Posted on April 5th, 2022

An Update on the 30-cm Pléiades Neo Constellation

Airbus is keeping their momentum going into 2022. In Toulouse, France, Pléiades Neo 5 and 6 are in their final testing phase. They’ll ship to the European Space Centre in Kourou, French Guiana by the end of June. In September, they’ll launch on the new Vega C rocket to join an identical pair of Pléiades Neo satellites already in orbit and which have already collected over 45 million square kilometers of imagery. After three months of tests, the complete constellation of 30-centimeter (cm) resolution satellites will be fully operational, allowing for twice daily collections. 

A 30-cm color Pléiades Neo image collected over Madrid, Spain on September 29, 2021. Check out the level of detail this image offers as well as its stunning colors! PLÉIADES © CNES 2022.

There’s also good news on the software front as Pléiades Neo’s DIMAP V1.2 is now compatible with ENVI, ERDAS IMAGINE and CATALYST Pro. Check with your software provider for the most up-to-date version. 

Not only are the Pléiades Neo satellites new, but so is the rocket they’re launching on. The new Vega C rocket adapts to consumers’ needs, from small satellite rideshares to individual large payloads. Vega C also provides a microgravity laboratory for small payloads on their Space Rider system. The Space Rider will orbit for two months or more before returning to Earth with all the payloads safely stored and then it will be reused once it’s refurbished.

Here are a few notable 30-cm Pléiades Neo specifications:

  • Spectral Bands:
    • Panchromatic 
    • 6 Multispectral Channels 
    • Blue, green, red and NIR, Deep Blue and Red Edge 
  • Sensor Resolution: 
    • At nadir – 30-cm panchromatic & 1.2-m multispectral
  • Spectral Band Wavelength Range: (in nm) Deep Blue, Blue, Green, Red, Red Edge, Near-infrared, Panchromatic
    • Panchromatic – 450 to 800
    • Deep Blue – 400-450
    • Blue – 450 to 520
    • Green – 530 to 590
    • Red – 620 to 690
    • Red-Edge 700-750
    • NIR – 770 to 880
  • Dynamic Range: 12-bits

If you have any additional questions about the 30-cm Pléiades Neo constellation, send us an email to sales@apollomapping.com and we’ll get right back to you!

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