A Satellite Constellation for a Better Understanding of the Earth and Climate Change

For many years, INO has been recognized for its expertise in the design and manufacture of infrared sensors. And this year, EarthDaily Analyics, working on a constellation of Earth observation satellites, called on INO to outfit them with thermal cameras. It's INO's biggest assignment in the space sector.

The scope of the project is significant. The constellation of ten super-spectral satellites provides daily coverage of the entire Earth and supplies value-added information for use in agriculture, the environment, insurance, disaster prevention and recovery, and commodities trading. The satellites will be launched by SpaceX and should be fully operational sometime in 2024.

For this application, INO has developed a new generation of bolometers and electronic board certified for use in space. Compared to conventional sensors, which require coding, INO's have wider spectral coverage, can operate at room temperature, use less energy, cost less, and are much smaller, making them ideal for satellites where every cm³ counts.

A total of 20 thermal cameras will be delivered based on INO-produced components. They'll be used for advanced monitoring of thermal phenomena such as ground and sea surface temperatures, identification of anomalies and forest fire detection and tracking.

The data gathered can also be used in precision agriculture. Thermal cameras can provide farmers with accurate information on ground temperatures and soil moisture levels so they can adjust cultivation practices for increased yields.

Quebec in space

Along with INO, EarthDaily Analytics has brought in additional Quebec-based partners: Xiphos and ABB's Quebec City devision. Learn more about the partnership here.

There's no doubt that 2022-2023 will go down in history as the year that INO really found its place on the international aerosapce scene.