Kongsberg Satellite Services (KSAT) has been selected by Intuitive Machines to provide ground station services and spacecraft operations for NASA’s EAGLE-VSWIR mission, which is targeting launch in 2028.
The agreement places KSAT in a central operational role, supporting a mission designed to study the biology and geology of Earth’s surface. The company will operate Intuitive Machines’ IM 300 spacecraft and provide its Integrated Mission Services bringing together satellite operations and access to its global ground station network.
The appointment follows NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory selecting Intuitive Machines to supply the spacecraft platform, integrate the scientific instrument and manage the mission operations and ground segment. KSAT’s involvement shows how that delivery model brings specialist commercial providers into the operation of a civil science mission.
Reading the fingerprints of Earth’s surface
EAGLE-VSWIR will carry an imaging spectrometer that measures reflected light across visible and shortwave infrared wavelengths. Different materials absorb and reflect light in distinctive patterns allowing scientists to investigate surface composition.
NASA says the mission will observe Earth’s surface every 16 days. Its planned applications include mapping critical minerals, supporting agriculture, monitoring water quality and identifying environmental hazards.
Although EAGLE stands for Explorer for Artemis Geology, Lunar, and Earth and this mission will make observations from Earth orbit, its technology could also support future exploration of the Moon and Mars.
The commercial services behind the observations
For BARSC readers, KSAT’s appointment highlights an essential part of the EO supply chain. Scientific instruments depend on spacecraft control, communications and reliable transfer of observations to the ground before their measurements can become useful information.
Combining ground station access with satellite operations gives KSAT a role across several of those activities. For mission developers, procuring these services together can offer an alternative to establishing each capability separately.
For the wider commercial EO community, the story illustrates how public science programmes can create opportunities for specialist service businesses alongside spacecraft manufacturers and instrument developers. Downstream companies will also have reason to follow EAGLE’s progress as its future observations could support new analytical products.
Launch remains targeted for 2028 and the announcement does not disclose the value of KSAT’s agreement. The immediate development is the selection of an operational partner as the mission moves towards delivery.
Read the full KSAT announcement