08.02.2017 change 08.02.2017

Światowid to pave the way for future commercial satellites

A group of satellites working in a so-called hive, preparation of a hyperspectrometer, on-line platform with collected data - these are the plans of the company SatRevolution, which wants to send Światowid - its first commercial satellite - into space in the first quarter of 2018.

Światowid is set out into space in the first quarter of 2018. It will be carried into space by Neptune N3 rocket launched from a platform floating in the Pacific Ocean. It will be accompanied by two PhoneSat nanosatellites. Responsible for the preparation of the three satellites is Wroclaw company SatRevolution, operating only since June 2016.

The main task of Światowid will be studying, among other things, the strength of magnetic field, changes in the Earth\'s magnetic and gravitational field, weather changes and phenomena in the thermosphere. Images obtained through its optical system can be used in meteorology, oceanography, geology and cartography.

"Światowid will be a prototype that will allow us to check how much we have to do in the satellite construction technology, what we need to improve. Experience gained while working on Światowid will be the basis for creating our next satellites" - co-founder of SatRevolution Damian Fijałkowski said last week on Tuesday during a press conference in Warsaw.

The aim of the creators of SatRevolution is to launch a small satellite factory in Lower Silesia, which would enable them to build more devices of this type. "Our goal is to observe the Earth in real time. For this you need tens of thousands of satellites, we are talking about 30-50 thousand. Today, large companies launch 4-5 thousand satellites at once" - told PAP co-founder of SatRevolution, Grzegorz Zwoliński.

Creators of Światowid assume that their satellites will operate in a hive. It will include satellites with different functionalities: communication, imaging, spectrometric and research devices. Their use will vary, as will their sizes and distribution over the Earth\'s surface. They will be elevated to low Earth orbit - to an altitude of 500 km.

SatRevolution also intends to develop a communication protocol in cooperation with the European Space Agency. "The idea is that the satellites that we will build should be able to work together. We are able to prepare a protocol which will allow our satellites to communicate, which will optimize their work in the hive and its cost. Some satellites can communicate with each other in orbit and only delegated satellites throughout the hive will communicate with Earth" - Fijałkowski explained in an interview with PAP.

SatReviolution engineers also plan to develop a device called hyperspectrometer, which will become a part of the next satellites. As the experts explained during the press conference, it is a camera that sees around 100 colour bands. Sunlight falling on the Earth is reflected differently from various surfaces, or matter. This enables the identification of individual surfaces or materials. The installation of such a device on a satellite gives many practical applications. It will allow to monitor crops; control tropical forests; identify minerals and soil; classify coastal waters; monitor the vast and inaccessible areas.

According to the assumptions, the data collected by satellites will be uploaded to an on-line platform, based on a system of paid subscriptions. Users will be able to determine the topics that they are interested in, such as monitoring crops, choose the time and scope of observation. Then they would receive a coloured map of the selected area with a legend.

To create SatRevolution its creators spent 3 million zlotys, which - as they said - covers the costs of building Światowid and launch it into orbit. To be able to develop their ideas, they need another 40 million zlotys for the year 2017 alone. They will now try to raise these funds.

PAP - Science and Scholarship in Poland

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