Spascat joins ASENSE and Compoxi to develop the OTTER thermal observation payload

There is a lot of discussion about putting more Earth observation satellites into orbit. The harder question is how to ensure that each mission produces information that can actually support decisions on the ground. With this in mind, we are pleased to announce that Spascat will take part in the development of OTTER (Observació Tèrmica Terrestre–Espacial Remota), a thermal payload designed for future Earth observation missions.

The project is led by ASENSE, awarded one of the projects in the engineering competition for the development of payloads for Earth observation satellites (reference IEEC/174/2024), with the participation of Compoxi and Spascat. The call, driven by the Generalitat de Catalunya and coordinated by the Institut d’Estudis Espacials de Catalunya (IEEC) within the framework of the Catalunya Espai 2030 Strategy, is part of the ESA Phi-Lab Spain programme, focused on advancing space technologies for climate resilience.

At Spascat, we will contribute our experience in Earth observation and downstream geospatial applications, helping to connect the capabilities of the future payload with operational use cases in territorial monitoring and climate resilience.

OTTER is also a good example of the value of building complete Earth observation capabilities within the Catalan ecosystem: from payload engineering and advanced materials to satellite data processing and end-user services. Congratulations to ASENSE for leading the project, and thank you to the IEEC and the Generalitat de Catalunya for supporting its development.