On 10 February 2023, SayariLabs joined the ranks of African satellite component manufacturers with certified space hardware by integrating its first proprietary nanosatellite hardware, SPP board, on Antaris’ JANUS – 1.
The SPP board, wholly manufactured in Kenya, was a communication board, providing, amongst other things, critical mission data downlink dissemination to the ground station. In addition, It ensures that the satellite is in constant communication with the ground stations that control the satellite and deliver the data that the mission requires.
The satellite was launched aboard the Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) second developmental flight of the Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV), SSLV-D2, from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre of India.
JANUS-1 is a software-defined 6U satellite featuring payload and subsystem technologies from seven vendors, including AICRAFT, Morpheus Space, Netra, SayariLabs, SpeQtral, Transcelestial and Zero-Error Systems (ZES) that will perform internet of things (IoT) communications, advanced experimental laser communications, radio communications and machine learning (ML) in orbit.
According to an official statement by Antaris, JANUS – 1 was entirely designed and integrated in 10 months to demonstrate a cost-effective development model for small satellites.
Similarly, SayariLabs announced its commercial agreement with Endurosat to launch the first Kenyan 3U software-defined NanoSat dubbed TAIFA-1 by April 2023. TAIFA-1 will feature a hyperspectral, Earth-observation camera that will empower decision-makers with relevant environmental, wildlife, and agricultural monitoring and land use mapping data in the fight against natural disasters.
Visit here to rewatch the launch.
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