Simera Sense to Supply High-Resolution Multispectral Optical Payload for LatConnect60’s SWIRSAT Mission
Simera Sense, a Belgium-headquartered optical payload manufacturer, has been selected by LatConnect60 to provide a high-resolution multispectral imager for the SWIRSAT project. The mission, funded by the Australian Federal Government under the Australian Space Agency’s ISI India programme, is designed to enhance carbon emissions monitoring through high-resolution Earth observation capabilities. Once completed, the payload will be delivered to LatConnect60 in Australia for integration and testing with the satellite bus platform.
Simera Sense’s Expanding Market Footprint
Since 2018, Simera Sense has experienced rapid growth, driven by the increasing demand for multispectral and hyperspectral instruments. In addition, the company has deployed 24 optical payloads in space, delivered over 40 payloads ready for launch, and anticipates producing approximately 70 payloads over the next 12 months. With offices in Belgium, South Africa, the United Kingdom, and France, Simera Sense continues to expand its global presence, catering to the evolving needs of the commercial and institutional Earth observation market.
SWIRSAT: Advancing Carbon Emissions Monitoring
LatConnect60’s SWIRSAT mission addresses the data-insight gap in Earth observation, particularly for monitoring carbon emissions at high resolution. As part of this initiative, Simera Sense’s eight-band MultiScape200 optical payload—capable of capturing imagery with a 1.5m ground sample distance (GSD)—will be integrated into the satellite. With greater accuracy, this payload will enable LatConnect60 to detect and quantify key greenhouse gases such as methane (CH₄) and carbon dioxide (CO₂).
By leveraging high-resolution remote sensing, LatConnect60 aims to lower the cost of data acquisition and insight generation for emissions tracking, particularly in sectors such as agriculture and natural resources. Furthermore, the mission will contribute to achieving emissions reduction and NetZero targets, reinforcing the role of satellite-based monitoring in climate action efforts.
Industry Perspectives
Reflecting on the partnership, Simera Sense CEO Johann du Toit highlighted the significance of the mission:
“We are proud to have our technology used for such an important mission. Climate change is a global challenge, and gathering high-resolution data on carbon emissions is essential to understanding and mitigating its impact.”
LatConnect60 CEO Venkat Pillay emphasised the mission’s transformative potential:
“Integrating the Simera Sense MultiScape200 into this mission allows us to capture high-resolution imagery base maps and generate visual inspection data that aligns with our objectives of detecting, quantifying, and visualising carbon emissions at scale. SWIRSAT will enhance our ability to monitor climate change indicators for carbon emissions and carbon sequestration applications.”
With this collaboration, Simera Sense and LatConnect60 are advancing cost-effective, high-resolution Earth observation solutions that support global climate action efforts.
Read: Dragonfly Aerospace Partners with LatConnect 60 for Advanced SWIR Imaging Satellites
About Simera Sense
Founded in 2018, Simera Sense is a leading provider of end-to-end earth observation camera solutions for the global small satellite market. Diverse clients use its high-resolution, ‘off-the-shelf’ cameras across various industries. The core team’s passion for space and satellite engineering fuels their mission. They also strongly believe in the transformative power of small, cost-effective satellites.
In addition, Simera Sense has meticulously engineered a suite of optimally sized and configurable cameras for diverse missions. These cameras comply with the leading standardised satellite bus interfaces and data formats. For more information, contact info@simera-sense.com.
About LatConnect60 (LC60 AI)
LatConnect60 (LC60 AI) is an Australian AI company powered by Satellite Earth Observation (EO) data. Based in Perth, Western Australia, LC60 AI generates vital insights for our world through the vertical integration of AI algorithms, proprietary data processing, and software platforms. It also has its own Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite constellation with customised sensors in orbit. Therefore, LC60 AI presently serves clients who require insights into agriculture, carbon emissions monitoring, resource monitoring, and moisture and weather forecasts.
Furthermore, LC60 AI continues to develop and own significant Intellectual Property (IP) on AI algorithms, data processing chains and software platforms to generate insights from various satellite and drone-based EO data. For more information, please visit lc60.ai.