Satellite cameras are often the foundation of successful Earth Observation (EO) missions and services.
In this post we give a brief overview of how EO optical payloads are used in smaller satellites and share listings of multiple products available on the global marketplace – if you would like to skip the introductory material and instead get straight to the product listings, please use the links below.
To view satellite cameras used as primary payloads for Earth Observation and other applications, see optical payload cameras on the market.
For cameras used to inspect in-space assets, such as the satellite carrying them, monitor mission activities and system status, or to support actions such as docking, view the monitoring cameras on the market.
Space engineers have been looking to lower costs by using commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) innovations for the last few decades. This is true at all levels, from individual electronic components to complete satellite cameras.
Alongside this commercial drive, experiments into the use of COTS components and sub-systems have been carried out at universities such as the University of Surrey and TU Berlin for several years.
In fact, the foundation of experimental satellites built by universities, such as the UoSAT and TUBSAT series of satellites, has provided the basis for realizing cost-effective spacecraft that are packed with decent Earth Observation (EO) capabilities.
It is worthwhile to note interesting observations made by Professor Sir Martin Sweeting (Figure 1) of improvements in performance criteria such as Ground Sampling Distance (GSD), data rate, data storage etc., having a very close association with Moore’s law.
One could argue that the cost of satellites themselves has possibly followed the same trajectory (given the same GSD) due to factors such as reliability of COTS electronics and the decrease in launch costs.
A whole generation of universities and NewSpace companies have leveraged such cost-effective spacecraft development in the small satellite world and have taken advantage of the increase in computing capabilities to generate much greater progress in the last thirty years.
The invention of CubeSats led to further interest in COTS EO payloads by students and engineers and has also enabled the translation of academic research interests into the development of innovative NewSpace EO ventures.
In the commercial sector the growth in demand for low-cost, high-precision, and readily available EO imagery has also led to the development of new satellite camera systems and operating models.
The result is a complex global market, sometimes affected by export controls, of specialist systems suitable for various different mission profiles, bus sizes, and EO applications.
To help engineers navigate this, we have put together a short overview of the most important factors to consider when selecting an optical payload, and listed a large number of the commercially-available systems on the global market below.
Choosing the right optical payload for your mission
When selecting any piece of technology for your mission it is important to be aware of costs, lead times, integration and testing requirements, as well as the physical requirements of your system.
In addition, here are some of the key performance criteria to consider when assessing satellite cameras on the global market, to see which could suit your needs:
- Spatial resolution – a measure of the smallest object that can be resolved by the optical payload.
- Spectral resolution – the number and width of spectral bands that the sensor can collect from reflected radiance.
- Swath – the area imaged by the optical payload.
- Radiometric resolution – this indicates how much information is in a pixel and is expressed in units of bits.
- SWaP factor – the size, weight and power of the satellite or sub-system.
Interoperability throughout the entire communications and data capture chain is also vital, particularly if you intend to operate a competitive commercial service.
Consider if technologies such as edge computing will be incorporated, and the impact that changes in the data handling process (particularly when scaling up a service) may have on your ground station requirements.
For more information, we have also published an in-depth guide on 9 factors to take into account when selecting the best optical payload for your mission, produced in collaboration with satsearch member Simera Sense.
We have also interviewed Rafael Guzman, founder and CTO of satsearch member SATLANTIS, on the latest advances in Earth Observation (EO) technologies and optical payload performance, on the Space Industry podcast.
And finally, the video below is footage of a satsearch webinar on selecting Earth Observation optical payloads for space missions, with insights from a range of industry experts:
Once you have a firmer understanding of your requirements, the next step is to scan the market for suitable satellite camera suppliers.
Luckily, we’ve already done that for you!
In the next section you can see a variety of links to systems from across the global market.
Optical payloads on the global market
In the list below we have rounded up a range of commercially-available EO optical payloads for smaller satellites on the global marketplace for space.
Please note that this list will be updated when new products are added to the global marketplace for space – so please check back for more or sign up for our mailing list to get all the updates.
In addition – if you are instead searching for optical communication systems, please click here.
Get more information on all products listed at the click of a button
We can help you access quotes, lead times, or any other information from all of the suppliers listed below (and more) with our simple, free tender system. Just share your details with us and wait for the responses to arrive in your inbox.
