Introduction

Most satellites show us what we can already see: forests, roads, rivers, and clouds. But at Satleo, we focus on what you can’t see with the naked eye — temperature.

Through advanced infrared sensing, our satellites don’t just take pictures. They measure temperature with an extraordinary 1° Kelvin accuracy, transforming invisible heat patterns into clear, actionable data.

But how exactly does that work? In this blog, we’ll break down the core technology behind Satleo’s thermal intelligence platform — and why it’s a game-changer for sectors like agriculture, climate, and urban planning.

What Does ‘1° Kelvin Accuracy’ Mean?

Kelvin is the scientific unit used to measure absolute temperature. While Celsius tells you how hot something feels, Kelvin tells you exactly how much energy it holds.

So when we say Satleo offers 1°K accuracy, we mean that our satellites can detect extremely subtle temperature variations — such as the difference between healthy and stressed crops, or heat zones across different city blocks — from hundreds of kilometers above Earth.

This kind of precision is rare, even among Earth observation (EO) satellites.

The Three Core Technologies Behind Satleo’s Accuracy

1. Multi-Band Infrared Imaging (MWIR + LWIR)

Satleo’s sensors operate across two main thermal bands:

• Mid-Wave Infrared (MWIR)
  Captures reflected and emitted thermal radiation, useful for identifying surface-level heat sources like soil moisture stress or infrastructure hotspots.
• Long-Wave Infrared (LWIR)
  Penetrates through clouds and captures deeper, longer-duration heat signatures — essential for environmental monitoring and time-based temperature shifts.

These two bands together give Satleo a more complete thermal picture than most visible-light or single-band satellites.

2. High-Resolution Visible Imaging (10 cm Ground Sampling Distance)

In addition to thermal bands, each Satleo satellite captures visible-band imagery at 10 cm resolution — among the highest available in the small satellite category.

By overlaying visible and thermal imagery, we deliver fusion data that helps analysts make sense of temperature variation in context:

• A heat signature isn’t just “hot” — it’s coming from that exact tree, that solar panel, or that plot of farmland.

3. Edge Computing in Orbit

One of Satleo’s key differentiators is our edge computing module, installed onboard each satellite. Rather than sending raw data to Earth for processing (which causes delays and bandwidth costs), we analyze data in orbit.

Benefits of onboard edge computing:

• Faster delivery: Processed data is transmitted in near-real time
• Reduced noise: Only useful data is sent to ground stations
• Real-time anomaly detection: Satellites can flag temperature outliers instantly
• AI-on-chip: Our models detect patterns — like drought zones or thermal stress — automatically before the data even lands

This architecture makes Satleo’s platform not just data-rich, but decision-ready.

Why Resolution Matters: Thermal Data vs. Visual Imagery

Real-World Applications of High-Accuracy Thermal Data

• Agriculture
  Monitor crop health with early detection of heat stress, even before visual signs appear.
• Urban Heat Mapping
  Identify heat islands and plan green infrastructure with street-level resolution.
• Disaster Preparedness
  Track thermal anomalies in flood-prone or wildfire zones for faster response.
• Smart Infrastructure
  Detect overheating in solar panels, pipelines, or industrial zones without physical inspections.

How Satleo Delivers the Data

1. Thermal scan initiated during satellite orbit pass
2. Edge-AI module processes patterns and filters noise
3. Data transmitted securely to cloud
4. Delivered via dashboard/API depending on client needs
5. Historical + real-time data available for comparison

This streamlined pipeline ensures speed, reliability, and flexibility across industries.

Why Most Satellites Can’t Do This

Large EO satellites often prioritize high-altitude mapping and visible-light photography. Even thermal-focused satellites are usually limited by:

• Single-band imaging
• Lower resolution (5–10m)
• High latency due to ground-only processing
• Infrequent revisit times

Satleo’s LEO orbit, dedicated thermal payload, and edge intelligence solve these bottlenecks.

Conclusion: From Accuracy to Action

In thermal imaging, accuracy is everything. A 1°K deviation could mean the difference between detecting a failing irrigation system — or missing it entirely.

At Satleo, we’ve built our platform to go beyond raw data — delivering precise, real-time, and contextual thermal intelligence to those who need it most.

Whether you’re a policymaker planning a cooler city, a climate analyst tracking environmental risk, or a researcher studying land temperature trends — Satleo gives you temperature that speaks with clarity.