Open Cosmos marks second anniversary of dual satellite launch

he satellites, both 3U cubesats, were launched aboard a Soyuz 2 rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan 21st March 2021. Following the successful launch, Open Cosmos was able to make contact with both satellites on the first pass over the ground station, a little over one hour after being deployed.

The satellites were designed and built by Open Cosmos, integrating IoT payloads designed to provide connectivity to a network of ground sensors. For Lacuna Space, who the LS2 was built for, the sensors provide customers with an automated process for tracking and monitoring their remote assets on a daily basis. For Sateliot, whose satellite provides services for the Catalan Govt, the sensors monitor river flows and water reserves, wildlife, soil movements, livestock and crops.

Alongside the build and launch, as an end-to-end mission provider Open Cosmos also provides full in-orbit operations of the satellites. This is achieved through a network of ground stations across the globe that download and process data, alongside a growing team of engineers based in the UK and Spain who provide full mission support. During the two years since launch, the satellites have provided high levels of reliability to ensure consistent data acquisition for customers.

Aleix Megias, VP of Operations at Open Cosmos comments:

“The launch two years ago was really a proof of concept, for Lacuna and Sateliot and for us too. But we were able to demonstrate the value of their investment very quickly after launch, and in the two years that have followed, we have continued to build on this success. We are very proud to be one of the only companies in our sector who has a 100% success rate in orbit”

Dr Maria Kalama, BD Director adds:

“Our ‘mission as a service’ capability has been key to the company’s growth. We have been on an impressive trajectory since we launched these two satellites, and we believe this is because of our focus on delivering customer missions rapidly. This has established us as a trusted end-to-end mission provider now scaling up for constellation delivery”