Developed in Gliwice, the Intuition-1 satellite was launched into space aboard a Falcon 9 rocket. In the same mission, the Polish observation satellite STORK-7, equipped with 28 perovskite solar cells from Saule Technologies, was put into orbit.

Falcon 9 took off from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The Transporter-9 mission carried a total of 90 satellites into orbit for various customers from around the world.

Intuition-1 is a microsatellite with an optical hyperspectral instrument for Earth observation. Its development cost approximately PLN 20 million, of which approximately PLN 13 million was funded by the National Centre for Research and Development. The purpose of Intuition will be to observe the Earth and process data in orbit, using on-board systems employing artificial neural networks. Analysis of the collected data already in orbit means significantly lower operating costs.

The developers of Intuition, with the support of the European Space Agency, will use it to analyse soil parameters based on observations in multiple light bands. The result will be precise data on the content of macronutrients in the soil: potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, and PH tests.

The second Polish satellite to be launched is the observation satellite STORK-7, equipped with 28 perovskite cells (solar cells with new technology) from Saule Technologies. This will be the first demonstration of perovskite operation in orbit. The SatRev company is responsible for the construction, software, launch and operation of the satellite in orbit.

The mission of the Wrocław-based satellite (equipped with, among other things, a camera) will be able to test the operation of perovskite cells in space. SatRev is a Wrocław-based company founded in 2016 and active in the space industry. It is the first of the Polish commercial entities to place its objects in orbit.

Arkadiusz Słomczyński