Satellite Constellations
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Pixxel's Constellations Overview
Pixxel operates a growing constellation of hyperspectral Earth observation satellites designed to deliver high-resolution spectral intelligence across visible and infrared wavelengths. The constellation roadmap currently includes Firefly, which is operational today, and Honeybee, which will expand coverage into the shortwave infrared spectrum in upcoming phases.
The table below provides a comprehensive comparison of the key technical specifications and operational parameters for both constellations:
Parameters Firefly Constellation Honeybee Constellation Ground Spatial Distance (GSD) 5.4 meters 5 meters Swath 40 km 10 km SWIR
30 km VNIRWavelength range 470 - 900 nm 470 - 2500 nm Total available bands 135 bands ~160 VNIR, ~100 SWIR Total selectable bands 45 bands Total: 72
VNIR - 46, SWIR - 26Orbit Sun Synchronous Polar Orbit (SSO)
Satellites maintain same position relative to the sunSun Synchronous Polar Orbit (SSO)
Satellites maintain same position relative to the sunOrbit Inclination 97.65° 97.45° Altitude 590 km 550 km (TBD) Equator Crossing Time 10 - 11 AM 10 - 11 AM Off-nadir angle/slew +/- 30° (+/-20° recommended) +/- 30° (+/-20° recommended) Revisit time 1 day (Constellation of 6) 1 - 4 days (based on latitude) Cloud cover thresholds <20% <20% Imagery bit depth 10 bits of dynamic range, stretched to fill a 16-bit container 10 bits of dynamic range, stretched to fill a 16-bit container For more details, please refer to the Link.
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Firefly Constellation (470–900 nm with 5m Resolution)
Firefly is Pixxel’s operational hyperspectral constellation, delivering high-resolution VNIR (Visible–Near Infrared) imagery designed for frequent global monitoring.
The Firefly sensors provide hyperspectral imagery across 135 spectral bands spanning the 470–900 nm range, at a 5.4-meter Ground Sample Distance (GSD). Users can select up to 45 bands per capture, enabling application-specific spectral optimization.
Mission Characteristics
Parameters Firefly Constellation Ground Sample Distance (GSD) 5.4 meters Swath 40 km Wavelength range 470 - 900 nm Band Information Bandwidths: 4.0 nm - 11.5 nm
Range: 472.4 nm - 890 nm, 135 hyperspectral bands (in bandset)
Total available bands 135 bands Total selectable bands 45 bands Orbit Sun Synchronous Orbit (SSO), 97.65° inclination Altitude 590 km Equator Crossing Time 10 - 11 AM Off-nadir angle (ONA)/slew +/- 30° (+/-20° recommended) Revisit time 24 hrs (constellation of 6) Cloud cover thresholds <20% Imagery bit depth 10 bits of dynamic range, stretched to fill a 16-bit container For more details, please refer to the Link.
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Honeybee Constellation (470–2500 nm with 5m Resolution)
The Honeybee constellation, planned for future launch, will have expanded hyperspectral coverage from visible to shortwave infrared. The sensor will be equipped to provide hyperspectral imagery of ~250 bands total in the 470-2500 nm range at a GSD of 5 meters.
Mission Characteristics
Parameters
Honeybee Constellation
Ground Spatial Distance (GSD) 5 meters Swath 10 km SWIR
30 km VNIRWavelength range 470 - 2500 nm Total available bands ~160 VNIR, ~100 SWIR Total selectable bands Total: 72
VNIR - 46, SWIR - 26Orbit Sun Synchronous Orbit (SSO), 97.45° inclination Altitude 500 - 550 km (TBD) Equator Crossing Time 10 - 11 AM Off-nadir angle (ONA)/slew +/- 30° (+/-20° recommended) Revisit time 1 - 4 days (based on latitude) Cloud cover thresholds <20% Imagery bit depth 10 bits of dynamic range, stretched to fill a 16-bit container For more details, please refer to the Link.
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Honeybee-0 Tech Demonstrator (400 - 2550 nm with 8m resolution)
Honeybee Zero (HB0), planned for launch in 2026, will have expanded hyperspectral coverage from visible to shortwave infrared. The sensor will be equipped to provide hyperspectral imagery of ~450 bands total in the 400-2550 nm range at a GSD of 8 meters.
Mission Characteristics
Parameters Honeybee- Zero (HB-0) Ground Spatial Distance (GSD) 8 meters Swath 5 km - VSWIR Wavelength range 400 - 2550 nm Total available bands ~450 - VSWIR Orbit Sun Synchronous Orbit (SSO)
97.45° inclinationAltitude 500 - 550 km (TBD) Equator Crossing Time 10 - 11 AM Off-nadir angle (ONA)/slew +/- 30° (+/-20° recommended) Revisit time 15 days Cloud cover thresholds <20% Imagery bit depth 10 bits of dynamic range, stretched to fill a 16-bit container For more details, please refer to the Link.
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Overview of Tech Demonstrators
Pixxel launched two primary tech demo satellites: D2 and Shakuntala. Each satellite has distinct capabilities tailored for different spectral ranges. They were aimed to have a coarser spatial resolution and prototype data quality—it's more an 'art of the possible' thing; our Firefly commercial data are significantly more detailed and of high quality.
The tech demo 4 is a SWIR prototype satellite that is to be launched soon.
Parameters Tech Demo 1 Tech Demo 2 Tech Demo 4 (Honeybee-0) Ground Spatial Distance (GSD) 32 m (from a reference 510 km altitude) 9.8 m (from a reference 500 km altitude) 8 m Swath 30 km 19.6 km 5 km Wavelength Range 471.5 - 896 nm 470 - 894 nm 400 - 2500 nm Orbit Sun Synchronous Orbit (SSO), 98° inclination Sun Synchronous Orbit (SSO), 97.4° inclination Sun Synchronous Orbit (SSO), 97.6° inclination Altitude 350 - 550 km (declines naturally throughout its lifetime) 350 - 550 km (declines naturally throughout its lifetime) 500 - 550 km (subject to change) Equator Crossing Time 2:30 PM 11:00 AM 10 - 11 AM (subject to change) Total available bands 159 bands 151 bands ~450 bands, VSWIR Total selectable bands (per acquisition) 67 bands 67 bands 200 bands Off-nadir angle (ONA)/slew +/- 20° +/- 20° +/- 30° (+/-20° recommended) Revisit time 7 days 7 days Every 14 days to 21 days Cloud cover thresholds <20% <20% <20% Imagery bit depth 10 bits of dynamic range, stretched to fill a 16 bit container 10 bits of dynamic range, stretched to fill a 16 bit container 10 bits of dynamic range, stretched to fill a 16 bit container For more details, please feel free to refer to our Product Document.