15 Mar New Argos Satellite Launching in 2019
The Argos system is getting an update. The French Space Agency, CNES, and CLS are investing in the future with new technology. It is a multi-pronged approach that includes a new Argos payload and 20 new nano-satellites. The nano-satellites will function in low earth orbit and replace the current system. The satellites should last around eight years and will communicate with 25 ground stations.
The next generation of Argos, Argos-4, will begin to launch at the end of 2019. The main benefits of Argos-4 technology are increased bandwidth, enhanced capacity, and new adapted modulations for wildlife tracking or high data-rate transmissions. Argos-4 will make it possible to send ever more data even more efficiently, improving performance for existing applications as well as opening the door for a host of new ones.
Here is the launch timeline:
- CNES will launch ANGELS (Argos NEO Generic Economic Light Satellites), the 1st Argos nanosatellite prototype in 2019
- The Indian Space Agency (ISRO) will launch the first Argos-4 instrument on OceanSat-3 satellite by end 2019
- US Congress and President have approved the CDARS program budget with an Argos-4 payload
- EUMETSAT is committed to launching Argos-4 payloads onboard European Meteorological satellites until 2036
- Kinéis, subsidiary of CLS will launch new connectivity based on a constellation of 21 dedicated nanosatellites, fully compatible with Argos, starting at the end 2021.
You can read more about the nano-satellites at https://www.kineis.com/ and Argos at http://www.argos-system.org