New Eyes in the Sky: OpenCosmos Satellite to Revolutionize Volcano and Wildlife Monitoring in the Canaries
OpenCosmos, a leading UK space startup on a mission to tackle climate change, has done it again with the successful launch of their sophisticated new satellite, ALISIO-1. Blasted into orbit from California aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, this small but powerful imaging satellite is now circling above the Canary Islands, ready to transform our view of volcanic activity and wildlife in the archipelago.
As part of the ALISIO-1 (Advanced Land-Imaging Satellite for Infrared Observations) satellite project spearheaded by the Institute of Astrophysics of the Canary Islands and the European Space Agency’s PIONEER program, OpenCosmos built a specialized 6U CubeSat equipped with a cutting-edge uncooled SWIR camera called DRAGO-2. This “invisible eye” allows ALISIO-1 to peer through smoke, dust and haze invisible to regular cameras, providing precious insights for volcano and fire monitoring, oil spill detection, and analyzing ecosystem changes.
In addition, ALISIO-1 is testing pioneering new laser communication technology that could revolutionize how satellites send data. By transmitting information via light beams instead of radio waves, this optical terminal promises faster downloads and more secure transmissions. OpenCosmos is digitizing their satellite design and operations process too, aiming to deliver space missions more quickly, affordably and reliably to help address urgent environmental issues.
Together with other OpenCosmos observation satellites like Platero monitoring farming impacts and MANTIS capturing high-resolution natural resource images, ALISIO-1 is part of an ambitious fledgling constellation helping humanity gain a new perspective on our vulnerable planet from above. With their recent €50 million funding boost and plans for a UK pathfinder satellite, OpenCosmos is blazing a trail for NewSpace to aid international efforts protecting our landscapes, wildlife and communities in the years to come. The Canary Islands are lucky to have a high-flying guardian angel watching over their volcanoes and biodiversity thanks to this innovative space startup.
