Nikon’s custom telescopes will equip all seven of Axelspace’s next-generation GRUS-3 Earth observation microsatellites, scheduled for launch in 2026 on the Transporter-17 rideshare mission.
Building on Nikon’s prior supply of telescopes for the original GRUS-1 satellites (launched 2018 and 2021), the new optics leverage the company’s Applied Optics and Precision Technologies expertise to create a compact telescope paired with Axelspace’s image sensor unit. The seven-satellite constellation will enable daily revisits over latitudes north of 25°, significantly boosting wide-area, high-frequency imaging capacity for AxelGlobe services in agriculture, disaster response, forestry, and infrastructure monitoring.
Nikon also has a close strategic partnership with Unistellar, which manufactures advanced, computer-connected smart telescopes.
Additional information:
Nikon Corporation (Nikon) is pleased to announce that its telescopes will be installed on seven GRUS-3, the next generation Earth observation microsatellites developed by Axelspace Corporation (Axelspace), a pioneer of microsatellites that has been leading the space business.
These telescopes, when combined with Axelspace’s image sensor units, feature a compact structure while enabling acquisition of high resolution images with stable quality.
The GRUS-3 satellites equipped with Nikon’s telescopes are scheduled to be launched no earlier than July 2026.
About GRUS-3
GRUS-3 is an Earth observation microsatellite equipped with an optical sensor. They will contribute to the expansion of Axelspace’s satellite constellation for providing Earth observation data, enabling wide-area and high-frequency observation. Each microsatellite offers a spatial resolution (ground sampling distance) of 2.2 meters, with an effective swath of 28.3 km and a maximum capture length of 1,356 km. With seven satellites in operation, it will be possible to observe the same point on Earth once per day*.
*Possible for locations at latitudes north of 25 degrees.
About the Nikon telescopes to be installed
Telescopes are one of the core components that determine observation performance on Earth observation satellites. The telescopes to be installed on GRUS-3 are custom made using Nikon’s core Applied Optics and Precision Technologies and leveraging the company’s accumulated technology and know how in space telescope development. When combined with Axelspace’s image sensor units, they realize an effective swath of 28.3 km and 2.2 m spatial resolution from an altitude of 585 km.
Nikon has supplied custom telescopes to Axelspace since the first GRUS-1 satellite launched in December 2018 as well as in four additional satellite launched in March 2021, maintaining an ongoing partnership with the company. Nikon will continue to deepen this partnership and contribute to the field of Earth observation.
About Axelspace
Axelspace Corporation designs, manufactures, and operates microsatellites, and conducts business to promote a society where space is accessible to people around the world. Based on its cutting-edge expertise, the company offers AxelLiner, which provides satellite development and operation services to help customers realize their space missions, and AxelGlobe, which delivers Earth observation data through Axelspace’s proprietary optical satellite constellation.
