Posts Tagged ‘space’
Another satellite built by “Kongsberg NanoAvionics” has reached space – to monitor forest health and support the development of green credits
A “Kongsberg NanoAvionics” small satellite, “IHI-SAT2”, designed for global forest monitoring and the advancement of green credit initiatives, has successfully reached Earth’s orbit. The satellite was launched into space on 28 November from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, as part of the SpaceX “Transporter-15” mission. Shortly after separating from the rocket’s second stage, the “NanoAvionics” mission control centre in Vilnius established a stable two-way communication link with “IHI-SAT2”, confirming its successful operation.
The satellite was manufactured on behalf of Japan’s “IHI Corporation” and “IHI Aerospace Co., Ltd.” and is part of the “NeXT FOREST” programme, undertaken by “IHI” in collaboration with “Sumitomo Forestry Company Limited”. Its onboard hyperspectral camera captures imagery across an exceptionally wide range of the electromagnetic spectrum, allowing precise identification of plant species, analysis of forest condition changes, and detection of stress or disease indicators. Such data provide invaluable insights for sustainable forestry practices and the development of environmental financial mechanisms.
It is particularly encouraging that “IHI-SAT2” was fully assembled and tested in Lithuania – at the “NanoAvionics” facility in Vilnius, from which the entire mission is also being coordinated. This marks the eleventh satellite launched by the company into space this year. Since commencing operations in 2014, “NanoAvionics” has already deployed more than fifty satellites into orbit, supporting climate monitoring, science, communications, and industrial projects worldwide.
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Originally published on 3 Dec
Read MoreLithuanian Lasers Power Space and Quantum Projects
The first Lithuanian laser in space, contributions to Mars atmosphere missions, and joint projects with the European Space Agency (ESA) in quantum technologies – these are among the achievements of Integrated Optics, a Lithuanian laser company. Its compact lasers have opened doors to space, supported by the Innovation Agency.
Compactness and proven reliability led a University of Vienna mission to choose an Integrated Optics laser.
“When we talk about space technologies, every extra gram of a device significantly increases costs, so extremely efficient and compact solutions are required. The same applies in the field of quantum computing – one of the barriers there is the size of optical instruments. Our laser, which is the smallest on the market, is perfectly suited for quantum computation experiments in space. In the future, if everything goes according to plan, another of our lasers will head to Mars to study its atmosphere using a special LiDAR instrument,” says Evaldas Pabrėža, CEO of Integrated Optics.
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Originally published on 6 Nov
Read MoreLatvia’s space and smart technology potential presented at EXPO Japan
In September, Latvian entrepreneurs and scientists participated in the world’s largest exhibition, EXPO 2025 Osaka, at a business conference organized by the Investment and Development Agency of Latvia (LIAA) entitled “How Innovation in the Aerospace Industry Can Promote Sustainability and Environmental Conservation,” highlighting Latvia’s expertise and innovation potential in the field of space and smart technologies.
The conference took place as part of the Expo 2025 Osaka thematic week “The Future of Earth and Biodiversity,” bringing together experts, industry representatives, academics, and students from Latvia, Japan, and other countries to seek solutions on how sustainable aerospace technologies can help preserve the environment and biodiversity.
The conference was opened by Latvian Foreign Minister Baiba Braže. In her speech, she emphasized: “Latvia’s achievements in innovation, ICT, quantum technology and other new technology fields are recognized worldwide. The geopolitical situation has promoted the development of the domestic security industry, including in the field of drone technology. Latvia also has the advantage of extensive technology testing opportunities – more and more manufacturers from our allied countries are coming to Latvia to test the latest generation of drones. We have also achieved a lot in quantum technologies – we are a “small quantum superpower” whose professors have developed algorithms that account for up to 20% of the world’s quantum algorithms. The minister also pointed out that confirmation of our companies’ achievements is also reflected in investor assessments – the investment climate in Latvia has improved significantly, and half of existing investors plan to continue investing in Latvia in the future.
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Originally published on 29 Sep
Read MoreLithuanian-Built Technology – Light-Speed Secure Communication in Space and on Earth
In recent years, Lithuania has been increasingly establishing itself as a creator of space technologies, and one of the country’s brightest stars is Astrolight. With impressive innovation potential and global ambitions, the company has moved into developing laser communication technologies that could fundamentally change communication between Earth and space. These solutions are also opening new paths in the defense sector, where secure and uninterrupted communication is critically important.
Lithuania’s innovation ecosystem has long since crossed the boundaries of local projects, and support from the European Space Agency (ESA) is opening up more and more opportunities for Lithuanian companies to establish themselves in the international market. In total, Astrolight has already received around 1 million euros in funding from ESA.
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Originally published on 2 Apr
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