WORLDTECHHydrosat Plans High-Resolution Thermal Imaging Program Named Nyktòs
Hydrosat has unveiled Nyktòs, a thermal mid-wave infrared program meant to add high-resolution imagery to its planned Osiris constellation, according to Payload. The move responds to rising European government demand for thermal Earth observation data.
What the new program is meant to do
Payload reports that Hydrosat has introduced Nyktòs, a thermal mid-wave infrared program. It is intended to capture detailed images that sit alongside the lower-resolution, always-on, wide-swath imagery the company expects to collect through Osiris.
Osiris, a constellation of satellites working together, is designed to gather continuous imagery across a 340-km swath as each satellite passes overhead. Customers could then notice changes on the ground without having to direct the satellites to observe a specific spot.
Why thermal imaging matters to military users
Unlike optical Earth observation, thermal payloads can gather data at any hour, Payload notes, which would let military customers keep watch on conflict zones after dark.
Hydrosat officials believe pairing the two products could help the company capture a larger share of the satellite imagery market. Customers could spot changes using Osiris and then direct Nyktòs satellites to look more closely.
Resolution and competition
Fossel declined to give specifics on the expected resolution of the Nyktòs imager. He told Payload the system would compete with other thermal payload operators, naming SatVu, whose imagery has a 3.5-metre resolution.
Payload quotes Fossel describing the products as a family, comparing them to an iPhone and a MacBook: different roles, shared heritage.
Planned production base in Europe
To bring Nyktòs into service, Hydrosat plans to open a new production facility in Europe. The goal is in-house manufacturing capacity in the region and new ties with European suppliers, so the capability can satisfy the sovereignty requirements of defence and government customers.
The site has not been chosen. Fossel told Payload the facility could be running next year, with Nyktòs payloads leaving the line as early as 2028.
Open questions
- What spatial resolution will the Nyktòs imager achieve?
- Where in Europe will the new production facility be located?