FAQ

FarEarth for SmallSats is our image processing and data management software for NewSpace.

Our cloud-based system is the easiest way to calibrate new optical sensors and rapidly roll out processing for your constellation.

FarEarth creates high-quality image products that are accurate over time and across your satellites. Raw and processed products are securely stored in a searchable Archive. All at scale!

Yes, all satellites require pre-processing of their raw data to be usable in downstream applications. Customers and experts alike expect images to be calibrated and GIS-ready. Even for large classic satellites, operators do not distribute raw data as it has little analytical value. All data is radiometrically calibrated and geometrically corrected. Pre-processing is, therefore, essential for your smallsat.

We have 2 primary options:

1. Pathfinder, for low-data-volume demonstrator missions 

2. Enterprise, for operational high-data-volume processing

Talk to us about our constellation options

FarEarth produces terrain-corrected, map-ready products in industry-standard formats. This is what your users expect. Our product quality reports and metadata provide traceability and peace of mind.

While processing onboard the satellite can minimise data downlink volumes, users often still require high-quality map-ready imagery of detected events for further analysis. Since this processing requires reference data and significant processing power, this is still performed on the ground.

For all their advantages, small satellites have shorter lifespans. Time to value is essential. It is vital to prove the value of your mission with high-quality imagery early in your program.

There are risks involved with not using a proven system. Pre-processing requires a high degree of expert science, and to do this automatically and at scale requires expert engineering. We allow you to focus on your core business. FarEarth is the quickest and easiest way to get your satellite imagery to market.

Pinkmatter has deep roots in the space industry. We have decades of experience in developing large ground segments for space agencies, and remote sensing analytics applications globally.

With FarEarth for SmallSats we bring our expertise to NewSpace. We work with various sensor manufacturers and satellite integrators through all their mission phases.

FarEarth can be implemented during any phase of your small satellite mission. Pre-launch, in-orbit commissioning or operational phase.

If you want more than a pretty picture, you must correct for a small satellite’s limitations with sound scientific principles.

The choice of components used in smallsats lead to inherent constraints. The satellite’s attitude and position measurements are less accurate than those of their bigger counterparts. Satellite control, pointing, and temperature management are also less precise. The sensor radiometric response is more variable and degrades over time. You can expect more spatial anomalies. You compensate for these anomalies using more sophisticated processing. 

• Continuous sensor calibration
• Satellite performance monitoring
• Raw and processed data archiving
• Order progress tracking
• Quality report per product
• Managed service
• STAC-compliant

The Catalogue is the central access point that brings together all your FarEarth data and external data sources in a single interface. FarEarth delivers your products as STAC Items in a secure Archive data store. FarEarth can provision storage, or you can attach your own storage accounts.

FarEarth is a secure turnkey processing and data management system that supports multiple missions and various processors. It is a managed cloud-based service, removing the need for your own hardware. We take care of the infrastructure and maintenance, and you benefit from our continuous development. Your operators still have full control through our easy-to-use interfaces. Your developers can integrate your existing systems through our FarEarth APIs.

You can connect to STAC Catalogs outside of FarEarth with a simple configuration. This allows you to browse and consume external products, seamlessly reference them in workflows, and even initiate orders with this data. Conversely, data archived by FarEarth is externally available via our STAC-compliant APIs.

Pinkmatter’s customers range from government agencies to privately owned start-ups. Pinkmatter is currently in contract with various small satellite integrators who are using our system.

Customers that we are allowed to name: Fuerza Aeroespacial Colombiana (Colombian Airforce), Dragonfly Aerospace, RBC Signals, Hancom InSpace, constellr.

The intuitive system is easy to use with integrated tutorials and requires minimal user training. 

The Pinkmatter support team will respond to requests via our online ticketing system. 

Our standard FarEarth product is a managed cloud-based service in which we take care of the infrastructure and maintenance. To access it, just log in.

If you cannot use our cloud platform, we offer a self-hosted option where you manage the infrastructure and deploy the software yourself.

You assign the admin user. Your admin user controls user management, can invite new users to join, and can assign them specific roles. Orders and data are private to the subscription by default, while administrators can share products and custom processors with other subscriptions.

Pinkmatter developed the GVerify tool that measures the geometric accuracy of an orthorectified image by comparing it to a reference image using either spatial or phase correlation.

FarEarth can process high, medium, and low-resolution multispectral and hyperspectral sensors. We can also geolocate sounding and thermal data on these satellites. Our platform is satellite manufacturer agnostic. 

•Frame camera

•Push broom camera

•Multispectral payload

•Hyperspectral payload

•Thermal & sounder co-registration

•Many more…

FarEarth’s default output is a Level 1C map-ready product. Each product includes metadata and a quality report.

Our products are delivered in industry-standard formats. Images are cloud-optimised GeoTIFFs (COGs) with STAC-compliant metadata. A thumbnail provides an image preview, and quality bands indicate missing or saturated pixels. For traceability, metadata includes band descriptions, projection information, processor versions, and reference product IDs.

Every FarEarth product includes a report on the geometric quality and geolocation accuracy. Products can be packaged and tiled to your preferred specifications. Analysis-ready Level 2 surface reflectance products are also available.

FarEarth tracks and records metrics including ephemeris, navigation, attitude, and temperature to help you commission your satellite. We provide you with an in-orbit calibration report that includes metrics on radiometric and geometric accuracy, as well as SNR, MTF, effective GSD measurements. 

Continuous re-calibration over the lifetime of your satellite will ensure that the accuracy of your imagery remains consistent.