A satellite has been launched that will demonstrate the latest technologies for connectivity and for Earth observation. The ALISIO-1 satellite was developed under an ESA Pioneer Partnership Project with satellite manufacturer and operator Open Cosmos, based at Harwell in the UK.
ALISIO-1 carries two payloads. The first is an imager designed and developed at the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias, an astrophysical research institute in the Canary Islands, Spain. This will serve various purposes, including the monitoring of wildfires and volcanic activity. The second is a communication terminal that uses a laser to transmit data, offering several advantages over the more typically used radio frequency communication methods. For example, data are transferred at a higher level of security, due to the narrow beam nature of laser signals. This marks a big step forward for future space missions and satellite communications, where robust and secure communication are vital.
This satellite also validated a suite of technologies to build, test and operate satellites where every test is recorded as a digital history throughout the satellite’s lifecycle, during both the development and the operational phases. This will enable faster identification and resolution of any problems encountered and will enhance the capability of Open Cosmos to deliver space missions faster, more reliably and more affordably.
The satellite was launched on 1 December, onboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 from Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, in the United States.
This development has been supported by the ESA Pioneer Partnership Projects, which is part of ESA’s Advanced Research in Telecommunications Systems (ARTES) 4.0 programme, with funding from the UK Space Agency.