Glasgow-headquartered Spire Global has launched its 100th Low Earth Multi-Use Receiver (Lemur) satellite into orbit.

Spire Global has created an Earth observation constellation of satellites for advanced weather data, maritime analytics, and aircraft tracking.

The Lemur satellites are based on a CubeSat design – the basic unit is a 10cm cube (a litre of instrumentation). The Lemur is a 3U design, which is a stack of three of these cubes.

Today’s launch carried four Lemurs aboard the Indian Space Research Organisation’s PSLV-C45 rocket. Once in space, the CubeSats made the transition into orbit via a deployer built by US-based Nanoracks, which develops products and services for the commercial utilisation of space.

Jenny Barna, Spire’s director of launch, said: “Nanoracks launched our very first prototypes several years ago, so it’s fitting that they launch our 100th Lemur satellite into space. Today, Spire partners with the most forward-thinking companies as an established leader in the data industry. That this is happening on Nanoracks inaugural PSLV launch makes it that much sweeter. Collaboratively this is a big launch for both of us.”

Spire’s CubeSats offer data and analytics for parts of the world where collecting data is notoriously difficult, tracking ships, planes, and weather in remote regions that often go unmonitored.

Peter Platzer, CEO, Spire Global, said: “Spire’s rapid growth is being fuelled by the increasing global need for more satellite-based earth-observation data.

“Aside from efficiency and safety in the maritime and aviation field, we are seeing a rapidly rising demand and indeed need for the operational provision of weather data to help governments, corporations, and individuals alike better adapt to ever more extreme, more frequent weather events.

“We are proud of the contributions Spire’s vast satellite constellation and sophisticated analytics are making to this societal need.”

Spire plans to launch 175 Lemurs into low Earth orbit. To date, of the 100 satellites it has launched, 37 were on NanoRacks missions, including the Space Station, the Cygnus Spacecraft, and now PSLV.