Using commercial airliner fleets to observe Earth is a way to get high-quality, frequent, and cheap data.
This solution turns airliner fleets into a platform for Earth observation data services. Commercial planes are fitted with sensors that collect Earth observation data as they fly their regular routes. Current solutions like satellites and drones are expensive to build, launch, and run, and they don’t always provide the frequency and quality of data that many applications need at a price that is reasonable. The Solution gives customers cheap, high-quality, and very frequent data. This makes important environmental applications possible, like monitoring forest fires and mapping pollution, and gives airlines a way to make extra money.
Positive facts about ORCA (Optical and Rf Constellations on Aircraft)
With 10% of EU yearly forest fires detected early through ORCA, 50,000 hectares are saved from destruction
An ORCA constellation will be able to provide high resolution optical and thermal imagery up to 100 times per day
Avoid 100.000 KG of space debris (for an equivalent satellite constellation) placed in orbit by 10 launches
The existing infrastructure of airline fleets is used to offer data services that otherwise would cost €100M+ to provide with space-based platforms
ORCA data high resolution/high revisit data are 20 times less expensive than data provided by mainstream alternatives
Video about ORCA (Optical and Rf Constellations on Aircraft)
https://www.youtube.com/embed/l2bNHXs0dE0
ORCA (Optical and Rf Constellations on Aircraft) website : https://skyflox.eu
