Earth Observation Portal Update: Launches, Satellites, Articles July - September 2024
Activity Report
The period July - September 2024 saw a number of updates and additions to the EO Portal. More than 160 new launches have taken place over the period including notably SpaceX’s Falcon 9 Transporter-11 mission. 11 new EO Portal articles covering new missions and thematic topics have been published, and 14 articles have been updated with new information.
Summary
Recent Satellite Launches
Several new Earth observation satellites were launched between July and September 2024.
ALOS-4 (Advanced Land Observing Satellite-4)
ALOS-4, also known as DAICHI-4, was launched on July 1, 2024 from the Tanegashima Space Center at 03:06 UTC. ALOS-4 carries a L-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) sensor, aimed at observing and monitoring disaster-hit areas, forests, sea-ice, and monitoring infrastructure displacement.
Sentinel-2
Sentinel-2C launched onboard a Vega rocket from the European spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, at 01:50 UTC on September 5, 2024. With Sentinel-2C now in orbit, it will soon replace its predecessor, Sentinel-2A, following a brief period of tandem observations. Sentinel-2D will eventually take over from Sentinel-2B.
ASBM (Arctic Broadband Satellite Mission)
ASBM-1 and ASBM-2 were successfully launched onboard SpaceX’s Falcon-9 rocket on August 12, 2024 at 02:02 UTC, from Space Launch Complex 4E, Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. ASBM is dual satellite mission that aims to provide broadband coverage to the Arctic.
WorldView Legion
WorldView-Legion 3 and 4, launched on SpaceX’s Falcon-9 rocket at 13:00 UTC on August 15, 2024, as part of the Maxar-2 mission. The launch took place from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida. Four satellites of the constellation have now launched, each carrying a 30 cm resolution multispectral optical imager that can be pan-sharpened to 15 cm.
Capella Space X-Band Synthetic Aperture Radar
Rocket Lab launched Capella-13 (Acadia-3), onboard an Electron rocket on August 11, 2024 at 13:18 UTC, from Launch Complex 1 on New Zealand’s Mahia Peninsula. Capella’s SAR satellites provide access to information to a number of industries worldwide, including defense and intelligence, supply chain, insurance, maritime and others.
StriX Constellation
StriX-4 was launched on Rocket Lab’s Electron rocket on August 2, 2024 at 16:39 UTC, from Launch Complex 1 on New Zealand’s Mahia Peninsula. The minisatellite carries an X-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) sensor.
Starlink Satellite Constellation
Several Starlink satellites have been launched between July and September 2024. 21 Satellites for the Starlink v2-Mini G8 series were launched on September 5, 2024 at 15:33 UTC, 14 were launched for the v2-Mini-D2C G8 series on September 6, 2024 at 03:20 UTC, 20 for the v2-Mini-D2C G9 and v2-Mini G9 series on September 25, 2024 at 04:01 UTC, 22 for the Starlink v2-Mini G10 series on August 20, 2024 at 13:20 UTC, and 23 for the Starlink v2-Mini G11 series on August 4, 2024 at 07:24 UTC.
All satellites were launched from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, and Space Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4E) at the Vandenberg Space Force Base (VSFB), in California.
SpaceX Transporter-11 Rideshare Mission
The SpaceX Falcon 9 Transporter-11 smallsat rideshare mission launched from SLC-4E, at VSFB in California, on August 16, at 18:56 UTC. This was the eleventh dedicated rideshare mission organised by SpaceX.
The launch vehicle carried a number of payloads into Sun-synchronous orbit, including those from the following satellite constellations:
AWS (Arctic Weather Satellite)
Carbon Mapper: Tanager-1
Capella: Capella-15 (Arcadia-5)
Planet Flock Imaging Constellation: Flock 4BE (36 SuperDove satellites)
NewSat (Aleph-1 Constellation): NewSat-48 (Aleph-1 48), NewSat-49 (Aleph-1 49), and NewSat-50 (Aleph-1 50).
