Airbus DS officials confirmed at World Satellite Business Week that the company is designing and building a new constellation of optical satellites, comprising four identical and very agile sensors delivering very high-resolution imagery.

Along with the space segments, to be launched in 2020 and 2021, innovative ground segments offering multi-mission capabilities, large-scale image processing and easy data access incorporating “big data/cloud technologies” will be developed and deployed. According to Airbus DS, this will not only enhance applications in traditional markets but will also open up new applications in developing markets, analytics and intelligence.

The company says that the constellation will offer intraday revisit capacity of any point on Earth, improved reactivity in satellite tasking, and the ability to capture millions of km² per day. It will be “entirely funded, owned and operated by Airbus Defence and Space” and will “respect the continuity of Pléiades and all French laws and regulations”.