Article

Shipmonitoring via AIS: ESAIL successfully launched by LuxSpace


by Marine-Pilots.com - published on 13 September 2020 -  70 -

picture and text by LuxSpace / OHB

Kourou/Betzdorf, September 3, 2020.
ESAIL, the first commercial microsatellite developed under the European Space Agency ESA’s SAT-AIS program for tracking ships, took off successfully from the spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, on board a Vega launcher at 3.51 a.m. (CET) tonight, reaching its orbit just under two hours later. Luxembourg-based LuxSpace, a subsidiary of the space and technology group OHB SE, was responsible for the full integration of ESAIL.

The long wait for the launch

ESAIL was originally to be launched in March 2020. However, due to the corona pandemic, the French government largely shut down the spaceport in French Guyana in March. Unable to complete their work on the satellite, the LuxSpace team traveled back to Europe and had to control the launch preparations remotely from the LuxSpace headquarters in Betzdorf. Other launch dates planned for June, July and August also had to be postponed due to heavy winds. “I have rarely had to wait this long for a successful launch of an OHB satellite. This makes me all the happier that ESAIL has now finally been able to embark on its journey into space,” says LuxSpace Managing Director Jochen Harms.

ESAIL is watching you

The client exactEarth will be using ESAIL for worldwide ship monitoring. ESAIL will form part of the exactEarth satellite constellation, which will monitor ships using its automatic identification system. ESAIL has been developed in an ESA partnership programme with the support of the Luxembourg Space Agency (LSA) to improve the next generation of satellite-based services for the maritime sector.
Watch launch video on YouTube
Watch launch video on YouTube
Watch launch video on YouTube
Watch launch video on YouTube

About LuxSpace:

LuxSpace was created in November 2004 as a daughter company of OHB SE and is located in the SES Business Center at Betzdorf in Luxembourg. Belonging to the international network of companies within the OHB group, LuxSpace provides know-how, expertise as well as products and services to the European and global institutional and industrial market in the fields of space and defence system engineering and application development.
What's your opinion on this?
Login or register to write comments and join the discussion!
Read more...

Video LuxSpace ESAIL Packaging and Shipment

published on 16 September 2020

Discover the final hours of packaging and preparations of the ESAIL satellite before it left Luxembourg. The ESAIL microsatellite for tracking ships at sea has completed its latest environmental and system performance tests and set off for Europe’s spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana. On 17 February the satellite left Luxembourg, where it was built by LuxSpace under an ESA Partnership Project with the Canadian operator exactEarth, sponsored by the Luxembourg Space Agency and other ESA member...

0

Video ESAIL Maritime Satellite Launched

published on 16 September 2020

The #ESAIL #microsatellite for tracking ships worldwide was launched. This is the first maritime satellite of its kind produced and assembled in Luxembourg. Hear from #Luxembourg Minister of the Economy Franz Fayot about this pioneering #ESA partnership project developed with #LuxSpace and #Exactearth.

0

Video Luxembourg Space Expertise: LuxSpace / ESAIL

published on 16 September 2020

LuxSpace CEO, Jochen Harms, on putting the ESAIL microsatellite into orbit.
ESAIL is part of ESA’s Partnership Projects and has been developed to enhance the next generation of space‐based services for the maritime sector. The spacecraft will track ship movements over the entire globe as it orbits the planet.

0

Article COSCO Panamax bulk carrier aground again, Parana river

by Marine-Pilots.com - published on 29 May 2020

Bulk carrier COFCO 1 with 41,900 tons of soybean resumed sailing downstream after grounding, which took place on May 25-26, but at around 0630 UTC May 27 she ran aground again, this time in San Pedro area at 269 kilometer mark, Parana river.

0

Article Harwich Haven Authority applies for extension of pilotage area

by Marine-Pilots.com - published on 17 September 2020

Following a review Harwich Haven Authority (the Authority), in its role as a Competent Harbour Authority (CHA), has applied to the Department for Transport (the Department) to extend its existing area of voluntary pilotage to include the western most areas of Hamford Water and Oakley Creek in the area known as the Walton Backwaters.

0

Article Roberta Coppa (Fedepiloti): "There are still too many gender prejudices in our world".

by ShipMag.it - published on 9 March 2021

Roberta Cotta and Teresa Matarese are the only two women in the Italian Federation of Harbour Pilots (Fedepiloti) team of 212 professionals.

0

Video MSC MIA contacted gantry crane in Valencia Sep 13 2020

published on 13 September 2020

One of the biggest ships in the world, 23,000+ TEU container ship MSC MIA, contacted gantry crane while leaving container terminal at Valencia, Spain, in the morning Sep 13. Crane collapsed, crane operator sustained injures and was hospitalized.

0

Article SVITZER STRENGTHENS OPERATIONS IN AFRICA WITH NEW CONTRACT WINS

by Marine-Pilots.com - published on 8 June 2020

Recently, Svitzer took an important step towards strengthening its presence in Africa by signing a five-year contract with Nacala Logistics in Mozambique for harbour towage, occasional pilot transfer and potential salvage work in the port of Nacala. At the same time, Svitzer also secured a five-year extension of its current contract with Egyptian LNG assisting the land-based Idku LNG plant with four tugs, two mooring boats and one pilot boat.

0

Video Tug Talk with Pilot Captain Kirk Pinto

published on 30 September 2024

#tugboatwilly #tugboat #mariners #nyharbor #mariner #docklife #boatlife #ship #bigship #captain #pilot

1

Article Challenges in the world’s largest pilot station - pilot services in Brazil

by Marine-Pilots.com - published on 10 June 2020

The 160 pilots allotted to the PZ are distributed in eight pilot companies responsible for attending ships that seek the ports or terminals of Santana (AP), Munguba (PA), Santarém (PA), Trombetas (PA), Juruti (PA) and Itacoatiara (AM), as they sail upriver (against the current).

0