cosine Research BV

cosine Research BV is a Dutch optical instrumentation company founded in 1998 and headquartered in Sassenheim, the Netherlands.^[1] The company develops mission-specific measurement systems across three business units (Remote Sensing, High-Energy Optics, and Inspection Systems), operating as a B2B instrument manufacturer that sells payloads and systems to space agencies, satellite operators, and industrial customers.^[2]

Remote Sensing: Hyperspectral Imagers (HyperScout family)

HyperScout 1 flew on ESA's GomX-4B in 2018 at 500 km altitude, delivering 45-band VNIR imagery (450-950 nm) at 70 m GSD across a 200 km swath with real-time onboard Level-2 processing. It was developed under ESA GSTP with a consortium including VITO, S&T, TU Delft, and VDL.^[3]

HyperScout 2 is a dual-channel instrument combining a VNIR channel (400-1000 nm, 45 bands, 16 nm spectral resolution, 75 m GSD, 310 km swath at 540 km) and a thermal infrared channel (8-14 um, 3 bands, 490 m GSD). Mass is 1.7 kg; power is 12 W. It flew on PhiSat-1 in 2020 and in a modified variant on the Kanyini satellite for South Australia's space programme.^[4] eoPortal and academic literature cite differing spectral resolution figures for the VNIR channel (12 nm and 16 nm respectively); the discrepancy is unresolved.

HyperScout M is the most compact variant, designed for CubeSat integration with an athermal telescope, integrated BEE/OBDH, MMU, and ICU. It covers 450-950 nm VNIR and produces Analysis Ready Data onboard. Launched in March 2024 as part of Thales Alenia Space's IMAGIN-e external ISS payload, it became operational in February 2026.^[5]

Remote Sensing: Thermal Infrared Imagers (T-Scout family)

T-Scout is a multi-spectral thermal infrared imager. Mass is 1.8 kg; power is 10 W. At 500 km altitude it delivers 85 m spatial resolution across an 87 km swath via 1024 detector pixels at F/1.5. Spectral bands are PAN-0 (10.0-12.5 um), TIR-1 (10.0-11.3 um), and TIR-2 (11.0-12.5 um). The instrument includes Level-2 onboard processing. T-Scout HP is an enhanced microsat-class variant.

Remote Sensing: VHR EO

Valk is a Very High Resolution electro-optical instrument targeting visible and spectral data. The first demonstrator flies on PAMI-1, a Dutch Ministry of Defence satellite under the PAMI programme, unveiled at the 4S Symposium in June 2025.^[6]

High-Energy Optics

cosine manufactures Silicon Pore Optics mirror modules for ESA's NewAthena X-ray telescope at a dedicated ISO Class 6 cleanroom at the BESSY II synchrotron facility in Berlin.^[7] The division also develops Laue lens technology for radiotherapy and scientific applications. X-ray telescope systems for astronomy and scientific missions are the primary product of this unit.

Spectropolarimetry

The POLA spectropolarimeter, part of the SCOUT product line, is a space-based instrument related to PolStar high-resolution spectropolarimetry mission activities.

Inspection Systems

The third business unit covers industrial and scientific measurement: spectral cameras for forensics, multi-camera rail inspection systems, and structural monitoring solutions.

The company operates through three legal entities: cosine Research BV (Dutch parent, Sassenheim), cosine GmbH (Berlin), and cosine Remote Sensing SRL (Benevento, Italy).^[2]