ICEYE, a provider of satellite monitoring solutions, has announced the start of a multi-year framework contract with the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA). The contract will see ICEYE deliver Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data to EMSA to support their efforts in managing various aspects of maritime operations. EMSA is a European Union agency responsible for promoting safe and environmentally responsible maritime activities within the EU, and providing technical expertise and operational assistance in the event of accidents or pollution incidents.
ICEYE’s SAR data will be used to enhance EMSA’s operational support to a range of European organizations, in the scope of EMSA’s Earth Observation Services. These services include CleanSeaNet and the Copernicus Maritime Surveillance service. ICEYE owns the world’s largest SAR satellite constellation and the data collected by these satellites can be combined with other information sources from the ground. Pekka Laurila, ICEYE Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer, said that space-based imagery is an ideal tool to quickly and effectively support maritime disaster response and recovery operations, as well as to enforce EU maritime regulations and support local authorities.
Unlike traditional Earth observation satellites, ICEYE’s small radar imaging satellites can form high-resolution images of the Earth in daylight, at night, and through cloud cover. This provides customers with persistent coverage of fast-breaking events on the ground in all weather conditions. EMSA has taken a pioneering role in working with private partners to establish near real-time (NRT) operations that support the operational needs of their national stakeholders.