Vexcel Introduces Three New UltraCam Systems in 2025

At Intergeo 2025, Vexcel Imaging showcased three new UltraCam systems built around Sony’s groundbreaking IMX811 CMOS sensor: A 247-megapixel imaging innovation that, through Vexcel’s system integration, delivers a new level for aerial mapping performance.

Launched in March 2025, the UltraCam Osprey 4.2 was the first fully integrated aerial camera system on the market to feature the IMX811. Offering 27% greater flight line efficiency and enhanced operational flexibility, the Osprey 4.2 has quickly entered active service within the Vexcel Data Program and among early-adopting customers worldwide.

At Intergeo, Vexcel unveiled the UltraCam Dragon 4.2, a powerful hybrid imaging and LiDAR system combining nadir and oblique cameras with a 2.4 MHz RIEGL LiDAR scanner. Delivering 35% higher flight line efficiency than its predecessor, its unique multi-line scan geometry provides unrivalled coverage in dense urban areas, capturing detailed façades, linear structures, and vegetation — making it the most capable hybrid imaging and LiDAR solution on the market.

Completing the IMX811 lineup, the new UltraCam Merlin 5.0 introduces over 37,500 pixels across the flight strip and user-exchangeable lens kits, bringing exceptional resolution and mission flexibility to large-scale photogrammetric mapping.

All new UltraCam systems leverage Vexcel’s True Pixel Processing (TPP) pipeline, ensuring consistent, high-fidelity imagery through a fully automated, sensor-aware workflow.

Three new systems. One extraordinary sensor. UltraCam goes 811. Find out more here.

RICS: landmark global standard on responsible use of AI in surveying

Set to take effect on 9 March 2026, the new standard sets out mandatory requirements and best practice expectations for RICS members and regulated firms worldwide.  Find out more here.

Reflections from EO Summit 2025

The EO Summit brought together ~450 people, from over 25 countries.

Aravind Ravichandran summarises some key themes.

The Unsolved EO Platform Gap – an Opportunity for AI?

Building with Users vs Building for Users

The Underreported Significance of Public Investments in EO

Moving Towards a Value-driven Model for EO Commercialisation

The Need for An Independent Advocacy Organization for EO

Skyrora shoots for the stars

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) licence allows Skyrora to launch from the SaxaVord Spaceport in Shetland.

The licence marks a key advancement in the UK’s National Space Strategy. 

Click here to find out more.

CH4 Sentinel: Free Open Source Detection and Measurement of Methane Super Emitters

Created by Ulster University MSc GIS graduate Nicholas Kinsella, CH4 Sentinel is a first of its kind, open-source software tool that detects and quantifies methane (CH₄) emissions using freely available Sentinel-2 satellite imagery.

Daily Global Methane Super-Emitter Detection and Source Identification With Sub-Daily Tracking

(Geophysical Research Letters)

Mitigating large, concentrated methane emissions such as gas leaks is vital to curb global warming. Satellites can help in finding the largest methane emitters. We use the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) satellite instruments to observe large methane plumes with a high resolution of 750 m. We show that using the three VIIRS instruments improves current abilities to track large methane emissions. Together with the Sentinel-3 satellites we can now image methane plumes multiple times a day. This is especially important for plumes that result from short-duration emission events. Furthermore, we show that because the observations of one of these VIIRS satellites overlap with those of the TROPOMI instrument, we can directly compare the low-resolution, high-precision measurements of TROPOMI with the high-resolution, but high-noise measurements of VIIRS. This means we can use VIIRS to zoom in on plumes detected by TROPOMI to identify the responsible facility and compare the observed methane plumes, which we find agree well within their respective uncertainties.

AI and geospatial technology: Twin engines driving sustainability in real estate

GeoBusiness Blog

Dr Yishuang Xu, Associate Professor of Real Estate at the University of Manchester, explores how artificial intelligence and geospatial technology are transforming sustainability in the built environment. With the UK real estate sector facing growing pressure to reduce carbon emissions, these technologies are emerging as powerful tools to unlock efficiencies, inform smarter planning, and future-proof buildings. From AI-driven energy optimisation to geospatial insights for resilient site selection, discover how these “twin engines” are reshaping real estate’s environmental impact.

