The first Ukrainian agri-focused satellite from EOS Data Analytics established a connection

Author

Kira Ivanova

EOS SAT-1, the first agri-focused satellite constellation made by EOS Data Analytics and launched into orbit by a SpaceX team on January 3, established a connection and successfully transmitted telemetry and data on the status of the systems, the company reported.

The EOS SAT constellation will consist of seven small optical satellites designed to support the implementation of sustainable agriculture methods and environmental monitoring of forestlands by providing high-quality data for analysis.

"This launch brings new game-changing possibilities of satellite technologies to the agricultural industry. EOSDA will now work with proprietary datasets to provide even deeper and more accurate insights for its customers and partners," EOS Data Analytics CEO Artem Anisimov added.

What is the EOS SAT-1 satellite?

This satellite is a proprietary development of the Noosphere group of companies founded by Max Polyakov, an international space technology and IT business entrepreneur listed by Forbes-Ukraine as one of the top 20 richest Ukrainians in 2022 ($800 million).

EOS SAT-1 features:

2 high-precision DragonEye cameras supplied by a Ukrainian–South African producer of space optics, Dragonfly Aerospace;
a thruster developed by SETS (Space Electric Thruster Systems), a Ukrainian company;
parts and frame elements 3D printed by Flight Control Propulsion.

As a global provider of satellite imagery analytics, EOSDA will obtain images from the satellite for processing and providing high-quality data to customers in the agricultural sector.

The company states that by 2025, EOS SAT will cover up to 100% of countries with the largest areas of farmlands and forestlands, amounting to 98.5% of such lands across the globe.

Data from EOS SAT will assist agricultural businesses in:

monitoring crop growth;
detecting heat, cold, water stress, weed spread, pest attacks, and other issues threatening crops;
optimize their input use based on productivity and vegetation maps;
test the effectiveness of new crop protection products or fertilizers;
manage irrigation;
estimate yields;
avoid unnecessary field inspections and thus reduce fuel use.

EOS SAT-1 monitors up to one million square kilometers daily using 11 agri-related bands. By 2025, the constellation will monitor up to 12 million square kilometers on a daily basis.

Most existing satellites have cameras with low sensor resolution, limited spectral capacities, and poor performance during cloudy weather. Unlike them, EOS SAT satellite cameras will capture imagery using 13 agri-related bands: RGB, 2 NIR channels, 3 RedEdge channels, WaterVapor, Aerosol, Pan, and 2 SWIR channels. EOS SAT-1 has 11 spectral bands, excluding the SWIR bands.

EOS SAT-2 and the following satellites are expected to get into orbit within 2023–2024. The full operational capability of the EOS SAT constellation is scheduled to be achieved in 2025.