Contxto – In her time—when the Byzantine Empire was still around—Hypatia was known as a philosopher, mathematician, and astronomer. Murdered in 450 AD, the Alexandria-born woman is being honored in our modern era.
Today (3) Satellogic, launched its latest satellite apropriately named Hypatia, into space from Kourou, in the French Guiana.
And she has a very important mission: to make geospatial imagery more accessible for all.
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A little perspective
Geospatial imagery is a big deal.
It’s what allows us to complete trivial/vain tasks like viewing our house on Google Maps. But more importantly, it’s a powerful tool for various industries and governments alike.
Through these images, stakeholders can monitor weather, oversee animal and human populations, improve urban planning, manage crises… the list is endless. But launching just one satelite can be an expensive affair and cost somewhere between US$10 million to US$400 million.
Add in the price for snagging geospatial imagery and many just don’t have the budget for it.
That’s where Hypatia is flying in.
Why we’re over the moon with Satellogic
The latest satellite to join Satellogic’s constellation is charged with testing out some new technology for snagging high-def imagery, but at a more accessible cost.
“We design and build our own satellites, which gives our R&D teams the chance to validate new technologies in every launch. Each new generation of our satellites includes new products and further delivers on the promise of new space,” says Gerardo Richarte, Founder and CTO at the Argentine startup.
“This launch is an exciting indicator of all that is to come as we continue to bring new solutions into production and deliver them into space and to our customers,” concluded the Founder.
Judging from Richarte’s words, we can expect more launches in the near future. More so considering it raised US$50 million last December…
Latin America has numerous startups that are bridging the gap in agriculture, insurance, or finances.
But few can boast that they’re democratizing access to space as Satellogic can.
Related articles: Tech and startups from Argentina!
-ML
