ABB is working closely with Hydrosat, a company that uses thermal satellite imagery and advanced technology to tackle key global issues such as food production, security, and natural resource management. Together, they have developed specialized infrared cameras that produce precisely calibrated surface temperature maps, aimed at addressing water scarcity challenges.
After the successful deployment and activation of Hydrosat’s VanZyl-1 satellite in 2024, ABB’s infrared camera has begun providing continuous, high-precision temperature data. The device’s excellent performance, initially verified in ABB’s labs before launch, has been confirmed through detailed Earth image analysis conducted by the Hydrosat team while in orbit.
Following this success, a second infrared camera will be installed on Hydrosat’s Vanzyl-2 satellite, planned for launch in summer 2025. Hydrosat’s thermal imagery offers frequent, reliable insights at sub-field levels, helping users monitor crop health, optimize irrigation, assess agricultural water efficiency, and detect drought conditions.
The data also supports monitoring heat emissions from industrial sites, identifying vessels and other heat sources during nighttime, and locating new deforestation linked to construction activities—among various commercial and security applications. For over 50 years, ABB has been at the forefront of infrared sensing technologies. Some of the cutting-edge technologies used in the Hydrosat satellites trace their origins back to the payloads delivered by ABB to the Canadian Space Agency for the MOPITT instrument aboard NASA’s Terra satellite, launched in 1999. These technologies continue to play a crucial role in weather forecasting and studying the Earth’s thermal regulation processes. Leveraging its vast experience in high-profile government space missions, ABB now brings its expertise to the private space sector, with a strong focus on optimizing performance.
ABB is a global leader in electrification and automation, driving progress toward a more sustainable and resource-efficient world. By combining engineering excellence with cutting-edge digital technologies, ABB enables industries to achieve higher performance while becoming more efficient, productive, and sustainable.
ABB’s Process Automation division leads the way in automating, electrifying, and digitalizing industrial operations across a broad spectrum of critical sectors. From providing energy, water, and raw materials to manufacturing and transporting goods, ABB Process Automation plays a key role in addressing some of the world’s most essential needs. With approximately 20,000 employees and unmatched expertise in technology and services, ABB helps industries in the process, hybrid, and maritime sectors to operate leaner, cleaner, and more efficiently.
