Israeli firm unveils satellite that spots 25-centimeter details

Israeli satellite company ImageSat International unveiled a new Earth observation satellite on September 8 designed to capture imagery sharp enough to identify small objects on the ground from orbit, while processing some of that data in space before it ever reaches an analyst.

The satellite, called EROS NOVA, will capture imagery at a native resolution of 25 centimeters, according to ISI, meaning objects roughly that size become distinguishable in the images it produces. The company describes the resolution tier as Very-Very-High-Resolution, sitting above the high-resolution imagery typical of most commercial Earth observation satellites.

EROS NOVA combines that high-resolution optical imaging with short-wave infrared sensing and video collection on a single satellite, letting customers pull different types of information from one platform rather than tasking separate spacecraft for each capability. Short-wave infrared imaging can help distinguish materials or detect activity that isn’t visible in ordinary daylight imagery, such as certain camouflage or recent ground disturbance.

The satellite will also carry onboard artificial intelligence and processing hardware that ISI says can analyze selected data while the satellite is still in orbit, rather than waiting for all of it to be downlinked to ground stations first. ISI says that approach is intended to prioritize the most operationally relevant imagery and shorten the time between when the satellite captures something and when an analyst or military user can act on it.

“EROS NOVA represents the next generation of space-based intelligence, bringing together advanced imaging, multiple sensing capabilities and onboard intelligence in a single satellite platform,” said Noam Segal, CEO of ISI. “It is designed to help intelligence organizations extract greater value from every collection and respond more rapidly to evolving operational needs, providing greater flexibility and a faster path from satellite collection to operational insight.”

EROS NOVA is the latest addition to a satellite lineage ISI has operated since 2000, when it launched EROS A, the first in a series of Israeli-built commercial reconnaissance satellites developed with Israel Aerospace Industries. That original satellite captured imagery at a resolution of 1.8 meters; ISI’s EROS C series, whose most recent satellite launched in December 2022, brought that down to well under a meter. ISI has since built out a wider satellite family beyond the EROS line, including the RUNNER microsatellite, developed with Terran Orbital and capable of sub-meter, wide-swath multispectral video, along with the KNIGHT platform, which EROS NOVA is now set to complement rather than replace.

ISI has operated as a joint venture since 1997 and has been controlled by Israeli private equity fund FIMI since 2017. The company markets itself around what it calls “sovereign” intelligence capabilities, meaning it builds and sells complete satellite systems, ground infrastructure and analytics software that let a customer country operate its own independent space-based intelligence capability rather than relying on imagery purchased from an outside provider.

Independent reporting takes resources. Join us on Patreon.