ICEYE Microsatellite Constellation: ICEYE-X33, ICEYE-X39, ICEYE-X40 and ICEYE-X43.
QPS-SAR (Q-shu Pioneers of Space - Synthetic Aperture Radar) Constellation: QPS-SAR No. 8 (Amateru 4)
Spire Global: Lemur-2 (TomatoKechup), Lemur-2 (Lloyd), Lemur-2 (Squirrelcomm), Lemur-2 (Sierrini), Lemur-2 (Ahmed-Asrar), Lemur-2 (191), and Lemur-2 (192),
Tomorrow.io: Tomorrow-S1 and Tomorrow-S2
BRO (Breizh Reconnaissance Orbiter) / Unseenlabs: BRO-14 and BRO-15
Sateliot_X Constellation: Sateliot_1, Sateliot_2, Sateliot_3, and Sateliot_4
HawkEye 360: Cluster 10 (Hawk-10A, Hawk-10B, Hawk-10C)
New Mission Articles
Over the third quarter of 2024, five new EO and three other space missions were added to the EO Portal. The new EO missions will make observations supporting applications ranging from oceans, atmosphere, environmental monitoring, land use, climate change, and disasters.
One of the other space missions, PULSAR describes a communications mission, dedicated to providing high-precision positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) services. The other two are astrophysics missions which will study phenomena across the universe, including dark energy, exoplanets, infrared astrophysics, and the origins and formation of hot gas large-scale structures.
EO Missions
SABIA-Mar (Argentine-Brazilian Satellites for Environmental Information of the Sea)
SABIA-Mar is a planned dual satellite mission jointly operated by the Argentine and Brazilian Space Agencies, CONAE and AEB. The two Sun-synchronous satellites will obtain crucial time-based data of the oceanic biosphere and its response to human activity, as well as to help researchers develop marine prediction and management systems.
GLIMR
The Geostationary Littoral Imaging and Monitoring Radiometer (GLIMR) is a planned NASA satellite mission that aims to provide observations of ocean biology, chemistry and ecology. The University of New Hampshire is NASA's lead organisation for the GLIMR contract, along with partnering universities and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). GLIMR will be the first Hyperspectral ocean colour sensor in the Western Hemisphere to monitor phytoplankton evolution, harmful algal blooms, coral bleaching, and oil spills.
Kondor-FKA
Kondor-FKA (Federal Space Agency) is a civilian radar sensing satellite designed by Russian space company NPO Mashinostroyeniya (NPOM) for the Russian Federal Space Agency (ROSCOSMOS), to be used in counterpart to other Kondor series satellites. The mission’s objective is to capture high-resolution observational data of soil moisture and meteorological conditions while aiding military surveillance. Kondor-FKA was launched on May 26, 2023 by Roscosmos.
AOS-PMM
The Atmosphere Observing System - Precipitation Measuring Mission (AOS-PMM) is one of four satellites in NASA’s AOS Constellation, with components built by JAXA (Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency) and CNES (National Space Center of France). AOS-PMM will acquire measurements of aerosol and cloud particles to understand their influence on extreme weather conditions, and to further our understanding of climate change, mitigate natural hazards, and improve agricultural processes.
HORACIO
HORACIO is a commercial Earth observation mission of SATLANTIS, launched on March 4, 2024. It utilises a high-resolution imager to make visible and near infrared (VNIR) observations in support of applications such as infrastructure surveillance, greenhouse gas monitoring, and agricultural imaging for food security.
Other Space Missions
PULSAR
The Pulsar satellite system, developed by Xona Space Systems, is a planned commercial satellite constellation designed to provide high-precision positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) services. A technology demonstration mission launched on May 25, 2022, and the full constellation is planned to consist of 250 - 300 satellites. This system aims to meet the growing demands of modern autonomous and intelligent technologies by providing more accuracy and reliability than traditional GPS systems.