The Cosine T-Scout is a multispectral infrared imager designed to have high resolution for small satellite applications. The onboard data handling system is made for real-time data processing, enabling Level-2 generation onboard and thereby drastically reducing the amount of data to download and process on Earth.
mass
N/A
power consumption
N/A
ground sample distance
N/A
swath
N/A
Request quote 
request info
The cosine Remote Sensing HyperScout 1 is a hyperspectral imaging camera with VNIR (450-950 nm) channels for nano, micro and larger satellites. The system features an athermal telescope system, BEE/OBDH, MMU and ICU. For accelerating machine vision tasks, the Vision Processing Unit (VPU) can be equipped optionally. The systems has achieved flight heritage.
mass
1.5 kg
power consumption
N/A
ground sample distance
47 m @ 350 km
67 m @ 500 km
swath
195 km @ 350 km
280 km @ 500 km
The cosine Remote Sensing HyperScout 2 is a hyperspectral imaging camera with VNIR and TIR (8-14 µm) channels for nano, micro and larger satellites. The system features an athermal telescope system, BEE/OBDH, MMU and ICU. For accelerating machine vision tasks, the Vision Processing Unit (VPU) can be equipped optionally. The systems has achieved flight heritage.
mass
1.8 kg
power consumption
N/A
ground sample distance
47 m @ 350 km
330 m @ 500 km (Thermal InfraRed Channel)
230 m @ 350 km (Thermal InfraRed Channel)
67 m @ 500 km
swath
195 km @ 350 km
280 km @ 500 km
The cosine Remote Sensing HyperScout M is a hyperspectral imaging camera with VNIR (450-950 nm) channels designed to fit a CubeSat unit. The system features an athermal telescope system, BEE/OBDH, MMU and ICU. For accelerating machine vision tasks, the Vision Processing Unit (VPU) can be equipped optionally.
mass
1.2 kg
power consumption
N/A
ground sample distance
39 m @ 350 km
55 m @ 500 km
swath
160 km @ 350 km
225 km @ 500 km
The cosine Remote Sensing HyperScout S is a hyperspectral imaging camera with VNIR (450-950 nm) channels and a medium spatial resolution of 30m. The system features an athermal telescope system, BEE/OBDH, MMU and ICU. For accelerating machine vision tasks, the Vision Processing Unit (VPU) can be equipped optionally.
mass
1.6 kg
power consumption
N/A
ground sample distance
19 m @ 350 km
28 m @ 500 km
swath
80 km @ 350 km
115 km @ 500 km
The Dragonfly Aerospace Caiman imager is a high-resolution, multispectral imager optimized for integration with a 6U CubeSat.
Large high-speed data storage is integrated into the compact design - which has a physical size of 3U. The Caiman brings the highest resolution possible to this form factor.
mass
1.4 kg
power consumption
N/A
ground sample distance
3.25 m @ 500 km
swath
13 km @ 500 km
A multispectral or hyperspectral camera suitable for integration with 3U or larger CubeSats, with proven electronics with flight heritage. The Chameleon-MS has 5 V DC operating temperature, mass of 1.6 kg, and features customizable on-board storage and downlink options.
mass
1.6 kg
power consumption
N/A
ground sample distance
10 m @ 500 km
swath
39 km @ 500 km
The Dragonfly Aerospace Chameleon SWIR captures images in the short-wave infrared region of the electromagnetic spectrum to provide valuable information in the non-visible spectrum.
This imaging technology is a crucial tool in various scientific, industrial, and military contexts, contributing to advancements in Earth and space exploration.
mass
1.6 kg
power consumption
N/A
ground sample distance
8.7 m @ 500 km
swath
11.2 km @ 500 km
The Dragonfly Aerospace Gecko imager is an easy-to-integrate imaging solution for your CubeSat mission.
Large high-speed data storage is integrated into the compact design.
The Gecko brings spectacular colour snapshot images and high frame rate video to CubeSats as small as 2U.
mass
< 0.5 kg
power consumption
N/A
ground sample distance
39 m @ 500 km
swath
80 km @ 500 km
Komodo is a class-leading imager that extracts the maximum performance from its 12U form factor. Competing with much larger imaging systems in terms of GSD and swath, Komodo provides multispectral data generation tailored to fit various applications, as well as push broom and RBG snapshot, making it suitable for both Earth observation and SSA applications.
mass
12 kg
power consumption
N/A
ground sample distance
1.5 m @ 500 km
swath
6.1 km @ 500 km
The Dragonfly Aerospace Raptor imager is a high-performance Earth Observation (EO) system with high supervision capabilities in panchromatic imaging.
The Raptor imager covers very high spatial resolution and allows detailed earth imaging and precise mapping for key civilian or security applications.
mass
60 kg
power consumption
N/A
ground sample distance
0.5 m @ 500 km (Native)
0.36 m @ 500 km (Super-Resolution)
swath
8 km @ 500 km
The Dragonfly Aerospace Mantis imager provides advanced multispectral or hyperspectral imaging in a small package.
