SpaceX is about to launch 71 satellites to detect pirates

Elon Musk plans to launch 71 satellites into orbit to create an Earth observation network early next week.

According to Bussiness Insider, the project is called SSO-A with the desire to launch Falcon 9 missiles carrying 71 satellites into space. If SSO-A succeeds, SpaceX will become the first company to break the record in the aerospace industry. Besides, the project contributes to the fight against illegal activities happening at sea.

Spaceflight Industry is the organization that stands for calling and designing projects. Flying with SpaceX's Falcon 9 is more than 35 missiles from many different companies.

Hunting pirates with radio waves

Among the Falcon 9 satellites to carry, the three HawkEye 360 ​​satellites are capable of "reading" radio signals from space orbit. Satellite will collect radio signals from all waterway vehicles and then trace and predict their next move.

The system, named Pathfinder, consists of a cluster of 3 satellites and a dedicated radio tracing software capable of tracking illegal ships even when the GPS system is turned off. Pathfinder will become an effective maritime crime prevention tool for many governments around the world.

John Serafini, CEO of HawkEye 360, said that each year countries lost about $ 3 billion in activities such as illegal fishing, smuggling, transporting drugs and pirates.

Radio and AIS map of Pathfinder.(Photo: BI).

"We want to solve this problem with the most advanced measures", Serafini answered Bussiness Insider.

In addition to radio wave detection systems, HawkEye 360 ​​also equipped artificial intelligence to process information. Pathfinder will fly around the Earth in a solar synchronous orbit. Specifically, the satellite's energy battery will always be facing the sun, receiving energy to carry out a cycle around the Earth.

Pathfinder's antenna set can capture radio waves on 1 watt. Therefore, the satellite is currently unable to track phone devices. However, other electronic systems such as satellite phones, radios, aquatic radars and navigation systems are all traceable by the Pathfinder.

"Turning on / off the AIS system to disguise will not be possible through our satellite. Only the smallest radio track Pathfinder can be found , " Serafini said.

Operation mechanism of Pathfinder

The receiver / transmitter mechanism of radio transmitters on each type of boat is completely different. Pathfinder has the ability to identify the difference and analyze the nature of radio waves to detect objects of interest.

Besides, by tracking the radio and then combining it with the AIS data on the ship, the system will map and estimate the volume of cargo in the area. HawkEye 360 ​​proved the feasibility of the project by testing on 3 aircraft. Pathfinder is mounted on 3 Cessna jets flying around Chesapeake Bay.

3 small satellites in Pathfinder satellite cluster will fly with Falcon 9. (Photo: BI).

"We not only detected the AIS but also clearly located the radio broadcast position of the boat. After that, we proceeded to create a map from the data obtained and compared it with the available map of the boat." Chris Demay, founder of HawkEye 360 ​​answered Bussiness Insider.

In addition to radio tracking, Pathfinder also equipped the machine learning algorithm to identify the direction of the boat through the movement of the flag. At the same time, the system predicts the future behavior of the boat through stored data

"Pathfinder is a pioneering technology in this field and we will be the first to bring the system to market , " Serafini said.

The future of radio satellite technology

If SpaceX successfully launched 71 satellites into orbit, Pathfinder would cover all radio broadcasting on Earth every 4 to 6 hours. But, DeMay and Serafini claimed it was only the beginning.

According to Bussiness Insider, HawkEye 360 ​​currently has an operating budget of about $ 30 million, enough to run within 18 months. With 31 staff on duty and $ 100 million in reserve for the development of the project, in the future there will be about 5 radio 3 satellite tracking stations put on orbit.

HawEye 360 ​​aims to monitor the transformation of Earth's radio waves within 30-40 minutes. At the same time, operating multiple satellites at the same time allows HawkEye 360 ​​to trace smaller radio frequencies.

Pathfinder is capable of reading radio waves on telecommunications columns.(Photo: BI).

"We can use the system to track trucks to prevent illegal shipping across the border," Serafini said.

HawkEye 360 ​​technology can also be used for military purposes. The US military intends to partner with the firm to build ultra-sensitive antennas mounted on aircraft or remote sensing bubbles. These antennas are used to track targets with extremely low radio frequencies.

Besides, radio trace technology is also used to detect behaviors that consume less Internet capacity. By detecting radio waves on telecommunication stations, satellites will find radio sources that are exploiting Internet data illegally.