Edmonton based Earth observation startup Wyvern has signed a contract with AAC Clyde Space that will secure the rights to the data from three hyperspectral satellites that will be built and owned by AAC Clyde Space.
Wyvern, which earlier this year won a Defence Research and Development Canada (DRDC), announced yesterday that they had signed a contract with ACC Clyde Space “to secure the launch of three Earth imaging satellites in 2022.” In a separate news release, AAC Clyde Space stated that “under the comprehensive agreement, AAC Clyde Space will design, manufacture and own three 6U EPIC satellites equipped with a hyperspectral payload, while Wyvern Inc. will commit to subscribe to the data service. The agreement is dependent on Wyvern Inc. finalising ongoing client negotiations.”
Wyvern said it will use the hyperspectral data for agriculture, forestry management and environmental monitoring and as yet named industries. Wyvern added that “the agreement was signed in anticipation of the launch of Wyvern Inc.’s first generation of satellites. This and future generations will produce hyperspectral images – images containing much more information than the three main bands in typical colour imagery – allowing unique insights to be extracted from the data. Wyvern will first offer the data to the agriculture sector where it will help optimize yield, detect changes in soil makeup, and detect invasive plants and pests.”
With respect to the agriculture data, we can certainly see some synergy in providing that data to another Canadian startup, NXT Farm, which aggregates and sells actionable satellite data to farmers.
AAC Clyde Space said the contract “is expected to be finalised during Q2, 2021.”