The Polish company SatRevolution will place two new optical satellites into orbit in the coming days, the task of which will be to collect data for the agricultural and energy industries in Poland and the USA. The project is called Mission Andromeda.
Soon, two Polish satellites STORK-4 and STORK-5 Marta will appear in space, which will give rise to the 14-object STORK constellation. The satellites will be launched into orbit by the Virgin Orbit launch rocket, LauncherOne. Once in orbit, the satellites will collect multispectral images and medium resolution data for agricultural and energy customers in Poland and the US. In the future, satellite images will be able to support green energy, among others thanks to the precise indication of areas where it is worth to build PV farms. By the end of 2026, SatRevolution plans to put 1500 observation satellites in orbit and thus become the world’s largest operator of EO (Earth Observation) satellites.
“The Andromeda mission is an exciting project of Polish companies, the main culmination of which will be the launch of SatRevolution satellites into orbit. Together with us, Saule and Columbus are present in the USA, as well as the JR Holding investment fund, which initiated the platform of cooperation between us and supports us financially. Our goal is building new markets for our products and attracting new investors. We are thinking about how to transfer space solutions to earth”, said Grzegorz Zwoliński, President of the Management Board of SatRevolution S.A.
“The Andromeda mission is the first synergy effect of JR Holding’s investments. Our idea was to combine the most interesting companies in which we had capital involvement into one joint project. We want to show that Poland does not differ in terms of technology and development from what is happening in the world. I believe that by acting in a group, we can do more. I am proud to be part of this mission”, said January Ciszewski, President of the Management Board of JR Holding.
The satellites will be used primarily in precision agriculture and forestry. Real-time data delivered from orbit will help assess crop health, hydration and soil condition. They will also allow for the location of illegal logging, the assessment of the stand and possible diseases. The photos can also be helpful in determining the level of extraction in mines, estimating the size of the excavated material, assessing the quality of road investments or managing fiber-optic network construction projects. The satellites will also support green energy, which in particular will benefit the Columbus Energy company participating in the mission.
“Data from SatRevolution satellites can provide important information useful in the development of our business. Thanks to the data obtained from orbit, it will be possible to precisely indicate in which areas it is worth to build solar farms and how to design them. On the other hand, an interesting element that we can bring to the project is a product of the Saule technology company belonging to the Columbus Group – perovskite cells. They are ultra-thin and flexible photovoltaic cells that generate energy from both the sun and artificial light. I hope that the perovskite cells will find their way to Polish satellites in the first place and that we will soon be able to use them widely in space, instead of heavy silicon”, said Dawid Zieliński, President of the Management Board of Columbus Energy S.A.
The cooperation of Columbus, Saule Technologies and SatRevolution opens up opportunities for companies to use Polish technologies both in space and on Earth. More information about the project can be found at misjaandromeda.pl.