Overview
Spire Global, headquartered in Vienna, Virginia, operates over 100 LEMUR nanosatellites in low Earth orbit. Unlike broadband operators like Starlink, Spire's satellites collect data — weather profiles via GNSS radio occultation, maritime vessel positions via AIS, and aircraft tracking via ADS-B. The company ranks as the fourth largest commercial satellite operator and pioneered the "Space-as-a-Service" business model, delivering data subscriptions rather than selling hardware.
GNSS Radio Occultation (Weather)
Spire's primary sensor measures how GPS signals bend through Earth's atmosphere — GNSS radio occultation (GNSS-RO) — providing highly accurate temperature, humidity, and pressure profiles. This data is assimilated into weather forecasting models by agencies including NOAA, ECMWF, and the UK Met Office. GNSS-RO is especially valuable over oceans and poles where ground stations are sparse.
Maritime AIS & Aviation ADS-B
Every LEMUR satellite carries an AIS receiver for global ship tracking and an ADS-B receiver for aircraft tracking. Maritime customers include shipping companies, fisheries enforcement agencies, and naval intelligence. Aviation data feeds into air traffic management, competing with Aireon (hosted on Iridium NEXT). Spire's analytics platform provides vessel tracking, route prediction, anomaly detection, and flight tracking services.
Space-as-a-Service Model
Customers subscribe to data feeds via API rather than buying satellite hardware. Spire handles the entire space segment — manufacturing, launch on Falcon 9 and Electron rideshares, operations, and replacement (each 5 kg CubeSat lasts 2–3 years). Spire also offers hosted payloads on its LEMUR buses for third-party customers wanting to operate sensors in orbit.