London, 17 May 2023.- The European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) has awarded European Space Imaging (EUSI) and Airbus a contract to deliver very high-resolution (VHR) optical satellite imagery. EUSI and Airbus are European satellite imagery companies offering true 30 cm satellite data downlinked in Europe. The contract is twenty-four months with the option to renew for two additional twelve-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. This includes pollution monitoring, maritime safety, maritime security, law enforcement, customs and support to emergencies at sea.
“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.”
To fulfil EMSA’s imaging requirements Airbus will supply imagery collected by SPOT, Pléiades and Pléiades Neo satellites. EUSI will supply imagery from the current Maxar satellite constellation, WorldView and Geoeye, amongst other services. The data will be delivered in quasi real-time using each satellites’ respective ground stations to EMSA, aiming to enable fast response times and critical insights to decision makers.
