Constellr

Constellr is a Freiburg, Germany-based Earth observation company founded in 2020 developing a constellation of thermal infrared (TIR) imaging satellites to measure land surface temperature (LST) with high spatial resolution and daily or near-daily revisit frequency — addressing a critical gap in agricultural water stress monitoring, urban heat island analysis, and wildfire detection that existing satellite constellations fail to fill.

Land surface temperature is a fundamental indicator of agricultural water stress: when crops transpire efficiently (well-watered), evaporative cooling keeps leaf temperatures several degrees below air temperature. When water-stressed, stomata close to conserve water, transpiration slows, and leaf temperature rises measurably — often 2-5°C above adequately irrigated crops.

Thermal infrared satellite data can detect this temperature differential from orbit, enabling precision irrigation advisory systems that tell farmers exactly which fields and which zones within fields are experiencing water stress and need irrigation, reducing water use by 20-40% while maintaining yields. This is particularly valuable in water-scarce agriculture regions (Spain, California, North Africa, India) where irrigation water is expensive and politically contested.

Existing thermal infrared satellite assets have significant limitations for agricultural applications: Landsat's TIR bands have 100-meter resolution and 16-day revisit (too slow for rapidly evolving irrigation scheduling); ECOSTRESS on the ISS has better resolution but irregular, non-systematic coverage; and commercial VHR optical satellites (Planet, Maxar) don't carry thermal sensors. Constellr's planned constellation of multiple satellites in sun-synchronous orbit aims to deliver approximately 30-50 meter resolution LST data with daily revisit — sufficient for individual field-level analysis across regional crop extents.

Constellr has secured ESA funding through the Earth Observation fast-track program and commercial investment from agricultural data companies and climate tech investors. Strategic partners include Bosch and major agricultural insurance companies using Constellr's drought stress data for crop insurance underwriting. Competitors include Satellite Vu (UK, thermal infrared for industrial and building energy applications) and OroraTech (Germany, wildfire detection using thermal infrared CubeSats). Constellr differentiates on agricultural precision with sub-field-level water stress mapping.