Valk

Valk is a Very High Resolution (VHR) Earth observation (EO) electro-optical instrument developed by cosine Remote Sensing. It was unveiled on 12 June 2025 during a high-profile visit to cosine’s Sassenheim facilities by the Dutch Minister of Defence, Ruben Brekelmans, and State Secretary Gijs Tuinman, alongside a related instrument, TScout HP. Contracted by the Dutch Ministry of Defence, cosine is developing Valk as the primary sensor for the PAMI-1 satellite program; the first demonstrator will be used on PAMI-1 to gather visible and spectral data for the Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) units of the Dutch Defence. A secondary payload, TScout HP, is integrated on the same mission to provide high-resolution thermal imaging capability. PAMI-1 is expected to launch in early 2028 as the first in a foreseen series of satellites designed by the Dutch space industry to build new national space capabilities for the Dutch Ministry of Defence, equipped with state-of-the-art sensors and communication technologies including laser communication. According to Dr Marco Esposito, Managing Director of cosine Remote Sensing, the Valk program “opens the door to developing innovative solutions for larger satellites” and “strengthens our capabilities and elevates us to a higher class of instrumentation, well-positioned for primary optical payloads across commercial, institutional, security and resilience, as well as ESA programmes.” cosine presented a Valk showmodel and further details on Very and Ultra High Resolution Imaging at the 4S Symposium 2026 in Sardinia, Italy.