Using GPS, telescopes, and radar equipment. - Pay attention: a new venture averts satellite collisions.
The CEO and co-founder, Kristina Nikolaus (30), states, "Approximately 10,000 satellites circle our Earth at an altitude of 400 kilometers, and experts predict that this number will rise to 70,000 in the near future." The cost per satellite ranges from five million to several billion euros.
Satellites that travel through space at a speed of nine kilometers per second are essential because they support fast internet, communication, navigation, weather forecasting, and climate research. However, these satellites also face a growing threat of destruction due to collisions with other satellites, spent rockets, or debris. "Even a tiny object, like a mouse, has the potential to cause complete loss," says Nikolaus.
The company Orbits plays a crucial role in this scenario. Equipped with GPS, telescopes, radar, and cameras in space, this space company accurately tracks spacecraft. "We are the only ones who do this with such precision," claims Nikolaus. The data collected is then used to create a catalog with high probabilities of a satellite's location, allowing redirection or even slowdown to prevent collisions.
A total of 8,500 satellites are tracked from Braunschweig.
Nikolaus adds, "My motivation comes from the fact that we can address our issues more effectively from space than on Earth. For instance, in the case of the Ahr Valley floods, people could have been evacuated in time if we had access to today's technology. Or when ships sink. The Earth is not as well-mapped as we think."
