Arcfield's Orion Space Solutions to provide upgraded Spectre EO/IR payload and RF sensor suite for Tomorrow.io's DeepSky weather satellite constellation
PR Newswire
CHANTILLY, Va., Sept. 15, 2026
CHANTILLY, Va., Sept. 15, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Arcfield today announced that its subsidiary, Orion Space Solutions (Orion), is a payload provider for Tomorrow.io's DeepSky constellation, the company's early warning constellation, announced in January.
Orion, a leader in advanced space-based sensing technologies, was initially awarded the program to design, engineer, build, test and calibrate novel configurations of its proven Spectre™ Electro-Optical Infrared (EO/IR) payload. Included in this award is T3, a suite of heritage radio frequency (RF) sensors to support the DeepSky mission through Global Navigation Satellite System Radio Occultation (GNSS-RO) and GNSS Reflectometry (GNSS-R) measurement technologies.
Orion's state-of-the-art payloads include:
- Spectre EO/IR Payload: A compact, multi-spectral imaging sensor designed for high-resolution weather and environmental monitoring. Its small size, weight, and power (SWaP) design enables precise cloud analysis, thermal detection and climate observation
- T3 RF Suite: Advanced RF sensors that will leverage GNSS-RO and GNSS-R to accurately observe atmospheric conditions, crucial for global weather forecasting and climate modeling
The company also received a contract for the manufacture and delivery for the first batch of Spectre payloads. Building on Orion's heritage RROCI EO/IR platform, the new Spectre units offer an upgrade from the previous 8-channel design. The new Spectre units can now detect and analyze a broader range of environmental and atmospheric features.
"Partnering with Tomorrow.io on the groundbreaking DeepSky constellation allows us to push the boundaries of what's possible in space-based environmental monitoring (SBEM)," said Kevin Kelly, chairman and CEO, Arcfield. "This collaboration represents a major leap forward in innovation and scientific discovery, with the ability to transform how we anticipate and respond to weather events."
Orion's remote SBEM technologies can detect critical atmospheric and surface conditions with unprecedented accuracy and reliability. These capabilities will support applications in areas such as in-theater forecasting, severe weather prediction, maritime safety, agricultural planning and disaster response.
"This project builds on Orion's track record of delivering high-performance RF, high frequency, and optical instrumentation for commercial, defense and scientific missions in very low earth orbit and beyond," said Gregg Burgess, president and general manager, Orion. "We are excited to join forces with Tomorrow.io, a partner who shares our commitment to advancing environmental science through AI and innovative technology. Together, with the Spectre and T3 payloads, we will not only improve weather forecasting; we will empower commercial industries, and government, defense and space agencies to better prepare for and adapt to the environment around them."
Tomorrow.io is the global pioneer in AI-driven weather intelligence. The DeepSky constellation represents a new class of commercial weather infrastructure designed to deliver the observational density modern forecasting systems require. By combining scale with capability, DeepSky enables observation cadences that were previously impractical while materially lowering cost-per-scan and cost-per-impact.
To date, Orion has been awarded more than $60 million in multi-year awards to support this work, with a total potential contract value of more than $100 million as batch deliveries are completed.
About Arcfield
Arcfield is a science and engineering company, purpose-built to relentlessly protect the nation and its allies from today's national security threats. We have nearly 70 years of demonstrated experience supporting missions in space superiority, hypersonic defense and nuclear deterrence, digital transformation, and undersea and surface warfare. Our solution areas include space mission engineering, atmospheric science, digital engineering, mission assurance, and advances in modeling and simulation that together with our enterprise-wide adoption of artificial intelligence and machine learning lead to effective and efficient mission success.
Headquartered in Chantilly, VA with 18 North American offices, Arcfield employs 2,200 engineers, scientists, analysts, IT specialists and other professionals. Visit arcfield.com for more details.
About Tomorrow.io
Named one of TIME's 100 Most Influential Companies, Tomorrow.io is the modern end-to-end platform for managing weather resiliency. Tomorrow.io combines next-generation space technology, generative AI, and proprietary weather modeling to deliver unmatched forecasting and decision-making capabilities. Trusted by more than half of the top ten Fortune 500 companies, Tomorrow.io enables predictive, impact-based action for a safer, more resilient future. Existing investors include Square Peg, Canaan, Activate, Pitango, ClearVision, and Fontinalis. Learn more at tomorrow.io.
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SOURCE Arcfield
