Luxembourg launches LEO LUXEOSys satellite
Illustrative depiction of observation satellite LUXEOSys from Luxembourg's Defence Space Strategy. (Luxembourg Directorate of Defence)
The Luxembourg Earth Observation System (LUXEOSys) satellite was launched into orbit on 26 August from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, according to a 27 August press release from the Luxembourg Directorate of Defence.
The LUXEOSys satellite was developed by OHB Italia S p A and is referenced as the National Advanced Optical System (NAOS) by the manufacturer. Intended as a very-high-resolution low Earth orbit (LEO) optical satellite system, it includes the satellite platform, optical payload, and ground segment.
Israel's Elbit Systems provided its Jupiter space camera aboard the satellite, according to the Israeli company's 27 August press release. The camera has a PAN (panchromatic) GSD (Ground Sampling Distance) of 30 cm at 450 km, which means the camera can distinguish features as small as 30 cm when the satellite is flying at an altitude of 450 km. The MS (multispectral) GSD is 1.2 m at 450 km, which means that a single pixel captures 1.2 m on the ground from a 450 km altitude. The camera's swath is 12 km at 450 km. The aperture is 70 cm, spectral range is 0.45–0.9 µm, and speed is 8 km/s. It is designed to last for eight years.
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