First ever commercial agriculture satellite from South Africa delivering critical data worldwide
South Africa’s Dragonfly Aerospace built the world’s first commercial imaging satellite, specifically designed for agriculture, which is now delivering critical data worldwide.
The satellite, EOS SAT-1, is now in low Earth orbit and gathering imagery for American firm EOS Data Analytics, a global provider of AI-powered satellite intelligence.
Dragonfly said that the satellite was joining a wider constellation of satellites “tasked explicitly with monitoring agricultural and forest lands.” EOS SAT-1 is the first satellite in the constellation.
Images captured by the satellite’s two DragonEye onboard imagers gather important information for mapping, seasonal planning, soil moisture, yield prediction, biomass levels, and more.
“The data gathered will help in preventing the excessive use of pesticides and fertilisers, reducing food waste, and addressing the effects of climate change on agricultural and forest lands,” the company said.
Crop monitoring using satellite imaging can significantly improve outcomes for farmers and members of the agriculture industry. This was confirmed in a 2022 study conducted in the Free State and Western Cape.
The study by an Israeli agri-data provider showed that a local client improved remote nutritional management of their potato crop by 33% and reduced sprays by 8% using satellite imagery.
Dragonfly’s satellite is said to assist leaders in making informed decisions in efforts to mitigate food crises worldwide. Data from EOS SAT-1 is collected by four ground stations in different parts of the world.
The satellite was launched into orbit on 3 January 2023 and has a minimum mission lifetime of five years, according to its white paper. It weighs 176.64kg and orbits Earth at an altitude of 534km.
Manufactured at Dragonfly’s facility in Stellenbosch, EOS SAT-1 is capable of higher-resolution imaging thanks to its native 1.5m ground sample distance (GSD).
This means each pixel captured by its cameras covers 1.5m x 1.5m square of Earth. At this sample distance, you can clearly distinguish large vehicles, small buildings, and the layouts of streets.
It also has a 22km “swath width,” essentially strips of Earth the satellite can photograph as it passes along its orbit. This width allows the satellite to map large areas, such as farmland and forests.
Monitoring field harvests and mitigating natural disasters
EOS SAT-1’s cameras are also capable of capturing light across 11 spectrum bands tailored to monitor plants, soil, and atmosphere. For example, the RedEdge bands can detect early stress in plants.
The satellite can capture light in three RedEdge bands, namely B5, B7, and B8. With its panchromatic bands, it offers “highly detailed imagery for precise map creation and in-depth image analysis.”
With the spectral bands at its disposal, EOS SAT-1 can provide comprehensive crop health assessment, crop damage evaluation, field harvest monitoring, and agricultural zone changes.
In terms of forestry management, the satellite can track changes in forest cover, including deforestation, reforestation and other logging activities.
With its data, governments can identify the best routes for forest roads and plan accordingly. The satellite also detects, monitors, and assesses damage from forest fires.
Disaster management is also a potential use for EOS SAT-1, with the white paper describing how its high-definition imaging can improve flood forecasting and mitigation.
The satellite can help firms visualise changing conditions and monitor coastal risks. It can “track alterations in land, water, and ecosystems with high-resolution imagery.”
Dragonfly said the “bus structure was manufactured and assembled at the Dragonfly Aerospace facility in Stellenbosch, making it the first commercial imaging satellite to be built by a South African company.”
EOS Data Analytics sells data captured by the satellite as part of a satellite-as-a-service product, with raw satellite imagery processed by its algorithms and transformed for customers.
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