MIT professors Dava Newman, Kerri Cahoy, and Richard Linares led the project, with significant contributions from grad students Madeline Anderson, Cadence Payne, and Annika Thomas. They worked with researchers from University of Minho, CEiiA, Edisoft, and other institutions. The mission supports Portugal's "Atlantic interactions" research efforts and aligns with the U.N.'s Sustainable Development Goals.
Launched in March, AEROS-MH1 orbits Earth every 90 minutes at nearly 137 miles altitude. It collects hyperspectral imaging data of the Portuguese coastline and oceans and gathers information using a software-defined radio to understand biodiversity and environmental conditions. The satellite's command center is at the Santa Maria Island Teleport in the Azores, with data processing in Matosinhos.
"AEROS was a tremendously valuable experience for our students, both in terms of the research and technical elements and the collaboration itself," said Cahoy. "The full team had weekly meetings virtually, and it did get interesting when there were changes in the time zones for daylight savings that were different in each country, along with understanding holidays and special event times of the year, as well as when the academic team members would have a higher workload due to projects and exams. The students really enjoyed that MIT Portugal regularly provided opportunities to get together and present their work in Portugal."
The project started in 2020, focusing on maritime priorities and ocean characterization around Portugal. The team chose instruments like the hyperspectral visible imager and a software-defined radio to collect environmental data. MIT students contributed analyses and simulations to ensure the mission met its requirements. Annika Thomas worked on thermal management; Cadence Payne focused on the hyperspectral imager's performance; and Madi Anderson used AI for change detection and anomaly identification in the instrument data. Other contributing students included Miles Lifson, Patrick McKeen, Joey Murphy, and Alvin Harvey.
"The partnership between the Portuguese institutions and our international universities such as MIT must be maintained. It results in high-quality training, new jobs, and a new generation of students who are multidisciplinary systems leaders of our space future and our future here on Earth," said Newman in a congratulatory video. "We're educating these future leaders in important sectors such as climate, space, oceans, urban mobility, and energy."
Related Links
AEROS Constellation
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