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Spire Overview

Mission Background

Spire
Spire satellite. Copyright: Spire Global

Spire Global is a data and analytics company that collects data from space to help solve problems on Earth. These data are used to identify, track, and predict the movement of the world's transportation infrastructure, resources, and weather systems by "listening" to the planet in real-time via radio frequencies.  

Spire Global's constellation of approximately 100 nanosatellites is designed, built, and operated by Spire out of Glasgow, UK, and its European headquarters in Luxembourg, with another branch in Munich, Germany. With a diversified launch manifest and the capacity to build up to two satellites per week, Spire's constellation is able to replenish itself and continue delivering novel capabilities to orbit.

Satellite Design

The Spire constellation is originally based on a 3U, 5 kg nanosat platform design, with options for larger platforms. It is powered by deployable solar panels and communicates with a proprietary ground station via UHF, X-, and S-band communications. Spire leverages its years of flight heritage to iterate and improve designs. Additionally, the satellites are flexible platforms built to operate a variety of in-house or hosted payloads.

Technical Specifications
Mass4.6 kg
Dimensions10 cm x 10 cm x 30 cm
Design Lifetime2-4 years depending on solar activity

Mission Operations

The satellites are placed in low-Earth orbit at various inclinations, enabling global coverage and the ability to listen to every spot on Earth more than 100 times per day. They are scheduled to be retired and replaced every two to three years.

 

The Spire's own global ground network of over 30 stations provides timely data that is processed by Spire ground processing systems to produce high-value information products and made available through customer APIs within hours of collection.

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