ESA’s Arctic Weather Satellite and Φsat-2 satellite were lofted into orbit on 16 August at 20:56 CEST (11:56 local time) aboard a Falcon 9 rocket from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, US.
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.
Φsat-2, pronounced phisat-2, is a cubesat that will further demonstrate the benefits of using AI for 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.