In October, we wandered through the serene beauty of Algonquin Park in Canada, a place where the tranquility of forested landscapes meets the pristine clarity of shimmering lakes. This November, we’re cranking up the adventure as the Pléiades 1 – Pléiades Neo Point of Interest whisks us away to the jaw-dropping Franz Josef Glacier on New Zealand’s wild West Coast.

These satellite images offer a stunning glimpse into the wild beauty of Franz Josef Glacier. The first image, captured on June 20, 2020, and snapped by Pléiades 1A at 50-cm resolution, pulls back to show the glacier’s mighty descent into the valley below. The second image dated, June 20, 2022, taken by Pléiades Neo 3 at an astounding 30-cm resolution, reveals every icy detail – from jagged crevasses to towering seracs – set against the dramatic backdrop of rugged mountains. The contrast between the glacier’s brilliant ice and the dark, craggy terrain is simply breathtaking. With Apollo Mapping’s expert processing, these images highlight the glacier’s raw and dynamic beauty, capturing the essence of this ever-changing landscape. PLEIADES © CNES 2024, Distribution Airbus DS.

About the Point of Interest: Franz Josef Glacier, or Kā Roimata o Hine Hukatere as the Māori so poetically name it, is no ordinary sheet of ice. Nestled within Westland Tai Poutini National Park on the South Island of New Zealand, this glacier is one of the most accessible and dramatic in the world. Tumbling down from the mighty Southern Alps, it plunges to a mere 300 meters above sea level, making it a geological marvel. Named in 1865 by the adventurous German explorer Julius von Haast in honor of Austrian Emperor Franz Josef I, this icy giant stretches over 12 kilometers. But what really sets Franz Josef apart is its speed – this glacier moves at a pace up to 10 times faster than most, constantly reshaping the landscape in a dance of ice, rock, and time.

Fun Factoids: Picture this, a massive glacier, bordered by lush temperate rainforest. That’s the breathtaking contrast you’ll find here – a rare sight indeed! Franz Josef Glacier has been on the move for centuries, advancing and retreating like a living entity. While it surged forward impressively in the last century, it has been steadily retreating in recent years, a direct consequence of climate change. It’s a magnet for adventurers, with guided tours that take you right onto the ice or through the verdant rainforest that surrounds it. This is not your average hike! The glacier feeds the Waiho River, a powerful force that continually sculpts the landscape, carrying glacial meltwater to the Tasman Sea. Franz Josef Glacier is part of the prestigious Te Wahipounamu UNESCO World Heritage Site, sharing the spotlight with other natural wonders like Aoraki, Mount Cook, and Fiordland.

The 50-cm Pléiades 1 High-Resolution Satellite Constellation

The Pléiades 1 constellation (or at least part of it!) has been in orbit since December 2011 and if you have not had a chance to check out any sample imagery, take a few moments and have a look at the gallery on our website. If you work with high-resolution imagery, you should consider Pléiades 1 and Pléiades Neo for your next geospatial projects.

A variety of Pléiades 1 products are available from both a well-established archive and as a new collection, including 50-centimeter (cm) pansharpened imagery and 50-cm panchromatic – 2-meter (m) 4-band multispectral bundles. We are happy to discuss the technical specifications, pricing and tasking options available with both of these satellite constellations.

The 30-cm Pléiades Neo High-Resolution Satellite Constellation

Pléiades Neo is our newest high-resolution satellite constellation. The first Neo satellite went up in April 2021 and the second in August of the same year. This 30-centimeter resolution constellation will add two more satellites in the next few months and upgrade from daily to intraday revisits. Pléiades Neo has six multispectral bands with 1.2-meter resolution, including a deep blue and two infrared bands, along with a 30-centimeter resolution panchromatic band.

The archive is growing every day, and the satellites are available for new collections, making Pléiades Neo the perfect solution for site monitoring. Check out our beautiful sample images in the Pléiades Neo gallery.

More sample images and technical information about Pléiades 1 can be found on our website here; while the same can be found here for the Pléiades Neo constellation.

The Apollo Mapping sales team can answer any questions you might have about Pléiades 1 and/or Pléiades Neo. We can be reached at (303) 993-3863 or sales@apollomapping.com.