Airbus and Softbank have teamed up with Bill Gates and the founder of OneWeb and O3b Greg Wyler to launch a new company called EarthNow. The company, a spin-out from the Intellectual Ventures tech group, plans to deploy a large constellation of advanced imaging satellites that will deliver real-time video of almost anywhere on Earth.
The new company has completed an initial funding round to support the final development of its system for delivering real-time Earth observation services. EarthNow plans to use an upgraded version of the satellite platform, or 'bus', developed originally for the OneWeb communications service. Each satellite is equipped with an "unprecedented" amount of onboard processing power, including more CPU cores than all other commercial satellites combined. Airbus will mass-produce the satellites in Toulouse and Florida.
Initially, EarthNow will offer commercial video and 'intelligent vision' services to a range of government and enterprise customers. Suggested applications include catching illegal fishing in the act, watching hurricanes and typhoons as they evolve, detecting forest fires the moment they start, assisting the media in telling stories from around the world, and helping smart cities become more efficient.
In parallel, EarthNow plans to create 'live Earth video' mass market applications that can be accessed from a smartphone or tablet. This will allow anyone to become a "virtual astronaut", the company said.
