A rendering of the Nuview LiDAR satellite. Photo: Space Flight Laboratory

Nuview has selected Space Flight Laboratory (SFL) to develop the pathfinder satellite bus for its LiDAR demonstration satellite. 

Nuview, which emerged from stealth mode in 2023, plans to build the first commercial LiDAR satellite constellation to provide continually updatedc 3D elevation data of the Earth’s land surface. The company says that space-based LiDAR can capture these 3D surface measurements more efficiently and cost effectively than standard airborne methods. 

SFL announced the agreement on Wednesday, terms of the deal were not disclosed. The company will develop the bus for the pathfinder satellite, named Mr. SPoC. The two companies have already been working on the project. 

SFL builds satellite technology for missions that require precise pointing of onboard data collection sensors, including a recent deal with GHGSat for two greenhouse gas monitoring satellites.

“SFL is excited to support the pioneering Mr. SPoC mission by providing a high-quality, reliable small satellite platform,” said SFL Director Dr. Robert E. Zee. “This mission will serve as a technology demonstration for Nuview’s first-of-its-kind operational constellation that will perform global high-resolution 3D mapping with frequent revisits and updates.”