Marble Imaging signs €3 million contract with ESA to provide very high-resolution Earth Observation data for Copernicus Contributing Missions

• Marble Imaging has signed a €3 million contract with the European Space Agency (ESA) to provide very high-resolution data from its upcoming satellite constellation, with the first satellite set to launch in 2026.

• The contract is part of ESA’s Copernicus Contributing Missions program, in which Marble positions itself as an emerging European data supplier.

• Through the three-year contract, ESA aims to assess the development of the company towards operational status, preparing Marble Imaging to become an established European data provider (Category-2 company) and enabling the company to participate in future Copernicus Contributing Missions data procurement tenders.

“We are excited to enter this contract with the European Space Agency”, says Robert Hook, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder. “Earth Observation data is playing an increasingly important role, therefore it is essential to ensure the secure supply of this data as an independent European provider. We are happy to have taken the first step toward a long-term business relationship with ESA.”

The first Marble satellite, which will deliver very high-resolution data, is scheduled to be launched in 2026. Marble Imaging plans to gradually expand its own constellation to 20 satellites by 2028. This will allow areas of interest to be monitored up to hourly, providing valuable insights both in the fields of security and defence, as well as climate security and business intelligence.

Dr. Gopika Suresh, Chief Strategy Officer and Co-Founder: “Having personally worked with commercial very high-resolution data from the CCM portfolio, I’m delighted that Marble’s data will now be part of this distinguished suite. The enhanced resolution and frequent revisit capabilities of the Marble constellation will be a game-changer – enabling faster mapping of time-critical events and providing a crucial validation layer for existing Copernicus-based products.”

Marble plans to offer data that can be seamlessly integrated into the existing Copernicus ecosystem of the European Space Agency, harmonized with the Sentinel-2 satellites – at significantly higher resolution and more frequent revisits. This will offer immense opportunities for the already large Sentinel-2 user base.

“The aim of integrating emerging European New Space companies into Copernicus is to ensure the programme remains at the forefront of Earth Observation in a fast-evolving sector. I warmly welcome the newest members to the Copernicus Contributing Missions programme”, says Simonetta Cheli, ESA’s Director of Earth Observation Programmes.

There is an urgent need for improvement, particularly in the area of very high-resolution multispectral data, which Marble directly addresses. Here, Europe is heavily dependent on non-European Earth Observation data providers, especially from the United States and Marble Imaging aims to disrupt this.

Earlier this year, the consequences of such dependency became apparent: U.S. President Trump made good on his threat and partially restricted the flow of intelligence and satellite data to Ukraine. Since then, many users of Earth Observation data and providers of analytics have increasingly been seeking alternative sources to ensure continuity for their service offerings.

“The signed contract confirms that the data we will offer with our constellation fills a significant market gap, both for European governmental and scientific organizations, as well as for global commercial customers, many of whom are already lining up. We are on the right track”, says Alexander Epp, Chief Business Development Officer and Co-Founder.