Large high-speed data storage is integrated into the compact design, allowing Mantis to bring revolutionary imaging capability to CubeSats as small as 2U.
mass
< 0.5 kg
power consumption
N/A
ground sample distance
16 m @ 500 km
swath
32 km @ 500 km
The Dragonfly Aerospace DragonEye imager is a high-resolution imager for microsatellites based on radiation-resistant optical components with a very low coefficient of thermal expansion.
DragonEye provides detailed Earth imaging in panchromatic mode and has an almost twice increased angular field of view without facing difficulties of large aperture technology and loss of spatial resolution.
mass
18 kg
power consumption
N/A
ground sample distance
1.4 m
swath
22.2 km
The Dragonfly Aerospace Single polarimetric Synthetic Aperture Radar payload is designed for space applications. It consists of a high-performance C-band SAR payload featuring flexible imaging modes for wide-swath, high-resolution imaging.
mass
N/A
power consumption
N/A
ground sample distance
N/A
swath
N/A
Lynx4MP is a 4MP RGB/Monochrome camera electronics backend designed for space applications. The system has been designed based on a space-proven processor, sensor, and readout and storage electronics. Lynx4MP is mechanically compatible with the standard CubeSat form factor and can support precise image capture timing requirements. The system has been qualified for thermal vacuum, vibration, and shock and tested up to 40kRad TID. Lynx4MP camera backend electronics can be combined with different optical assemblies to suit a range of space applications.
mass
300 g
power consumption
1.75 W (idle)
2.75 W (imaging)
ground sample distance
N/A
swath
N/A
Orion12MP is a 12 Megapixel RGB/ Monochrome camera back end electronics unit which can be combined with application specific optical assemblies. Orion12MP is suitable for a range of space applications such as Earth observation, hyperspectral imaging, space based space surveillance, and docking/rendezvous applications based on the selected optical assembly. The camera provides high FPS image capture capability with on-board non-volatile data storage options. Orion12MP is designed leveraging a modular methodology providing the ability to customize the camera with different sensors and interface options with reduced engineering effort and cost. The system has been qualified for thermal vacuum, vibration, and shock.
mass
0.5 to 1.5 kg
power consumption
3 to 6 W
ground sample distance
N/A
swath
N/A
Using a 1280 x 1024 InGaAs sensor from SCD, the Raptor Photonics OwL 1280 offers visible extension from 0.6µm to 1.7µm to enable high sensitivity imaging. The 10µm x 10µm pixel pitch enables high resolution imaging.
mass
247 g
power consumption
< 8 W (with TEC on and NUC on)
ground sample distance
N/A
swath
N/A
The Raptor Photonics Owl 640 M is a compact, low-power and cost effective camera solution within the Owl 640 family. This SWaP (size, weight and power) design is suitable for integration into small OEM and machine vision scientific platforms.
mass
170 g
power consumption
< 2.5 W (NUC on)
ground sample distance
N/A
swath
N/A
The Raptor Photonics Owl 640 T camera is a SWaP optimised ½" / VGA InGaAs sensor with a 10µm x 10µm pixel pitch. It offers a high intra-scene dynamic range that enables simultaneous capture of bright and dark portions of a scene.
mass
247 g
power consumption
< 8 W (with TEC on and NUC on)
ground sample distance
N/A
swath
N/A
The SATLANTIS iSIM-90 VNIR SWIR is an optical payload designed to provide a high performance to mass ratio in 12U/16U CubeSats. It covers the Visible & Near InfraRed (VNIR) spectral range, offering both panchromatic and multispectral capabilities according to the user's needs, and includes the optical front-end as well as state-of-the-art CMOS matrix detectors and an electronics subsystem for payload management and control.
mass
< 6 kg
power consumption
17 W + heating
ground sample distance
< 1.65m @500km
swath
13km @500km
26km @500km
The SATLANTIS iSIM-170 VNIR SWIR is a sub-meter resolution optical payload designed for microsatellites. It covers the Visible & Near InfraRed (VNIR) spectral range, offering both panchromatic and multispectral capabilities according to the user's needs, and includes the optical front-end as well as state-of-the-art CMOS matrix detectors and an electronics subsystem for payload management and control.
mass
< 15 kg
power consumption
17 W + heating
ground sample distance
0.8m @500km
swath
7.5km @500km
15km @500km
The Scanway Optical Payload (SOP) is a high-resolution telescope for Earth Observation (EO) applications suitable for both microsatellites and nanosatellites. The SOP can be configured to different spectrum bands detectors such as VIS, NIR, SWIR and different imaging resolutions (GSD).
