ICEYE, a Finnish company, has announced the successful launch of its proof-of-concept satellite mission, ICEYE-X1, on ISRO's PSLV-C40 rocket. The success of the launch, from Satish Dhawan Space Center in India, distinguishes ICEYE-X1 as the first microsatellite equipped with synthetic-aperture radar (SAR) to ever be deployed in space and as Finland's very first commercial satellite. ICEYE has also successfully established communications with the 70 kg satellite at 5:20 AM GMT (on 12 Jan, 2018) now in orbit, signaling the next step in the mission's success.
ICEYE-X1 is ICEYE's initial proof-of-concept microsatellite mission using a SAR sensor. The goal of the mission is to validate in-orbit performance of the satellite and begin operations with select ICEYE customers. Data received from the satellite in space can be used for a wide variety of use cases including monitoring changing sea ice for maritime and environmental uses, tracking marine oil spills and helping to prevent illegal fishing.
Throughout 2018, ICEYE has at least two additional proof-of-concept satellite missions planned to further develop and demonstrate the capabilities of the company's SAR technology. To mitigate the inherent risks associated with rocket launches and to verify specific provider capabilities, the company has opted to launch its three initial missions each through different launch providers. ICEYE's next launch of a proof-of-concept satellite, ICEYE-X2, is currently indicated by the next launch's provider to occur during the summer of 2018.
At the conclusion of the initial proof-of-concept missions, ICEYE will launch a constellation of more than 18 SAR-enabled microsatellites to bring reliable high-temporal-resolution imaging to the market. ICEYE's constellation, once fully deployed, will allow users to accurately image any point on Earth within only a few hours, regardless of weather or darkness.
ICEYE aims to provide democratized access to reliable earth observation data through developing efficient SAR sensors and microsatellites, enabling everyone to make better decisions. Through an imaging service available anywhere around the globe, anytime, and with response times measured in just few hours, ICEYE helps clients resolve challenges in segments such as maritime, disaster management and security and intelligence. ICEYE is the first organization in the world to launch SAR microsatellites and expects to commence its commercial data operations in the first half of 2018. For more information, click here.
