- Simera Sense and IDOM will develop and produce the optical system for Simera Sense’s next-generation MultiScape350 imager.
- The partnership brings together Simera Sense’s extensive expertise in spaceborne imaging payloads with IDOM’s world-renowned proficiency in advanced optical design, opto-mechanical engineering, manufacturing, and qualification.
- IDOM will lead the development and production of the Optical Front End for the MultiScape350 payload; Simera Sense will provide the sensor subsystem, electronics, thermal management, calibration approach, satellite interface and integration architecture, and overall payload productization.
- Simera Sense CEO notes shared commitment to ‘delivering exceptional space hardware’; IDOM Head of Astronomy and Space calls partnership a ‘strong European collaboration’.
LEUVEN, BELGIUM and BILBAO, SPAIN – 17 September 2026—Simera Sense, a leading European provider of optical payload solutions for small satellites, today announced a strategic partnership with IDOM, one of Europe’s leading engineering and space technology companies, for the development and production of the optical system for Simera Sense’s next-generation MultiScape350™ Very High-Resolution Earth Observation imager.
The partnership brings together Simera Sense’s extensive expertise in spaceborne imaging payloads, sensor electronics, calibration, and mission optimization with IDOM’s world-renowned proficiency in advanced optical design, opto-mechanical engineering, manufacturing, and qualification of high-performance space optical systems.
Under the agreement, IDOM will lead the development and production of the Optical Front End (OFE) for the MultiScape350 payload. Simera Sense will provide the sensor subsystem, electronics, thermal management, calibration approach, satellite interface and integration architecture and overall payload productization.
The collaboration enables both organizations to draw on their strengths to deliver a world-class Earth observation imaging system to global satellite manufacturers and operators.
The MultiScape350 programme addresses surging demand for higher-resolution Earth observation imagery from commercial, civil and government customers. More than 6,500 Earth observation satellites are expected to launch by 2035 as governments expand sovereign intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities, according to Novaspace.
The MultiScape350 system will provide very high-resolution imaging capability while maintaining compatibility with the size, weight and power constraints of modern satellite platforms.
Johann du Toit, Chief Executive Officer of Simera Sense, said:
“We are delighted to partner with IDOM on the MultiScape350 optical system.
“Over the past few months, our teams have developed a strong working relationship built on shared engineering excellence, openness and a commitment to delivering exceptional space hardware.
“By combining Simera Sense’s proven imaging payload heritage with IDOM’s outstanding optical and opto-mechanical capabilities, we believe we can accelerate the development of a highly competitive Earth observation solution for the global market.”
Gaizka Murga, Head of Astronomy and Space at IDOM, said:
“We are excited to work alongside Simera Sense on the MultiScape350 programme.
“This partnership combines complementary capabilities and creates a strong European collaboration in advanced space technology.
“Our team looks forward to contributing our experience in precision optical systems to help deliver a highly capable Earth observation instrument.”
With more than sixty satellite OEMs and research organizations already using Simera Sense imaging technology worldwide, the MultiScape350 platform represents a significant expansion of the company’s product portfolio and its ability to support increasingly demanding Earth observation missions.
The partnership with IDOM further strengthens Simera Sense’s industrial capabilities and European supply-chain footprint while establishing a foundation for future collaborative optical programmes.
About Simera Sense
Simera Sense is a leading European provider of optical payloads and image-processing tools for space-based imaging. Founded in 2018 and headquartered in Belgium, with offices in South Africa, France and the United Kingdom, the company serves more than 50 clients worldwide. It delivers end-to-end solutions for small satellite imagers across RGB, video, multispectral and hyperspectral applications.
About IDOM
IDOM is an independent professional services multinational that delivers high-performance, built-to-spec optical and mechatronic solutions for science and technology applications. Through its Astronomy and Space division, IDOM has established an extensive track record in the design, manufacture and qualification of advanced optical and opto-mechanical systems for space and scientific applications.
Facts Only
* Simera Sense and IDOM partnered for the development and production of the optical system for the MultiScape350 imager.
* IDOM will lead the development and production of the Optical Front End (OFE) for the MultiScape350 payload.
* Simera Sense will provide the sensor subsystem, electronics, thermal management, calibration approach, satellite interface and integration architecture, and overall payload productization.
* The partnership combines Simera Sense's spaceborne imaging expertise with IDOM's optical design and opto-mechanical engineering skills.
* The MultiScape350 program addresses demand for higher-resolution Earth observation imagery compatible with modern satellite constraints.
* Johann du Toit, CEO of Simera Sense, noted a shared commitment to delivering exceptional space hardware.
* Gaizka Murga, Head of Astronomy and Space at IDOM, described the partnership as a strong European collaboration.
* Simera Sense provides end-to-end solutions for small satellite imagers across various applications.
* IDOM provides high-performance optical and mechatronic solutions for science and technology applications in its Astronomy and Space division.
Executive Summary
Simera Sense and IDOM have formed a strategic partnership to develop and produce the optical system for Simera Sense’s next-generation MultiScape350 Very High-Resolution Earth Observation imager. The collaboration merges Simera Sense's expertise in spaceborne imaging payloads, sensor electronics, calibration, and mission optimization with IDOM’s proficiency in advanced optical design, opto-mechanical engineering, manufacturing, and qualification of high-performance space optical systems.
Under the agreement, IDOM will lead the development and production of the Optical Front End (OFE) for the MultiScape350 payload. Simera Sense will contribute the sensor subsystem, electronics, thermal management, calibration approach, satellite interface and integration architecture, and overall payload productization. This synergy aims to deliver a world-class Earth observation imaging system capable of meeting the surging demand for high-resolution imagery from commercial, civil, and government customers.
The project addresses the growing need for higher-resolution Earth observation data as governments expand intelligence and surveillance capabilities, with over 6,500 Earth observation satellites expected to launch by 2035. Both organizations emphasize a shared commitment to delivering exceptional space hardware and note the collaboration is a strong European partnership.
Full Take
The partnership establishes a clear division of labor built on complementary strengths: Simera Sense provides the critical system integration, sensor, and mission context, while IDOM supplies the foundational, high-precision optical engineering and manufacturing expertise necessary for the front end. This structure implies that success hinges not just on technical execution but on effectively bridging the domain gap between imaging payload specialization and pure optical system realization. The focus on "exceptional space hardware" suggests an acknowledgment of the high stakes involved in building instrumentation for government and commercial intelligence demands.
The reference to the expanding market for Earth observation data underscores a systemic pressure toward higher resolution, implying that this collaboration is positioning itself within a rapidly evolving sector where technical capability directly translates into geopolitical and economic advantage. The framing as a "strong European collaboration" suggests an implicit pattern of leveraging regional industrial strengths, which carries both positive implications for supply chain resilience and potential competitive leverage in the global space market.
The core implication resides in how specialized knowledge is synthesized: taking broad imaging expertise (Simera Sense) and marrying it with deep physical realization (IDOM's opto-mechanical mastery). The success of this alliance depends on avoiding functional silos, ensuring that the integration architecture provided by Simera Sense smoothly accommodates the stringent demands of IDOM’s optical manufacturing. Future trajectory will depend on whether this initial foundation can scale to handle the full spectrum of demand implied by the 6,500 satellite projections.
Bridge Questions: What specific metrics will be used to quantify the shared "engineering excellence," and how will conflicts in prioritization between sensor requirements and optical performance be resolved? What are the long-term plans for integrating this partnership into broader European space technology supply chains beyond this single instrument? What mechanisms are in place to ensure that commercial market demands do not compromise the rigorous qualification standards inherent in IDOM's opto-mechanical processes?