mass
N/A
power consumption
N/A
ground sample distance
N/A
swath
N/A
The Simera Sense HyperScape50 is a cubesat imager with up to 32 spectral bands and push broom configuration.
mass
N/A
power consumption
N/A
ground sample distance
N/A
swath
N/A
Simera Sense's HyperScape100 is a hyperspectral push-broom imager primarily designed for Earth Observation (EO) applications, as a payload for CubeSats. It is based on a CMOS image sensor and custom continuously variable optical filter in the visible and near-infrared (VNIR) spectral range.
mass
1.1 kg ± 5%
power consumption
2.7 W (idle or readout)
7.0 W (imaging)
ground sample distance
4.75 m @ 500 km
swath
19.4 km @ 500 km
The Simera Sense MultiScape50 CIS is a cubesat imager with 7 VNIR spectral bands and push broom configuration.
mass
N/A
power consumption
N/A
ground sample distance
N/A
swath
N/A
Simera Sense's MultiScape100 CIS is a multispectral push-broom imager for Earth Observation (EO) applications. It is based on a CMOS imaging sensor and a 7-band multispectral filter in the visible and near-infrared (VNIR) spectral range. It provides continuous line-scan imaging in up to 7 spectral bands, each with digital time delay integration (dTDI).
mass
1.1 kg ± 5%
power consumption
2.5 W (idle or readout)
5.8 W (imaging)
ground sample distance
4.75 m @ 500 km
swath
19.4 km @ 500 km
Simera Sense's MultiScape200 CIS is a multispectral push-broom imager for Earth Observation (EO) applications. It is based on a CMOS imaging sensor and a 7-band multispectral filter in the visible and near-infrared (VNIR) spectral range. It provides continuous line-scan imaging in up to 7 spectral bands, each with digital time delay integration (dTDI).
mass
12.1 kg ± 2%
power consumption
2.5 W (idle or readout)
5.8 W (imaging)
ground sample distance
1.5 m @ 500 km
swath width
14 km @ 500 km
The Simera Sense TriSpace50 is a cubesat imager with RGB snapshot and realtime HD video capabilities.
mass
N/A
power consumption
N/A
ground sample distance
N/A
swath
N/A
Simera Sense's TriScape100 is a red-green-blue (RGB) colour snapshot imager for Earth Observation (EO) applications. It is based on a 12.6-megapixel CMOS imaging sensor with integrated RGB Bayer filter in the visible spectral range, and provides snapshot imaging with a frame rate of up to 150 full resolution frames per second (FPS).
mass
1.1 kg ± 5%
power consumption
2.5 W (idle or readout)
5.8 W (imaging)
ground sample distance
4.75 m @ 500 km
swath
N/A
Simera Sense's TriScape200 is a red-green-blue (RGB) colour imager, as a primary payload for smallsats. It is based on a 65-megapixel CMOS imaging sensor with integrated RGB Bayer filter in the visible spectral range, and provides snapshot imaging with a frame rate of up to 30 full resolution frames per second (FPS) at 10-bit pixel depth.
mass
12.1 kg ± 2%
power consumption
2.5 W (idle or readout)
5.8 W (imaging)
ground sample distance
1.5 m @ 500 km
swath
N/A
Monitoring cameras
In this section you can find cameras that are used to image the satellite (or other spacecraft) itself.
These are typically used to visually confirm processes such as the successful implementation of solar panels or other deployable systems, or the docking of external vehicles.
Based on the ST200 Star Tracker platform and featuring a dedicated high-speed USB2.0 interface, the IM200 is capable of capturing 5 frames per second at full resolution. A large internal buffer allows storage of up to 25 full-frame images, which can be compressed into JPEGs for fast previewing.
mass
59 g (using 50mm F2.0 lens)
power consumption
700 mW typ.
ground sample distance
N/A
swath
N/A
SelfieCam is a small form factor, low resolution space asset monitoring camera. The camera can capture and save images in non-volatile memory. It is designed with ease of integration and operation in mind, providing capability of low-resolution imaging on-orbit.
mass
10 g
power consumption
< 750 mW
ground sample distance
N/A
swath
N/A
Leo2MP is a small form factor engineering camera designed for space applications. Capable of both on-board image data storage and image data streaming over USB interface, the camera is ideal for monitoring spacecraft structures or deployment activities, space manufacturing and robotics as well as rover applications. Leo2MP comes with LED illumination to support challenging space lighting conditions.
mass
N/A
power consumption
N/A
ground sample distance
N/A
swath
N/A
MVP KissCAM is a miniature, low-cost, colour imager for satellites. KissCAM features a simple Rs422 interface and swappable s-mount (M12) lens.
