“Garai”, Satlantis fourth ‘made in Euskadi’ satellite, goes into orbit
The Basque company Satlantis has put into orbit ‘Garai’, its fourth satellite, which was launched into space on the Transporter-12 mission aboard a Falcon 9 rocket from the Vandenberg air base in California. With 6.45% of its capital owned by the Basque Government through the Basque Country Venture Capital Company, the aerospace company based on the Leioa Campus of the Basque Country Technology Park held an event to commemorate the launch of the satellite, named in memory of Juan de Garai, the 16th century Basque discoverer who founded the city of Buenos Aires in Argentina. The event was attended, together with the CEO of Satlantis, Juan Tomás Hernani, the Deputy Minister for Industrial Promotion, Andoitz Korta, the Bizkaia Provincial Councillor for Economic Promotion, Ainara Basurko, Itziar Epalza The Director General of the Basque Country Techonoly Park, and the Director General of the Basque Country Venture Capital Company, Arrate Aranbarri, among others.
‘Garai’ is a “made in Euskadi” microsatellite weighing around 115 kg, whose heart is the double optical instrument iSIM-90 and iSIM-170 equipped with high-precision cameras for Earth observation. It can be used to monitor greenhouse gas emissions, anticipate natural disasters and fires or monitor losses in energy transmission networks. ‘Garai’ joins the family of the most advanced satellites in the world together with URDANETA-ARMSAT1, GEISAT P., and HORACIO.
As the deputy minister Andoitz Korta said, ‘Satlantis is a good example of the powerful aerospace sector in the Basque Country, a cutting-edge technology industry, highly digitalised, very competitive and with its sights set on the future. We have been with you for 11 years, going a long way together since the first launch, going from devising prototypes to industrialising them. You are also capable of driving many small companies in the industrial value chain, creating economic development, employment and wealth around you’.
