AAC Clyde Space, a leading new space company, has shipped the first of three satellites that are set to deliver hyperspectral imagery data to Canadian company, Wyvern. The satellites will continue the transformation of AAC Clyde Space into a space-based data company over the coming years.
The launch is planned for April on SpaceX's Transporter 7 mission from California onboard a Falcon 9 rocket. The satellite is expected to start delivering data during the second quarter of 2023. The other two satellites under the contract are also expected to be delivered and launched in 2023. AAC Clyde Space will own the three satellites, while Wyvern Inc. has committed to subscribe to the data service for an initial four-year period, for GBP 8.4m (approx. SEK 105m). The contract can be extended on an annual basis thereafter.
In November 2022, AAC Clyde Space delivered the first of two 3U satellites that will deliver data to the U.S. company ORBCOMM Inc, a global provider of Internet of Things (IoT) solutions. The group also owns and operates a constellation of satellites dedicated to SDaaS which is also under expansion. By the end of 2023, AAC Clyde Space is expected to own a total of 11 satellites dedicated to delivering data from space, a number that is planned to increase further over the coming years.
"This satellite delivery marks a milestone for our Space Data as a Service model that is set to transform not only our business, but also the way other companies access data from space-based assets. Space Data as a Service will enable businesses to access high quality data that will improve their operations. Over the coming years, it will also transform AAC Clyde Space from a hardware company into a space-based information technology business," says AAC Clyde Space CEO Luis Gomes.
The 6U EPIC VIEW satellites dedicated to Wyvern are designed as 'application specific' and feature increased data downlink and enhanced control capabilities and will deliver hyperspectral data, a method for capturing images of Earth across multiple bands, providing much more information than the three main colour bands that the human eye captures. Wyvern, specializing in Earth observation, will first offer the data to the agricultural sector where it will help optimize yields, and detect invasive plants, pests and changes in soil makeup.