MH-1 (AEROS) Spacecraft

Pathfinder toward a future ocean-observing constellation targeting the Portuguese Atlantic region

Pathfinder toward a future ocean-observing constellation, which will operate in a 500 km Sun-Synchronous orbit, targeting the Portuguese Atlantic region.

AEROS features a miniaturized, high-resolution Hyperspectral Imager (HSI), a 5MP RGB camera, and a Software Defined Radio (SDR) to interface with Argos, a globally distributed system of remote platforms that collect and relay oceanographic and meteorological data.

These sensors will facilitate the advancement of Portuguese scientific and technological knowledge, and international space industry partnerships, with data processed and aggregated for end-users in a new web-based Data Analysis Center (DAC).

The AEROS is the result of a groundbreaking collaboration effort lead by Thales Edisoft Portugal and CEiiA // Centre of Engineering and Product Development, with Portuguese companies Spin.Works and dstelecom, as well as relevant research institutes and universities, namely Universidade do Minho, FCUP Faculdade de Ciências UP, Universidade do Algarve, Instituto Superior Técnico/ IN+ Center for Innovation, Technology and Policy Research, +ATLANTIC CoLAB , Instituto Do Mar /Okeanos-UAc, AIR Centre - Atlantic International Research Centre, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and MIT Portugal Program.

The name MH-1 honors Manuel Heitor, Portugal’s Minister for Science, Technology and Higher Education between 2015-2022 and Portuguese Secretary of State of Science, Technology and Higher Education between 2005-2011. Heitor has been a longtime supporter of international partnerships, including the CMU Portugal Program, and of all its initiatives, strengthening the relationship between Carnegie Mellon and the Portuguese scientific and innovation ecosystem throughout the years.

Investment: The project AEROS Constellation (045911) is co-financed by the ERDF - European Regional Development Fund through the Operational Program for Competitiveness and Internationalisation - COMPETE 2020, the North Portugal Regional Operational Program – NORTE 2020 and by the Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) under MIT Portugal Program, with a total cost of 2.786.748,78 EUR, being supported by the EU FEDER 1.884.426,49 EUR.

The Small Satellite Conference 2024 has awarded the Portuguese nanosatellite Aeros MH-1 the Mission of the Year Award, according to the event's website.

Start of essential communications with the Santa Maria Teleport on March 19, 2024.

With the completion of the first part of the LEOP (Launch and Early Orbit Phase), which includes the evaluation of the satellite's health and integrity and the initial tests of the on-board sensors, AEROS MH-1 began collecting the first images through the low-resolution RGB camera.

The original name AEROS had to be changed when it already existed in the catalog.

• PLATFORM - Open Cosmos

[1]

• BRO-12
• BRO-13
• CONTEC CubeSat
• HAMMER (IOD6)
• HORACIO
• Hubble 1 (Lemur-2 186)
• Hubble 2 (Lemur-2 187)
• IRIS-F1
• LaCE 1
• LaCE 2
• Lemur-2 188
• Lemur-2 189
• MH-1 (AEROS)
• OWLSAT-1
• OWLSAT-2
• OrbAstro TR2
• Pony Express 2
• Pony Express 3
• PY4 A
• PY4 B
• PY4 C
• PY4 D
• RROCI-2
• Sentry (Scout-1)
• SONATE-2
• Tiger-7
• Tiger-8
• Veery-0E
• M3Sat