Blue Moon mission drives NanoAvionics SuperSharp thermal imaging innovation

Blue Moon is set to redefine Earth observation by operating its advanced imaging system continuously, both during daylight and darkness. Its design goes beyond traditional satellites by incorporating a proprietary unfolding payload that delivers four times the resolution per unit cost compared to standard technologies.

The HIBISCUS instrument is engineered to capture Long-Wave InfraRed imagery at a spatial resolution of three metres. The resulting high-quality data will support a range of applications from urban heat monitoring to broader climate resilience efforts and national security, while also fostering innovative new uses.

In addition to powering Blue Moon, NanoAvionics will provide two extra MP42 microsatellite platforms to Satlantis for its upcoming generation of sub-meter resolution Earth observation satellites. This expansion underscores the growing collaboration between industry leaders in advanced space technologies.

SuperSharp, a University of Cambridge spinout founded in 2017 and integrated into the Satlantis group since 2023, boasts a team of over 30 engineers. The company specializes in designing and manufacturing high-resolution Thermal InfraRed imaging satellites and is embarking on its inaugural satellite mission in partnership with NanoAvionics, a subsidiary of the Kongsberg group.

Marco Gomez-Jenkins, co-founder and CEO of SuperSharp, said: "We are delighted to partner with NanoAvionics on this mission to unlock the value of ultra-high resolution thermal imaging from space. The combination of our HIBISCUS telescope and their MP42 satellite platform will enable new applications in this domain, from climate change mitigation to security and defence."

"This mission would not be possible without the ongoing support of institutional actors, in particular the UK Space Agency."

Atle Wollo, CEO of Kongsberg NanoAvionics, said: "Satlantis has been one of our earliest commercial Earth observation customers, and we're excited to build on the legacy of the first three nanosatellites we launched with them. These three new missions highlight how NanoAvionics evolves alongside our customers and their growing needs. By helping SuperSharp and Satlantis deliver industry-leading 3-meter thermal imaging and submeter visible to near-infrared capabilities, we're setting a new benchmark for our standard MP42 microsatellite platform, supporting larger, more advanced payloads than ever before."

Juan Tomas Hernani, co-founder and CEO of Satlantis, said: "The race to space is more and more about partnerships. The breakthrough offered by SuperSharp with its 3 m resolution in TIR in a joint mission with NanoAvionics makes us very proud to lead the global strategy for this. It also gives us an opportunity to fuse TIR as an extended channel into our next missions"