EarthNow is a Seattle-based startup company aiming to blanket the Earth with live satellite video coverage, initially aiming to provide services to governments and large-enterprise customers.[1]

The company was founded in 2017[2] and has backers including Bill Gates, Intellectual Ventures, Airbus, SoftBank and OneWeb founder Greg Wyler.[1]

The satellite network is to be deployed as a constellation of dozens of 230 kilograms (500 lb) satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO).[3]

Manufacturing is expected to be done in Florida.[4]

The intent is to provide a "'live and unfiltered' video stream that will be used to monitor illegal fishing, detect natural disasters," monitor migrating whales, observing war zones, on-demand data on crop health,[4] and whatever uses people put on them.[5]

References

  1. ^ a b Coldewey, Devin (18 April 2018). "EarthNow promises real-time views of the whole planet from a new satellite constellation". TechCrunch.
  2. ^ "Bill Gates, Airbus and SoftBank invest in satellite video startup that wants to help us 'see and understand the Earth live and unfiltered'". GeekWire. 2018-04-18. Retrieved 2020-05-23.
  3. ^ "Large LEO satellite constellations: Will it be different this time? | McKinsey". www.mckinsey.com. Retrieved 2022-07-18.
  4. ^ a b Brinkmann, Paul (25 April 2018). "Bill Gates-backed EarthNow satellite firm will boost Space Coast manufacturing". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved 3 July 2018.
  5. ^ Alan Boyle (4 February 2019). "EarthNow fleshes out plan to deliver video that shows Earth from orbit in real time". geekwire.com. Retrieved 2 April 2023.


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