Earth Observation Drones Market Size, Share, Trends, Growth 2032

Earth Observation Drones Industry Prospective:

The global earth observation drones market size was worth around USD 10.24 billion in 2023 and is predicted to grow to around USD 18.57 billion by 2032 with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of roughly 6.84% between 2024 and 2032.

Request Free Sample       

Earth Observation Drones Market: Overview

Earth observation comprises the collection of data on the planet's surface, atmosphere, and surroundings using a range of technologies found in satellites, aircraft, drones, and other sensors. Through the study of collected data, Earth systems such as weather patterns, climate change, ecosystems, and natural disasters are examined. The results of data analysis have several uses, such as environmental monitoring, disaster relief, urban planning, and agriculture. Earth observation has become more and more important to assist scientists, government decision-makers, and corporations in making sensible environmental decisions.

Key Insights

• As per the analysis shared by our research analyst, the global earth observation drone market is estimated to grow annually at a CAGR of around 6.84% over the forecast period (2024-2032).
• In terms of revenue, the global earth observation drones market size was valued at around USD 10.24 billion in 2023 and is projected to reach USD 18.57 billion, by 2032.
• The growing investment is expected to drive market growth over the forecast period.
• Based on the sensor type, the infrared sensor segment is expected to capture the largest market share over the forecast period.
• Based on region, North America is expected to dominate the market during the forecast period.

Request Free Sample

Earth Observation Drones Market: Growth Drivers

Increase in demand for drones post-COVID-19 drives market growth

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the advantages of deploying drones for a variety of commercial, industrial, and civil government uses were fully appreciated. Following the pandemic, drone growth is anticipated to continue to be higher. Important requirements for rising demand included the need for reliable autonomous systems to supply vital supplies like medications and vaccines while also keeping an eye on civilian social alienation. UNICEF, the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund, has highlighted three primary domains in which drone usage is most prevalent: aerial spraying of public places, public space monitoring for lockdown and quarantine, and the conveyance of medical supplies. Drone usage in numerous civil government and industrial applications has increased as a result of the COVID-19 period's dynamic drone utilization. Among these is the use of drones to inspect infrastructure, including bridges, trains, and oil and gas fields. Drones and autonomous airborne systems are becoming more and more necessary for tasks like monitoring construction sites and inspecting solar panels. Countries all over the world have loosened their laws governing drone operations to meet this demand and boost the Earth observation drone sector. Drone operations will be able to develop dramatically throughout the projection period due to ongoing legislative changes and the arrival of technology like remote ID and 5G. Drones will be used for a wide range of tasks, such as mapping, monitoring, and surveying. They can be single, remote-controlled devices or semi-autonomous fleets that can fly beyond visual lines of sight.

Earth Observation Drones Market: Restraints

Government regulations hinder the market growth

One of the main obstacles facing the Earth observation drone sector is government regulations. Every nation has aviation and drone regulatory agencies that set rules for the use, production, and export of drones and related hardware. For example, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in the United States is in charge of regulating the use of drones. Drone laws are enforced by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) in the United Kingdom and the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) in China. These organizations might change the rules, posing a commercial risk to global players in the Earth observation drone industry. For instance, India prohibited the import of foreign drones, including DJI, in February 2022. It made it illegal to employ foreign hardware in the production of drones, which presented difficulties for foreign drone vendors. Furthermore, because of regulatory obstacles, the drone business had already reached an astounding position before the COVID-19 outbreak. Although the pandemic made it possible for nations to fully utilize drone technology, sales rules are still difficult to navigate. Experts in drone production are now concentrating on preserving the flexibility to alter drones if laws change. This is primarily because many nations' laws are still being written and not yet finalized.

Earth Observation Drones Market: Opportunities

Integration of artificial intelligence in drones and imagery analytics offers a lucrative opportunity for market growth

Information processing is now greatly automated and scalable due to computers. The emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) has enabled extensive automation of reasoning, namely in the areas of parameter optimization and solution discovery. Machine learning is made possible by these two processes: parameter optimization and solution finding. AI is used by drones for a variety of purposes, such as stitching and image recognition. These applications enable a wide range of applications to be automated and scaled cost-effectively, even though they fall short of AI's full potential. Furthermore, the integration of AI into drone technology has resulted in a greater degree of automation in both drones and their uses. While early drones were controlled manually and from a distance, modern models often use artificial intelligence (AI) to automate some or all of the functions. Drone manufacturers can collect and utilize visual and environmental data by combining artificial intelligence (AI) with data from the drone's sensors. Drone systems have demonstrated significant potential benefits from AI technology. AI has used the massive volumes of data from these systems to create drone systems that are more reliable, accurate, and efficient.

