It has been rescheduled due to unfavourable weather conditions
Photo: Twitter
The Dubai Electricity and Water Authority’s (DEWA) launch of the second satellite has been rescheduled to Wednesday, April 12 now, due to unfavourable weather conditions.
Previously it was to be launched on Tuesday, April 11.
DEWA’s second nanosatellite, Sat-2, is part of their Space-D programme.
Dewa Sat-2 will be blasting off on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, US.
Designed and developed at the authority's Research and Development Centre, in cooperation with NanoAvionics in Lithuania, the new satellite features a high-resolution camera (4.7 metres) that will be used for Earth observation missions.
The high-resolution camera provides continuous line-scan imaging in 7 spectral bands from approximately 500km orbit. The new satellite is also equipped with Infrared tools to measure greenhouse gases.
Dewa Sat-2 images — when combined with Internet of Things (IoT) measurements from Dewa Sat-1 — will enable the authority to improve the operational performance of power generation and water desalination plants.
These two nanosatellites will provide accurate estimates of seawater temperature, seawater salinity, detection of red tide, as well as fog monitoring and forecasting.
Dewa is the first utility in the world to launch nanosatellites to improve its planning, operation, and maintenance activities. Using satellite network communication, IoT and artificial intelligence contributes to improving the efficiency of photovoltaic solar panels at the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, the largest single-site solar park in the world, using the Independent Power Producer model.
ALSO READ:
Nandini Sircar has a penchant for education, space, and women's narratives. She views the world through a prism of learning: whether it's the earthly pursuit of wisdom or the unearthly mysteries of space. In her written universe, women and children take centre stage.