THEOS-2 Update: A Mission Summary after first Year in Space

   From the successful launch of the THEOS-2 satellite by VEGA Launcher from Kourou Spaceport in French Guiana on October 9, 2023 until the system handover to GISTDA in May 2024, the satellite has been continuously performed earth observation mission from its orbit for almost a year.

   Now, let's take a look back at GISTDA's THEOS-2 performance and the missions that it has accomplished throughout the first year.

   THEOS-2 is a high-resolution Earth observation satellite with a total mass of 425 kilograms. This satellite is capable of resolving objects that are larger than 50 centimeters. Data from the THEOS-2 mission can be used for several applications including policy planning by government agencies, natural resource surveying, high resolution mapping, agriculture, national security and disaster response.

   GISTDA, or the Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency (Public Organization) officially released the first set of high-resolution imagery in May 2024, showcasing its capabilities in capturing very high resolution images across various areas of Thailand. The THEOS-2 satellites have since been capturing images of areas affected by various disasters. These include the floods in Nakhon Si Thammarat, Phatthalung, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya, and Chiang Rai provinces that occurred in 2024. This data supports agencies managing disaster situations.

   THEOS-2 has also surveyed burnt areas resulting from forest fires in Phaya Yen, Pak Chong , Nakhon Ratchasima, and provided supporting data to agencies responsible for managing various disaster situations. In the near future, data from the THEOS-2 satellite will be used in the Dragonfly application, which is an application related to the agricultural sector, including monitoring land use in areas authorized under the Thailand National Land Policy Committee (NLPC) measures.

   As THEOS-2 satellite orbits is a Polar, Sun-Synchronous Orbit with an altitude of 621 kilometers, it can comprehensively capture images of various areas in Thailand and other areas over the world. The satellite can employ its three axis attitude control to take images with the roll angle up to 45 degree providing revisit time less than 5 days which is tremendously useful for the continuous monitoring of changes in the country's natural resources or providing data for national security planning.

   THEOS-2 can transmit image data back to the ground station covering an area of more than 74,000 square kilometers daily. It passes over GISTDA's ground station in Si Racha District, Chonburi, 3-4 times a day. Minimum design life of THEOS-2 is 10 years but it is expected to be in service for significantly longer, following the heritage of THEOS-1 which is still in service after 16 years despite its 5 years design life. Both satellites were designed and built by AIRBUS Defence and Space, France.

   Beyond the high-resolution Earth observation satellite, the THEOS-2 project also involves the development of the 100 kg class micro satellite; THEOS-2A. THEOS-2A was designed and developed by the collaboration of over 20 Thai Engineers with Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd. (SSTL) of the United Kingdom during 2019-2022. Knowledge and technology has been transferred and shared with personnel in the Thai space industry to promote the growth of the Thai space ecosystem and kickstarted the extensive development of the next generation of Earth Observation satellites within the country.

   The accomplishments of THEOS-2 are not only limited to its high-resolution Earth observation missions which provide data for national policy planning or response to local natural disasters but also has a significant mission in jointly developing Thailand's potential in space technology by cultivating the expertise of domestic personnel through comprehensive knowledge and experience in satellite construction. Furthermore, it inspires the younger generation with opportunities to experiment with building real satellites, potentially leading to future careers. All of this is part of the operational plan for the THEOS-2 satellite.

   You can follow more images from the THEOS-2 satellite on GISTDA's social media. Those interested in purchasing image data for specific applications can contact the Business Development and Service Division at 0 2141 4564 ext. 66, 69 or email usd@gistda.or.th.