Earth Observation Drones Market: Challenges

Safety concern poses a major challenge to market expansion

Drone operation safety is still a major worry, particularly when it comes to crowded places or locations with vital infrastructure nearby. Robust flight planning, advanced collision avoidance technologies, and proficient piloting are necessary to ensure safe operation and prevent collisions with manned aircraft, buildings, electrical lines, and other objects. Furthermore, public concerns about drone privacy and safety must be addressed, especially as drone usage increases in suburban and urban areas.

Earth Observation Drones Market: Segmentation

The global earth observation drone industry is segmented based on drone type, sensor type, application and region.

Based on the drone type, the global earth observation drone market is bifurcated into fixed-wing drones and rotor-wing drones.

Based on the sensor type, the global earth observation drone industry is segmented into hyperspectral sensors, LIDAR, electro-optical sensors, Red Green Blue (RGB) sensors, ground penetrating radar and infrared sensors. The infrared sensor segment is expected to capture the largest market share over the forecast period. Drones used for earth observation can take thermal images due to infrared sensors, which yields insightful data that is not possible with conventional visual spectrum cameras. These sensors can track environmental temperature fluctuations, recognize thermal anomalies, and detect heat signatures. Drones with infrared sensors can therefore be utilized for a variety of tasks, including searching for lost objects, combating fires, inspecting infrastructure, monitoring the environment, and more. Thereby, driving the market growth.

Based on the application, the global earth observation drone market is segmented into surveillance and reconnaissance, cinematography, industrial inspection and monitoring, search and rescue, agriculture and forestry, surveying and mapping, disaster management, environmental monitoring and earth observation drones.

Earth Observation Drones Market Report Scope

Regional Analysis

North America is expected to dominate the market during the forecast period

North America is expected to dominate the market over the forecast period. In the field of drones for Earth observation, the United States leads the world. It consists of the most cutting-edge businesses and numerous significant producers of Earth observation drones, such as Lockheed Martin, Airobotics Ltd., Skydio, Inc., Wing Aviation LLC, and L3Harris Technologies, Inc. These businesses offer drones for a range of uses, including mapping, surveying, Earth observation, rescue missions, and inspections. By entering into numerous contracts and agreements with the government and collaborating with numerous governmental agencies and commercial organizations, these drone manufacturers are quite active in the Earth observation business. Startups and up-and-coming drone makers stand to gain from such programs.

Earth Observation Drones Market: Competitive Analysis

The global earth observation drones market is dominated by players like:

• Asteria Aerospace Limited
• AeroVironment Inc.
• ATL Drone
• AgEagle Aerial Systems Inc.
• Drone Volt Group
• Atmos UAV
• GalaxEye Space Solutions Pvt Ltd.
• Evolve Dynamics Ltd.
• Gryphon Dynamics
• Insitu Inc.
• Guangzhou EHang Intelligent Technology Co. Ltd
• Parrot Drone SAS
• Northrop Grumman Corporation
• Shenzhen Hubsan Technology Co. Ltd.
• SZ DJI Technology Co. Ltd.
• Lockheed Martin Corporation
• Teledyne FLIR LLC
• Wingtra AG
• Novadem SAS

The global earth observation drones market is segmented as follows:

By Drone Type

• Fixed-Wing Drones
• Rotor-Wing Drones

By Sensor Type

• Hyperspectral Sensor
• LiDAR
• Electro-Optical Sensor
• Red Green Blue (RGB) Sensor
• Ground Penetrating Radar
• Infrared Sensor

By Application

• Surveillance and Reconnaissance
• Cinematography
• Industrial Inspection and Monitoring
• Search and Rescue
• Agriculture and Forestry
• Surveying and Mapping
• Disaster Management
• Environmental Monitoring
• Earth Observation Drones

By Region

• North America
  • The U.S.
  • Canada
• Europe
  • France 
  • The UK
  • Spain
  • Germany
  • Italy
  • Rest of Europe
• Asia Pacific
  • China
  • Japan
  • India
  • South Korea
  • Southeast Asia
  • Rest of Asia Pacific
• Latin America
  • Brazil
  • Mexico
  • Rest of Latin America
• Middle East & Africa
  • GCC
  • South Africa
  • Rest of Middle East & Africa