Scanway expands its US partnership for satellite instruments and data
The Polish company and Ethereal Space want to work together on more Earth-observation projects. The agreement is broader cooperation, not a new NOAA order for Scanway.
Scanway builds optical instruments that help satellites observe Earth. On 12 October, it announced a wider partnership with US satellite company Ethereal Space, covering Earth observation, environmental monitoring and infrared instruments.
The companies have worked together since January. That earlier agreement covered a Scanway instrument for an Ethereal Space constellation and possible sharing of revenue from the data it collects. Their new memorandum expands the areas in which they intend to work together, including projects for US government customers.
The NOAA connection needs some care. Ethereal Space has been selected as a potential supplier of satellite imagery for the US weather and environmental agency. However, its first announced NOAA task order concerns a different measurement technology and does not involve Scanway. Future optical work would depend on further orders and the relevant approvals.
The opportunity is therefore wider than selling an instrument once: the partners also want to earn from the information it produces. Whether that becomes a meaningful business for Scanway will depend on winning and delivering those projects.