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.

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

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.

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