mass
10 g
power consumption
N/A
ground sample distance
N/A
swath
N/A
The MVP Aerospace KissCAM V2 is a miniature CubeSat camera featuring 1.2 MP resolution, UART interface, and swappable M12 lens. Take beautiful images with minimal integration effort.
mass
10 g
power consumption
N/A
ground sample distance
N/A
swath
N/A
The Scanway Spacecraft Health Scanner (SHS) is a health monitoring sub-system consisting of detectors, and data processing and transmission modules. Scanway offers these systems for implementation on various different types of spacecraft, such as satellites or rockets.
mass
N/A
power consumption
N/A
ground sample distance
N/A
swath
N/A
The SkyFox Labs piCAM is a Space-Friendly™ Digital CubeSat Camera designed to provide colorful imaging in JPEG format and VGA resolution on-board small satellites, with external flashlight control signal. By default the optics feature a 76° FOV with IR-cut filter, and the camera can be configured in several other settings.
mass
40 g
power consumption
315 mW
ground sample distance
~300 m @ 550 km SSO (optics FoV dependent)
swath
N/A
Auricam, our most versatile camera, is well-suited for a wide range of missions, with optimized SWAP, achieving high-level detection (up to magnitude 8) and delivering excellent image quality thanks to a 4M pixel CMOS sensor. Auricam has been designed to cover missions such as space surveillance and detection (SSA, SDA), In-Orbit Services, and Navigation, for a 15-years lifetime.
mass
N/A
power consumption
N/A
ground sample distance
N/A
swath
N/A
Need help finding the best solution?
Share your requirements with us now
Would you like to be featured on satsearch?
Click here to get started today
A closer look at the key factors for selecting optical payloads
As mentioned, a wide range of Earth Observation satellite cameras have been brought to market in recent years, born from company R&D, university research, and through technical advances by constellation manufacturers and startups alike.
This has mostly been great for systems engineers around the world. But it also provides new challenges when assessing the supply chain. With so many solutions on offer, from different suppliers, countries, and technical categories, often shared in non-standard ways, finding the best option for a given mission is tough.
To help with this, we previously worked with optical payload manufacturer, and satsearch Trusted Supplier Simera Sense, to produce an article outlining 9 key factors that need to be carefully weighed up when choosing a satellite camera. These factors are summarized for you below:
- Application – you need to understand what the end-user wants to achieve with the data, what the level of insight will be required from it, and what error levels will be acceptable.
- Physical limitations of the satellite – every viable platform has physical, thermal, and structural limits that can’t be exceeded, and an optical payload must work within these.
- Aperture size and F-number – a key characteristic that impacts the system’s spatial and radiometric resolutions, and the diffraction limit. For nanosatellites even a slight difference in aperture can significantly impact performance. However, an increase in diameter and a decrease in F/# may also significantly impact the cost too!
- Modulation Transfer Function (MTF) – the MTF is the figure of merit for spatial resolution; not the Ground Sampling Distance (GSD) or Ground Resolved Distance (GRD). The MTF is application- and error margin-dependent, for example high-end systems requiring crisp images might aim for an end-to-end system MTF of above 20%, while lower-end systems can accommodate down to 8%. Also, different suppliers present the MTF in different ways, so ensure you understand exactly what to ask relevant to your needs (check the article for more).
- The thermal environment – the thermal environment, and ability of the optical payload to keep cool while in operation, is particularly important in smaller satellites. In particular, the axial and radial temperature differences across the payload can have a significant impact on performance.
- The radiometric resolution – ensure you gain an understanding of the radiance levels the manufacturer uses to calculate the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) values and how well those light levels correspond to your use case.
- The spectral resolution – the number and position of the spectral bands are highly dependent on the end application. When specifying spectral bands, the position and bandwidths are essential, directly impacting the radiometric resolution.
- Data throughput – maximizing this value is essential for building the most profitable system possible. Ensure you investigate what measures are onboard the payload to increase data throughput.
- Budget and timeline – the vast majority of optical payloads available are not off-the-shelf. These systems take time to finalize and calibrate for even basic applications – ensure you factor this in!
Hopefully this information will help you make the best possible choice for your next mission!
Related technologies and further reading
At the links below you can find a range of satsearch articles that will be useful for learning more about this topic, or that feature other categories of technologies which you may need to consider in your mission.
- A guide to selecting Earth Observation cameras for satellite missions
- A guide to advanced data processing and AI for satellite missions
- CubeSat thrusters and in-space propulsion
- Satellite batteries for CubeSats and more
- Software-defined radios (SDRs) for space
- Satellite software providers on the global market
- Payload processors for satellites
- A brief introduction to the space supply chain