EarthNow is a Seattle-based startup company aiming to blanket the Earth with live satellite video coverage, initially aiming to provide services to governments and large-enterprise customers.1
The company was founded in 20172 and has backers including Bill Gates, SoftBank, Intellectual Ventures, Airbus, and OneWeb founder Greg Wyler.1
The satellite network is to be deployed as a constellation of up to 500 of 230 kilograms (500 lb) satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO).34
Manufacturing is expected to be done in Florida and Toulouse, France in partnership with Airbus.456
The intent is to provide a "'live and unfiltered' video stream that will be used to monitor illegal fishing, detect natural disasters," monitor migrating whales, observing war zones, on-demand data on crop health,5 and whatever uses people put on them.4
References
References
- Coldewey, Devin (18 April 2018). "EarthNow promises real-time views of the whole planet from a new satellite constellation". TechCrunch.
- "Bill Gates, Airbus and SoftBank invest in satellite video startup that wants to help us 'see and understand the Earth live and unfiltered'". GeekWire. 2018-04-18. Retrieved 2020-05-23.
- "Large LEO satellite constellations: Will it be different this time? | McKinsey". www.mckinsey.com. Retrieved 2022-07-18.
- Alan Boyle (4 February 2019). "EarthNow fleshes out plan to deliver video that shows Earth from orbit in real time". geekwire.com. Retrieved 2 April 2023.
- Brinkmann, Paul (25 April 2018). "Bill Gates-backed EarthNow satellite firm will boost Space Coast manufacturing". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved 3 July 2018.
- "EarthNow to deliver real-time video via large satellite constellation". www.intellectualventures.com. Retrieved 2026-01-03.