Muon Space has announced the successful deployment of the company’s first satellite, MuSat-1.
The ESPA-class spacecraft, which launched on SpaceX’s Transporter-8 mission from Vandenberg Space Force Base on Monday, June 12, is Muon Space’s first satellite on-orbit and an important step toward the firm’s Climate Constellation, which will use a new generation of sensors to monitor Earth’s climate and ecosystems.
Muon Space’s Climate Constellation will dramatically improve temporal cadence and sampling, producing sub-hourly global measurements. MuSat-2 and MuSat-3 are close behind — establishing a regular launch cadence to enable a growing constellation for Climate Intelligence data. Each satellite carries next-generation sensors that will provide transformative, actionable insights on Earth’s vital signs and the fingerprints of a changing planet.
“This launch is a testament to the incredible team we’ve assembled here at Muon Space who have designed, built, and now launched an ESPA-class spacecraft in less than two years. MuSat-1 is just the beginning as we push the limit of smallsat technology to produce actionable climate data on a global scale.”
— Jonny Dyer, CEO, Muon Space
“We were able to design, build, and launch a mission on an incredibly short timeline because we relied on a ‘fail fast’ approach to the spacecraft design. We went through multiple design iterations for all subsystems and are gratified to see how well our platform is operating in space. The communication with MuSat-1 helps us accelerate our development of upcoming satellites in the constellation.”
— Paridhi Desai, MuSat program lead
Founded in 2021, Muon Space is launching a new generation of smallsats and sensors to monitor Earth’s climate and ecosystems with unprecedented fidelity. Muon Space’s state-of-the-art facility in the heart of Silicon Valley is optimized for manufacturing spacecraft and integrating payloads at scale. Regular launches beginning in June, 2023 provide ever-increasing data sets addressing important geophysical and environmental applications and a platform to deliver new technologies to space. Muon Space’s experienced science and engineering teams are uniquely suited to deliver the most exquisite and reliable remote sensing solutions at the speed and scale required to address our most urgent climate challenges.