EarthDaily Releases First Processed Imagery from EDC-01

Canadian geospatial analytics firm EarthDaily has publicly released processed imagery from its first satellite, EDC-01, marking the initial operational milestone of its planned 10-satellite EarthDaily Constellation.¹ The images, captured using a multispectral payload developed by ABB, began delivery in 2025 and provide early validation of the system’s imaging performance ahead of full commercial deployment in 2026.

The release signals that EarthDaily’s space-based monitoring platform is transitioning from development to early operations. For customers in agriculture, insurance, environmental monitoring, and government, the milestone indicates that high-frequency, analysis-ready Earth observation data from the constellation is nearing commercial availability.¹

The EDC-01 payload was developed under a 2022 contract awarded to ABB to design and manufacture the multispectral imaging systems. ABB worked in collaboration with Xiphos Systems Corporation, which provided the payload’s central processing systems, and Loft Orbital, which repurposed an Airbus Arrow-150 spacecraft bus for the mission.¹

“ABB is proud to be a part of the EarthDaily Constellation project set to transform the understanding of natural and human-caused change on Earth,” said Frederic Grandmont from ABB’s Measurement & Analytics division, in a press release.¹ “Sensor to sensor reproducibility is key when operating a 160-camera constellation working as one. On top of vetting the overall design this early payload data allows for inter comparison between the 12 VNIRs identical cameras.”

“This moment validates years of shared vision and disciplined engineering between EarthDaily and ABB,” said Don Osborne, CEO, EarthDaily, in a statement.¹ “From day one, ABB committed to the precision and rigor required to build a true planetary measurement system. They embraced the mission of the EarthDaily Constellation as their own. The performance of their imaging technology reflects that dedication and lays the foundation for consistent, trusted Earth intelligence at global scale.”

According to the companies, early data confirm that ABB’s visible and near-infrared (NIR) telescopes are operating near the diffraction limit. This is a benchmark often regarded in the space imaging community as a key indicator of optical performance. The system’s thermally resilient design and micron-level alignment tolerances were maintained through launch, preserving image sharpness in orbit.¹ A stray-light baffle engineered to reject interference from sun and moon illumination is designed to maintain image contrast under varying lighting conditions.¹

Each satellite in the constellation will integrate 16 multispectral imagers on a single spacecraft bus: two short-wave infrared (SWIR) instruments, two long-wave infrared (LWIR) instruments, and 12 visible and NIR telescopes. The compact telescope architecture enables broad spectral coverage while maintaining a relatively small platform footprint. The payload is capable of digitizing more than 20 billion pixels per second, placing it among the highest pixel-processing capacities currently operating in orbit.¹

The design is intended to ensure sensor-to-sensor reproducibility across the full constellation. With a planned total of 160 cameras operating in coordination, cross-calibration between identical instruments is critical to delivering consistent time-series data.¹ Early payload data are being used to inter-compare the 12 VNIR imagers aboard EDC-01, a step viewed as foundational for building a harmonized planetary measurement system.¹

EarthDaily’s proprietary image fusion algorithms process data from the multiple spectral bands to produce high-precision surface measurements. The company positions the constellation as a “planetary measurement system,” designed to quantify natural and human-induced change across land masses and large maritime regions.¹ The scalable optical architecture also allows for larger apertures in future missions, potentially enabling higher ground resolution.

Six additional satellites are scheduled to launch in May 2026, with further deployments planned later in the year. Once the full 10-satellite constellation is operational, EarthDaily expects to provide daily global revisit coverage. Commercial operations are slated to begin in summer 2026.¹

ABB, which has more than 140 years of history and approximately 110,000 employees worldwide, brings space-qualified optical and automation expertise to the project through its Measurement & Analytics division.^1,2 The company’s shares are listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange and Nasdaq Stockholm.¹

With the first processed images now public and additional satellites preparing for launch, EarthDaily’s announcement marks a tangible step toward establishing a commercially available, high-revisit, multispectral monitoring system. For geospatial professionals and downstream analytics providers, the development introduces a new data source that could expand capacity for near-real-time environmental intelligence at global scale.¹

References

1. ABB, ABB’s advanced space technology shines as EarthDaily releases first high‑precision images. ABB.com. Available at: https://new.abb.com/news/detail/133904/abbs-advanced-space-technology-shines-as-earthdaily-releases-first-high-precision-images (accessed 2026-03-04).
2. ABB, About ABB. ABB.com. Available at: https://www.abb.com/global/en/company/about (accessed 2026-03-05).