Frequently Asked Questions

Geocento does not own or resell satellite imagery. Instead, we operate independently on your behalf, supporting the full lifecycle of Earth observation procurement. This includes expert consultancy and the use of our proprietary virtual constellation management technology, ensuring that all sourcing and coordination are carried out without any dependence on data providers. When an organisation uses our virtual constellations, all imagery purchases normally happen directly between the customer and the data providers, with no margin added by Geocento.

No, Geocento does not work on behalf of satellite operators or data providers. Instead, we act independently and solely for our clients, helping you to identify and manage providers for your specific requirements and use cases. Because we don't take commission on imagery sales, we maintain complete impartiality regarding data providers.

Geocento charges the client directly for its services, ensuring that the company is working for the client rather than data providers. The price of our services includes one or more of the following elements: (a) consultancy fees (e.g. for virtual constellation design) and (b) virtual constellation management fees based on provisioned platform functionality and usage, and a defined service level agreement.

The price of earth observation data products is normally a matter just for the data provider and the client and depends on the specific provider, product type, resolution, area, and license. Geocento does not charge any commission on the purchases from data providers

Delivery timelines are determined by the specific data provider and whether the request is for archival imagery or new tasking. Although these times are subject to each provider's individual terms, we collaborate closely with our clients to select and onboard providers for their virtual constellation that best align with their specific operational needs and requirements. If a client has demanding delivery requirements, then the client has the option of mandating their requirements as a condition for data provider onboarding to their virtual constellation.

Commercial earth observation data providers have their own licenses for earth observation data products, which means that, as a user, you need to be fully aware of these terms when using their products. By default, licensing for earth observation data is defined by the individual data providers and you agree to the terms of the data provider’s license agreement directly at checkout during the ordering process. However, it is sometimes possible to negotiate licensing terms with the data providers, for example mandating common definitions or usage rights, such that your virtual constellation operates under common licensing standards that meet your corporate needs. Geocento can support you in this process, with experience in negotiating licensing terms among data providers on behalf of clients.

We work with a broad and flexible network of commercial satellite operators and data providers, including not only optical multispectral data providers, but also SAR, hyperspectral and thermal. The exact mix is driven by the requirements of our clients and isn’t fixed — for Lyra clients, you and your own customers define the specific data providers, while for Pyxis clients, the selection evolves according to your unique requirements and our market evaluations. Additionally, we offer the flexibility to integrate any data providers you may already have under existing legacy contracts.

Non-commercial data sources are also included within our services (e.g. Sentinel and Landsat missions).

Geocento’s Lyra and Pyxis constellations have the flexibility to enable access to a wide range of satellite data - optical, SAR and thermal in particular - through a set of API models into which data providers can be integrated via adaptors. These API models support catalogue discovery, ordering, tasking opportunities, collection feasibility (if available) and processing (via ENVI). Depending on the requirements of a client, Geocento will enable access to the appropriate data providers via these APIs, many of which are already technically integrated.

Geocento offers analytics through the following capabilities:

-Integration of Pyxis and Lyra with ENVI workflows. This integration can be used to harmonise products from different data providers, so that users do not need to worry about different processing levels, semantics, and product definitions. ENVI workflows can also be used to generate analytics including, for example, feature extraction and change detection

-Hosting of algorithms. Lyra and Pyxis can be used to host user algorithms via Jupyter Notebook or by uploading a docker image on your virtual constellation workspace. This allows for pre-operational or fully operational custom algorithms to be applied routinely to eligible data products

Lyra and Pyxis are designed to provide the foundation for downstream services with analytics, and the outputs from your virtual constellation are fully compatible for exploitation with GIS platforms such as ARCGIS and QGIS.

Yes, you can request a specific satellite operator to be onboarded during the procurement or afterwards; Geocento’s model is explicitly designed to support flexible data-provider lifecycle management.

Geocento works solely for the client, not for data providers, so you are free to specify any commercial satellite operator you want. Geocento will then engage with that provider as part of the market evaluation and pre‑qualification process. We can integrate any viable earth observation data provider on request, within a few days or few weeks at maximum, if they are not already technically onboarded. Geocento can also pre-qualify new operators or carry out due diligence on your behalf, which can be accommodated within the project onboarding timeline.

Data is ordered from, and delivered into, the Lyra or Pyxis platform. The user will be notified as soon as the product is delivered and available for analysis or download. If processing has been configured and enabled, via ENVI workflows, then notification will relate to delivery of the processed product.

