ALISIO (Advanced and Light Satellite for Infrared Observations)

SWIR instrument and test a magnetic measurement card useful for LISA. Optical laser communication capabilities.

Help us position ourselves in the market, learn what a project of this style entails and carry out the first launch of a Canarian satellite at the end of 2019, early 2020. ALISIO will have as first objective observations in the SWIR range and as a secondary objective to test a magnetic measurement card useful for LISA. DRAGO (Demonstrator for the Remote Analysis of Ground Observations) a SWIR instrument.

The main payload, the camera called DRAGO-2, has been fully developed by IACTEC-Espacio, and operates in the SWIR (Short Wave InfraRed) range between 1.0 and 1.7 µm. It is an improved version of its predecessor, DRAGO-1.   Its data will allow measurements to be made in the short wave range both in the Canary Islands and in other parts of the world and will allow IACTEC-Espacio to deepen its research on the different applications of this sensor.

Among others, the ALISIO-1 satellite will provide relevant information for:

• Monitoring of the state of vegetation/crops.
• Monitoring of urban development.
• Monitoring of discharges in known areas (e.g. oil platforms).
• Support in firefighting (detection of hot spots and line of fire).
• The evaluation of flooded areas.

In terms of communications, it will be a pioneer in the establishment of optical Space-Earth communications.

Following an 11 day journey to reach the right orbit position, ALISIO-1 was successfully deployed from the Orbital Transfer Vehicle. We are pleased to report that contact was established during the first available pass over the ground station, with telemetry successfully downloaded and the satellite smoothly de-tumbled.