Exolaunch signs contracts with Synspective & Lunasonde

StriX-1 (Synspective), launch mid-2022 on Soyuz-2

On September 16, 2021, Exolaunch announced that it had signed an agreement with the Japanese satellite operator Synspective to launch the latter's SAR satellite "StriX-1" into space. SAR satellites are equipped with a synthetic aperture radar (SAR). They are used in earth exploration, mapping and reconnaissance. In contrast to optical sensors, they can also generate images in poor weather conditions and in the dark. They also enable resolutions down to the meter range, making the images they generate easy to interpret. The StriX-1 is scheduled to launch on a Soyuz-2 in mid-2022.

Gossamer (Lunasonde), Launch 2022 on Falcon 9

Just one week later, on September 23, 2021, Exolaunch announced that it would launch the Gossamer satellites of the American company Lunasonde. This is a startup whose satellites will be used to map raw material deposits. In 2016, Lunasonde CEO Jeremiah Pate, still a high school graduate at the time, came up with the idea of using magnetic resonance imaging, previously only used in medicine, in space as well. This technology should be able to detect groundwater, mineral deposits and other geological resources up to two kilometers below the Earth's surface. If successful, this will be an important milestone in the sustainable exploration of raw material deposits. The launch of the first satellites is planned for 2022 on a Falcon 9 (SpaceX).

via Exolaunch, Synspective, Lunasonde