EnduroSat Nanosatellite launched on Balkan-1 mission
Baku, January 15, AZERTAC
EnduroSat's nanosatellite was launched at 21:09 Bulgarian time Tuesday as part of the Balkan-1 mission into low-Earth orbit aboard SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket, according to the Bulgarian News Agency (BTA).
EnduroSat is one of the fastest-growing Bulgarian nanosatellite manufacturers globally and a leader in Bulgaria’s space sector, designing, building and operating satellites with the goal of making space accessible for all.
"Balkan-1 is EnduroSat's mission for high-resolution multispectral imaging for Earth observations," EnduroSat said. The mission will provide images for the European Commission's Copernicus programme with a resolution of 1.5 m, which are critical for monitoring agriculture, forestry, land cover change management, climate impacts, as well as biodiversity and vegetation monitoring.
Balkan-1 is a nanosatellite weighing 32 kg. It orbits at an altitude of 500 kilometres above Earth. Its planned operational lifespan is five years, after which it is designed to deorbit and burn up to prevent space debris.
Varna's Nikola Vaptsarov Naval Academy organized an event at its Planetarium for the launch of the Transporter-12 rideshare mission from Vandenberg Space Force Base. The cadets, students and lecturers of the Academy were invited to follow the launch of the EnduroSat Balkan-1 mission in the Star Hall.
Speaking from the company's office in Denver, Colorado, EnduroSat CEO and Founder Raycho Raychev told the audience: "We started in a 25-square-metre attic in Sofia, and back then, everyone laughed at us. In the past ten years, EnduroSat has become one of the leaders in the sector. We serve over 350 clients worldwide, have delivered more than 100 satellites to customers, and launched over 60 into orbit. Last year alone, we launched more satellites than the entire space programme of all Balkan countries put together, which is a strong testament to our success. I am proud that all these satellites were designed and developed in Bulgaria, are largely operated by Bulgarians, and serve the entire world."
EnduroSat is planning to gradually create a constellation of 120 Balkan satellites, which will provide much broader Earth observation capabilities, Raychev said.
The satellite aims to provide space data of national and regional interest, Lyubomir Toshev, Ground Segment Lead at EnduroSat, told BTA in Varna. It can monitor maritime areas and vessels, assist in disaster management, support land mapping, and perform surveillance of coastal zones and strategic infrastructure. Its primary purpose is also to contribute to security.
Onboard, there is a multispectral sensor that observes the Earth and water bodies across multiple spectral bands. This can provide information about the presence of various chemicals and elements in water and soil, as well as monitor their quality by analyzing pollution levels and microplastic content, Toshev explained.
This is the first all-Bulgarian satellite with a scientific function and a focus on security, Toshev added.
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