorities: CORE for safer infrastructure monitoring, GHGSat’s platform for tracking methane emissions, and three systems – THICKET, FANTOM and EO4Biodiversity – designed to support sustainable land management and enhance biodiversity.

The European Space Agency (ESA) and the UK Space Agency (UKSA) have announced the results of their joint InCubed funding call, awarding over £ 2.5 million to five innovative projects that use satellite data to improve public services.

This initiative is a clear example of how the ESA InCubed programme supports its member states’ governments in the development of a domestic space industry that serves public good. The call’s explicit requirement for proposals to target a public sector end-user shows that ESA is actively steering its investment towards applications that can directly benefit citizens and government operations.

After a very successful and fierce competition, here are the new five ESA InCubed/UKSA-funded projects:

CORE: satellite insights for infrastructure safety

Corner Reflector Enabled Remote sensing (CORE), developed by Geospatial Ventures Limited and Bloc Digital, is a solution for monitoring public infrastructure and ground stability.

Traditional surveying methods are often costly, slow, and pose a risk to personnel, especially when inspecting large building complexes or difficult-to-access terrain. CORE addresses these challenges by combining multiple satellite data streams – from Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) and high-resolution optical imagery – to detect small movements, providing a much clearer, more comprehensive view of conditions across urban and rural landscapes than single-source systems.

CORE will translate complex satellite data into actionable intelligence for public sector users, such as engineers, urban planners, and environmental managers. By integrating satellite data with artificial intelligence and machine learning, the system provides early warning of ground shifts, structural settlement, or degradation before issues escalate into dangerous or expensive failures.

“Through CORE, we’re demonstrating how Earth observation—InSAR and optical—can deliver valuable and practical benefits for stakeholders by providing early insights into environmental change, ground stability, and asset condition. ESA’s support through InCubed is essential in helping us accelerate development, integrate advanced EO capabilities, and transform satellite intelligence into actionable information that helps organisations manage risk, reduce maintenance costs, and strengthen environmental resilience,” stated Paul Bhatia, Managing Director at Geospatial Ventures Ltd.

THICKET: a biodiversity mapping tool to support sustainable agriculture

THICKET is a tool being developed by AAC Clyde Space to help farmers enhance sustainability and better support wildlife on their lands.

The system will use the upcoming VIREON constellation of satellites, which will capture frequent, high-resolution multispectral images – with a detailed 1.5-meter resolution – to map habitats across farmlands. This constellation was engineered to provide well-aligned Earth observation data, including spectral bands that align with Sentinel-2 bands, complementing existing initiatives like Copernicus.

By showing farmers what biodiversity assets they have, THICKET provides the data for them to make informed, sustainable farming decisions. This capability is crucial for supporting environmental management and directly helps farmers meet the requirements to access valuable government support programmes like the Sustainable Farming Incentive.

“The ESA InCubed/UKSA co-funding has been instrumental in accelerating the development of THICKET. By combining advanced satellite technology with AI, we are creating a scalable, cost-effective way to monitor biodiversity across farmland. With imagery from our upcoming VIREON constellation, we can now capture fine details like hedgerows and flower margins — features that were previously almost impossible to assess systematically. This collaboration is helping to make biodiversity visible, measurable and actionable, supporting both farmers and the UK’s broader sustainability goals,” commented Pamela Smith, Director of Government Programmes at AAC Clyde Space.

Government GHG Service: tracking methane for net-zero

GHGSat UK and Terrabotics are developing an advanced analytics platform, Emissions Watch Service, to convert satellite observations of greenhouse gases (GHGs) into practical, actionable insights for the government. This service is uniquely positioned to support the UK’s goals of reaching net-zero emissions by 2050. By using their proprietary constellation of satellites, GHGSat traces the source of GHG emissions directly to specific industrial facilities, with a focus on the powerful GHG methane.

