Satlantis

Satlantis is a Spanish space technology company founded in 2013 and headquartered in Bilbao, Basque Country, developing the iSIM (integrated Space Imaging Module) — a proprietary family of high-performance Earth observation optical payloads engineered for integration into microsatellite and CubeSat platforms, enabling sub-meter resolution imaging capabilities in satellite form factors that previously could achieve only much lower image quality.

The iSIM technology combines a compact telescope design, high-sensitivity CMOS image sensors, and onboard processing in an integrated module fitting within a 12U or 16U CubeSat envelope — enabling satellites massing under 20 kg to capture imagery with ground sampling distances below 1 meter in panchromatic mode, competitive with imagery from much larger and more expensive traditional Earth observation platforms. Satlantis developed and flew multiple iSIM sensor generations, with instruments deployed on commercial microsatellite missions and tested aboard the International Space Station to validate on-orbit optical performance.

The company expanded its payload portfolio into thermal infrared imaging, adding multispectral and thermal imagery capability for agricultural crop stress monitoring, industrial heat signature detection, wildfire mapping, and environmental assessment alongside its established high-resolution visible imaging product line. Satlantis reported approximately €11.6 million in annual revenue with 80+ employees, establishing commercial traction across European institutional and commercial Earth observation customers.

Satlantis was acquired by MDA Space — Canada's major satellite systems company (TSX: MDA) — expanding MDA's Earth observation sensor capabilities into the European market and the fast-growing smallsat optical payload segment, complementing MDA's established synthetic aperture radar expertise.