UK’s HotSat-1 climate satellite suffers failure in orbit

Tasked with mapping heat loss from buildings, HotSat-1's operations were halted following the malfunction of its camera earlier this week. Despite ongoing communication with the spacecraft, SatVu, the London-based company responsible for the mission, has little hope of resuming its functions.

HotSat-1, fully insured, will be replaced by a new satellite scheduled for launch in 2025. Anthony Baker, SatVu's Chief Executive, expressed his disappointment but remains optimistic about the future. "The satellite was working fantastically, the data was great and the customers were super-excited. To trip up now is deeply frustrating but we've proved the principle and that puts us in a really strong position for the future," he said in a statement to BBC News.

Equipped with the highest resolution commercial thermal sensor in orbit, HotSat-1 could detect hot and cold features on Earth as small as 3.5 metres. The mission's primary goal was to pinpoint properties that were inefficiently using energy by identifying their heat signatures. This information was intended to advise property owners on solutions to save costs and reduce carbon emissions. The target was not only residential buildings in the UK, which are known for their inefficiency, but also public buildings, factories, and other infrastructure.

Baker revealed that organisations initially testing HotSat-1's data were transitioning to becoming full-fledged customers. "We'd even sent out our first invoice," he added, highlighting the early success of the mission.

Surrey Satellite Technology Limited in Guildford was responsible for assembling HotSat-1's mid-wave infrared camera, as well as its chassis and subsystems. The company is now collaborating with a review board to determine the exact cause of the failure. Understanding the malfunction is crucial for integrating improvements into the design of the upcoming mission.

SatVu's long-term plan involves deploying a constellation of eight sensors, with Baker emphasizing the economic viability and customer demand for such an expansion. "Eight gives us a clear path to profitability," he noted, underscoring the lucrative potential of the satellite data market.

HotSat-1's sensor technology was developed with funding from both the European and UK space agencies. Its initial images were unveiled at an event attended by the Prince of Wales. Recently, company executives presented the technology at the COP28 UN climate talks in Dubai, further highlighting the significance of the mission in the context of global climate change efforts.