Dubai: DEWA to Launch Its ‘Sat-2’ 6U Nanosatellite in April
Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) has completed preparations to launch its second nanosatellite for remote sensing applications in April.
The 6U nanosatellite is part of DEWA’s Space-D program. DEWA Sat-2 will be launched by SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, USA. The nanosatellite was designed and developed at DEWA’s Research and Development Centre, in cooperation with NanoAvionics in Lithuania.
The new satellite features a high-resolution camera (4.7 meters) that will be used for Earth observation missions. The high-resolution camera provides continuous line-scan imaging in 7 spectral bands from approximately 500km orbit. The new satellite is also equipped with Infrared equipment to measure greenhouse gases, according to Emirates News Agency (WAM).
The combined use of DEWA SAT-2 images and Internet of Things (IoT) measurements from DEWA SAT-1 will enable DEWA to improve the operational performance of power generation and water desalination plants by providing accurate estimates of seawater temperature, seawater salinity, detection of red-tide, as well as fog monitoring and forecasting.
