Earth observation

In this Space Café Radio – SpaceWatch.Global Event coordinator and Space Café Young Global Talents Host Chiara Moenter spoke with Robert Meisner, Earth Observation Outreach and Φ-Experience coordinator at ESA, at the Living Planet Symposium in Bonn. This symposium is the world’s largest Earth Observation conference.

Satellite technology company, Satellite Vu (SatVu), has commissioned a new clone of its original satellite in collaboration with small satellite supplier, Surrey Satellite Technology (SSTL), to double its data collection capacity, SatVu said. The second thermal imaging satellite will collect thermal data utilizing SatVu’s Mid Wave Infra-Red (MWIR) technology.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) announced its plans to develop a radar satellite constellation as part of the National Space Fund  worth over US $800 million to boost its space sector. The project makes the UAE the first Arab country to develop a constellation of SAR satellites.

Euroconsult published the latest update of “Prospects for the Small Satellite Market” forecasting further growth in the global supply and demand of small satellites weighing a maximum of 500 kg. The 8th edition of the market intelligence report expects about 18,500 smallsats to be launched over the next decade.

Smallsat bus manufacturer NanoAvionics, took the first ever 4K resolution full satellite selfie in space with an immersive view of Earth with the help of an off-the-shelf consumer camera mounted on a selfie stick, the company said. A GoPro Hero 7 took 12-megapixel photos and 4K video clips of the MP42 microsatellite 550 km above the Coral Sea and the Great Barrier Reef.

Earth observation company ICEYE, announced the establishment of a new line of business focused on delivering fully operational satellite missions to customers looking to get their own orbital SAR capabilities. Governments and multinational corporations are able to purchase their own SAR (synthetic aperture radar) satellites from the company.

Airbus has been awarded a €160 million contract for ESA’s FORUM satellite to help improve the accuracy of climate forecasts by measuring the heat emitted from Earth into space, Airbus said. The Far-infrared Outgoing Radiation Understanding and Monitoring (FORUM) mission will comprise the first satellite to observe Earth in the far-infrared range.

Munich-based NewSpace intelligence startup, OroraTech, has achieved the desired mission goals for FOREST-1, its first satellite dedicated to environmental monitoring, the company said. The satellite has been operational since January 2022. The spacecraft, that does not require cooling, specialises in wildfire detection by combining thermal, mid-infrared and visible cameras.

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson and ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher signed two agreements at the latest ESA Council meeting in Noordwijk, Netherlands, to advance cooperation on Earth science and the Artemis lunar missions, NASA said. ESA’s Lunar Pathfinder mission will contribute to the progression of the lunar communications infrastructure, necessary for a long-term human presence.

Brussels may shut the UK out of the Horizon science programme, the EU’s key funding programme for research and innovation, and block the UK’s involvement in the EU’s Copernicus environment monitoring Earth observation programme as part of post-Brexit trading agreements for Northern Ireland. Britain’s participation in the Euratom nuclear research partnership is also likely to change.