Europe’s newest rocket soon launches, taking with itmany space missionseach with a unique objective...
Whether launching new satellites to look back and study Earth, peer out to deep space or test important new technologies in orbit, Ariane 6's first flight will showcase the versatility and flexibility of this impressive, heavy-lift launcher.
OOV-Cube is a 25-by-25 cm nanosatellite that brings together unusual bedfellows: technology testing for wildlife tracking, the Internet of Things and more.
The mission is a single satellite, but it has several goals, experiments and demonstrations on board that could pave the way for new applications in the field of small satellite constellations.
By performing the first experimental demonstration of a 'mioty' high-performance Internet of Things communication protocol, OOV-Cube will test a technology that can be linked to miniaturised transmitters carried by animals, connecting them to scientists in realtime.
The mission will also test image processing in orbit using Artificial Intelligence - an important and time-saving ability that would mean data on wildlife monitoring can be processed by the satellite in orbit, rather than later on the ground.
The satellite will also test and verify new cost-effective and efficient perovskite solar cells, verify a wide-angle camera with autofocus - a necessary prerequisite for docking manoeuvres necessary for future service missions to refuel, repair or reorbit satellites.
Ariane 6 has been designed for all possible futures.
This is made possible with the new restartable Vinci engine that will power up the Ariane 6 upper stage again and again, stopping and starting to insert missions into any orbit they need to be.
"TU Berlin has a proven track record with 28 developed and operated satellites over the last decades, and the OOV-Cube mission holds special significance for us. It represents one of the first instances where we'll be operating an experiment on a satellite developed by one of our spin-offs, RapidCubes, which adds a really interesting dimension to our experience in the field."
Find out about all the missions that will be flown on Ariane 6's first flight and get all the latest in the run-up to launch on the Ariane 6 webpage and Space Transport Twitter.