ESA’s Arctic Weather Satellite and Φsat-2 satellite lifted off on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket via Exolaunch from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, USA, at 20:56 CEST (11:56 local time) on 16 August.

At 21:50 CEST, Φsat-2 successfully deployed from the launch vehicle and at 23:47CEST, the Svalbard ground station in Norway received the important signal indicating that Φsat-2 is now safely in orbit.

ESA’s Arctic Weather Satellite separated from the rocket at 23:30 CEST on 16 August, and at 03:06 CEST on 17 August, the signal indicating that Arctic Weather Satellite was in good health was picked up by the KSAT ground station in Svalbard, Norway.

ESA’s Director of Earth Observation Programmes, Simonetta Cheli, commented, “Today marks a significant milestone with the launch of two breakthrough ESA missions. 

“The pioneering Arctic Weather Satellite will demonstrate how the availability of more frequent data can improve weather forecasts for the Arctic region, where data scarcity has long been a challenge. This mission is a testament to our commitment to advancing space technology swiftly and efficiently, having gone from contract award to completion in just 36 months. 

“We are also thrilled to launch Φsat-2, which will demonstrate the transformative power of artificial intelligence in Earth observation. This mission heralds a new era of actionable insights from space, promising smarter and more efficient ways of monitoring our planet.”

About ESA’s Arctic Weather Satellite 

ESA’s Arctic Weather Satellite is a prototype mission that aims to improve weather forecasts in the Arctic – a region that currently lacks data for accurate short-term forecasts.

The satellite will build on existing Arctic monitoring satellites and will provide precise, short-term weather forecasts for the Arctic region. 

It is equipped with a 19-channel cross-track scanning microwave radiometer which will provide high-resolution humidity and temperature soundings of the atmosphere in all weather conditions.

The Arctic Weather Satellite is the forerunner of a potential constellation of satellites, called EPS-Sterna, that ESA would build for Eumetsat if the first prototype Arctic Weather Satellite performs well.

The constellation would supply an almost constant stream of temperature and humidity data from every location on Earth. This would, for the first time, allow for very short-range weather forecasting, or ‘nowcasting’, in the Arctic. 

The Arctic Weather Satellite mission will support research into climate change. Climate change is occurring at a faster pace in the Arctic compared to other parts of the world and these rapid changes are affecting the Earth system as a whole.

Embracing the concept of New Space, the Arctic Weather Satellite was developed and built on a very tight schedule, with OHB Sweden leading the industrial consortium.

About Φsat-2

Φsat-2, pronounced phisat-2, is a cubesat that will showcase how different artificial intelligence technologies can advance innovative Earth observation.

Measuring only 22 x 10 x 33 cm, this miniature satellite is equipped with a state-of-the-art multispectral camera and a powerful AI computer that analyses and processes imagery while in orbit.

With six AI applications running onboard, the satellite is designed to turn images into maps, detect clouds in the images, classify them and provide insight into cloud distribution, detect and classify vessels, compress images on board and reconstruct them in the ground reducing the download time, spot anomalies in marine ecosystems and detect wildfires.

Φsat-2 will unlock a new era of actionable insights from space to demonstrate the ability of deploying different AI applications and functions, all while being achieved in orbit. 

It also allows custom AI apps to be developed, installed and operated on the satellite, even while being in orbit. This allows Φsat-2 to adapt to changing needs, maximising its value for scientists, business and governments. 

Φsat-2 is a collaborative effort, with Open Cosmos as the prime contractor, supported by an industrial consortium including CGI, Simera, Ubotica, CEiiA, GEO-K and KP-Labs.

More Information

More information about the Arctic Weather Satellite:
https://www.esa.int/Applications/Observing_the_Earth/Meteorological_missions/Arctic_Weather_Satellite

More information about Φsat-2: https://www.esa.int/Applications/Observing_the_Earth/Phsat-2
More information about ESA: www.esa.int