European Space Imaging (EUSI), a provider of Very High Resolution (VHR) satellite imagery in Europe, has announced a multi-million euro investment into their ground station located at the German Aerospace Center (DLR) near Munich. This strategic upgrade extends the ability for EUSI to deliver imagery with unprecedented speed and efficiency, solidifying its position as a hub for the best satellite imagery technology in Europe.
On 27 June, EUSI successfully commenced downlinking data from the Maxar WorldView satellite constellation using the newly upgraded ground station, also known as the Direct Access Facility (DAF). EUSI’s customers across Europe can receive significantly faster Near Real-Time (NRT) deliveries, with processing times of less than 20 minutes after image collection. Moreover, the ground station’s enhanced throughput capacity allows for the parallel processing of multiple NRT orders simultaneously.
The technology deployed at the upgraded EUSI DAF empowers users in the VHR satellite imagery community to make better and faster decisions and gain potentially life-saving insights in emergency situations. One of the key advantages of the upgraded ground station is the capability to directly downlink data from the upcoming Maxar WorldView Legion constellation, set to begin launching later this year. More than tripling the 30 cm capacity of EUSI, the imagery collected through this upgraded DAF from the long-anticipated Legion satellites will transform countless remote sensing projects around Europe and North Africa.
Though upgraded, the location of the EUSI ground station will remain at the DLR in Oberpfaffenhofen, reinforcing the long-standing cooperation between EUSI and DLR. This partnership highlights EUSI’s commitment to investing in German space infrastructure and its dedication to advancing the European remote sensing industry. Additionally, the EUSI ground station plays a crucial role in DLR’s participation in EU security programs and aligns with the responsibilities outlined by the German space strategy.
“The ground station upgrade at the German Aerospace Center represents a significant milestone for EUSI and the entire European Earth Observation community,” said Adrian Zevenbergen, CEO of European Space Imaging.
Through this collaboration, EUSI gains invaluable expertise from the DLR in infrastructure, analysis, and machine learning for key users including the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA).
“Near Real-Time satellite imagery collected through the European Space Imaging Direct Access Facility has been crucial to remote sensing projects from the DLR including disaster response efforts and developing innovative information products by ZKI and the world’s most advanced vessel classification solutions for EMSA,” says Dr. Stefan Dech, Director DFD at the German Aerospace Center (DLR).
