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A satellite that can provide crucial information by seeing inside war-damaged buildings for both military grade operations and civilian planning is set for imminent launch.
Developed by UK commercial satellite operator SatVu, HotSat-2 is equipped with heat-tracking cameras so powerful they can show detailed human activity inside a structure, or the traces of heat left after a major fire.
The developers say it is capable of tracking damage to oil and gas facilities in real time, and can monitor activity in nuclear sites. This means it could provide vital updates on energy facilities in the Middle East that have come under attack in the US-Iran war.
The company’s chief executive, Anthony Baker, said the satellite’s infrared thermal imagery could provide an accurate picture of damage – with details down to individual features such as generators, flare stacks, transport assets and processing units.
This, in turn, could reduce the volatility of energy markets after an incident. “It can inform people about the consequences much more quickly. It is less dramatic and more facts-based [than current options],” he told The National.
SatVu’s infrared cameras are 30 times more powerful than those of Nasa’s Landsat and the European Space Agency’s Copernicus programmes. “We can see a vehicle, they can see a building,” Mr Baker said.
Resolution
An earlier test satellite by SatVu, which operated for six months in 2023, produced infrared thermal images of the Al Zour refinery in Kuwait days after a shutdown caused by a fire.
Images taken on the day after the incident showed there was less human activity at the plant, but that the flare stack was still active two weeks later.
Images of the Ras Laffan refinery in Qatar collected by SatVu in 2023 and by Landsat after it was attacked by Iranian missile strikes last week show the difference in achievable resolution and detail.
Ride-share
The new satellite is expected to be launched this month aboard the Transporter-16 ride-share mission with SpaceX from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, and is scheduled to reach space within an hour.
SatVu is one of the UK’s leading space start-ups, securing £30 million of funding from the Nato innovation fund in its latest investment round. It plans to launch a “constellation” of eight satellites, with the next launch planned this year.
Commercial images will be available around two months after the launch, so they will not be immediately available to address the impact of last week's attacks on energy facilities in Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.
Mr Baker, who was the first chief executive of Qatar’s satellite company Es’hailSat, said the images could be used to monitor commodities such as steel factories, or to assess sandstorm damage to wind farms.
“Our main application is industrial monitoring, that can be civil or defence purposes. We can determine if equipment is working or if there are processes going on,” Mr Baker said.
HotSat-2 can be tasked to take images of specific locations or to monitor drone and munition facilities. The satellite can track a facility over a longer period to determine changes in activity.
SatVu's images of North Korea's nuclear research facility in Yongbyon showed an increased level of activity as water from a nearby river was used to cool down the reactors.
“With nuclear facilities a lot of heat gets dispersed. We can track the way it is dispersed, and whether the generators are working,” Mr Baker said.
Thermal imagery tracks heat and human activity which can be done at any time of the day. The developers aim to make the data available to everyone – with restrictions on countries under UK trade embargoes such as Russia.
Five Eyes
The US is thought to have satellites with powerful thermal imagery that is only shared within the Five Eyes alliance. The new commercially available images can be used to increase intelligence sharing with allies in the Middle East without releasing sensitive information.
“High-resolution thermal data is no longer a 'nice-to-have',” said Mr Baker. “It is a fundamental requirement to complete geographical intelligence assessments.
“With the satellite now integrated for launch, we are moving closer to delivering a dependable new intelligence layer from orbit.”
But the US-Iran war could also threaten those operating in space – with reported Iranian government threats to a satellite operator carrying broadcasts from opposition TV channels. Mr Baker said SatVu followed the “highest standards” to protect itself from potential cyber attacks and added that it is very difficult to physically attack a satellite.
SatVu has secured contracts with the US government, Japan and the European Space Agency. Although it has British government funding, SatVu does not have a contract with the administration.
UK Space Minister Liz Lloyd said: “SatVu is a shining example of British innovation at its best – and proof that government investment in our space sector pays dividends.
“The ability to monitor thermal activity from orbit, around the clock, opens up remarkable possibilities for national security, climate resilience and market intelligence. This is exactly the kind of bold, ambitious technology Britain is leading the world on.”
