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CATALYST OnBoard

Build the pipeline your mission needs.
In the cloud or at the edge

CATALYST OnBoard is the proven processing platform for constellation operators. Deploy it in the cloud for production processing at scale, or at the edge for near-real-time insight on the satellite. The same proven science underpins both, so the choice is driven by the data you collect and the customers you serve.

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Trusted by leading operators
Planet LogoSatellogic logoOpen Cosmos LogoUp42 Logo
0M+
scenes processed per year at constellation scale
0x
faster than legacy processing pipelines
0%
reduction in compute costs at scale
0%
reduction in processing time per km²
0
years of photogrammetric science behind the platform
Deployment

One platform. Two deployments.

Whether you process imagery on the ground or push computation to the satellite, CATALYST OnBoard delivers the same proven science, the same accuracy, and the same sensor-agnostic flexibility.
Cloud

CATALYST OnBoard Cloud

Ground-based · Production today
Deploy Docker containers on your preferred cloud provider. Algorithms spin up in seconds, process scenes in parallel, and scale automatically. You pay only for what you process.
  • 640M+ scenes per year at production scale
  • Up to 15x faster than legacy pipelines
  • 92% compute cost reduction at constellation scale
  • 2 to 4 weeks from prototype to operational pipeline
  • Python SDK for custom workflow integration
Explore Cloud deployment →
Edge - New

CATALYST OnBoard Edge

Satellite hardened hardware · Validated in benchmark
CATALYST OnBoard Edge runs the complete processing pipeline directly on satellite hardware, producing orthorectified, analysis-ready imagery before a single byte reaches your ground station.
5.5s
Fully processed multispectral scene
on satellite-class edge hardware
  • Runs on a range of satellite compatible processors
  • Processing pipeline on CPU; GPU reserved for AI analytics
  • AI use cases: ship detection, wildfire, flood mapping, cloud masking
Explore Edge deployment →
Why CATALYST OnBoard

Built for constellation operators

Sensor-agnostic, configurable to your mission, and backed by 45 years of earth science

Proven science

45 years of earth science and 30,000+ licenses across 150+ countries. The processing accuracy behind some of the world's largest constellation operators.

Sensor-agnostic platform

Configurable to the exact specification of your satellite. Optical, multispectral, hyperspectral, SAR.

Mission-configurable workflows

Select only the processing modules your mission requires. No licensing for unnecessary algorithms.

Up to 15x faster processing

Highly optimized algorithms outperform legacy pipelines by a factor of up to 15x. Less compute time means lower costs and faster delivery.

Mission ready from first flight

Integrate and test workflows at design or build stage. When your satellite starts capturing imagery, CATALYST OnBoard is already calibrated and ready.

Cloud or edge

Choose the deployment that fits your mission: cloud for production processing at scale, edge for near-real-time insight on the satellite. The same proven science runs in both.
Why CATALYST OnBoard
Why not build it yourself?
Most operators ask these questions

vs. building in-house

Building orthorectification, atmospheric correction, and band alignment in-house is achievable, and many teams pursue it. The cost that rarely appears in the initial estimate is maintenance. A processing pipeline does not stay finished; it requires retuning each time a sensor generation or orbit regime changes. CATALYST has spent 45 years refining this science and optimizing the underlying algorithms. That optimization is the source of the 15x advantage: the CATALYST pipeline processes considerably faster than a comparable in-house build, and the engineering hours that would otherwise go to retuning are redirected to the work your customers pay for. Across several sensor generations, an in-house pipeline typically costs more than it was ever expected to save.

vs. open source

Tools such as SNAP and Orfeo give you the algorithms, but no support and no service-level agreement behind them. When a processing run fails ahead of a customer delivery, the problem is entirely your team's to solve. CATALYST gives you the specialists who developed the science, with defined response times, so issues are resolved faster than any community forum can manage.

vs. cloud infrastructure alone

AWS Ground Station and similar services give you the data pipe. They do not give you the processing science. You still need to build or buy the photogrammetric algorithms that turn raw DN values into analysis-ready imagery. CATALYST OnBoard is that layer - and it runs in your existing cloud environment.

