Hydra (satellite constellation)
Spanish thermal imaging satellite constellation
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Hydra is a satellite constellation of thermal imaging Earth observation small satellites under development by the Spanish company Aistech.[1][2][3][4] It is designed to provide thermal infrared imagery for agriculture, hydrology, environmental risk monitoring, and security applications.[5] In 2023, Hydra has been selected by ESA as one of the Copernicus Contributing Missions (CCMs) providing data to the EU's Copernicus Programme.[6][7][8]
| Country of origin |  Spain |
|---|---|
| Operator | Aistech |
| Website | aistechspace |
| Specifications | |
| Bus | CubeSat |
| Production | |
| Planned | 48 |
| Launched | 2 |
| Maiden launch | 11 January 2026 |
| Last launch | 3 May 2026, 7:00 UTC |
| Related spacecraft | |
| Launch vehicle | Falcon 9 |
Satellites
The first satellite of the constellation, the 6U CubeSat Hydra 2 was launched on 11 January 2026 aboard Falcon 9's rideshare mission Twilight.[9][10][11] Aistech published the first images from Hydra 2 in April 2026.[12] The second satellite, Hydra 3, was launched on Falcon 9's CAS500-2 rideshare mission on 3 May 2026 at 7:00 UTC.[13][14][15][16]