ISPRS Brock Gold Medal Nominations

ISPRS Council is seeking recommendations from members for the prestigous
Brock Gold Medal Award (https://www.isprs.org/society/awards/brock.aspx)
which will be presented at the XXV ISPRS Congress in Toronto in 2026
(https://www.isprs2026toronto.com/).

The deadline for nominations is 1 October 2025. Nominations can be
submitted via the online portal
https://www.isprs.org/society/awards/nominations/Default.aspx which will
be opened on 10 June or per email to the ISPRS President, Lena Halounová
at isprs-pr@isprs.org.

Global sea levels are rising faster and faster. It spells catastrophe for coastal towns and cities.

For around 2,000 years, global sea levels varied little. That changed in the 20th century. They started rising and have not stopped since — and the pace is accelerating.

Scientists are scrambling to understand what this means for the future just as President Trump strips back agencies tasked with monitoring the oceans.

Since 1993, satellites have kept careful watch over the world’s oceans, allowing scientists a clear view of how they are behaving. What they have revealed is alarming.

UK SPACE CONSULTATION: READ THE RSPSoc RESPONSE

The House of Lords Committee on UK Engagement with Space published a call for written evidence for its inquiry to consider UK policies relating to space, and both the opportunities and challenges related to the UK’s engagement with space.

Read the RSPSoc response

Axelspace to Launch Seven Next-Generation Earth Observation Microsatellites “GRUS-3” in 2026

Mike Streeter, Director of Research Integrity Strategy & Policy at Wiley and COPE Council Member, shares key takeaways from STM’s Integrity Day - covering transparency in retractions, navigating ambiguity, AI, and policy changes.

A new PML-led project, funded through the NERC: Natural Environment Research Council Net Zero Aerial Capability (NZArC) programme, aims to revolutionise how underwater environments are mapped, particularly shallow waters like river sections and coastal areas with low turbidity.

Titled ‘A remotely piloted aerial Green LiDAR for mapping bathymetry of shallow waters and elevation of boundary land (Green LiDAR)’, the project involves collaborations with British Geological Survey, National Oceanography Centre, Scottish Association For Marine Science and the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH), using state-of-the-art aerial equipment to provide underwater mapping (bathymetry) data where other sensors struggle or simply fail to provide solutions.

Aser Mata Torollo, Project Leader and Earth Observation Scientist at PML, commented:

“Mapping of shallow waters is especially vital for studying blue carbon habitats such as mangroves, seagrasses, and tidal marshes as these are some of the most efficient natural carbon sinks on Earth. These habitats store and sequester carbon at rates far exceeding tropical forests but mapping their underwater terrain and estimating carbon storage has been a major challenge”.

While bathymetry of the seabed or rivers can be obtained using other boat and instruments such as multibeam echosounders, these sensors cannot be deployed in very shallow waters. To help deliver mapping of ecologically and economically-important underwater environments that are hard-to-reach, the project has allowed for an innovative RIEGL UK Ltd VQ-840-GL Topo-Bathymetric LiDAR sensor to be obtained along with a dedicated third-party drone platform.

A new study recently published in Hydrology and Earth System Sciences, provides new insights into the meteorological processes responsible for the filling of a normally dry lake in the northwestern Sahara. The research offers a fresh perspective on past climate variations and suggests we can learn from past flooding of the lake on ongoing climate change and future water resources in the desert.

Research by Eniola Onatayo (2025) The integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) with remote sensing technologies presents a transformative approach to disaster monitoring and rapid response. As natural disasters become increasingly frequent and severe due to climate change, the need for effective real-time monitoring systems has never been more critical.

The increasing demand for advanced technologies in dual use scientific exploration and military operations has led to significant advancements in unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs). These versatile systems have become indispensable for conducting a variety of maritime missions, including environmental monitoring, resource exploration and defense-related applications. (Roh et al 2025)