SPACE-SI and C3M together with scientists from JKUAT – Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology in Nairobi are proud to announce that we have achieved a very ambitious strategic goal to integrate advanced satellite technologies with multiscale digital twin models for improving water, environment and resilience to climate conditions in Kenya and around the world. The financial support to reach the new frontier was provided by the Republic of Slovenia through CMSR.
The scientific and technological breakthrough was marked by the official inauguration of the Conduit@Emphaty1 which was graced by the President of the Republic of Slovenia, Dr Nataša Pirc Musar, during the first Slovenian presidential visit to Kenya at the invitation of the President of Kenya, His Excellency Dr William Samoei Ruto.
The Conduit@Empathy represents a unique blend of art, science, technology, and community engagement. The art object designed by new media artist Eva Petrič is integrated with SPACE-SI and C3M scientific and engineering concepts that strongly support JKUAT’s vision for innovation, leadership and knowledge exchange with local and pan African communities.
The Conduit@Empathy1 is equipped with a range of sensors for monitoring temperature, rain, UV radiation, soil moisture, state of vegetation as well as water quantity and quality indicators. The Conduit@Empathy1 measurements will be used to calibrate SPACE-SI satellite measurements and predictions of C3M digital twin models as well as to boost our understanding of the physical interactions between water, soil, vegetation and human infrastructure under changing climate conditions.
The Conduit will act as a focal point for connecting people, science, education, technology and arts for the benefit of environment and humanity.
Mapping invasive alien plant species is becoming a high priority for resource managers and researchers across the globe in order to stimulate a circular economy.
Execution proposition:
“What if you can look after the plants with a satellite instead of a microscope? Learn how to protect our natural habitat using Earth observation imagery with CASSINI Hackathon.”
In Slovenia the CASSINI Hackathon will be organised by Space-SI. **
Main focus of our Hackathon is detection of green and water spaces in urban areas. Monitoring and preservation of green and blue corridors in cities provide important data for local and national urban planning, protects biodiversity and ensures diverse habitats and healthy ecosystems. Combining Sentinel data with our own satellite images from Nemo-HD and high-resolution ortophotos will provide participants with a wide range of possibilities to explore the topics of digitisation of green spaces and give them opportunity to work with data from the first Slovenian microsatellite. Participants will have a unique opportunity to see Nemo-HD control room and ground station and learn more about the work behind the design, launch, operating a small satellite and data post production.
Today at 3:51:10 CEST the Vega rocket successfully launched 53 satellites into space, including the first Slovenian microsatellite NEMO-HD, which separated from the rocket into its orbit 40 minutes after takeoff. In the morning we successfully established our first contact with it.
After yesterday’s successful launch of Ariane 5, the launch of Vega rocket with our NEMO-HD onboard is announced for September 1, 2020 French Guiana local time, i. e. September 2, 2020 at 3:51 CEST.
Due to the persistence of exceptionally unfavorable winds at altitude over the Guiana Space Center, Vega Flight VV16 – originally scheduled for June 18, 2020 – was repeatedly postponed, despite full availability the launcher and the 53 satellites including the firts Slovenian microsatellite NEMO-HD. The next launch attempt is set for 17 August onwards.
Weather conditions above the Guiana Space Center for Vega VV16 launch are improving. According to the weather predictions there may be opportunity to initialise the final chronology operations for Vega Flight VV16 on Saturday 27.6.2020.
The first Slovenian microsatellite NEMO-HD is ready for launch with Vega rocket. On the 16th flight of Vega rocket there will be 7 microsatellites, including NEMO-HD, and 46 nanosatellites.
NEMO-HD ready for launch.
SSMS structure with 7 micro and 46 nano satellites.
