Airbus Unveils Pléiades Neo Next Program to Expand Earth Observation Constellation Airbus has initiated the Pléiades Neo Next program, aimed at bolstering its very high-resolution Earth observation constellation. This initiative will introduce new satellite assets and capabilities, promising enhanced native resolution. As the inaugural step of the Pléiades Neo Next program, Airbus is currently in the process of developing a new satellite slated for launch in the coming years.
Karen Florschütz, Executive Vice President of Connected Intelligence at Airbus Defence and Space, highlighted, “The Pléiades Neo Next program builds upon the achievements of our existing Pléiades Neo constellation, which caters to government and commercial clients globally. This new endeavor will further elevate our standards of excellence in terms of image quality, performance, and reliability, ensuring the delivery of superior geo-intelligence services and applications.”
The Pléiades Neo Next program is wholly financed, manufactured, and operated by Airbus Defence and Space, offering comprehensive image capacity across diverse sectors such as defense and intelligence, agriculture, environmental monitoring, maritime surveillance, disaster response, cartography, location-based services, civil engineering, urban planning, and utilities.
Users will retain the ability to directly task Airbus satellites up to a few dozen minutes prior to satellite coverage over their area of interest. Image data will be swiftly transmitted through customers’ Direct Receiving Stations (DRS) or the OneAtlas digital platform, facilitating prompt access for mission-critical applications.
The collaboration between the Pléiades Neo and Pléiades Neo Next satellites will result in increased revisit rates anywhere on Earth, up to several times per day, alongside the highest spatial resolution and geolocation accuracy available in the market. Furthermore, the development of Pléiades Neo Next will enhance the ground segment, DRS, and OneAtlas platform, optimizing imagery request capacity and streamlining the process from request to capture to reception.
With the introduction of Pléiades Neo Next, Airbus reinforces its position in Earth observation capabilities and services, maintaining leadership in geospatial technologies. Airbus’ fleet comprises optical and radar satellite constellations, offering complementary services and applications with varying resolutions, all-weather capabilities, and day-and-night imaging. Concurrently, Airbus is also advancing capabilities through stratospheric platforms.
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