Ordering Satellite Imagery

This guide walks you through tasking/ordering satellite imagery, from selecting your area of interest to completing your purchase.

What's Covered:

• Account setup 
• Create a new order
• Place order 
• Completing Your Purchase

Step 1: Account setup 

Sign up to Aurora to create your org. Once you have created an org, add members and projects to get started.

Step 2: Complete your KYC/KYB (for compliance)

Navigate to: Order Desk → Order New Image

You will be required to complete the KYC/KYB, for more information refer to this article.

Step 3: Creating your Order

• Choose your Area of Interest (AOI) by drawing on the map or uploading
• Set capture time window

Step 4: Add to cart

Before adding to cart:

• Select your required parameters
• Click "Check feasibility" to verify satellite availability
• Once feasible, click "Add to cart" to proceed

Step 5: Completing Your Purchase

Before placing your order:

• Review the order summary
• Check your available tokens
• Click "Place order" to complete purchase

Note: For recurring orders, ensure you have sufficient tokens in your wallet 2 days before each upcoming occurrence.

In case you have any further questions, please reach out to support

Learn who can create, place, and view orders in a project.

Your permissions depend on your role in the project. Some actions, like placing orders, are restricted to ensure proper control and billing transparency.

Role Permissions Table

Note: Ask your organization or project admin to upgrade your role if you cannot place an order in the right project.

Before placing an order, you’ll need to complete the organization verification (KYB) process. If you’re operating as an individual, personal verification (KYC) will be required instead. To do this, head to Order Desk and click on the appropriate option.

Important: Have personal identification documents ready before starting for a smooth verification process.

Topics:

1. Know Your Business (KYB) Process
2. Know Your Customer (KYC)  Process

1. Know Your Business (KYB) Process

Step 1: Registration

• Enter email address on the registration page
• 

Step 2: Email Verification

• Check inbox for verification code
• Enter code in designated fields.

Step 3: Company Search

• Enter the country where your business is based
• Enter company name
• [Optional] Provide jurisdiction code (PIN code)
• [Optional] Enter registered business address 

• Click "Confirm" to search

Step 4: Select Your Company

• Choose company from search results. 

• If your company is not listed, use the "Can't find the company" option.
• Click "Confirm" to continue 

Step 5: Business Data

• Confirm company's status (Active/Inactive)
• Enter company registration number

• Click "Submit"

Step 6: Document Upload

Please upload the following documents:

• Certificate of Incorporation
• Tax Document equivalent
• Do any of the individuals or entities described above have any association with any foreign governments or foreign government-controlled entities? If so, please mention it with documentation. 

• Click "Submit" when all documents are uploaded 

Step 7: Completion

• View "Onboarding Completed" screen

• Verification takes 24-48 hours 

2. Know Your Customer (KYC) Process

Step 1: Registration

• Enter email address on the registration page

• Click "Confirm" to create account

Step 2: Email Verification

• Check inbox for verification code

Step 3: Personal Information

• Enter personal details:

Step 4: Identity Verification

• Select country of residence

Step 5: Document Upload

• Select issuing country
• Choose document type (passport, ID card, residence permit, driver's license)
  • Take clear photo with all corners visible

• Upload through the platform

Please note: Upload clear selfies with your government issued identification as shown below:

Note: KYC can also continue this through your phone:

• You will receive status updates (if you proceeded via phone, updates will display there)

• Wait for "Submitted" status
• Click "Submit" 

Step 6: Completion

• View "Onboarding Completed" screen

• Verification processed within 24-48 hours

An Area of Interest (AOI) defines the geographic area you want Pixxel to capture when placing a tasking order in Aurora.

Before placing your order, make sure your AOI meets the requirements below.

AOI Size

For tasking orders:

• The maximum AOI size is 5,000 km².
• The minimum billable area for a tasking order is 100 km².
• If your AOI is smaller than the minimum billable area, the order will be billed at the applicable minimum area.

Supported AOI Types

Aurora supports the following ways of defining an AOI:

Polygon

You can upload or draw a polygon representing the exact area you want to capture.

Multipolygon

You can define an AOI using multiple polygons.

For multipolygon AOIs:

• Each polygon must be part of the same tasking request.
• The maximum distance between polygon boundaries is 200 km.

Point and Radius

You can also define an AOI using a point and a radius.

This is useful when you want to request imagery around a specific location without manually drawing a polygon.

AOI Requirements

When creating your AOI:

• Make sure the geometry is valid and can be uploaded or drawn successfully in Aurora.
• Keep the total AOI within the 5,000 km² maximum.
• For multipolygon AOIs, ensure that the individual areas meet Aurora's separation requirements.
• Make sure your AOI does not contain unnecessary areas, as the requested area can affect tasking feasibility and the final order cost.

How AOI Size Affects Your Order

Your AOI is one of the factors Aurora considers when evaluating tasking feasibility.

A larger AOI may require different satellite acquisition conditions than a smaller AOI. Other tasking parameters, such as:

• Capture window
• Cloud-cover requirement
• Off-nadir requirement
• Satellite availability

can also affect whether an AOI can be successfully tasked.

Aurora's Feasibility Check evaluates your requested AOI together with the other parameters in your tasking request before you place the order.

AOI and Pricing

Tasking imagery is subject to a 100 km² minimum billable area.

For example:

• AOI = 75 km² → billed at the applicable 100 km² minimum
• AOI = 250 km² → billed for 250 km²
• AOI = 5,000 km² → within the maximum supported AOI size

The applicable imagery and tasking pricing is displayed in Aurora before you complete your order.

Tips for Creating an AOI

For the best tasking experience:

1. Draw or upload only the area you need.
2. Avoid unnecessarily complex geometries.
3. Check the total AOI size before proceeding.
4. Run the Feasibility Check after configuring your AOI and tasking parameters.
5. Review the estimated order cost before completing your purchase.

Important

The AOI limits described above apply to tasking orders. Requirements may differ for other Aurora workflows, such as exploring or analysing existing archive imagery.

If your AOI exceeds the supported tasking limits, consider dividing your requirement into multiple AOIs or orders.