First Satellite Launched by SpaceX and UK Startup Blue Skies Space Together

Astronomy data as a service (DaaS) will be made available by the corporation to academic institutions and researchers worldwide.

Launched atop SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket, Mauve will concentrate on stellar spectroscopy, gathering information on the make-up, temperature, and magnetic activity of stars. It is anticipated that these data will improve knowledge of star flares and how they affect exoplanets that may be habitable. The satellite, which has a 13-cm telescope that can observe both visible and ultraviolet wavelengths, will be used to conduct operations in low-Earth orbit.

Due to the company's intention to provide its data via a subscription-based approach, the effort represents a change in the accessibility of space data.

“We are delighted to confirm the launch date for Mauve,” said CEO and Co-founder of Blue Skies Space, Dr. Marcell Tessenyi. “It is a crucial step in our mission to accelerate the supply of space science data and make it accessible to any researcher, anywhere in the world.”

This way of distributing space data is different from traditional approaches, in which data is typically gathered from ground-based observatories or through organizations supported by the government, such as NASA and ESA.

Researchers from universities including Rice University, Western University, Vanderbilt University, the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, and Boston University have already indicated interest in taking part in the data collection operations, according to the firm.

Many investors have supported Blue Skies Space's ambition, helping the startup raise about $6.5 million since its founding in 2014. Twinkle, a seven-year space mission aimed at providing spectroscopy of thousands of targets to facilitate research on solar system objects and exoplanet atmospheres, is another satellite that the business is constructing.