JEDDAH - The King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) and Spire, a leading provider of data, analytics and space services, will launch the KAUST CubeSat research satellite at the end of 2022.

KAUST Climate Initiative Director Matthew McCabe explained that the research satellite specializes in collecting high-quality and high-resolution data for terrestrial, coastal and ocean ecosystems, pointing out that the launch of the satellite is a qualitative progress for the Kingdom and its great efforts in the field of protecting and restoring ecosystems on land and at sea. The data provided by this satellite is very important, especially in providing high-resolution details about the current conditions of ecosystems in the region, and monitoring improvements resulting from environmental management strategies, and thus supporting the Green Saudi Initiative and the Green Middle East Initiative.

The launch of this first satellite of its kind in the Kingdom is the most technologically advanced, as it combines the expertise of Spire in developing Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS-R) reflectors, and hyperspectral imaging devices supported by advanced capabilities in processing and artificial intelligence, which will allow researchers KAUST University collects, analyzes and uses high-resolution images of the Earth’s surface for detailed mapping of terrestrial environments, monitoring of vegetation health and condition, exploration of coastal ecosystems and coral reefs, development of precision agriculture research, and a host of other Earth and environmental science applications.

The KAUST CubeSat research satellite will carry an hyperspectral imaging sensor that can image regions of interest anywhere in the world across more than 30 user-adjustable spectral bands in the visible near-infrared (VNIR) spectrum. The resulting sensor with Spire’s GNSS receiver monitors micro-environmental variables such as soil moisture, helping in many areas such as agriculture, forestry and land management.