As one of the founding signatories to the Memorandum of Principles of Space Sustainability, developed by the Earth-Space Sustainability Initiative (https://www.essi.org/) Lacuna is proud to show its on-going commitment to the preservation of the space environment for the benefit of all.
LacunaSat-1 was Lacuna’s proof-of-concept mission, launched in April 2019 and designed for a three month test campaign. Since being removed from active service back in 2021 and having achieved close to 24 months of in-orbit testing, the mission has now been successfully and safely de-orbited, burning up in the upper atmosphere well ahead of the specified regulatory requirements. Removing inactive satellites from LEO is a key part of keeping space clean for future users.
It is hard to imagine now, with all the other companies trying to bring satellite IoT services to market, but at the time, many experts were questioning its technical feasibility. The real challenge, it turns out, is doing direct-to-IoT-device communications at a sufficient scale for it to be commercially viable. Lacuna has spent many years developing their IoT gateway payload and testing it in space, which when combined with its global radio spectrum scans, enables Lacuna to achieve the highest connection capacity of any satellite IoT gateway.
Lacuna is proud that it has since gone on to demonstrate many environmental and sustainability applications here on earth, thanks to its novel satellite IoT technology.
“The sheer breadth and scale of remote IoT applications able to take advantage of this low power, low cost connectivity is constantly surprising us” said Jon Pearce, Lacuna Space CCO. “By reaching beyond smart cities and out in to expansive agricultural, forestry, marine and industrial zones, we are able to make a significant impact through the digitalisation of our precious environment and scarce resources.“
A shining example would be with Lacuna’s partner, IoT Ventures in New Zealand, who recently launched their TankView water monitoring system to track stores of fresh potable water on remote islands in the South Pacific Ocean. In these extremely remote islands it would be totally impractical to use terrestrial IoT connectivity options. By providing advanced warning of water shortages via satellite, authorities are given ample time to mobilise emergency supplies before shortages become critical. No doubt a great relief for local communities.
To find out more about out how Lacuna can help your business achieve net-zero, and opportunities to join our mission, please visit www.lacuna.space or contact us on getmestarted@lacuna-space.com.