by Riko Seibo
Tokyo, Japan (SPX) Dec 12, 2025
IHI-SAT2, a hyperspectral 6U CubeSat constructed by Kongsberg NanoAvionics for Japan’s IHI Company, has reached orbit and established two-way communications shortly after deployment from a SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Transporter-15 rideshare mission launched from Vandenberg Area Pressure Base in California on 28 November 2025. The mission is meant as a step towards IHI’s deliberate Earth remark constellation, targeted on forest monitoring and associated purposes.
The ultra-compact satellite tv for pc will accumulate high-resolution hyperspectral imagery throughout a number of areas on Earth, supplying detailed information to help forest administration and picture evaluation actions at NeXT FOREST Company, a three way partnership between IHI and Sumitomo Forestry Firm Restricted. By producing wealthy spectral datasets at decrease mission value than conventional platforms, IHI-SAT2 is designed to underpin growth of latest evaluation strategies and companies linked to forest property and carbon credit score schemes.
IHI-SAT2’s hyperspectral sensor will allow wide-area, fine-scale identification of tree species, in addition to assessments of development circumstances and indications of illness which are more durable to detect with typical optical imaging. In contrast with commonplace optical cameras, the satellite tv for pc’s hyperspectral payload measures mild over narrower, extra quite a few wavelength bands, offering info that can be utilized to differentiate vegetation sorts and detect refined modifications in forest well being.
Kongsberg NanoAvionics has delivered a whole small satellite tv for pc answer for the mission, constructed on its 6U CubeSat bus and integrating the IHI-selected hyperspectral payload together with help for environmental testing, launch preparation, and early orbit operations. The corporate notes that the flight continues its document of creating first contact on all of its greater than 50 satellite tv for pc missions thus far, reinforcing the efficiency and reliability of its small-satellite platform.
“With IHI-SAT2 now in orbit, we will speed up our potential to amass and analyse hyperspectral satellite tv for pc information independently. This mission represents a key milestone towards constructing a sustainable forest administration and carbon credit score ecosystem,” mentioned Yoshifumi Asakura, Common Supervisor of Area Programs Enterprise Growth Workplace, Aero Engine, Area and Protection Enterprise Space, IHI Company.
Atle Wollo, CEO of Kongsberg NanoAvionics, mentioned: “The IHI-SAT2 mission demonstrates how industrial gamers are more and more utilizing small satellites as strategic property to create data-driven worth on Earth. By combining IHI’s engineering experience with our flight-proven satellite tv for pc expertise, this mission showcases how hyperspectral imaging can instantly help unbiased local weather motion and the sustainable administration of pure assets.”
By IHI-SAT2, IHI goals to strengthen its capabilities in hyperspectral remark, information evaluation, and satellite tv for pc operations, utilizing the mission to refine methods for dealing with and exploiting hyperspectral datasets. Information gained from working this CubeSat is predicted to feed into future satellite-based information companies and broaden the vary of sectors the place IHI can apply space-derived info, together with purposes past forestry.
Associated Hyperlinks
Kongsberg NanoAvionics
Earth Statement Information – Suppiliers, Expertise and Utility