Delivery of the product into the platform triggers the following options:

-Visualisation in the browser, with all the visualisation tools that this implies, such as pan and zoom.

-Export in a number of appropriate formats, including GIS-compatible formats.

-Processing using Jupyter Notebook to generate derived products which may also be displayed in the platform, or exported.

-Storage. The products may be kept available within the platform for a pre-defined term, before being archived.

Our platform is designed for organisations that require reliable, scalable access to multiple commercial satellite imagery providers. We primarily serve government agencies, defense and security bodies, and large commercial enterprises, including those in the energy, insurance, natural resources, and infrastructure sectors. These users typically face the challenge of managing complex earth observation procurement across multiple business units and departments. Our platform offers you a centralised way to access, compare, and order data from a wide range of global sources, maintain independence from individual satellite operators, and support multiple teams and diverse use cases in your organisation through a single unified interface. We do NOT operate as a marketplace and we do NOT provide solutions for small, individual, or ad-hoc purchases.

Pyxis is designed for organisations that wish to have a virtual constellation that is managed on their behalf by Geocento, possibly with configuration designed to meet their specific needs. Lyra is designed for organisations that wish to have their own branded virtual constellation that they themselves manage on behalf of their own customers, i.e. as a white label virtual constellation.

Yes, Geocento provides tailored demos of their virtual constellation management technology and capabilities. Demos are arranged directly with our team so we can understand your use case and design a demo based on your needs. During the demo, we walk you through platform capabilities and different applications you, as the client would have access to. The applications and their functionalities under each virtual constellation (Lyra or Pyxis) differ based on your organisation’s business model and use cases. These demos can be requested by directly contacting us or via the contact channels on our website.

A standard operational version of the platform with an existing pool of data providers can be deployed within a matter of days. If data providers need to be pre-qualified or terms need to be negotiated, or services such as product processing workflows need to be configured, then the time can be much longer.

Support is continuous and tailored to your organisation. It can be provided as follows:

1. Expert consultancy to support constellation business case and design, in relation to client needs and priorities. This covers commercial considerations such as licensing as well as technical considerations.

2. Operational support for running a virtual constellation, which includes: service maintenance, and in the case of Pyxis, account management and potentially specialised support such as managed collection. An important area of support is data provider lifecycle management. Geocento will work with the client to enable onboarding and monitoring of data providers as use cases and market capabilities evolve

3. Custom training. Geocento can provide training for clients in a range of topics that relate to designing and operating a virtual earth observation constellation.

Geocento’s platforms are built around risk management, compliance, secure EO data handling and Cyber Essentials‑aligned practices. We work exclusively with pre‑qualified suppliers and apply strict licensing and access controls. Imagery is delivered directly from providers, minimising supply‑chain exposure. While specific technical measures (such as encryption standards) are not publicly detailed, the platforms support enterprise, government and defence‑grade workflows. Security, and compliance are embedded throughout the entire process.

Pyxis is a virtual EO constellation that is custom-configured for clients. It unifies EO data access and procurement from multiple commercial EO data providers via a single interface, while enabling organisations to access EO under their own terms and control, without the need to build their own infrastructure.

Lyra is a white label virtual EO constellation management service. It enables primes, geospatial integrators, and key vertical organisations to enhance or expand their market offerings by integrating commercial EO data and providing standalone access, all under their own branding.

Lyra is a white‑label virtual constellation that organisations can fully brand and control for their clients. The platform is built for organisations wanting their own sovereign EO service without building it from scratch. It enables primes, geospatial integrators, and key vertical organisations to enhance or expand their market offerings by integrating commercial EO data and providing standalone access, all under their own branding. Lyra applications include an Admin Application (virtual constellation configuration and management), an Operator Application (for day-to-day activities such as order management) and a User Application (that your clients use to discover and order products). Together, these provide a comprehensive, highly configurable service that manages a host of functionality including discovery of and access to EO imagery, ordering and order management, client management, invoicing and payments and performance management.

The core features of Pyxis include:

-Your own virtual constellation of EO data providers

-Your own secure and private application to access your virtual constellation.

-Access to EO data on your terms

-Full operational enterprise control

-Functionality to put you in the driving seat:

   -product harmonization, in -built competition, data provider lifecycle management, performance monitoring, and more

-Managed support from Geocento, as an independent, expert service provider

Yes, Geocento’s platform is fully API-enabled, with the following in place:

-Discovery APIs for catalogues

-Opportunity API for future imaging opportunities (on request)

-Feasibility APIs, where available from data providers, for assessing the feasibility of data collection for a time and location.