The platform enriches raw satellite data with detailed industrial asset information, creating a robust tool for environment compliance and reporting. Its rapid detection capability will ensure accurate data is available within hours of an emission event, allowing the UK government to make informed decisions about targeted mitigation strategies and increase accountability across major emitting organisations.

“ESA InCubed is a powerful programme, harnessing the innovation of space-based technologies for government agencies in the UK and Europe. For GHGSat, the support from InCubed is critical in order to de-risk product development while leveraging ESA’s technical expertise, enabling us to develop a platform that is honed to solve the unique challenges that government faces,” commented Daniel Wicks, Managing Director at GHGSat UK.

“Ultimately, through InCubed, GHGSat will strengthen its analytics prowess, identifying and mapping sources of methane to create a comprehensive view of emissions to inform data-backed policy, strengthen regulatory compliance, and drive methane reduction,” Daniel added.

FANTOM: advanced environmental analytics for land management

FANTOM (Future Analytics for Nature Through Observation and Modelling) is a project from Earth-i and Specto Natura designed to transform environmental land monitoring across the UK. It builds a database of agricultural and biodiversity markers, creating novel environmental indicators directly from satellite imagery.

FANTOM’s scope will extend well beyond agricultural subsidies: the platform is designed to provide content and context that supports not only agricultural schemes but also net zero and broader climate change mitigation activities. The comprehensive database of markers and impact assessments will be made available to all governmental agencies, associated arms-length bodies and commercial companies, enabling them to monitor and measure the progress of their sustainability activities and interventions.

“Earth-i’s FANTOM project, supported by the InCubed programme, will build a high spatial and temporal resolution, UK-centric database of agricultural and biodiversity markers with rich information content,” comments Jennifer King, Project Manager at Earth-i. 

“This will support environmental schemes aligned with the UK’s Agricultural Transition and assist government policy implementations for Net Zero and biodiversity net gain. FANTOM will provide analytics directly to the Rural Payments Agency, which manages farming subsidies and environmental schemes for England. Following this, Earth-i aims to promote the service to other countries, tailoring the analytics products as necessary,” Jennifer added.

EO4Biodiversity: satellite tracking for habitat net gain

EO4Biodiversity is an innovative project led by HR Wallingford to leverage satellite data to improve plant and animal diversity. The project’s aim is to automate biodiversity impact assessments by developing new ways of using Earth observation data to track habitat changes over time.

EO4Biodiversity will streamline the assessment process for land development and environmental management by post-processing existing Earth observation datasets, such as the ones from ESA WorldCover, specifically for biodiversity evaluations. By automating complex assessments, this initiative moves beyond manual surveying, providing public entities and other stakeholders with a powerful and scalable service to inform planning decisions, ensure compliance, and strategically support the long-term sustainability of the UK’s natural environment.

“EO4Biodiversity is a UK-wide project that uses satellite data to improve how we measure the impact of infrastructure projects on nature. With support from InCubed, the team is developing a new tool that will help landowners, developers, and public organisations understand how different building plans affect local biodiversity. This will make it easier to protect and enhance natural habitats while meeting the UK government’s biodiversity net gain targets,” stated Marta Roca Collell, Principal Engineer, Flood and Water Management, HR Wallingford.

The campaign manager, Pejman Nejadi (End-to-end Systems Engineer at the ESA Φ-lab Invest Office), commented: “This campaign stands as a clear demonstration of the value that ESA’s InCubed programme can deliver in partnership with national agencies. By combining ESA’s unique technical expertise and programme management experience, with UKSA’s strong understanding of national priorities, we created an initiative that directly addressed the UK public sector’s need of Earth Observation data. The success of this campaign highlights both the strength of our collaboration and the effectiveness of InCubed in fostering solutions that bring real benefit to society.”

To know more: ESA InCubed, Geospatial Ventures Limited, Bloc Digital, AAC Clyde Space, GHGSat UK, Terrabotics, Earth-i, Specto Natura, HR Wallingford

Photo courtesy of Unsplash/Paul Fiedler