Malta Used For First Test Shot By New International Space Satellite
The Copernicus Sentinel-2B low-Earth orbiting satellite is currently testing a ground-breaking laser delivery system which is able to send high-resolution satellite images nearly instantly (think WhatsApp for space), and they just tested it out with a gorgeous shot of Malta!
The satellite is currently in its final stages of its commissioning period, and the images of Malta (which formed part of a strip of images taken from Europe to North Africa) were beamed from a distance of nearly 36,000 kilometres. And even though the last part of the process was done through a conventional radio-frequency downlink, the European Space Agency, the photo was still captured and successfully sent back to Earth within six minutes, an impressive achievement over previous systems.
The Bay of Naples in Southern Italy, featuring Mount Vesuvius towards the right. Image by ESA.
The strip of images used for the successful transmission. Malta, bang in the centre, was one of the first countries which was snapped ahead of the satellite’s commission on 15th June.
The Sentinel-2B is the latest in a constellation of satellites known as Copernicus, which monitor the Earth and are expected to provide invaluable insight to studying agricultural practices, changes in land cover, and even monitor natural disasters. And it’s not just about high-resolution photos; together, the satellites can image the entire globe every five days, or all of Europe in about two days!
The Copernicus Sentinel-2B was launched on 7th March this year, and is expected to be followed by another pair (Sentinel-3A and B) later next year. So get ready for even more stunning images of our tiny island!
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