-Ordering APIs for catalogue, tasking and coverage collection, where supported by data providers including delivery.

-Processing API for ENVI workflows

-Alert API to register and monitor alerts for newly available imagery

Yes, we support different tasking and collection services, but we don’t act as a reseller. These services are defined as the following:

-Tasking: we define it as collection of imagery over specific locations at specific times. It depends on the satellite being within line of sight of the location and able to image it at the required time.

-Coverage: we define as giving the data provider the freedom to collect data over a specific location within a specified time window. This is useful where cloud interferes with potential collection opportunities.

-Monitoring: we define it as regular coverage over a location in order to be aware of changes that occur over time.

-Advanced collection services: Geocento also offers the ability to support complex collection needs through Pyxis, for example through data provider bidding or coordinated collection from different data providers.

Typical use cases for Lyra include:

-Offering a thematic virtual constellation tailored to your own market - Enhance your competitive positioning by augmenting your existing offerings with client situational awareness

-Partnering with other space companies to offer a virtual constellation - Be part of a virtual constellation of complementary data sources to enhance your market capabilities and presence cap

-Priming a regionally-based virtual constellation for security or civic resilience - Configure and brand a platform to augment sovereign assets with commercial EO focused on your region

Typical use cases for Pyxis include:

-Defence and security - Augment sovereign assets with commercial EO for resilience and additional capabilities, in your own secure environment under your control

-Commercial enterprise - Migrate from fragmented use of EO across business units and projects, to a consolidated, efficient service, which accommodates existing legacy contracts

-Civil government - Build cross -government coordinated access to commercial EO under your terms, flexible enough to grow with use cases and market capability

Lyra customers are typically organisations that deliver services into the market that include an important geospatial element. They may wish to enhance the range of their offerings in the market, manage their distributors, or build advanced services based on commercial earth observation products and services.

Pyxis customers are typically large organisations that procure a significant quantity of earth observation data, which is used to support multiple use cases, thus requiring a range of data sources. They often have a need for earth observation across multiple business units, projects or agencies. As a large organisation, they often see the need to take control of their procurement through the use of standards in terms of licensing, product quality, and due diligence and performance of data providers. They also often see the need to put in place a framework (or virtual constellation) that is flexible and efficient in terms of access to new data sources and evolving use cases over time, given the speed of development of this area of technology.

A virtual constellation gives you control rather than just access. Instead of browsing whatever happens to be available through a marketplace with default data provider terms, you are able to define your requirements and assemble a data provider ecosystem tailored to your needs. If you are a Lyra client, you can brand, configure and deploy the service in response to the needs of your customers. If you are a Pyxis client, you can have access to your own virtual constellation that is designed for your particular needs in terms of product standards, SLAs, licensing and procurement. It’s a strategic, scalable model — unlike marketplaces or resellers, which remain transactional and limited to what they list.

Virtual constellation design includes the following elements:

-Business case, involving working with the client and evaluating the market to make the case, or otherwise, for a virtual EO constellation.

-Constellation design, involving data provider pre-qualification, recommended SLA terms and product workflows, licensing considerations, etc.

The output from this is a design, ROM cost and schedule. This will not normally include any software development, only recommendations in relation to data providers, service configuration and terms.

The designed and deployed virtual constellation at the end, is a tailored, multi‑mission supplier ecosystem aligned with your objectives and constraints.

Lyra and Pyxis users have access to the full end-to-end online workflow for data discovery, planning, selection, ordering, delivery, and analysis from their range of data providers, via a User Application. Pyxis users also have access to additional premium services via their User Application, such as data provider bidding for collection requests.

Lyra clients also have access to Admin and Operator Applications, which allow them to control the configuration of the virtual constellation (such as branding and user management) and the day-to-day operations (such as order and performance management), respectively.

Pyxis and Lyra clients benefit from access to Geocento as an independent, expert source of support.

We define a virtual constellation as a collection of independently operated satellite missions that engage under a set of common protocols. Typically, the arrangement is defined on a case-by-case basis for each client and can include harmonisation of products and services and the application of standards for each virtual constellation.

EarthImages is our legacy flagship product, which was the first supplier-agnostic marketplace for commercial imagery launched in 2015. EarthImages now powers our virtual constellation offerings, Lyra and Pyxis, along with more recent virtual constellation management functions.