## Does Europe Have a New Contender in Very High-Resolution Earth Observation Payloads?

More than 6,500 Earth observation satellites are projected to launch by 2035 — and two European companies want to supply the eyes for a meaningful share of them. Simera Sense, a Belgian optical payload company founded in 2018, announced on September 17, 2026 a strategic partnership with Spain's IDOM to co-develop the MultiScape350™, a next-generation very high-resolution (VHR) [Low Earth Orbit](https://orbital-intel.com/glossary/leo) imaging payload targeting commercial, civil, and government satellite operators worldwide.

The division of labor is technically clean: IDOM leads development and production of the Optical Front End (OFE) — covering optical design, opto-mechanical engineering, manufacturing, and qualification — while Simera Sense contributes the sensor subsystem, electronics, thermal management, calibration approach, satellite interface architecture, and overall payload productization. The result, both companies assert, is a vertically integrated European supply chain capable of delivering a competitive VHR imager within the size, weight, and power envelopes that modern small [satellite bus](https://orbital-intel.com/glossary/bus) platforms demand.

Simera Sense already counts more than sixty satellite OEMs and research organizations as customers. Adding a VHR capability to its portfolio — which currently spans RGB, video, multispectral, and hyperspectral imagers — positions it to compete in the highest-margin segment of the commercial EO payload market.

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## Why MultiScape350 and Why Now?

The timing is deliberate. Demand for sub-meter and very high-resolution EO imagery has accelerated sharply as governments expand sovereign intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities and commercial analytics platforms require higher-fidelity source data. According to Novaspace figures cited in the announcement, more than 6,500 EO satellites are expected to launch by 2035 — a volume that dwarfs current on-orbit capacity and implies sustained demand for both complete spacecraft and standalone payloads.

For satellite OEMs and mission integrators, the MultiScape350 pitch is essentially this: procure a proven, qualified VHR optical payload from a specialized vendor rather than developing one in-house. That merchant payload model has worked well for Simera Sense at lower resolution tiers. The question is whether it can hold at VHR, where optical systems are more complex, alignment tolerances are tighter, and qualification cycles are longer.

IDOM brings credibility here. Through its Astronomy and Space division, the Bilbao-based firm has an established track record in designing, manufacturing, and qualifying advanced optical and opto-mechanical systems for space and scientific applications. That heritage in precision optics is exactly what Simera Sense needed to extend its product line upward in resolution without building the optical manufacturing capability internally — a capital-intensive undertaking that could have taken years.

Gaizka Murga, Head of Astronomy and Space at IDOM, described the collaboration as combining "complementary capabilities," creating what he characterized as a strong European collaboration in advanced space technology. Johann du Toit, CEO of Simera Sense, said the teams have developed "a strong working relationship built on shared engineering excellence, openness and a commitment to delivering exceptional space hardware" over the past several months — suggesting the partnership predates this public announcement by at least that long.

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## Supply-Chain and Competitive Implications

The deal is strategically significant beyond the two companies involved. European sovereign EO capability has historically depended on a small number of large primes — Airbus Defence & Space and Thales Alenia Space dominate the high end. The emergence of a merchant VHR payload from an independent European supplier creates a new procurement option for satellite builders who want European-sourced optics without the pricing and lead-time dynamics of a tier-one prime.

For U.S.-based EO payload and satellite companies — [Planet Labs](https://orbital-intel.com/companies/planet-labs), [Albedo](https://orbital-intel.com/companies/albedo), and others working in the VHR regime — this represents a credible European alternative entering a market where U.S. ITAR controls have historically created friction for international customers. A European-heritage VHR payload with a Belgium-Spain supply chain could be attractive to non-U.S. government and commercial customers specifically because it sidesteps export license complexity.

Simera Sense also benefits from IDOM's opto-mechanical manufacturing footprint. Producing precision space optics at scale requires specialized infrastructure — clean rooms, metrology equipment, vibration and thermal test facilities — that most payload-level companies lack. By partnering rather than building, Simera Sense maintains asset-light economics while accessing production capacity it can scale as order volumes grow.

The partnership announcement does not disclose pricing, delivery timelines, first customer commitments, or specific performance specifications for the MultiScape350 — resolution, swath width, revisit rates, and ground sample distance figures that would allow direct competitive benchmarking are absent. That limits the ability to assess precisely where this payload sits relative to existing VHR offerings. Those numbers will matter enormously when satellite OEMs evaluate it against alternatives.

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## Key Takeaways

- **Simera Sense and IDOM announced a formal partnership on September 17, 2026** to co-develop the MultiScape350™ VHR Earth observation imager, targeting commercial, civil, and government operators globally.
- **IDOM leads optical front-end development and production**; Simera Sense handles sensor electronics, thermal management, calibration, satellite interface, and payload productization.
- **More than 6,500 EO satellites are projected to launch by 2035** (Novaspace), the market driver underpinning the MultiScape350 programme.
- **Simera Sense serves more than 60 satellite OEMs and research organizations**, providing an established distribution channel for the new VHR product.
- **The partnership creates a Belgium-Spain EO payload supply chain** that could appeal to non-U.S. customers seeking to avoid ITAR-related complexity.
- **Key performance specifications — resolution, swath, GSD — were not disclosed**, limiting immediate competitive benchmarking.

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## Frequently Asked Questions

**What is the MultiScape350 and who makes it?**
The MultiScape350™ is a next-generation very high-resolution Earth observation imager being co-developed by Simera Sense (Belgium) and IDOM (Spain). Simera Sense provides the sensor subsystem, electronics, and system integration architecture; IDOM leads the optical front end design, manufacturing, and qualification.

**What resolution will the MultiScape350 achieve?**
The announcement describes the MultiScape350 as a "very high-resolution" imager compatible with small satellite size, weight, and power constraints, but specific ground sample distance or resolution figures were not disclosed in the September 2026 announcement.

**Why are 6,500 EO satellites expected to launch by 2035?**
According to Novaspace data cited by Simera Sense, the projection reflects surging government demand for sovereign ISR capabilities alongside expanding commercial EO applications in agriculture, infrastructure monitoring, maritime tracking, and defense analytics.

**How does this affect the European EO supply chain?**
The Simera Sense–IDOM partnership creates a merchant VHR payload option from an independent European supplier, providing satellite OEMs an alternative to sourcing from tier-one primes like Airbus or Thales Alenia Space, potentially with faster procurement cycles and non-ITAR heritage.

**Who are Simera Sense's current customers?**
Simera Sense states it serves more than sixty satellite OEMs and research organizations worldwide across RGB, video, multispectral, and hyperspectral imaging product lines. The MultiScape350 extends its portfolio into the VHR segment for the first time.