Aalborg satellite in orbit to improve air traffic control

The GOMX-1 CubeSat satellite weighs just two kilos and its mission is to make airplane fuel consumption more efficient and improve air traffic over large oceans

A Danish satellite the size of a milk carton has successfully been launched into orbit in a bid to assist air traffic over large oceans.

The GOMX-1 satellite, developed by the Aalborg-based firm GomSpace, was sent into orbit by a Russian Dnepr rocket and data confirmed on Friday that the satellite was fully functional.

“GOMX-1 was launched today on schedule and has performed brilliantly throughout the Early Operations phase. All telemetry indicates a healthy spacecraft with lots of power available and a solid radio link,” GomSpace wrote on Facebook.

READ MORE: First Danish astronaut to journey into space

Three years in coming
The launch of the rocket, carrying a total of 32 mostly small satellites like the GOMX-1 called CubeSats, occurred on Thursday in Yasny, Russia.

”On top of three years of work and the nerve-wracking launch yesterday, it’s fantastic to confirm that the satellite is doing well and the entire team is eager to test all the systems and evaluate data over the next few days,” Lars K Alminde, the head of GomSpace, told Ingeniøren newspaper.

The GOMX-1 satellite weighs two kilos and its mission is to prove that CubeSats can pave the way for more efficient airplane fuel consumption and improve air traffic over large oceans.

READ MORE: Danish researchers: The universe is older than we think

Planes will be better guided
Airplanes around the world emit a signal that can be received by GOMX-1 which can then send it on to air-traffic controllers around the world at a time when passenger airplanes still rely on 20-year-old radio technology for communicating.

The ageing technology means that pilots flying across large bodies of water are often unable to contact land for long periods of time, leaving only the pilots aware of the precise location of the airplane. Air traffic controllers have no information regarding the planes’ location and cannot guide the pilots around fuel-inefficient weather systems.

According to Alminde, the technology will be ready for commercial use sometime in 2015 and it would take 60 satellites to cover the whole world.

The GOMX-1 emits a signal at a frequency that allows amateur radio enthusiasts to follow its orbital path.

TOP STORIES

  • Bestselling author of ‘The Year of Living Danishly’ Helen Russell on why she moved back to the UK after 12 years

    Bestselling author of ‘The Year of Living Danishly’ Helen Russell on why she moved back to the UK after 12 years

    After more than a decade living in Denmark, Russell shares why she made the move, how she’s coping, what she already misses, and the exciting new projects she’s working on. “It’s been a very tough decision. I love Denmark, and it will always hold a special place in my heart,” she says.

  • Denmark launches first AI supercomputer

    Denmark launches first AI supercomputer

    The new Gefion AI supercomputer is one of the world’s fastest and will accelerate research and provide new opportunities in Danish academia and industry.

  • Navigating big love, big moves and big feelings

    Navigating big love, big moves and big feelings

    Experts believe it takes seven years to move into a new culture, according to leading Danish psychologist Jette Simon and therapist Vibeke Hartkorn. For expat couples, the challenges of starting a new life together in Denmark can put pressure on relationships, but emotions-focused therapy can help.

  • More and more Danes are working after retirement age

    More and more Danes are working after retirement age

    Politicians debate a lot these days about when you can retire. The reality shows that an increasing number of Danes like to work, even if they can withdraw from the labor market. Financial incentives help.

  • Environmental activist fears death in prison if extradited to Japan

    Environmental activist fears death in prison if extradited to Japan

    Canadian-born environmental activist Paul Watson has been in prison in Greenland for almost 100 days awaiting an extradition decision for a 14-year-old offence against a Japanese whaling vessel that he calls a “minor misdemeanor”. The 73-year-old had previously passed through Ireland, Switzerland, Monaco, France and the USA without trouble, before Greenlandic police arrested him in July.

  • Denmark too slow to ease recruitment rules for non-EU service workers, say industry associations

    Denmark too slow to ease recruitment rules for non-EU service workers, say industry associations

    When the Danish government in January presented the first of its schemes to make it easier to recruit foreign labour from outside the EU, it was hailed by the healthcare and service sectors as a timely and important policy shift. But while healthcare changes have been forthcoming, the service sector is still struggling, say the directors of the industry association Dansk Industri and one of the country’s largest private employers ISS.

Connect club

Connect Club is your gateway to a vibrant programme of events and an international community in Denmark.

Sign up here

Career

  • Come and join us at Citizens Days!

    Come and join us at Citizens Days!

    On Friday 27 and Saturday 28 of September, The Copenhagen Post will be at International Citizen Days in Øksnehallen on Vesterbro, Copenhagen. Admission is free and thousands of internationals are expected to attend

  • Diversifying the Nordics: How a Nigerian economist became a beacon for inclusivity in Scandinavia

    Diversifying the Nordics: How a Nigerian economist became a beacon for inclusivity in Scandinavia

    Chisom Udeze, the founder of Diversify – a global organization that works at the intersection of inclusion, democracy, freedom, climate sustainability, justice, and belonging – shares how struggling to find a community in Norway motivated her to build a Nordic-wide professional network. We also hear from Dr. Poornima Luthra, Associate Professor at CBS, about how to address bias in the workplace.

  • Lolland Municipality launches support package for accompanying spouses

    Lolland Municipality launches support package for accompanying spouses

    Lolland Municipality, home to Denmark’s largest infrastructure project – the Fehmarnbelt tunnel connection to Germany – has launched a new jobseeker support package for the accompanying partners of international employees in the area. The job-to-partner package offers free tailored sessions on finding a job and starting a personal business.

Want to advertise your job with CPH Post?

Contact us

Jobs