German startup Constellr has ordered two advanced thermal imaging satellites from Danish microsatellite specialist Space Inventor, slated for a 2028 deployment as part of the High-Precision Versatile Ecosphere (HiVE) program. This expansion aims to drastically improve low Earth orbit thermal monitoring for commercial, environmental, and military intelligence applications.
Expanding the HiVE Constellation Beyond Standard Buses
Constellr is scaling its orbital footprint. The firm’s first two thermal monitoring units, known as SkyBee satellites, possess a 30-meter resolution and rely on Kongsberg NanoAvionics’ MP42 microsatellite platform. That platform is capable of accommodating payloads weighing up to 70 kilograms. Furthermore, a third SkyBee built by the Lithuanian manufacturer—controlled by Norway’s Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace—is scheduled to launch in February 2027.
However, the new agreement with Space Inventor marks a distinct architectural shift. Rather than utilizing standardized, modular buses to streamline production, constellr opted for a custom-tailored design.
Engineering the BIG CAT 600 Platform
The upcoming order represents the inaugural mission for Space Inventor’s BIG CAT 600. It is the 11-year-old venture’s largest spacecraft platform to date, engineered specifically to house payloads weighing up to 400 kilograms.
Space Inventor has historically deployed much smaller hardware. Its debut spacecraft was the 6U Sternula-1, which launched in 2023 for Danish maritime connectivity firm Sternula and became Denmark’s first commercial nanosatellite in orbit. Since then, the firm has delivered various commercial, scientific, and defense builds. These include BIFROST, a roughly 50-kilogram surveillance satellite launched in June 2025 for a joint Danish-Swedish defense project tracking activity across Greenland and the Arctic.
By moving up to the BIG CAT 600, Space Inventor can support constellr’s aggressive resolution roadmap. While specific performance metrics for the 2028 satellites remain undisclosed, constellr is actively driving toward a long-term goal of sub-5-meter thermal resolution.
Sovereign Intelligence and Maritime Tracking
High-resolution thermal infrared imaging from low Earth orbit cuts through the limitations of traditional optical sensors, revealing heat signatures and activity that remain invisible to standard cameras, especially during nighttime operations.
Data from constellr already demonstrates the tactical value of space-based thermal monitoring. In February, alongside a 37 million euro ($43 million) Series A funding round, the company revealed that its orbital data had been deployed to track maritime activity near Russia’s Rybachiy nuclear submarine base. According to the company, thermal signatures generated by vessel wakes remained detectable for up to 60 minutes after dark, giving analysts clear indicators of vessel speed and vector direction.
Achieving sub-5-meter resolution will allow constellr to push deeper into sovereign intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) services tailored for governments and militaries.
The Evolving Commercial Thermal Imaging Market
Constellr is not operating in a vacuum. The race to map thermal emissions from orbit is intensifying. United Kingdom-based rival SatVu secured roughly $41 million in February to scale out its own dedicated constellation, anchored currently by the 3.5-meter-resolution HotSat-2.
