WILMINGTON — A satellite designed by a team at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington (UNCW) to capture high resolution images of the oceans is set to launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket Monday, according to the Wilmington Star.
The “SeaHawk-1” satellite, which is much smaller than most, is intended to access the health, patterns and future of the oceans.
Sara Rivero-Calle, a post-doctoral research fellow working on the project told the Star a recent NASA satellite is the size of bus, while the UNCW satellite is about the size of a loaf of bread or a toaster.
Funded by California-based Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, the satellite cost $250,000 and is expected to operate for three years.
The satellite has far higher resolution than previous ones and researchers hope to detect the green microscopic algae ocean blooms earlier than previously possible. This is important because according to Rivero-Calle, half the oxygen in today’s climate is produced by the algae, which is also the basis of the ocean food chain.
The satellite will join payloads from 18 other countries when the Falcon 9 rocket launches from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California Monday.
