The work on the first Polish observation satellite taking high-resolution photos of Earth from space will soon start in Wrocław Technological Park. ScanSAT, a project of a Wrocław-based start-up Scanway established by the creators of the “space drill”, will hit the orbit in 2020.
The observation of Earth from space is one of the most important and lucrative branches of space industry. Soon Poland will become another state to have its own access to geoinformation from the low Earth orbit.
Unique sensor and exceptional optics
Despite its small size – the longest edge is 34 cm long – in terms of its capability, the device will not stay in the shadow of observation platforms of corporations and space agencies.
The most innovative element of the satellite is an exceptional sensor developed entirely by Scanway. It will allow for the observation of the Earth’s surface in a very wide light spectrum, which means it will observe both the phenomena visible for human eye and invisible to us, e.g. thermography, which will allow for the development of temperature maps.
Owing to the fact that one sensor alone will be able to obtain a great number of measurements, the satellite will compete with bigger satellites owned by the biggest players in the supply of space technologies. The scope of observation of electromagnetic spectrum of the sensor will be of 350 to 12,000 nanometers, which is an unprecedented measure range among currently used space or aviation observation devices.
Wide spectrum of possibilities
The device of the Wrocław-based start-up will observe the Earth from approx. 400 km, flying every 40 minutes over the poles of the planet. It will make possible to observe virtually entire surface of the globe, and the innovative sensor will allow for the identification of the tiniest details on the surface of lands and oceans.
The design of the imaging device is also exceptional in terms of the possibility of laser communication with Earth while using the same elements of the satellite which obtain the information on the surface of the planet. In the near future, it will be also possible to implement this solution in aviation platforms, which has already attracted the interest of Polish strategic economic entities.
Team from Wrocław
The team is comprised of graduates of Wrocław universities who have been implementing space projects for a couple of years. Their most important achievement is the development of the “space drill” in DREAM project, which was sent into space in March 2017 to check the drilling process in asteroids.
Wrocław conquers… the space
The DREAM team is another example of space dreams of Wrocław. In the beginning of 2018, Sat Revolution SA from Wrocław plans to send the first Polish commercial satellites into space. The company also plans to build a manufacture of satellites.
Source:
www.wroclaw.pl
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