China is setting its sights on Central Asia with an ambitious plan to orbit over 1,000 remote-sensing satellites. The first five of these, collectively known as the Tianwu Constellation, are scheduled to launch by the end of 2026, aiming to help monitor environmental changes and better respond to natural disasters.

Japan’s IHI is joining forces with U.K.-based SatVu to incorporate thermal imaging technology into an expanding Earth observation constellation. Alongside radar and other sensors, this new capacity aims to enhance the quality and scope of data collected from orbit.