The 6U nanosatellite – which will monitor weather and environmental changes as well as the sustainable use of natural resources – was deployed into a sun-synchronous orbit using the EXOpod Nova deployer launched as part of SpaceX's Transporter-6.
Open Cosmos concluded contract with the Institut d'Estudis Espacials de Catalunya (IEEC) in 2021 to create the first Earth observation satellite as part of its NewSpace space sector development strategy.
There is an optical payload on board. and advanced built-in processing that will allow images to be taken anywhere in the world from its sun-synchronous polar orbit.
The company is currently putting the satellite into operation:
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After a successful launch from , a successful deployment from the deployer, we made first contact with our satellite last night. Telemetry is nominal, now we are going to put the satellite into operation.
— Open Cosmos (@Open_Cosmos)
"We are excited to launch MENUT," said Aleix Magias, VP of Operations at Open Cosmos.
"The project will allow national and regional governments and organizations to access deep and actionable space data from a revolutionary model of shared space infrastructure. This would not be possible without partners who share our mission to make space data and infrastructure more accessible, and it has been great to work closely with Exolaunch to launch MENUT.”
Today we are launching a satellite to monitor climate emergencies and sustainable use of natural resources within the . ????
You can see it live here at 14:56 UTC:
— Rafael Jorda Siquier (@RafelJorda)
The launch was SpaceX's sixth dedicated joint mission and the first in 2023. Specifically, it was the Falcon 9 that launched from the Space Force Station at Cape Canaveral in Florida on Tuesday.
A total of 114 payloads were on the flight, including CubeSats, microsats, picosats and orbital vehicles.
The MENUT satellite will be part of the Open Constellation Open Cosmos, which the company returned in September 2022. The project, described as a shared satellite infrastructure, will build and operate Open Cosmos to provide data. to solve problems related to climate change. Essentially, organizations that add satellites to a group gain access to broader data.
Later this month, aboard the planned first European satellite launch - soon to lift off from Cornwall - will be a research satellite from the RHEA Group, also built in Oxfordshire by Open Cosmos.
Barcelona
Back in October, the – company; which also has offices in Porto - new facilities in Barcelona where it is planned to invest - together with GPAINNOVA - in state-of-the-art satellite manufacturing laboratories.
"The space industry is going through a complete revolution, and we hope that the investment that Open Cosmos is making in Barcelona will catalyze the growth of the entire ecosystem with ambitious tractor projects that will contribute to the development of the entire existing industrial and technological structure," said Rafael Horda, the company's founder.
Founded in Barcelona in 2013, GPAINNOVA – specialized in metal surface treatment machines – includes a group of companies and brands including Steros GPA Innovative, DLyte, POWER INNOTECH and GPASEABOTS.
Pictured above is a model of the Menut satellite with Rafael Jorda, CEO of Open Cosmos, and Pau Sarsanedas, CEO of GPAINNOVA.
See also:
Source: electronicsweekly.com
