Airbus Bartolomeo Platform Provides Earth Observation Applications Affordably

Christian Steimle, Bartolomeo Business and Service Manager, spoke with GISCafe Voice about the Airbus built Bartolomeo platform that was successfully launched on March 6th from Cape Canaveral, Florida, US. Bartolomeo is now on its journey to the International Space Station (ISS) and will be installed outside of the Columbus Laboratory, the European module of the ISS built by Airbus.

For companies and research organizations who would like to explore their projects in space quickly and easily, the Bartolomeo platform is a really good fit, providing Earth observation applications at an affordable price.

Named after Christopher Columbus’ younger brother, Bartolomeo is funded by Airbus and will be operated with the support of the European Space Agency (ESA). The platform can host up to 12 different payload slots, providing them with a power supply and data transmission back to Earth.

The platform can be used for environmental and climate research, robotics, material sciences, and astrophysics or to test new technologies in space. The platform’s unique vantage point 400 kilometres above the Earth offers unobstructed views of the planet, enabling the hosting of external payload in low-Earth-orbit.

About every three months, launch opportunities are available on every servicing mission to the ISS.

What is the advantage of having the platform so close to the earth as opposed to the type of platform that would be distant?

Airbus: Having the platform flying only in 400 km orbit altitude enables a very high resolution of phenomena to be observed. This resolution can be achieved with low cost instrumentation.

What clients would choose this type of platform?

Airbus: We are receiving great interest from space agencies and institutions in Europe, the US and other countries. Furthermore, we are in negotiation with several private companies, large corporations as well as SMEs and startup companies.

What is the location of the ISS?

Airbus: The ISS is in low Earth orbit in 400 km altitude and 52 degrees orbit inclination.

How long will it take for the Bartolomeo to reach the ISS?

Airbus: The SpaceX Dragon capsule took about 2 days to reach the ISS.

What are customers looking forward to about the new platform?

Airbus: The flexibility in payload design, the easy accessibility, the viewing conditions and the ability to return payloads back to Earth are our key selling points.

What kinds of projects will be prepared for a 12 month period of time for a payload to be prepared and ready to operate?

Airbus: There is a strong interest both in exposure of samples to the space environment and in-orbit demonstrations of technologies. But also Earth remote sensing is about to become a field of interest.

Does the optical data downlink capacity become available after the payload has been created?

Airbus: Yes, the Laser communication device will be installed as the first evolutionary step.

The payload accommodation allows slots for a wide range of payload mass going from 5 to 450 kg. They will be provided with optical data downlink capacity of one to two Terabytes per day.

In just 12 months any payload can be prepared and ready to operate. Payload sizes, interfaces, preparation before launch and integration process are largely standardized. This reduces lead times and saves costs significantly compared to traditional misión costs.

Will other services be available from the platform without having to wait 12 months? If so, what types?

Airbus: Bartolomeo is offered as part of our All-in-one Space Mission Service which is already available today. We are preparing the first payload together with our customer right now.

Tags: data, geospatial, GIS, GPS, imagery, intelligence, laser scanner, LiDAR, location, mapping, maps, navigation, satellite imagery

Categories: Airbus Defense and Space, analytics, Big Data, cloud, data, geocoding, geospatial, GIS, government, laser radar, lidar, location based sensor fusion, location based services, location intelligence, mapping, photogrammetry, remote sensing, satellite based tracking, satellite imagery, sensors, space-based flight tracking, spatial data

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