Hydra Satellite Constellation
Aistech Space
Aistech Space's proprietary constellation of 6U-class small satellites delivering high-resolution, high-frequency thermal infrared Earth observation data.
Technical specifications
- Satellite class
- 6U CubeSat
- Planned constellation size
- 48 satellites (by 2030)
- Satellites in orbit (as of Jan 2026)
- 3 (Hydra-1, Hydra-2, Hydra-3)
- 2026 planned launches
- 6
- Thermal resolution
- <30 m
- 2026 spectral bands
- BLUE 0.4-0.5 um, GREEN 0.5-0.57 um, RED 0.57-0.75 um, NIR 0.75-0.9 um, LWIR 8-14 um
- 2026 swath width
- 7 km
- 2026 scene size
- 35 sq km (7 x 5 km)
- 2027 spectral bands
- BLUE, GREEN, RED, NIR, LWIR1 10.5-11.5 um, LWIR2 11.5-12.5 um
- 2027 swath width
- 18 km
- 2027 scene size
- 250 sq km (18 x 14 km)
- Total funding raised
- >EUR 25,000,000
- Series B round (in progress)
- >EUR 45,000,000
- Hydra-2 launch date
- 2026-01-11/12
- Hydra-2 launch vehicle
- SpaceX, via Exolaunch Twilight rideshare
- Hydra-2 launch site
- Vandenberg Space Force Base, USA
About
Hydra is Aistech Space’s proprietary satellite constellation and the core of its space infrastructure, designed to deliver frequent, reliable, high-quality thermal Earth observation data at scale. Each satellite is a 6U-class CubeSat carrying Aistech’s in-house ‘Enabler’ multispectral telescope payload, capturing visible, near-infrared and long-wave infrared (thermal) imagery of the same ‘human activity layer’ – industrial output, shipping, infrastructure, energy generation, and urban activity.
As of the launch of Hydra-2 (January 2026), Aistech had three satellites in orbit (Hydra-1, 2 and 3), marking the start of its commercial constellation buildout. The company’s roadmap calls for six launches in 2026, followed by scaling to 48 satellites total between 2027 and 2030, with each generation of satellites carrying a progressively upgraded Enabler payload (wider swath, additional thermal bands, larger scene capture).
The constellation is built to support both direct data/subscription products (thermal imagery subscriptions, on-demand and priority tasking) and dedicated ‘sovereign mission’ programs where partner organizations can own and operate their own Hydra-based satellites. Aistech has raised more than EUR 25M to date, with a Series B round exceeding EUR 45M in progress as of mid-2026.
Documentation
No public datasheet yet — request the datasheet / ICD from the supplier.
