Arcfield subsidiary Orion Space Solutions will provide electro-optical infrared and radio frequency sensor payloads for Tomorrow.io’s DeepSky weather satellite constellation under awards valued at over $60 million to date.
The multiyear work has a potential value exceeding $100 million as Orion completes additional payload deliveries, the company said.
“Partnering with Tomorrow.io on the groundbreaking DeepSky constellation allows us to push the boundaries of what’s possible in space-based environmental monitoring (SBEM),” said Kevin Kelly, chairman and CEO of Arcfield.
“This collaboration represents a major leap forward in innovation and scientific discovery, with the ability to transform how we anticipate and respond to weather events.”
Orion was initially selected to design, engineer, build, test and calibrate new configurations of its Spectre Electro-Optical Infrared payload. The award also includes its T3 radio frequency sensor suite to support the DeepSky mission, which will collect atmospheric data using Global Navigation Satellite System Radio Occultation and Reflectometry technologies.
Spectre is a compact, multispectral imaging sensor designed to support cloud analysis, thermal detection and environmental monitoring. The upgraded units build on Orion’s RROCI EO/IR platform and expand upon its previous eight-channel design, allowing them to capture a broader range of atmospheric and environmental features.
The T3 suite will use GNSS signals to measure atmospheric and surface conditions in support of weather forecasting and climate modeling.
Orion also received a contract to manufacture and deliver the first batch of Spectre payloads for DeepSky. Data collected by the systems could support in-theater forecasting, severe-weather prediction, maritime safety, agricultural planning and disaster response.
“This project builds on Orion’s track record of delivering high-performance RF, high frequency, and optical instrumentation for commercial, defense and scientific missions in very low earth orbit and beyond,” said Gregg Burgess, president and general manager of Orion.
“We are excited to join forces with Tomorrow.io, a partner who shares our commitment to advancing environmental science through AI and innovative technology. Together, with the Spectre and T3 payloads, we will not only improve weather forecasting; we will empower commercial industries, and government, defense and space agencies to better prepare for and adapt to the environment around them.”
Tomorrow.io introduced DeepSky in January as an early-warning constellation designed to increase the frequency of weather observations while reducing the cost of each scan. The company plans to combine the constellation’s data with its AI-based forecasting technology.