29/04/2023
The European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) has awarded to Airbus and European Space Imaging (EUSI) a 24-month framework contract for the delivery of very high-resolution (VHR) optical satellite imagery which can be renewed for two additional 12-month periods.
EMSA relies on radar and optical satellite images as part of its maritime surveillance services to the European Commission and Coastal States to support a number of functions in the maritime domain such as pollution monitoring, maritime safety, maritime security, law enforcement, customs and support to emergencies at sea.
To fulfil EMSA’s imaging requirements, Airbus will supply imagery collected by SPOT, Pléiades and Pléiades Neo satellites, whilst EUSI will supply imagery from the WorldView and Geoeye, as well as other value-added services. Leveraging each of the satellites’ respective ground stations, Leveraging each of the satellites’ respective ground stations, the data will be delivered in quasi real-time to EMSA, enabling fast response times and the speedy provision of critical insights to decision makers.
“Our longstanding contribution to EMSA services is reinforced today through this collaboration with EUSI” said Harald Mannheim, Head of Intelligence activities at Airbus Defence and Space. “The highly detailed imagery and multi-revisit capabilities offered by our VHR constellation will allow for sharper monitoring of the increase in maritime traffic, as well as improved reactivity, to keep our oceans and waterways secure.”
“EUSI have a long history of partnering with EMSA to deliver awareness at sea” said Adrian Zevenbergen, CEO of EUSI “We have been contributing to the EMSA programmes since 2012 and we are proud to be partnering with another industry leader in Earth Observation to provide EMSA with a world class service that maximises the available capacity of the best commercial VHR imagery commercially available”.
Airbus and EUSI are European satellite imagery companies offering true 30cm satellite data downlinked in Europe. The resolutions and rapid revisit rates from the integrated service operated by Airbus and EUSI are a game changer for the maritime sector and will ensure a high level of maritime domain awareness is maintained, thus keeping our seas safer.