Explore existing workflows
A library of configurable processing workflows across photogrammetry, preprocessing, analytics, analysis-ready data, SAR, and utilities. Select only what your mission requires.
TYPE Capability Description Support
PHOTOGRAMMETRY GCP Collection Automatically collect and refine ground control points against a reference image Satellite, Aerial, UAV
PHOTOGRAMMETRY Bundle Adjustment Automatically collect tie points to align adjacent images in a project Satellite, Aerial, UAV
PHOTOGRAMMETRY Satellite Orthorectification Orthorectify satellite imagery using the most accurate supporting model Satellite
PHOTOGRAMMETRY Airphoto Orthorectification Orthorectify digital, UAV, analog or pushbroom airphotos Aerial, UAV
PHOTOGRAMMETRY True Orthorectification Create True Orthorectified images from multiple overlapping images of Aerial and UAV images Aerial, UAV
PHOTOGRAMMETRY SAR Orthorectification Orthorectify SAR imagery Radar
PHOTOGRAMMETRY DEM Extraction Extract 3D digital elevation models (DEM) and digital surface models (DSM) using semi global matching Satellite, Aerial, UAV
PHOTOGRAMMETRY Digital Terrain Model Filtering Create digital terrain models (DTM) by filtering out surface features from DSMs or DEMs DEM
PHOTOGRAMMETRY Super Registration Align any image to 1/10th of a pixel accuracy Satellite, Aerial, UAV
PHOTOGRAMMETRY SAR DEM Extraction (Stereo) Extract 3D DEMs from SAR stereo imagery Radar
PHOTOGRAMMETRY Mosaic Seamline Generation Automatically calculate the best path for seamlines to eliminate visible seams Satellite, Aerial, UAV
PHOTOGRAMMETRY Mosaic Colour Balancing Automatically balance the color of all images in a mosaicking project Satellite, Aerial, UAV
PHOTOGRAMMETRY Mosaic Tiling Automatically tile a mosaic for easier storage Satellite, Aerial, UAV
PHOTOGRAMMETRY Mosaic Preview Generate a low resolution mosaic preview for quality assurance Satellite, Aerial, UAV
IMAGE PREPROCESSING Principle Component Analysis Reduce dimensionality and improve classification with eigen decomposition Satellite, Aerial, UAV
IMAGE PREPROCESSING Texture Measurement Analyse the texture of features in images Satellite, Aerial, UAV, Radar, DEM
IMAGE PREPROCESSING Atmospheric Correction Convert satellite DN values to ground reflectance using a physical model Satellite
IMAGE PREPROCESSING Haze Removal reduce the visual and scientific impact of haze in satellite images Satellite
IMAGE PREPROCESSING Cloud Masking Automatically mask clouds Satellite
IMAGE PREPROCESSING Spectral Pre Classification Preclassify pixels using Modis data for improved modelling Satellite
IMAGE PREPROCESSING Pansharpeing Panchromatic sharpening to increase the resolution of multispectral images Satellite
IMAGE PREPROCESSING Image Fusion Scientific method to increase multispectral resolution using a panchromatic pair that maintains the radiometric integrity of the multispectral image Satellite
IMAGE PREPROCESSING Masking Create custom masks for inclusion or exclusion in modeling, analysis and mosaicking Satellite, Aerial, UAV, Radar, DEM
IMAGE PREPROCESSING Filtering Low and high pass filtering Satellite, Aerial, UAV, Radar, DEM
IMAGE PREPROCESSING Reprojecting Change the geographic coordinate systems and projections of imagery and vectors Satellite, Aerial, UAV, Radar, DEM
IMAGE PREPROCESSING Image Enhancing Enhance the histogram of images Satellite, Aerial, UAV, Radar, DEM
IMAGE PREPROCESSING Morpholocical Operations Dissolve and erode pixel mask boundaries (bitmaps) Satellite, Aerial, UAV, Radar, DEM
IMAGE PREPROCESSING Resampling Resample imagery/rasters to higher or lower resolutions Satellite, Aerial, UAV, Radar, DEM
IMAGE ANALYTICS Vector Analysis Intersection, overlay, neighborhood Vector
IMAGE ANALYTICS Object-based classification Object-based image classification using advanced machine learning algorithms Satellite, Aerial, UAV, Radar, DEM
