A huge congratulations to SuperSharp Space Systems Ltd., who have entered a strategic alliance with Satlantis Microsats S.A., the largest European provider of high-resolution optical payloads for small satellites.

Super-Sharp Space Systems Ltd are a University of Cambridge spin out specialized in thermal infrared payloads for Earth Observation satellites. They are a current incubatee on the ESA BIC UK programme at the Harwell Science and Innovation Campus. The team have been developing and testing its prototype telescope hardware. They will graduate from the Business Incubation Centre at the end of this year. It is a delight to be supporting them to go from strength to strength on the ESA BIC UK programme.

In the context of this alliance, Satlantis has acquired a controlling interest in SuperSharp, which will provide the financial and industrial resources required for the expansion of the company ahead of its In-Orbit Demonstration (IOD), scheduled for 2025. The UK Secretary of State approved the transaction in early March. Following the agreement, SuperSharp will remain an independent UK company with its individual brand and unique approach to Space, while benefiting from access to Satlantis’ resources and infrastructure. This agreement will create a Competence Centre for Optical Space Technologies in the UK covering the whole range of the light spectrum to serve current and future customers.

This landmark deal creates a global leader in high-resolution electro-optical payloads for small satellites, with a presence in Spain, the United States through Satlantis LLC and now the United Kingdom.

This synergistic alliance represents a unique opportunity for both organizations to share their complementary know-how to continue advancing innovative Earth Observation (EO) technologies. From a commercial perspective, Satlantis’ portfolio of high-resolution visible (VIS), near infrared (NIR) and short-wave infrared (SWIR) payloads will be enhanced with SuperSharp’s expertise in mid-wave infrared (MWIR) and long-wave infrared (LWIR) instruments.

The technology promises four times better resolution per unit cost compared with satellites currently on the market, according to Satlantis business development manager Ignacio Mares.

“SuperSharp is the best company to enlarge the camera spectrum and embark hard infrared eyes into our missions. Furthermore, the UK & other international markets will benefit from these unique capacities” said Satlantis co-founder and Chief Executive Officer Juan Tomas Hernani.

Professor Ian Parry, co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer of SuperSharp, commented: “Satlantis are a highly successful company and our exciting new alliance will create a strong optical team and let us deploy our unfolding space telescope in orbit very soon.”.

Jean-Jacques Dordain, Chairman of the Satlantis group, added: “We have found the right counterparty in the UK with Super-Sharp. We share innovative technologies and a team culture towards efficient customer solutions in the centre of our efforts”.

About Satlantis

Satlantis designs and manufactures Earth & Universe Observation payloads for Small Satellites, core of a unique set of electro-optical technologies. The company provides user-driven end-to-end small satellite solutions for diverse applications, including greenhouse gas detection, defence and intelligence, land monitoring, and much more.

Learn more at https://satlantis.com/

About SuperSharp

SuperSharp develops unfolding space telescopes to capture high-resolution thermal infrared (TIR) images of the Earth. The company’s unique technology allows it to fit a large telescope in a small satellite, making low-cost, high-resolution, and frequent Earth-imaging possible. This makes powerful TIR space telescopes much more affordable while achieving 4x greater resolution per unit cost than the current state-of-the-art solutions. The images captured by SuperSharp’s space telescopes can be used for applications such as tackling climate change, crop monitoring, and maintaining global security.

Learn more at https://www.supersharp.space/

Image Credit: Satlantis. From left to right: SuperSharp chief science officer Ian Parry, chief technology officer George Hawker, and CEO Marco Gomez-Jenkins, with Satlantis CEO Juan Tomas Hernani and business development manager Ignacio Mares.