Among the groundbreaking technologies shaping our future, satellite imagery stands out as a powerful tool to better understand and manage our planet. At the forefront of this revolution is TeLEOS-2, a cutting-edge satellite system that pushes new frontiers in space technology over the equator.
Developed in collaboration between ST Engineering and Singapore's Defence Science and Technology Agency (DSTA), TeLEOS-2 is equipped with a made-in-Singapore synthetic aperture radar (SAR) payload, and boasts the ability to capture high-resolution images of the Earth’s surface, under all weather conditions, day or night, thanks to its advanced polarimetric synthetic aperture radar (PolSAR) technology.
This groundbreaking feature enables TeLEOS-2 to penetrate cloud cover and rain, providing uninterrupted imaging capabilities crucial for a wide range of applications, from disaster monitoring and management to environmental surveillance and natural resource exploration.
Detailed data in any weather
While most satellite constellations make polar orbits, the TeLEOS-2 satellite operates in near-equatorial orbit (NEqO) at 10 degrees inclination and is one of the first of such constellations in the world to provide customers with high re-visit and high-resolution imagery over the equatorial region.
The TeLEOS-2 makes an average of 14 passes a day, providing extensive coverage that enhances its ability to monitor major shipping routes, disaster-prone regions, and forest-fire hotspots. This gives invaluable insights to a variety of stakeholders, including governments, businesses, and research institutions.
The TeLEOS-2 satellite is built on a bus based on the TeLEOS-1 optical earth observation satellite and is to operate in conjunction with the TeLEOS-1.
TeLEOS-2 stands out with its PolSAR payload that unlocks many possibilities for satellite data applications. By capturing multi-modal imagery with full polarimetry, the satellite delivers detailed and comprehensive information about different surfaces, enabling advanced monitoring, mapping, and quantification capabilities. This level of granularity is essential for a wide range of industries, including agriculture, maritime, and climate studies, where precise and actionable data is crucial for informed decision-making.
A key advantage of this PolSAR satellite is its capability to penetrate cloud cover and adverse weather conditions, and capture both day and night images for all-weather conditions. This allows for improved monitoring, mapping and quantification, as well as multiparameter details of different surfaces. This all-weather capability proves indispensable for applications such as disaster management, environmental monitoring, and agricultural assessment, where timely and precise data is imperative.
Furthermore, PolSAR satellites excel in capturing intricate surface features and subtle variations, owing to their high spatial resolution and polarimetric sensitivity. This capability facilitates precise mapping of terrain, vegetation, and water bodies, fostering a deeper understanding of ecological processes and land-use patterns.
As Singapore's first PolSAR satellite, the TeLEOS-2 satellite was launched in 2023, and is a follow-up to TeLEOS-1, ST Engineering's Electro-Optical (EO) Earth observation satellite that has been in orbit since 2015.
Detailed equatorial belt images
The TeLEOS-1, Singapore’s first commercial Near Equatorial Orbit (NEqO) Earth Observation satellite, was launched on 16 December 2015. TeLEOS-1 provides 1 metre high-resolution satellite pictures with an average return period of 12 to 16 hours while operating at an altitude of 550 km.
With convenient access to high temporal imagery and geospatial solutions through TeLEOS-1, decision-makers and users can respond faster to time-sensitive events, such as homeland security and border control, maritime situation awareness, and disaster monitoring and management around the equatorial belt.
In addition to reliable and quick collection, TeLEOS-1 provides better imaging opportunities all day long. TeLEOS-1 is a great addition to the current fleet of Sun Synchronous Orbit (SSO) Earth Observation satellites, increasing the potential for worldwide imagery services available to both government and commercial clients.
Both the TeLEOS-1 and TeLEOS-2 are built by ST Engineering Satellite Systems, a one-stop space and satellite solutions provider, known for its comprehensive suite of satellite engineering and testing solutions from engineering, design, development and manufacturing of space avionics, system integration to testing.
As the field of space technology continues to evolve, PolSAR satellites hold the potential to transform our understanding of the Earth and explore new frontiers in earth observation and resource management, paving the way for a more sustainable and resilient future.
Find out more: https://www.stengg.com/en/smart-city/satellite-solutions/satellite-systems