A multi-million-pound satellite and information firm committed to solving problems on Earth has joined Space Park Leicester.
With more than 12 satellites delivered and even more in its backlog, Open Cosmos is deploying a constellation of sensors to monitor the Earth, taking advantage of the latest technologies. The firm has launched two Earth Observation satellites this year: Hammer, in March, and Phisat-2, in August.
Hammer, through a combination of Artificial Intelligence and Inter-satellite links, is able to retrieve near-real time information for coastal and high sea areas and other applications such as natural disasters. Phisat-2 is an ESA-Led 6U CubeSat designed to showcase the latest in-orbit AI that could further be used for Earth observation applications.
Last year, Open Cosmos secured a $50m round to accelerate the development of DataCosmos, a collaborative data platform to task satellites, store, process and derive insights from satellite imagery. One of its unique features is its collaborative interface allowing scientists and analysts to develop their own algorithms using satellite imagery and other sources.
At the end of last year, Open Cosmos was also awarded a £5m project from the Government’s Space Clusters Infrastructure Fund (SCIF) to expand its manufacturing and research and development capability for microsatellite and constellation markets, while extending data exploitation reach and expertise with organisations such as Space Park Leicester.
As part of its efforts to strengthen links with the scientific community and collaborative approach for data exploitation, Open Cosmos has now joined the Space Park Leicester – the University of Leicester’s £100 million science and innovation park. Open Cosmos will be supporting the University with the development of the Elfen project as well as the exploration of new algorithms to exploit satellite imagery.
Together with fellow Space Park Leicester resident business Meridian Space Command, Open Cosmos will be supporting the University with the development of the Elfen mission. The Elfen mission aims to measure the composition of the solar wind and plasma sheet in near Earth space. Open Cosmos is helping to quickly accelerate the mission design process, aiding Space Park Leicester scientists and engineers in building a testable CubeSat model.
Adrian Martindale, Head of Space Projects and Instrumentation at Space Park Leicester, said: “It speaks volumes about Open Cosmos that it was awarded the SCIF funding last year – it is one of only a few businesses in the world that delivers end-to-end telecommunications, Earth Observation, navigation and scientific missions.
“Satellite data from Open Cosmos is enabling organisations across the globe to address a range of challenges such as monitoring agriculture and logistics and tracking deforestation and biodiversity.
“They design, build, launch and operate advanced satellites; enable organisations to access and share data and offer AI-powered data analysis from a growing range of satellite sources and analytic partners via its data platform DataCosmos.
“We’re very proud that they have joined us at Space Park Leicester and we’re looking forward to working with Open Cosmos as they play their part in helping to make the UK’s satellite market more accessible and further establishing the UK as a global space leader.”
Rafel Jorda Siquier, CEO and founder at Open Cosmos, added: “Our commitment to solving Earth’s challenges through advanced satellite technology aligns perfectly with the innovative spirit of Leicester’s space community.
“By complementing our capabilities in Earth Observation mission and data analysis, we aim to support additional scientific missions and insights derived from satellite data. We’re excited to collaborate with Space Park Leicester to advance the UK’s position in the global space industry.”
