Australian remote sensing startup Esper wants to capture hyperspectral imagery from space at a fraction of the price of its competitors.
The company, which launched its first demonstration satellite this Monday on SpaceX’s Transporter-10 mission, is entering a field rife with competition. There’s a reason for that: Hyperspectral is an incredibly powerful type of remote sensing technology that uses a spectrometer to identify the spectral signature of objects. This allows users to detect the chemical fingerprint of many different substances, including minerals, chemicals, gases and vegetation.
Armed with just $1 million in pre-seed funding and assistance from the Australian government in their first mission, Esper is aiming to beat out its better-capitalized peers with lower-cost tech.
