German spacetech company constellr has launched its first satellite, Sky-Bee-1, pioneering its thermal infrared technology to precisely monitor global land surface temperatures, offering a completely new view of the planet. This is pivotal to sustainable resource management, transforming how industry and governments tackle climate challenges.
Sky-Bee-1 launched successfully on SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket, entering a sun-synchronous orbit 510 km above the Earth. The satellite is expected to deliver its first images within a few weeks.
The launch helps constellr service its private and public sector contracts across a range of industries, including agriculture, infrastructure and urban development.
The satellite enables timely insights at single field- and building-level precision by capturing high-resolution thermal data at 30m spatial resolution sharpened to 10m and with temperatures accurate to 1-2 Kelvin. It is equipped with two multispectral payloads, delivering continuous land surface temperature data for customers. A real-time global thermal atlas — a digital twin of Earth — uses land surface temperature data to uncover the realities of our planet’s health.
The launch is the first step in constellr’s planned High-precision Versatile Ecosphere (HiVE) satellite constellation, a network of thermal monitoring satellites.
According to Dr Max Gulde, CEO of constellr, the launch of constellr’s first commercial satellite signals a new era in thermal intelligence.:
"Gone are the expensive, inconvenient thermal images of the past, requiring expert knowledge to make use of low-resolution, high-latency data. It’s time for an overhaul of the EO industry.
Our customers will eventually be able to access on-demand, affordable data for their specific needs, absolutely transformative for resource and climate management and the future of water and food security.”
Giuseppe Borghi, Head of Φ-lab Division at the European Space Agency, commented:
“The European Space Agency’s InCubed’s mission is to push the boundaries of Earth observation exploration and technological development, bringing the likes of constellr’s novel thermal intelligence data to market.”
constellr’s next satellite is expected to launch later this year, with additional launches planned from 2026 onwards.
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