Bellevue, Wash.-based Xplore has released the first hyperspectral images from its XCUBE-1 satellite, six months after the shoebox-sized spacecraft was sent into orbit.
The pictures, captured with a resolution of 5 meters (16 feet) per pixel, show a river in Arizona, rugged terrain in Saudi Arabia, farmland in Uzbekistan and a settlement in Inner Mongolia. Each image is color-coded to reflect wavelengths that go beyond what the eye can see.
Such images can be used to assess agricultural crop health, moisture levels and other characteristics of a given terrain. Thermal infrared imagery could be used to track the spectral signatures of seagoing vessels or overland shipments as part of a campaign to crack down on illegal trafficking. For military applications, hyperspectral images could point to newly laid minefields or see through camouflage. And for space applications, Xplore’s multi-sensor imaging system could be turned spaceward to track other satellites.
