Lemur-2 (Adler-2) Satellite

Provide insights into space debris in low Earth orbit (LEO) and expand novel atmospheric sensing capabilities to study clouds and aerosols in the atmosphere.

Second satellite developed in partnership between the Austrian Space Forum (OeWF), a national space research organization, and Findus Venture GmbH, an Austrian investor in new space technology. ADLER-2 continues the mission of ADLER-1, which was launched in January 2022, to provide insights into space debris in low Earth orbit (LEO) and expand novel atmospheric sensing capabilities to study clouds and aerosols in the atmosphere. ADLER-2 carries three payloads that detect and track orbital debris and perform air quality measurements around the globe, and it is expected to increase the debris detection rate.

ADLER-2 is the culmination of a collaborative project between the OeWF, Findus Venture GmbH, GRASP SAS European, and Tilebox and is built and operated by SPIRE Space Services.

ADLER-2 is double the size of its predecessor, ADLER-1, which was launched in January last year. The CubeSat is carrying three payloads boasting a range of cutting-edge technologies.
These include a radar device, the APID (Austrian Particle Impact Detector) ‘space microphone’, and an optical sensor array developed by AirPhoton that will expertly monitor Earth’s atmosphere aerosols.

The three payloads aboard Spire’s LEMUR 6U satellite are a radar device, the APID (Austrian Particle Impact Detector) ‘space microphone’ from the Austrian Space Forum, and an optical sensor developed by AirPhoton Inc., the US division of GRASP SAS, a European company that will provide enhanced monitoring of Earth’s atmosphere aerosols. 

GRASP’s GAPMAP (GRASP-Airphoton Multi-Angle Polarimeter) sensor, a technology demonstrator, is the first instrument of its kind in space and it will contribute to the study of air pollution by detecting from orbit composition and concentrations of aerosol in Earth’s atmosphere. GAPMAP will highlight the potential for Earth-viewing images of multiple wavelengths, angles, and polarisation states to characterise particulate pollution anywhere on the planet – capabilities only a number of large satellites can achieve.

In preparation for the missions, the APID space microphone has been advanced by increasing its size six-fold and utilising advanced materials, including a piezoceramic plate with greater temperature resistance.

Data acquired from the radar and space microphone will be analysed by the OeWF to enrich our understanding of space debris.

OeWF and Findus Venture partners and operators will continue to use Tilebox to access and process ADLER-2 data. With ADLER-1, Tilebox proved orchestration capabilities, a solid auto-scaling profile and processing cost savings, re-processing about 2 million gathered events in just a few minutes. Tilebox Inc. is the first fully integrated midstream cloud platform that offers a secure, high performance and scalable solution for space companies to develop data products easier, faster and cheaper.

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• BRO-9
• Brokkr-1
• Connecta T2.1
• FACSAT-2
• INSPIRE-Sat 7
• It’s About Time
• KILICSAT (KILIÇSAT)
• Lemur-2 164
• Lemur-2 165 (Adler-2)
• Lemur-2 163 (KAUST)
• LS2f
• Platform-3
• Pleiades - Sapling Giganteum
• Pleiades Yearling 2.0
• RoseyCubesat-1
• Space-D DEWA 2
• SSS-2B
• TAIFA-1
• ELO-3
• EPICHyper-1
• Kepler-20
• Kepler-21
• VCUB1
• CIRBE
• DISCO
• IRIS-C
• REVELA
• VIREO
• LLITED A
• LLITED B