# CO3D Optical Imager
*sensor . products*

Airbus CO3D passive optical instrument providing 50 cm visible and near-infrared imagery for 3D digital surface model production and 2D imagery services.

## Specifications
- **product status**: operational
- **manufacturer**: airbus-ds
- **sensor**: {"instrument_family":"passive-optical","measurement_principle":"passive","spectral_range_nm":{"min":450,"max":900},"spectral_band_count":4,"gsd_m":{"native":0.5},"swath_km":7}
- **deployment context**: orbital
- **entity type**: sensor
- **last verified date**: 2026-05-28
- **verified by**: agency-doc
- **claim status**: unclaimed
- **provider**: airbus-ds
- **attributes**: {"kind":"sensor","product_status":"operational","manufacturer":"airbus-ds","description":"Airbus CO3D passive optical instrument providing 50 cm visible and near-infrared imagery for 3D digital surface model production and 2D imagery services.","sensor":"{\"instrument_family\":\"passive-optical\",\"measurement_principle\":\"passive\",\"spectral_range_nm\":{\"min\":450,\"max\":900},\"spectral_band_count\":4,\"gsd_m\":{\"native\":0.5},\"swath_km\":7}","bus":null,"ground_segment":null,"launcher":null,"analysis_service":null,"deployment_context":"orbital"}
- **technology**: optical-spectral-sensing

## Editorial
CO3D Optical Imager is an Airbus Defence and Space matrix-detector passive optical RGB and near-infrared imager built with CNES partnership for stereo 3D mapping.[^co3d-cnes][^co3d-airbus-launch][^co3d-isprs]

CNES and Airbus materials give about 50 cm spatial resolution, RGB plus near-infrared acquisition, and step-and-stare image frames of about 7 km by 5 km.[^co3d-cnes][^co3d-airbus-launch]

The product uses four visible and near-infrared bands within a 450 to 900 nm envelope, and public specifications identify red, green, blue, and near infrared bands rather than per-band wavelength limits.[^co3d-cnes][^co3d-isprs]

CNES lists CO3D in operation after the July 2025 launch, while Airbus launch material describes six months of in-orbit testing before an 18-month mapping campaign.[^co3d-cnes][^co3d-airbus-launch]

## Sources
- [co3d-cnes] | CO3D project page, CNES | https://cnes.fr/en/projects/co3d | tier=agency-doc | accessed=2026-05-28 | published=2025-07-26
- [co3d-airbus-launch] | Airbus-built CO3D constellation successfully launched to map our planet in 3D | https://www.airbus.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2025-07-airbus-built-co3d-constellation-successfully-launched-to-map-our | tier=operator-press | accessed=2026-05-28 | published=2025-07-26
- [co3d-isprs] | CO3D mission status and processing, ISPRS Archives 2020 | https://isprs-archives.copernicus.org/articles/XLIII-B1-2020/299/2020/isprs-archives-XLIII-B1-2020-299-2020.pdf | tier=peer-reviewed | accessed=2026-05-28 | published=2020-08-05

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Source: https://eo-atlas.org/products/sensor/co3d-imager
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