# Overview

## VanZyl-1

VanZyl-1 (VZ-1) is Hydrosat's first pathfinder mission. Launched in August 2024 on the SpaceX Transporter-11 rideshare, VZ-1 is a technology demonstration and proof of concept for our forthcoming constellation that will redefine space-based thermal infrared remote sensing by enabling daily continuous monitoring of any location on Earth.

<figure><img src="https://3702723385-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FBgOfOR7RYuK5Fm69JAWF%2Fuploads%2FR4ZnN1AkrerS3LNncuQD%2FYAM-7-pose-1.png?alt=media&#x26;token=ce899779-b501-4775-8912-9fbbdafa196a" alt=""><figcaption><p>Hydrosat's VanZyl-1 satellite.</p></figcaption></figure>

VZ-1 hosts two imaging payloads: Hydrosat’s first-generation, proprietary Longwave InfraRed Imager (LIRI) along with its Visible and near-InfraRed Imager (VIRI). LIRI acquires thermal infrared (TIR) imagery at wavelengths between 10.6 and 12.51 micrometers. VIRI images in 7 spectral bands ranging from 458 to 900 nanometers. VZ-1 imagery is acquired mid-morning local time.&#x20;

## VanZyl-2

Hydrosat's second pathfinder mission, VZ-2, launched in June 2025 on the SpaceX Transporter-14 rideshare. VZ-2 hosts the same two sensors as VZ-1, but acquires imagery in mid-afternoon local time.

<figure><img src="https://3702723385-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FBgOfOR7RYuK5Fm69JAWF%2Fuploads%2FvmA0Kga1MI0rJabXHdZh%2FMuon_Hyrdosat_PR-Cover4Brighter-Trans.png?alt=media&#x26;token=a9035fa4-259d-46ea-8a06-f0d040d2d74f" alt=""><figcaption><p>Hydrosat's VanZyl-2 satellite.</p></figcaption></figure>

## Use Cases

Hydrosat users leverage high-resolution thermal data for a variety of use cases, including:

<table data-view="cards"><thead><tr><th></th><th data-hidden data-card-cover data-type="files"></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong>Agriculture</strong></td><td><a href="https://3702723385-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FBgOfOR7RYuK5Fm69JAWF%2Fuploads%2FL10sRM4siqlFPZP95duW%2Fbernd-dittrich-MbL4KOV5stM-unsplash.jpg?alt=media&#x26;token=49b7959f-8479-422a-9e22-e406d621d653">bernd-dittrich-MbL4KOV5stM-unsplash.jpg</a></td></tr><tr><td><strong>Urban Heat</strong></td><td><a href="https://3702723385-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FBgOfOR7RYuK5Fm69JAWF%2Fuploads%2FxEEILvPuXgjL4DB7mJem%2Furban-heat%402x.jpg.webp?alt=media&#x26;token=d74601e7-eb58-4c6c-9306-cdff6cfc72ef">urban-heat@2x.jpg.webp</a></td></tr><tr><td><strong>Wildfire</strong></td><td><a href="https://3702723385-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FBgOfOR7RYuK5Fm69JAWF%2Fuploads%2FMvuCyO0Rxmi8RyNqlW1o%2Fivan-bandura-Rb0AyRGE7LE-unsplash-lowres.jpg?alt=media&#x26;token=8eb73e0d-f900-4ea2-a8f5-ad6a42b4f894">ivan-bandura-Rb0AyRGE7LE-unsplash-lowres.jpg</a></td></tr><tr><td><strong>Energy</strong></td><td><a href="https://3702723385-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FBgOfOR7RYuK5Fm69JAWF%2Fuploads%2FR0sZc71GGWOAiEu3XqWd%2Fenergy%402x.jpg.webp?alt=media&#x26;token=682ae29b-f151-4dcd-985f-cacabeaacc0a">energy@2x.jpg.webp</a></td></tr><tr><td><strong>Oceans</strong></td><td><a href="https://3702723385-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FBgOfOR7RYuK5Fm69JAWF%2Fuploads%2FdSG0rwfxqzIY03BRlAuZ%2Faquaculture%402x.jpg.webp?alt=media&#x26;token=00c5e664-da0c-4a72-8eba-0bdd10cb322c">aquaculture@2x.jpg.webp</a></td></tr><tr><td><strong>Defense &#x26; Intelligence</strong></td><td><a href="https://3702723385-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FBgOfOR7RYuK5Fm69JAWF%2Fuploads%2FdTmMxlbSeXfQL3H2xLlS%2Fdefence%402x.jpg.webp?alt=media&#x26;token=c84ef799-179c-43f9-8009-cef384af8cc7">defence@2x.jpg.webp</a></td></tr><tr><td><strong>Weather Forecasting</strong></td><td><a href="https://3702723385-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FBgOfOR7RYuK5Fm69JAWF%2Fuploads%2FoCrCbpG29Mm2NDXK1GAb%2Femmanuel-appiah-d4xr5jN5f3g-unsplash.jpg?alt=media&#x26;token=46c1855b-7a31-4067-ac28-627ca5a46335">emmanuel-appiah-d4xr5jN5f3g-unsplash.jpg</a></td></tr><tr><td><strong>Forestry</strong></td><td><a href="https://3702723385-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FBgOfOR7RYuK5Fm69JAWF%2Fuploads%2FXJB0Ww7gZK9VPt8CK5gy%2Fmitchell-luo-Cip_dNOVI0A-unsplash.jpg?alt=media&#x26;token=0e4cdc38-a23a-4a4e-ad53-fc2ecadb7424">mitchell-luo-Cip_dNOVI0A-unsplash.jpg</a></td></tr><tr><td><strong>Biodiversity</strong></td><td><a href="https://3702723385-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FBgOfOR7RYuK5Fm69JAWF%2Fuploads%2FlNpTXUi3ifa6AVN405gJ%2Fpalle-knudsen-pn32OsMWfHQ-unsplash.jpg?alt=media&#x26;token=a3f2f80f-f395-4849-9458-282cee3285bd">palle-knudsen-pn32OsMWfHQ-unsplash.jpg</a></td></tr></tbody></table>