Nancy Grace Roman Telescope
The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope (known as Roman) is a planned NASA mission dedicated to studying dark energy, exoplanets, and infrared astrophysics. The mission aims to expand our understanding of the universe through unprecedented wide-field surveys and high-contrast imaging.
NewAthena (Advanced Telescope for High-ENergy Astrophysics)
The Advanced Telescope for High Energy Astrophysics (NewAthena) mission is a planned X-ray satellite observatory of the European Space Agency (ESA), open to the whole astronomical community worldwide, aiming at breakthrough discoveries in every field of modern astrophysics. In particular, NewAthena will investigate the origins and formation of hot gas large-scale structures, as well as the influence of supermassive black holes in active galactic nuclei on the cosmological evolution of galaxies.
Newest Thematic Articles
Over the period, three new articles were added to the EO Portal covering thematic topics that tie together articles from across the EO Portal. These explore how monitoring glaciers and ice sheets can help to understand the effects of climate change, how geostationary satellites can help to monitor weather patterns, and solar activity and its effects on the Earth.
Glacier and Ice-Sheet Monitoring
Measuring changes in the extent, density, and thickness of glaciers and ice sheets is valuable for monitoring the effects of climate change. Due to the size and inaccessibility of these geological features, systematically measuring how they change can be difficult. Space-based observations have proven invaluable in measuring glacial dynamics across vast scales.
Meteorology - Geostationary
The monitoring of weather from space is an incredibly valuable tool in predicting future weather events and patterns, both for daily use and for planning disaster relief efforts in the face of extreme weather. One of the most major developments in space-based weather monitoring has been the deployment of geostationary satellites. By matching their orbits to the rotation of the Earth, these satellites maintain a constant relative position over the Earth’s surface, enabling them to capture ‘stationary’ images of the planet. This allows weather patterns to be observed without changing perspectives, which polar-orbiting satellites experience.
Solar Activity
Solar activity refers to phenomena associated with the Sun driven by its magnetic field. The Sun is made up of ionised plasma, and its motion drives a powerful magnetic field. The differential motion of the Sun’s plasma distorts its magnetic field, which results in enhanced solar activity and space weather. Space-based measurements are vital for monitoring Solar activity, as they can detect events that can affect our activities from Earth. This article describes different types of solar activity, what space missions can detect them, and the types of data products involved.
Other Updates
A number of other articles have been updated between July and September 2024, including:
- PREFIRE (Polar Radiant Energy in the Far-InfraRed Experiment)
Details about the first and second launch in May and June 2024, respectively, alongside other information, have been added.
- Umbra SAR Constellation
This article was updated with the latest instrument & mission details, including launch and mission status updates.
- PLATiNO Minisatellite Platform
New information about the PLATiNO-3 and PLATiNO-4 satellites and their instruments, including the PLATiNO-4 HYP P/L, have been added together with other important updates on the development of this mission.
- NISAR (NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar)
Important information about the assessment of NISAR’s capability to study wetland ecosystems, and the implementation and methodology of the NISAR calibration and validation protocol for tropical wetlands, have been added to the article.
- RADARSAT Constellation Mission (RCM)
All the latest updates on the mission status from 2023 to date, including the releases of RADARSAT-1 SAR imagery to researchers, have been included in the article.
- ROSE-L
The article has been updated with additional information about the ROSE-L SAR instrument specification and performance. New images and tables have been provided.
- StriX
Facts and figures for the StriX Constellation's ‘Staring Spotlight Mode’ observations have been included in the article.
- TROPICS
The TROPICS performance summary has been added to the article's summary, which includes new information about the mission's validation of geolocation and radiance, temperature and moisture profiling, and preliminary radiance assimilation experiments details.
- WorldView Legion
The article has been rewritten to improve the accuracy, structure, and format of the content. Several mission status updates were added including the launch of WorldView Legion-3 and -4.
- DART (Double Asteroid Redirection Test)
The satellite completed its mission on September 26, 2022. The article has been updated details on the mission's completion on September 26, 2022.