In this episode of @AuManufacturing Conversations with Brent Balinski, we hear from Shoaib Iqbal from earth observation startup Esper Satellite Imagery. Iqbal tells us about the company's story so far, the usefulness of hyperspectral data, why 18 satellites is the number they’re aiming to have in orbit, and more.
Episode guide
0:28 – What they do and how they got started: building sensors that image the earth from space after the two founders met each other at a Monash University hackathon.
1:45 – About to finish a space sciences degree at RMIT.
3:10 – Why hyperspectral imaging is useful.
4:10 – The company’s pivot away from building AI to design a satellite payload to earth observation.
6:02 – Use cases in precision agriculture, prospecting for minerals, and tracking emissions.
7:44 – A team of ten currently and the team’s silos in opto-mechanical and software/embedded systems.
9:10 – The recent delivery of engineering models to Space Machines Company, and the goal of delivering their flight models by early November. Plus some “shaking and baking.”
11:36 – The importance of Spiral Blue’s computers in the upcoming mission for on-board processing, and why edge computing is so important to hyperspectral imaging from space.
13:10 – Being able to image every point on the earth on a daily basis.
15:10 – The importance of sovereign Australian earth imaging.
17:20 – Where the government can have a role in supporting the space sector.
19:30 – Supply chain disruptions for satellite manufacturing, and being made to use legacy equipment as a result.
21:10 – Mentorship and how it has helped the company build its commercial chops.
Further reading
WOLVES OF WATERLOO SAY AUSTRALIAN SPACE SUCCESS HINGES ON COLLABORATION
SPIRAL BLUE DELIVERS SATELLITE EDGE COMPUTER FOR PROJECT RAINBOW PYTHON
SPIRAL BLUE TO PROCESS IMAGERY IN SPACE FOR TRANSMISSION TO EARTH
