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Catalonia has launched into space two small «prodigies of technology» with different objectives and missions
Catalonia has already put two nanosatellites into orbit. First, ‘Enxaneta’, took off in March 2021 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan aboard a Russian Soyuz rocket. The second, baptized by a group of Catalan children with the name of ‘Menu‘, has been sent into space this Tuesday from the US space base at Cape Canaveral, in Florida, aboard a Space X rocket. But What are these miniature satellites and what are they for??
These are some keys to understanding the takeoff of the Catalan ‘Menut’ and ‘Enxaneta’ nanosatellites.
Both ‘Menut’ and ‘Enxaneta’ are two nanosatellites of the size of a box of shoes and with a weight of just 10 kilograms. They are assembled from small chaired cubes (about 10 centimeters each) that can be program to perform all kinds of functions. These types of devices are also known as ‘CubeSat’ and since their launch almost twenty years ago, they have revolutionized the aerospace industry. The first prototypes of nanosatellites, by the way, were proposed by the Catalan engineer Jordi Puig-Suari.
The first Catalan nanosatellite sent into space took off with the aim of improving the 5G connection in the territory through the so-called Internet of Things (IoT). The second, developed by the company open cosmos, it is proposed to help terrestrial observation programs to, for example, improve land management and help mitigate the advance of the climate crisis. In both cases, these devices can carry out their respective tasks anywhere in the world but, according to the promoters of this project, their mission is especially focused on the Catalan territory.
Taking care of the Earth from space
Little ‘Menut»s mission includes collecting data to improve land management, plan urban development, improve crop production and study the impact of natural disasters in a region. The information provided by this project will help to monitor, for example, the effects of drought on cropshe fire risk in forests or the state of water resources in a territory. After its launch, ‘Menut’ also plans to join the international fleet of Earth observation satellites known as Open Constellation.
Little technological wonders
As explained by the aerospace engineer miquel suredaof the Polytechnic University of Catalonia (ESEIAAT – UPC), these devices are «little wonders of technology«which, unlike traditional satellites, allow technological prodigies to be launched into space at a much lower price than usual. In the case of ‘Menut’, for example, the nanosatellite incorporates a multispectral camera of last generation that allows to capture from the space images of some 20 kilometers wide. The device has a resolution of five meters of resolution per pixel.
The Catalan nanosatellites launched into space traveling through space at a speed of approximately eight kilometers per hour and about 500 kilometers high. It will take a few five days to go around the earth. This implies that they go to Catalonia about six times a month. The rest of the time, in the same way that occurs with other constellations of nanosatellites, these devices focus on other corners of the planet.
With the launch of ‘Enxaneta’ and ‘Menut’, Catalonia already has two nanosatellites in orbit. In both cases, the take-off of these devices has been promoted by the Government’s Department of Digital Policies in collaboration with the Institut d’Estudis Espacials de Catalunya, the Internet Research Center (i2CAT) and other entities in the sector. With this, Catalonia deploys its ‘New Space’ strategy to promote the aerospace industry in the territory. The ultimate goal is to have «a constellation of more than eight nanosatellites» by 2026 (although, for the moment, no further details about the following releases have been released).