Project Orbion Aims to Create a Digital Twin of Earth

A groundbreaking initiative named Project Orbion was unveiled in September 2025, bringing together the expertise of BlackSky Technology Inc., Iceye, Aechelon Technology, and Niantic Spatial. This ambitious collaboration seeks to construct a comprehensive digital twin of Earth, a virtual replica designed to enhance global situational awareness across critical sectors.

The core objective of Project Orbion is to fuse high-resolution satellite imagery with advanced 3D geospatial modeling. This integration aims to provide a more detailed and actionable understanding of Earth for diverse applications, including defense, emergency response, and environmental monitoring. Each participating entity contributes cutting-edge technologies to create a dynamic and accurate representation of the planet.

BlackSky provides its advanced satellite constellation, capable of capturing very high-resolution, high-cadence Earth observation imagery, enhanced by AI-enabled analytics for rapid object detection and classification. Iceye contributes its synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite technology, enabling persistent monitoring by "seeing" through darkness, clouds, and rain, with satellites launched in 2024 and more planned for 2025, offering resolutions down to 25 cm. Aechelon Technology brings expertise in Synthetic Reality and simulation for military training and mission readiness, creating ultra-realistic visuals for immersive scenarios with real-time updates. Niantic Spatial contributes its Large Geospatial Model (LGM) and Visual Positioning System (VPS), foundational for detailed 3D digital maps and precise localization for augmented reality experiences.

The combined capabilities will create a robust digital twin of Earth, integrating real-time satellite imagery, radar intelligence, and other geospatial data for an accurate, dynamic 3D representation. Project Orbion's output is intended for situational awareness and to train leading-edge defense and corporate AI models with real-world data. The initiative aims to provide a platform capable of penetrating adverse conditions, enabling effective responses to natural disasters and supporting defense use cases with an up-to-date 3D world representation. The project's success relies on the synergistic integration of these advanced technologies, heralding a new era in Earth observation and digital modeling.