GomSpace’s Ulloriaq arctic demonstration satellite successfully ends mission
Yesterday the Ulloriaq satellite, built by GomSpace for the Danish Defence, with the participation of the Danish Technical University, to demonstrate applications relevant to arctic monitoring, re-entered the atmosphere after more than 6 years of operation.
The name “Ulloriaq” means star in the Greenlandic language and hints at the satellites’ mission of demonstrating surveillance capabilities in the arctic areas that are part of the Kingdom of Denmark and within the responsibility of the Danish Defence.
The satellite measuring 20x30x10 cm and with a mass of 10kg was launched in February 2018 together with a sister satellite “GOMX-4B” developed with the support of the European Space Agency GSTP program. Over their lifetime, the two satellites provided a number of relevant demonstrations including:
- Arctic surveillance: tracking ships, aircraft and taking pictures
- Radio relay via the two satellites to deliver arctic situational awareness data in Denmark in real-time
- Station keeping and formation flying enabling the two satellites to collaborate on tasks including simultaneous monitoring of regions of interest
- Hyperspectral imaging
The mission represents the first Danish satellite exploring defence-oriented applications.
“Space is the ultimate high-ground and an essential source of information for the commander in modern conflict. The Ulloriaq mission has given the Danish Defence a first important demonstration on potential future operational capabilities in this domain“, says Kim Jesper Jørgensen, National Armaments Director at the Danish Ministry of Defence Acquisition and Logistics Organization.
For GomSpace the mission has greatly contributed to export success based on re-using and evolving the satellite platform designed for the Ulloriaq mission including for other defence-oriented missions.
“The Ulloriaq mission is now an important part of our legacy, and the products, capabilities and reliability demonstrated through this mission continues to be an important asset for building trust with existing and future customers”, says Lars Krogh Alminde, Co-founder and Vice President Strategy & Business Development.
GomSpace recently signed the “ESA Zero Debris Charter” confirming our commitment to sustainable space activities. A decommissioning procedure was performed on the Ulloriaq satellite before atmospheric re-entry to minimise risk and environmental impacts. The satellite was the first to be authorised and operated under the Danish Space Law.
For more information, please contact:
Anne Breüner (Head of Corporate Affairs)
Tel: +45 40 200 192
E-mail: anbr @ gomspace.com
About GomSpace Group AB
The company’s business operations are mainly conducted through the wholly-owned Danish subsidiary, GomSpace A/S, with operational office in Aalborg, Denmark. GomSpace is a space company with a mission to be engaged in the global market for space systems and services by introducing new products, i.e. components, platforms and systems based on innovation within professional nanosatellites. The company is listed on the Nasdaq First North Premier exchange under the ticker GOMX. FNCA Sweden AB is the Company’s Certified Adviser. For more information, please visit our website on www.gomspace.com.
