https://e360.yale.edu/digest/icarus-2025-launch
"German scientists have relaunched a satellite system that will be used to
track wildlife all across the globe. The “internet of animals” was first
launched in 2020, in collaboration with Russian researchers, but was abruptly
halted after Russia invaded Ukraine.
The ICARUS system will gather data transmitted from tiny sensors attached to
thousands of animals around the world, from birds to bats to sea turtles to
zebras. Scientists will use the data to track the movement, behavior, and
health of wildlife. On Friday, scientists sent the first receiver into space
aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket as part of a German research satellite. A
second receiver will launch next year, with six more to follow in 2027.
With the constellation of receivers, scientists “are building a truly
planetary-scale observatory,” said Martin Wikelski, director at the Max Planck
Institute of Animal Behavior in Germany, who is spearheading the project.
ICARUS initially went live in 2020, after the first receiver was installed on
the Russian segment of the International Space Station. But the system was shut
down in 2022 after the West cut ties with Russia over its war on Ukraine.
Since then, scientists have redesigned the receiver. While the previous
iteration required a large antenna to be outfitted on the International Space
Station, the new version is small enough to fit in the palm of one’s hand. It
consumes one tenth the energy as the old receiver while gathering data from
four times as many sensors.
Scientists say the new system will allow scientists to track animals with
unprecedented accuracy and spot emerging threats. Said Wikelski, “This
capability radically increases the speed with which we can respond to global
challenges such as habitat loss, disease outbreaks, and shifting migration
patterns.”"
Via
What Could Go Right? Did Anything Good Happen in the US in 2025?
https://theprogressnetwork.org/good-news-united-states-2025/
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
