Hydrosat secures new NOAA grant to advance climate monitoring efforts

Hydrosat secures new NOAA grant to advance climate monitoring efforts
by Clarence Oxford
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Oct 08, 2024

Hydrosat, a climate technology company utilizing thermal satellite imagery to assess water stress in agriculture and combat climate change, has been awarded a $650,000 Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II contract from the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to support climate monitoring initiatives.

This latest funding builds on Hydrosat's previous successes with NOAA, further validating the company's technology and strengthening its role in enhancing environmental and climate data analysis.

"NOAA is a central pillar of both weather information and research to support climate adaptation in the US and around the world," said Pieter Fossel, CEO and Co-founder of Hydrosat. "We are pleased to expand our work with NOAA under this new grant as we bring commercial satellite based insights and actionable intelligence to the climate threat."

This grant represents an important development for Hydrosat, as it marks the company's expansion into the weather data market, a sector where NOAA has become a key user of commercial satellite data.

Hydrosat's use of thermal infrared satellite technology enables early detection of water stress, providing crucial tools for improving irrigation and water management. The company's IrriWatch platform offers daily, high-resolution field data, already benefiting farmers in 43 countries across 4 million acres of farmland. This technology has helped increase crop yields by up to 50% and reduce water usage by as much as 30%, making a substantial contribution to global agricultural efficiency.

Dr. Joshua B. Fisher, Science Lead at Hydrosat and Principal Investigator of the NOAA projects, commented on the company's progress: "The success we achieved in our previous NOAA work laid a strong foundation for the continued expansion of our technology into operational applications. This grant allows us to further support NOAA's priorities in understanding the impact of climate change and extreme weather, ultimately helping to safeguard ecosystems and human communities."

This latest NOAA contract follows the recent launch of Hydrosat's first satellite, VanZyl-1, which is equipped with cutting-edge thermal imaging technology. Part of SpaceX's Transporter-11 mission, VanZyl-1 is the first commercial satellite capable of delivering global high-resolution thermal imagery, improving both agricultural productivity and climate modeling. Hydrosat is also engaged in other key projects with the National Reconnaissance Office and the U.S. Air Force's National Air and Space Intelligence Center.