## Getting Started with Hydrosat Data

All Hydrosat imagery products are served through a SpatioTemporal Asset Catalog (STAC) API. To access Hydrosat's STAC catalog, you will need an account.

### Prerequisites

{% stepper %}
{% step %}

#### Request an account and get approved for access.

You can do this by reaching out to your organization's point of contact within Hydrosat.&#x20;

* If you don't know who your PoC is, please email <support@hydrosat.com>.
* If you don't already have a PoC, please fill out our early adopter [interest form](https://hydrosat.com/thermal-data/).
  {% endstep %}

{% step %}

#### Find your invitation email.

Once your account has been created, you will receive an email from <support@hydrosat.com> with your username and temporary password.&#x20;
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

#### Reset your password.

Navigate to <https://stac.hydrosat.com/token>. You should see a form that looks like this:

<figure><img src="https://3702723385-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FBgOfOR7RYuK5Fm69JAWF%2Fuploads%2F59fHAKcmrpNwwDwSYTiQ%2Fhydrosat_login.png?alt=media&#x26;token=d55aee30-f9a9-4bc5-bf08-35885c0fae8e" alt="" width="354"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

After signing in for the first time with your temporary password, you will be prompted to create a new one.

Upon successful login, you will see a token. You can **ignore the token as it is not needed** when interacting with the STAC API either directly or through QGIS.

<figure><img src="https://3702723385-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FBgOfOR7RYuK5Fm69JAWF%2Fuploads%2FjNJiMM1kAzZA6o67F7kv%2Ftoken.png?alt=media&#x26;token=c2c9dfc0-6c8f-4d32-8406-9d823cb9ad74" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

#### You're all set!

Once you've reset your password, you will be able to use your new account and associated credentials (username and password) to access the catalog.
{% endstep %}
{% endstepper %}

### Accessing Data

Through Hydrosat's STAC API, you can search for data that meets your needs. Data are stored as Cloud-Optimized GeoTIFFs (COGs), which means you can either download the full files or stream only the parts you need using standard web requests.

{% hint style="warning" %}
Once you’re authenticated, you can browse Hydrosat's STAC items and view thumbnail previews. However, only users who have ordered specific data can download the full COGs for their selected areas.
{% endhint %}

Learn more:

* STAC (SpatioTemporal Asset Catalog): [stacspec.org](https://stacspec.org)
* Cloud-Optimized GeoTIFFs (COGs): [cogeo.org](https://cogeo.org)

***

While you can use the STAC API directly, we recommend using one of the following tools to make it easier:

* Python library: [pystac-client documentation](https://pystac-client.readthedocs.io/en/stable/)
* QGIS: Use the built-in STAC browser (requires version 3.42.0 or later) or install the [STAC API plugin](https://stac-utils.github.io/qgis-stac-plugin/)

For more information on how to connect to the API, please see our [API reference](https://satdocs.hydrosat.com/api-reference-and-specification) page.

### Ordering Data

Users can order Hydrosat data within specific areas of interest (AOIs) and/or times of interest (TOIs). Please speak with your organization point of contact to define and submit your order request.

### Requesting Support

If you run into any problems, please get in touch with us at <support@hydrosat.com>. We’ll get back to you as soon as we can. Our support team is available 8:00 am to 4:00 pm Pacific time on weekdays.