An Arianespace Vega rocket will send a new Earth observation satellite and other payloads into space. You can attend the event in your homes by watching the launch live online!
The European launch company plans to launch at 9:47 p.m. EDT from the Guiana Space Center in Kourou, French Guiana, on August 17. They will broadcast the launch live on the company's official YouTube channel.
Pléiades Neo 4, one of the extremely high-resolution satellites to be sent as part of Airbus' Pléiades Neo Earth-observing satellite constellation, will be carried by a rocket together with four CubeSats named BRO-4, LEDSAT, RADCUBE, and SUNSTORM.
For its fifth mission in 2020 and the first Vega flight of the year, Arianespace will orbit 53 satellites on the Small Spacecraft Mission Service (SSMS) Proof of Concept (PoC) Flight, performed on behalf of 21 customers from 13 countries.
New Satellites To Be Placed Near Sun's Orbit
According to an Arianespace release, all satellites will be placed near the sun's orbit with a total payload of roughly 1,029 kilograms (2268 pounds). The upcoming launch is Vega's second launch of 2021, Arianespace's 19th mission overall, and the seventh launch of 2021 after the Pléiades Neo 3 launch in April, per Space.com.
Pléiades Neo 4, the main payload, is one of the Earth observation spacecrafts developed and managed by Airbus Defence and Space for a new satellite constellation. Pléiades Neo 5 and Pléiades Neo 6 are scheduled to launch in 2022, bringing the constellation to a close.
The Pléiades Neo satellites, according to Arianespace officials, will deliver high-quality Earth observation services for the next several years. They will have higher resolution, more accurate geolocation, and twice-daily revisits.
Furthermore, their responsive tasking capacity enables urgent acquisitions 30-40 minutes after request and near-real-time reaction to the most critical conditions. Officials said that this will be especially useful during natural catastrophes.
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According to Space.com, the Vega rocket will launch four research spacecraft: one for Unseenlabs, a European satellite start-up, and three for the European Space Agency (ESA). LEDSAT (or LED-based small SATellite), RADCUBE, and SUNSTORM are the three ESA payloads. A solar X-ray spectrometer will be used by SUNSTORM to see and identify coronal mass ejections, commonly known as solar flares.
Breizh Reconnaissance Orbiter (BRO-4), the final payload, is another satellite from Unseenlabs' maritime surveillance network. Unseenlabs will geolocate and describe ships at sea using this nanosatellite constellation, designed to recognize electromagnetic signals from space. According to the announcement, the business plans to launch at least 20 nanosatellites for its constellation by 2025.
Other Firms Pursuing Same Markets With Own Satellites
SpaceNews said other firms are pursuing similar markets with their own satellites. Horizon Space Technologies, a British firm, secured money in May for its radio-frequency-mapping marine monitoring technology.
HawkEye 360, situated in the United States, has a significant market presence and launched its newest cluster of three satellites in June after financing an extra $55 million in April.
Unseenlabs also announced earlier this year that it has raised $25 million to help expand its constellation to 20-25 satellites by 2025.
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