Start hyperspectral images Wyvern I have reserved space on A Orbital loft The satellite bus will be launched next year, a move the company says will boost the capacity of its Dragonette satellite constellation.
Wyvern, a graduate of Y Combinator’s Winter 2022 cohort, has launched two hyperspectral imaging satellites since its founding in 2018. But launching and operating a dedicated constellation — a path taken by many other Earth observation startups — is clearly not the only option. On the table.
“We decided early in Wyvern’s history that if we could avoid building our own satellites, we would do it,” Wyvern CEO Christopher Robson told TechCrunch. “It’s capital efficient, and we benefit from the capacity and learning of industry partners. This also allows Wyvern to focus on delivering high-quality, high-resolution spectral data while developing game-changing optical payloads.”
Under the terms of the deal, Wyvern will fly using Loft’s satellite platform, which includes a Longbow bus designed by Airbus OneWeb Satellites, and an off-the-shelf payload interface called the Hub. On its website, Loft refers to the Hub as “the brain of the spacecraft — which controls the payloads and manages the flow of data and resources between the onboard payloads and the satellite bus.”
Wyvern will also utilize Loft’s satellite operations software, Cockpit, for the duration of the mission.
Loft, which describes itself as a “space infrastructure as a service” company, buys satellite buses in bulk and flies them as a unified platform. Earlier this year, the company ordered an additional 15 Airbus OneWeb space buses in response to growing demand, after purchasing more than 15 of the same buses in January 2022.