The world’s most advanced space thermometer impressed scientists when it came online for the first time.
the The first images from the HOTSAT-1 satellitereleased in early October, revealed in unprecedented detail how temperatures change LandSurface. The satellite camera was so sensitive that they were able to track trains from it space From their thermal signatures. But now, just six months after launching from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, the experimental spacecraft is inoperable.
SatVu, the manufacturer and operator of HOTSAT-1, announced on Friday, December 15, that the spacecraft had suffered “an anomaly, which is expected to impact ongoing operations.”
The emailed statement does not specify the nature of the anomaly, however BBC It stated in its report that the affected system was the satellite’s valuable thermal camera HOTSAT-1, which stopped working “earlier this week.” According to the BBC, SatVu engineers are still in contact with the spacecraft but do not expect to restore operations.
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London-based SatVu said it is currently working with UK small satellite manufacturer Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd, which built HOTSAT-1, to assess the issue.
The company issued First pictures It was captured by the 3.3 by 3.3 by 3.3 feet (1 by 1 by 1 meter) spacecraft in early October, fulfilling its promise to provide a more detailed look at the distribution of heat on Earth’s surface. Capable of resolving details as small as 11 feet (3.5 m), the innovative HOTSAT-1 camera allowed scientists to visualize the thermal effects of city parking lots on surrounding buildings or the cooling effect of ports and seaports. The camera also provided insight into the behavior of wildfires and, in a particularly stunning sequence, captured the heat signature of a train running on Chicago’s main railway line.
One of SatVu’s main selling points is mapping how heat escapes from buildings, enabling city planners to make improvements that can lead to improved energy efficiency and reduced carbon footprints.
Through a combination of slow shutter technology and precise guidance technology, HOTSAT-1 was able to outperform all existing temperature monitoring operations. Satellites Including those built by the world’s leading space agencies, e.g NASA Or the European Space Agency.
However, HOTSAT-1’s untimely demise does not mark the end of SatVu. The satellite has been secured, and the company plans to launch a replacement as early as 2025, according to the BBC.
“We have enough financial runway to propel us to the next satellite and beyond,” Anthony Baker, CEO and co-founder of SatVu, said in the statement. “What we have learned from this mission is unparalleled. We are armed with enough data to develop amazing products that will be integral to shaping our future commercial offerings.”
SatVu, which has secured a total of £30.5 million ($37.1 million) in venture capital funding to date, plans to operate a constellation of eight to 10 temperature-monitoring satellites, which will allow scientists, city planners and other parties to monitor temperatures. Detailing how temperatures on Earth change every day.
The company said the images provided by HOTSAT-1 since its launch “demonstrated the potential of this technology to serve as a new ‘data layer’ for visualizing the Earth’s surface, increasing our understanding of environmental and thermal phenomena.”
“SatVu is unwavering in its commitment to capturing the highest resolution thermal data from space for a safer and more sustainable Earth, and is already in advanced discussions about launching its second satellite – HOTSAT-2,” the company added.
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