Scanway powers EagleEye satellite and Ariane 6 rocket missions
10:01 AM EDT, July 7, 2024
Polish company Scanway will play an essential role in two space missions. Its technologies will be used in the most prominent Polish satellite, EagleEye, and the new European launch rocket, Ariane 6.
On July 9, the launch of the latest rocket by the European Space Agency (ESA)—Ariane 6—is scheduled to take place. The Wrocław-based company Scanway plays a vital role in this strategic project. It has supplied an optical set based on two cameras that will record critical stages of the flight. The cameras will capture the separation of the main fairing approximately 3.5 minutes after launch. After 66 minutes of flight, they will record the separation of the satellites being placed into orbit.
Data gathered by the cameras will be invaluable to ESA, which will use it to optimize future missions. The cameras can also be utilized in other space missions, such as identifying space debris, repairing and refueling satellites, or assessing damage to devices in orbit.
The largest Polish satellite to date—EagleEye—will be launched into space shortly. For this project, Scanway developed an optical telescope, which is a critical element of the satellite. The telescope is designed to provide high-resolution images of Earth, enabling environmental monitoring, natural resource analysis, and—if needed—crisis management support.
The telescope was created thanks to the company's extensive knowledge and experience gained during work on the STAR VIBE mission, under which another Earth-observing satellite was developed.
Scanway is developing two business lines: vision systems for industry and space technologies. The latter category includes Earth observation systems and self-diagnostic devices for satellites.
Although the company was founded relatively recently, in 2016, it has already participated in various space missions, collaborating with ESA, the German Space Agency, and Thales Alenia Space.
It is also participating in the PIAST (Polish Imaging Satellites) project, under which three Earth-observing satellites will be placed in orbit and operated by the Military University of Technology in cooperation with the Ministry of National Defense.
