Tag Archives: Earth Observation

The World Radio Conference 2019 (WRC-19) in Sharm-el-Sheikh, Egypt, took place on 28 October to 22 November 2019. The conference brought together 3500 participants from the ITU membership representing the world of frequency management on this planet. The following commentary is a quick overview of satellite-related WRC-19 decisions.

The aim of the OPS-SAT mission, which is being controlled from ESA's European Space Operations Centre in Darmstadt, Germany, is to carry out low-risk tests on space software directly in the course of flight. Until now, such in-orbit tests have been avoided for reasons of reliability.

Apple is reported to be working on unspecified satellite solutions that could provide direct connectivity to Apple devices around the world, and could improve the accuracy of Apple maps and geolocation services, according to a 20 December 2019 report published by Bloomberg.

Ethiopia’s first Earth observation satellite, the Ethiopian Remote Sensing Satellite (ETRSS-1), was successfully launched on board a Chinese Long March 4B satellite launched vehicle from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Centre on 20 December 2019.

Japanese satellite and space industry giant Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) has announced that an MHI H-IIA satellite launch vehicle will send Japan's eighth Intelligence Gathering System (IGS) reconnaissance satellite into orbit from the Tanegashima Space Centre in Kagoshima Prefecture, southwest Japan, on 27 January 2020.

Argentinian commercial Earth observation company Satellogic announced on 19 December 2019 that it has raised U.S.$50 million in at least its second investment round.

The President of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Aleksandr Sergeyev, has stated that Russia intends to build a group of synthetic aperture radar (SAR) Earth observation satellites with assistance from the space and satellite industry of Belarus, according to Belarusian news agency BELTA.

D-Orbit, an Italian systems and services provider for the traditional and New Space sectors, has announced a new funding round led by Seraphim Capital, the world's largest venture capital fund dedicated to investing in New Space companies.

The member states of the BRICS economic bloc – Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa – are in the midst of negotiating a mutually beneficial framework that will allow each country to access certain Earth observation satellites from each other, according to various press reports.

Capella Space, an information services company providing Earth observation data on demand, today announced it will launch seven synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellites and start commercial operations in 2020.