Clarity-1 VLEO Earth Observation
Albedo
Albedo's Clarity-1 satellite constellation operating at 300 km VLEO (very low Earth orbit) to deliver 10 cm resolution optical imagery — highest of any commercial satellite.
Technical specifications
- Orbit altitude
- ~300 km (VLEO — Very Low Earth Orbit)
- Panchromatic resolution
- 10 cm
- Multispectral resolution
- 20–30 cm
- Altitude maintenance
- Hall-effect electric thruster (continuous drag compensation)
- Target customers
- US NGA, defense, intelligence (10 cm requires gov access)
- Founded
- 2020, Westminster, Colorado, USA
About
Albedo Space is developing Clarity-1, a constellation of very-high-resolution Earth observation satellites operating in very low Earth orbit (VLEO) at approximately 300 km altitude — roughly half the altitude of most LEO Earth observation satellites. At 300 km, the same optics delivers twice the ground resolution compared to operating at 600 km, enabling 10 cm resolution imagery from commercial satellites — a level previously reserved for classified government spy satellites.
The challenge of VLEO is atmospheric drag: at 300 km, residual atmosphere creates significant drag, requiring continuous propulsion to maintain altitude. Albedo addresses this with a Hall-effect electric thruster that continuously compensates for drag, maintaining the satellite’s orbit for its operational lifetime. Each Clarity-1 satellite targets imagery in 10 cm panchromatic and 20–30 cm multispectral bands.
Albedo Space was founded in 2020 in Westminster, Colorado, by a team of aerospace engineers from SpaceX, Boeing, and Planet Labs. The company has US government customers (NGA, defense) as primary targets, as 10 cm resolution enables vehicle and personnel detection — applications requiring US government clearance for data access. Albedo raised $35 million in Series A funding (2023) and $45 million Series B (2024).
Documentation
No public datasheet yet — request the datasheet / ICD from the supplier.