IMAGE ANALYTICS Change Detection Object and pixel-based image change detection Satellite, Aerial, UAV, Radar, DEM
IMAGE ANALYTICS Feature extraction Object and pixel feature extraction using machine learning and heuristics Satellite, Aerial, UAV, Radar, DEM
IMAGE ANALYTICS Lineament Extraction Extract linear features from an image Satellite, Aerial, UAV, Radar, DEM
IMAGE ANALYTICS Image statistics Collect and chart statistics from imagery, such as histograms Satellite, Aerial, UAV, Radar, DEM
IMAGE ANALYTICS Vegetation Analysis Over 30 different vegetation indices for RGB and MS imagery Satellite, Aerial, UAV
IMAGE ANALYTICS Pixel-based classification Classify and cluster image pixels using supervised and unsupervised machine learning techniques Satellite, Aerial, UAV
SAR & INSAR Deformation Analysis Measure up to millimeter precision ground deformation (ground movement) from SAR pairs using InSAR Radar
SAR & INSAR SAR Orthorectification Orthorectify SAR imagery Radar
SAR & INSAR SAR DEM Extraction (InSAR) Extract 3D DEMs from SAR imagery using InSAR Radar
SAR & INSAR SAR DEM Extraction (Stereo) Extract 3D DEMs from SAR stereo imagery Radar
SAR & INSAR SAR Change Detection Change detection using phase, amplitude and or coherence from single, dual, full and compact Polarimetric SAR imagery Radar
SAR & INSAR Compact Polarimetry Support for compact polarimetry workflows Radar
SAR & INSAR SAR filters A variety of specialized filters for SAR imagery Radar
SAR & INSAR SAR Object Based Classification Object-based image classification using advanced machine learning algorithms Radar
ANALYSIS READY DATA Geometric Correction Fully automated geometric correction based on CARD4L specifications Satellite
ANALYSIS READY DATA Radiometric Correction Fully automated radiometric correction based on CARD4L specifications Satellite
ANALYSIS READY DATA Image Fusion Multi-resolution Analysis for scientific pansharpening. This technique retains the spectral fidelity of the MS image during the pansharpening process Satellite
ANALYSIS READY DATA CARD4L Product Packaging Metadata, report and file format creation basd on CARD4L specifications Satellite
UTILITIES File Conversion Convert imagery between popular file formats Satellite, Aerial, UAV, Radar, DEM
UTILITIES Data Conversion Convert bit-depth, interleaving and more Satellite, Aerial, UAV, Radar, DEM
UTILITIES Bitmap and Vector Conversions Convert between bitmaps, points, lines and polygons Vector
UTILITIES Data Merge Combines multiple bands from several files into a singe file by using the georeferencing of the source files Satellite, Aerial, UAV, Radar, DEM
UTILITIES Reprojecting Change the geographic coordinate systems and projections of imagery and vectors Satellite, Aerial, UAV, Radar, DEM
TYPE Capability Description Support
Service & support
Backed by a service and support agreement
Open-source tools give you algorithms. CATALYST OnBoard gives you a defined service and support agreement, with uptime and response targets your operations team can plan around.

99.9%
Uptime target
Availability target measured monthly, excluding scheduled maintenance periods.
24/7
Support coverage
Support available year-round. Help Desk actively monitored 4am to 8pm ET, excluding holidays.
1 hour
Critical response target
Target first response to a critical issue within one hour during support hours, with a 24-hour resolution target.
Every case
Incident reporting
A formal incident report is issued for every logged support case.
Get in touch
Talk to our team about your mission
Whether you are evaluating processing options for a new constellation or looking to improve an existing pipeline, we would like to hear what you are building.
  • Production-grade processing from first light
  • Consumption-based pricing - pay only for what you process
  • Integration support at design or build stage
  • Cloud and Edge options available
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