© Pexels/Lucas Pezeta
Using telescopes can be complex, for professionals and enthusiasts alike. As access to space becomes more accessible, two startups have decided to merge to create an integrated solution that simplifies space observation. Introducing Observable Space.
A solution that combines hardware and software
Users of telescopes typically have to deal with different software that is poorly coordinated and not always well integrated. This makes their operation complex, even for experienced personnel, with sometimes several hours needed to obtain a single image.
PlaneWave Instruments, the only US-based telescope manufacturer, and OurSky, a software platform for space observation data, have decided to join forces to overcome these challenges. They have thus created Observable Space, which combines software and hardware.
« Many of the world's most valuable companies, such as Apple or Nvidia, are combinations of hardware and software platforms. Companies that focus on only one can have great intrinsic value, but the combination of the two in today's world is extremely powerful ,” said Jordan Noone, general partner at Embedded Ventures, which recently invested in the young company.
PlaneWave’s hardware expertise will prove invaluable, as the company has provided high-quality telescopes to customers including NASA, the US Space Force and universities. OurSky, meanwhile, was founded by the highly accomplished Dan Roelker, who was SpaceX’s vice president of software engineering from 2015 to 2019.
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© Observable Space
A booming market
Observable Space offers tracking and localization of objects in orbit, a service that has become crucial as illustrated by a demonstration carried out at Mount Wilson Observatory by the company. His team quickly located a satellite whose operator had lost radio contact, demonstrating the effectiveness of this integrated solution.
Beyond tracking, the company innovates by allowing several telescopes to be connected together to reproduce the capabilities of a more powerful instrument, while developing laser communications with space. These technologies naturally find their application in the field of defense and intelligence, as demonstrated by the investment of In-Q-Tel, the CIA investment fund, during its recent funding round.
A strategic positioning while our dependence on space infrastructures continues to grow: constellations are multiplying, and more and more emerging players in new space are developing orbital solutions. The young company currently employs around a hundred people. But it aims to grow quickly. Note that the platform retains the name OurSky, while the telescopes continue to be marketed under the PlaneWave brand.
- In the United States, startups PlaneWave Instruments and OurSky are merging to create Observable Space.
- The company wants to offer an integrated sky observation solution, combining hardware and software.
- This is a growing market, as access to Earth's orbit becomes more widespread.
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