On Friday, a SpaceX rocket will launch three UK-built satellites that will monitor and combat climate change as well as track endangered wildlife.
The UK Space Agency got around £15 million from the European Space Agency’s Pioneer Partnership Program to create the trio of satellites that will launch from Nasa’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Lacuna Space, situated in Oxfordshire, develops sensors that fit in the palm of your hand and may last for years on a single charge. They can be used to track wildlife, monitor the environment, and assist farmers by providing information on the health of animals and crops, as well as water and soil management.
Two of the satellites, built-in Glasgow by Spire, will use optical inter-satellite links (ISL) to change how a huge amount of information is carried from space to Earth. This will allow satellite constellations to transport a vast amount of data efficiently to any location on the planet. This includes remote and rural areas, disaster zones, and at sea.
This will contribute to a better understanding of the ecosystem and human impact on it. “As we prepare to host the UN Climate Change Conference, Cop26, in Glasgow later this year, the UK is leading the way in utilizing space to combat climate change, developing satellites that enable our world-class scientists to monitor the environment in remarkable detail,” said Science Minister Amanda Solloway.
“Much like the early days of the internet, when it was difficult to foresee the impact of having everyone connected, it appears there is a limitless world of possibilities from now connecting physical devices or ‘things,” said Lacuna CEO Rob Spurrett.
“There are many ways to accomplish that in cities, but our service ensures that rural areas of the UK, as well as the world’s most remote locales, are part of this data revolution.” The Falcon 9 rocket from SpaceX is set to take off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
