Earth observation & satellite imagery
Optical and radar imagery and analytics sold to defence, agriculture, insurance and mapping customers.
3 leading companies in earth observation & satellite imagery, one segment of space & satellites — Rockets, satellite internet constellations, Earth imagery and satellite factories, in a US$429B–686B space economy
new market segment · researched 2026-11-14
Rocket launch servicesSatellite manufacturingSatellite internet & connectivityEarth observation & satellite imageryIn-space services & robotics
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Leading earth observation & satellite imagery companies
3 companies, with the scale each source states. Scale is the whole company's unless the row says otherwise.
| Company | Where | What they do | Scale |
|---|---|---|---|
| Planet Labs PL ↗ | San Francisco, United States | Operates a large fleet of Earth-observation satellites and sells daily imagery and analytics. | revenue: 307.727 USD millions (FY ended 2026-01-31) (2026) ↗ |
| Vantor (formerly Maxar Intelligence) ↗ | Westminster, United States since 2017 | High-resolution Earth imagery (WorldView Legion). Its sister unit Maxar Space Systems was renamed Lanteris in October 2025. | revenue (Maxar Technologies, whole company): 1.61 USD billions (2022) ↗ |
| Airbus Defence and Space AIR.PA ↗ | Taufkirchen, Germany since 2014 | Telecom and Earth-observation satellites (Eurostar, Pléiades) and the Orion European Service Module. Airbus plans to merge its space systems with Thales Alenia Space and Telespazio in a joint venture with an estimated €6.5B turnover, targeted for 2027. | revenue (whole division incl. defence): 11,995 EUR millions (2024) ↗ |
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The space & satellites market
The whole market this segment sits in.
global revenue (space economy) · world429
↗USD billions · 2025
Growth, segments, risks and every company in space & satellites →
Quick answers
- What is earth observation & satellite imagery?
- Optical and radar imagery and analytics sold to defence, agriculture, insurance and mapping customers. It is one segment of the space & satellites market.
- Who are the leading earth observation & satellite imagery companies?
- Planet Labs (United States), Vantor (formerly Maxar Intelligence) (United States), Airbus Defence and Space (Germany).
- Which earth observation & satellite imagery companies are publicly traded?
- Planet Labs (PL).
- How big is the space & satellites market?
- For the whole space & satellites market, not this segment alone: global revenue (space economy) (world) 429 USD billions, 2025 — Satellite Industry Association.