Kongsberg NanoAvionics (NanoAvionics), a global company in small satellite manufacturing and mission services, has announced the successful signal acquisition of two groundbreaking satellites launched aboard SpaceX’s Transporter-12 mission. Developed for Constellr and Absolut Sensing, the satellites took flight on January 14th, 2025, from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, carried by the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.
NanoAvionics’ mission control center established contact with both satellites during their first ground station pass less than 20 minutes after deployment, continuing NanoAvionics’ track record of 100% first contact success rate. Both satellites successfully deployed their solar panels, transmitting power-positive, thermally stable telemetry, commencing the commissioning phase. Additionally, NanoAvionics components were featured in a handful of other satellites aboard Transporter-12, ranging from complete satellite bus avionics to microsatellite power systems.
Constellr’s SkyBee-1, one of the two satellites set to launch this year for its High-precision Versatile Ecosphere (HiVE) constellation, leverages thermal infrared technology aboard NanoAvionics’ MP42 microsatellite bus to measure land surface temperatures with unmatched 1-2 kelvin precision and 10 m spatial resolution. Constellr’s thermal data will help optimize crop irrigation and detect plant stress early to prevent crop loss. With agriculture consuming over 70% of the world’s freshwater, 60% of which is wasted, Constellr’s HiVE constellation aims to save 60 billion tons of water annually, mitigate drought risks, and generate billions in benefits for farmers worldwide.
Absolut Sensing’s GESat GEN1 assembly in NanoAvionics cleanroom
The HiVE constellation was co-funded by the European Space Agency’s InCubed Programme, managed by ESA Φ-lab. Absolut Sensing’s satellite, using NanoAvionics’ 16U CubeSat bus, will demonstrate the company’s advanced laser spectroscopy payload, its data use case, and ground processing chain, which Absolut Sensing will scale up for its GESat constellation. GESat GEN1 will be able to detect and measure methane gas emissions with exceptional precision. As part of Europe’s Copernicus Contributing Missions, it will provide facility-level detection capabilities, exceeding existing instruments. The data will enable companies and regulators to mitigate emissions and meet global climate goals.
Constellr and Absolut Sensing are bringing new capabilities to the European Copernicus program, which supports global environmental and climate monitoring. Constellr’s SkyBee-1 satellite is set to fill a gap in the thermal infrared imaging market and enhance Copernicus services by providing capabilities for monitoring water stress and urban heat islands. It will also support agriculture and emergency management through planned data demonstrations in collaboration with ESA’s Copernicus Land Monitoring Service to develop and test new products and applications.
Meanwhile, Absolut Sensing’s GESat GEN1 satellite will be the first private European mission capable of detecting methane hotspots with a precision threshold of 100 kg/hour. This capability will complement existing Copernicus tools by delivering facility-level methane concentration maps and emission rates. Such detailed data will enable policy-makers, scientists, and companies to identify emission sources, enforce compliance, and support global climate goals.
Atle Wøllo, CEO of NanoAvionics, said: “The Transporter-12 mission represents a step forward in deploying advanced environmental monitoring technologies aboard cost-effective standard satellite platforms to serve commercial, civil, and governmental users. With the launch of Transporter-12, NanoAvionics, Constellr, and Absolut Sensing are set to make meaningful contributions to global sustainability efforts.”
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