Launched the first six Spanish picosatellites, a milestone that will allow offering IoT connectivity in areas without terrestrial coverage
FOSSA Systems is the first Spanish company, and one of the top ten in the World, to deploy a constellation that offers an economical solution to monitor assets in real time
Launched today, at 4:25 p.m. Spanish time, by a SpaceX Falcon 9, the devices, weighing less than one kilogram and designed in Spain, have reached their orbit, between 450 and 550 kilometers, at 17:32 hours
The first constellation of 80 satellites FOSSASat-2 Evolved will be fully deployed by 2024
January 13, 2022: Total success of the Spanish aerospace industry from the hand of FOSSA Systems. The Spanish startup of IoT connectivity via satellites has starred today, January 13, a technological milestone in the field of picosatellites (platforms of less than one kilo of mass) with the launch, at 4:25 p.m. Spanish time, of the six first picosatellites of the constellation of 80 that will be fully deployed before 2024. Its objective is to offer global IoT (Internet of Things) connectivity in areas without mobile coverage for low-power devices. It is the first Spanish company and one of the top ten in the world to begin the deployment of a constellation of this type of small-size satellites, called to revolutionize IoT connectivity for the industry due to their high efficiency and low cost in areas of little or no mobile coverage in the whole planet.
The launch was carried out on a Falcon 9 rocket from Elon Musk’s company, SpaceX, from Cape Canaveral (USA) and was followed live on its official website. The picosatellites of the FOSSASat-2E mission reached their orbit at 17:32 hours.
Designed and integrated in Spain, the six picosatellites have been launched and deployed in an SSO (sunsynchronous orbit / heliosynchronous orbit) that is located between 450 and 550 kilometers high. The FOSSASat-2E will orbit the Earth approximately 15 laps a day, which allows a single satellite to provide global coverage, anywhere on the planet.
The launch took place 18 months after the company was founded by Julián Fernández, CEO and currently a first-year student in Telecommunications at the Rey Juan Carlos University, and Vicente González, CTO, an aeronautical engineer with a master’s degree in Aerospace Engineering. by the Carlos III University.
For Julián Fernández, CEO of FOSSA Systems, “this is the first step in an ambitious deployment that will democratize access to IoT connectivity at a global level, demonstrating the success of the technology and the capabilities that we can offer. Billions of connected devices will come online over the next decade, and we aim to serve much of the market in remote areas. All this, reducing orders of magnitude the cost compared to traditional satellite connectivity. ” Julian Fernandez
For Vicente González, CTO of FOSSA Systems, “today begins a new stage for FOSSA and, although there is still a long way to go, we are closer to achieving one of our main objectives, which is none other than offering optimized end-to-end solutions for each use case, with low-power IoT connectivity as the core. ”
How they were built and launched
The satellites have been manufactured and fully assembled by FOSSA Systems in its design and production facilities and clean room, located in Madrid. They use technology and manufacturing methods similar to those found in mobile devices or laptops, miniaturizing the satellite form factor. They have all the necessary systems to feed, communicate at high speeds or maneuver in orbit with plasma thrusters and reaction wheels. In addition, part of the FOSSASat-2E fly ground observation cameras that will be used experimentally to take photographs with low revisit times.
Tension, nerves and celebration
Today has been a historic day for the young aerospace startup, which is beginning to see its dream of democratizing access to space fulfilled, lowering the costs of IoT connectivity globally. The 16 members of the team, with a background as multidisciplinary as the Space Industry requires, have lived this first launch with nerves and emotion. The team will continue to grow in 2022 to meet the deadlines for the next launches and the first contracts already signed with a dozen international companies.
An optimal solution for industries with assets in retake áreas
The constellation of satellites created by FOSSA Systems facilitates all types of companies, with interests or assets in critical areas with no coverage, to measure and monitor all their assets.
The technological miniaturization of these platforms allows, in addition, to reduce the cost of the development and launch processes, significantly reducing the cost of IoT connectivity, offering its users much more economical communication compared to other existing solutions.
FOSSA Systems offers a turnkey service, which includes data collection, monitoring and analysis. It is an optimal and available solution for all types of industries: from power plants, fish farms, agriculture, Defense to maritime transport, among others.
The launch took place just three months after FOSSA Systems obtained two licenses, from the CNMC and the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Digital Transition, which enable the company to operate a public satellite-based electronic communications network, as well as to the transmission of data by the same system.