GomSpace's Arctic satellite mission concludes successfully after 6 years

GomSpace's Arctic satellite mission concludes successfully after 6 years
by Robert Schreiber
Berlin, Germany (SPX) Aug 27, 2024

GomSpace's Ulloriaq satellite, developed in collaboration with the Danish Defence and the Danish Technical University, has successfully completed its mission. The satellite, which was designed to demonstrate capabilities for Arctic monitoring, re-entered Earth's atmosphere yesterday after more than six years of service.

The name "Ulloriaq," meaning "star" in Greenlandic, reflects the satellite's mission to showcase surveillance abilities in the Arctic regions under the Danish Defence's jurisdiction.

Launched in February 2018, Ulloriaq, along with its sister satellite "GOMX-4B," which was supported by the European Space Agency's GSTP program, provided several key demonstrations throughout their operational lifetime. These included:

- Arctic surveillance through tracking of ships and aircraft, as well as capturing images.

- Real-time radio relay to deliver Arctic situational awareness data to Denmark.

- Station-keeping and formation flying that enabled collaborative tasks, such as simultaneous monitoring of areas of interest.

- Hyperspectral imaging.

This mission marks the first time a Danish satellite has explored defense-oriented applications.

"Space is the ultimate high-ground and an essential source of information for the commander in modern conflict. The Ulloriaq mission has given the Danish Defence a first important demonstration on potential future operational capabilities in this domain," said Kim Jesper Jorgensen, National Armaments Director at the Danish Ministry of Defence Acquisition and Logistics Organization.

For GomSpace, the mission has significantly contributed to its export success by allowing the evolution and reuse of the satellite platform developed for Ulloriaq in other defense-oriented projects.

"The Ulloriaq mission is now an important part of our legacy, and the products, capabilities, and reliability demonstrated through this mission continue to be an important asset for building trust with existing and future customers," said Lars Krogh Alminde, Co-founder and Vice President of Strategy and Business Development at GomSpace.

GomSpace recently affirmed its commitment to sustainable space practices by signing the "ESA Zero Debris Charter." Prior to Ulloriaq's atmospheric re-entry, a decommissioning procedure was carried out to minimize risks and environmental impact. Notably, Ulloriaq was the first satellite to be authorized and operated under the Danish Space Law.