The Statsat Control Centre is established at Skøyen in Oslo. From there all operations are managed including tasking and maintaining satellites and ground stations, as well as data handling.

The fleet of satellites is managed using a mission control system called DyST, short for Dynamic Satellite Tasking. DyST is developed inhouse at Statsat and Space Norway. The software is highly automated ensuring autonomous planning of missions for satellites, prioritizing ground resources and undertaking communication with the satellites. During passes DyST will task the satellites and download data from the onboard payloads. Also, during passes the health of the satellites is checked and any known error states are automatically corrected. Having operated the satellites for a number of years most error states are known to Statsat and have thus been programmed into DyST for automatic handling.

With DyST working as it does there is not need for 24/7 manual operator presence. Physically, there is normally no one present at the Control Centre. DyST will alert an on-call operator if manual intervention is required.

The five satellites under Statsat operation and the two that are planned for 2023 all have one thing in common. They are equipped with AIS-receivers onboard. This means that they all contribute to the AIS-coverage of the Norwegian Coastal Administration (NCA).

The satellites are typical for smaller satellites that need to cover the northern most part of the hemisphere; they orbit Earth at an altitude of around 600 km (a so-called LEO or Low Earth Orbit), they fly in polar orbits close to the north and south pole, and they are designed for an operational life of up to 5 years (even though most operate longer than that).

Common to all the satellites is a focus on observation of the maritime domain. With vast oceans areas both within Norwegian sovereign waters and under responsibility of the NCA, there is a drive to develop observation and navigation capabilities by the use of satellites.  Each of the satellites under Statsat control support this overall objective.

AISSat-1

AISSat-1 was launched from India in July of 2010 on board a PSLV rocket (Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle). It is a small satellite measuring only 20cm x 20cm x 20cm, plus antennas. It has performed far beyond life expectancy. As of July 2022, AISSat-1 is no longer operative. Statsat is still tracking the satellite in orbit.

AISSat-2

AISSat-2 is a copy of, and follow-up to AISSat-1 with only minor upgrades. It was launched from Baikonur in Kazakhstan in July of 2014. Externally it is identical to its forerunner and as with AISSat-1 it is tasked with providing AIS-surveillance coverage for the Norwegian Coastal Administration.  Together the two satellites provided the initial operational AIS coverage sufficient to satisfy the NCA’s need for ship monitoring and tracking at sea beyond the reach of land-based systems.

Both AISSat-1 and AISSat-2 have a mass just shy of 10 kg.

NorSat-1 and NorSat-2

These satellites are a bit larger than the AISSats, measuring 20 x 30 x 40 cm and with a mass of around 17 kg. They were launched together in July of 2017 on a Soyuz rocket out of Baikonur in Kazakhstan.

The increased size allowed for additional payloads on these satellites. In addition to the AIS payload on board each, NorSat-1 carries two science payloads, one for the University of Oslo and one for the Swiss research institute PMOD in Davos. The NorSat-2 hosts the worlds first VDES payload (VHF Data Exchange). The VDES payloads is defined, developed, sourced and operated by Space Norway.

NorSat-3

On April 29^th 2021 the NorSat-3 was launched on a VEGA launch rocket out of Kourou in French Guyana. It is based on the same satellite platform as NorSat-1 and NorSat-2. On board there is an additional payload defined and developed by the Norwegian Defence Research Establishment (FFI).

NorSat-TD

This satellite is planned for a January 2023 launch. As a test and demonstration mission it carries seven different payloads that are to be tested and space qualified for later commercial missions. All these payloads come from different organisations and companies both in Norway and around Europe. As with the other satellites it is a fully non-military satellite. NorSat-TD will demonstrate the next generation VDES transceiver, provided by Space Norway and built by Kongsberg Seatex.

NorSat-4

In Q4 of 2023 the NorSat-4 will be lifted to orbit. This is an earth observation test and demonstration mission testing a new payload for visual observation.