Artists impression of. Sentinel-1 satellite. Image Courtesy of ESA/ATG medialab
This week we’re looking at the ongoing problems for the Sentinel-1B satellite, together with a new satellite launch from China, and a potentially gaming changing new service developed by Wuhan University.
Sentinel-1B Satellite
Sentinel-1B data users will know that the dataset has not been updated since late December when a problem occurred with the satellite’s power system. The latest update from the European Space Agency paints a gloomy picture. We’ve previously reported on the background to this problem, but the 5th update at the end of February noted that the issue is related to the system that supplies power to the SAR electronics subsystem.
Eighteen possible causes for the failure have been identified, but have been the actual cause is still unknown. Whilst the rest of the satellite is operational, such as orbit manoeuvres and thermal management, the data is not been collected. ESA highlighted that users should assume the long-term unavailability of data provision, lasting at least several months.
Sentinel-1A is still fully operational, but the loss of the twin satellite significantly increases temporal resolution from 6 days to 12 days, which could be a challenge for anyone providing SAR based services using this data. Positively, ESA did indicate that it was too early to consider the permanent unavailability of the Sentinel-1B. However, this is a potential outcome and it could be tricky to resolve. On the plus side, Sentinel-1C and -1D are already in development with Sentinel-1C having a scheduled launch for the middle of next year.
Although, ESA is looking into moving up the launch up with the satellite expected to be ready for launch as early as October this year. However, as we reported last week, this could be challenging as Sentinel-1C was due to be launched on the Russian Soyuz vehicle. With Russia suspending all Soyuz launches, an alternative will need to be sought, in competition with everyone else who had Soyuz launches planned.
ESA Statement
The ESA Council issued a statement last week about the impact of the war in Ukraine on activities, which noted:
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ExoMars Mission
As expected, the joint ESA/Rosocomos ExoMars mission has been suspended and alternatives for the ExoMars rover mission would be sought.
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Satellite Launches
All missions scheduled to be launched by Soyuz have been put on hold and alternative launch options are being looked for. Specifically, this will impact the Galileo M10, Galileo M11, Euclid and EarthCare satellites.
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International Space Station (ISS)
Again, as expected, the aim is to continue to operate the ISS safely
An extraordinary session of the ESA Council will happen in the coming weeks to discuss the issues further.
Moving from the space industry in Europe to China, two pieces of news have come out this week:
Satellite Launch
On the 17th March, the Yaogan-34 (02) satellite was put into orbit onboard the Long March 4C rocket that took off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre. This joins the existing Yaogan-34 satellite, which was launched on 30th April 2021.
The satellite is reported as being used for land surveys, urban planning, crop yield estimation and disaster support. It is believed to be an optical satellite, however, the precise specifications are not known. It is thought it will also provide reconnaissance facilities for the Chinese military.
New Satellite Technology
A really exciting new remote sensing project from Wuhan University in China was also reported this week, which will give anyone with a smartphone access to near-real-time high-definition camera images from space. We collaborate with researchers from Wuhan University on several projects and it is interesting to see this development.
The Luojia-3 01 satellite is due to be launched in July, and has a payload of a telescope with 0.7-metre spatial resolution acquiring both images and videos. The satellite will also have on-board data analysis and processing using artificial intelligence allowing it to transmit user-friendly data, rather than the normal raw data. The data will be transmitted to the nearest Chinese communications satellite using Ka microwaves to allow a faster transmission back to Earth.
It is envisaged that the images will be available within 10 minutes from acquisition. Initially, the data will be available to scientists for testing, but it is intended to make the data freely available globally although no date has been set.
This has the potential to be a game-changing service combining high resolution and fast data available, and shows that the EO industry has a lot of innovation and excitement ahead!
