Bremen/Freiburg, 21 June 2023 - constellr, a technology start-up supported by OHB, has been awarded a multi-million multi-year contract by the European Commission and the European Space Agency ESA. Under the terms of the agreement, the HiVe (High-Precision Versatile Ecosphere Monitoring) satellite constellation developed by constellr has been selected as Contributing Mission for the European Copernicus Earth observation programme. Specifically, constellr is to provide high-resolution infrared images from space in the future. This data will allow conclusions to be drawn about the water requirements and general health of agricultural crops. As a result, symptoms of drought stress and nutrient deficiencies can be detected at an early stage and remedied through the targeted use of artificial irrigation and fertilisers before more severe damage occurs. This approach allows valuable resources to be used more sparingly and contributes to global food security.
OHB System AG has been contracted by constellr to develop the first two payloads for the HiVe constellation. The technologically sophisticated instruments combine a VTIR sensor (thermal infrared) with four recording channels with a VNIR sensor (visible and near infrared). Once the constellation is completed, it will allow to constantly monitor the water demand and availability for each field on Earth.
The launch of the first two satellites is planned for 2024.
About constellr
constellr is a German deep tech start-up from Freiburg that operates at the interface of Earth Observation and agriculture. A spin-off of the Fraunhofer, Europe’s largest organisation for applied science, constellr is dedicated to supporting global food security in times of climate change. Based on a proprietary space infrastructure with unique sensing capabilities, constellr offers precise and plot-level water monitoring for the agricultural sector worldwide. As a space data and services company, constellr is leading the way in delivering daily, global land surface temperature data for the agri-tech industry. constellr provides the fundamental global data for smart crop monitoring, identifying changes in crop health days to weeks before they become visible and enabling farmers to react early to and mitigate for potential crop risks and losses. This advanced warning means the risk of crop failure or damage is significantly reduced, allowing more accurate crop yield forecasting and thus better stability and management across supply chains.
About OHB System AG
OHB System AG is one of Europe's leading space technology companies and the largest subsidiary of the listed high-tech group OHB SE, which employs a workforce of almost 3,000 throughout Europe. Headquartered in Bremen and with a second strong site in Oberpfaffenhofen near Munich, OHB System AG has more than 40 years of experience in the development of high-tech solutions for space missions and other fields of application. Its portfolio of products and services ranges from the realisation of satellite systems for Earth observation, navigation, telecommunications and reconnaissance to the design and implementation of missions for space exploration and the development of equipment for human space flight. We.Create.Space.
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