Lille, France, 17th April 2023 | GAPMAP-0, the first payload of the GRASP CubeSat constellation successfully launched on the SpaceX Transporter-7 aboard Spire’s ADLER-2 space mission on 15 April 2023 – launching video -. The multi-angular polarimeter, is the first commercial instrument of its kind and will be followed by the planned launches of GAPMAP-1 to GAPMAP-10 completing the constellation by 2028.
The information gathered by the GAPMAP instruments will be used to monitor the dynamics of Earth’s surface, clouds, and atmospheric aerosols. Each GAPMAP will collect 100 times more data over each scene than traditional instruments already in space. These observations, when combined by the GRASP data platform with publicly available satellite data, ground-based and airborne measurements, and climate models, will provide an unprecedented level of insight into factors affecting our changing climate and air quality and human health. This information is invaluable for guiding policy decisions as we prepare for the future of a changing planet.
The World Health Organization 2021 Global Air Quality Guidelines emphasize that poor air quality is responsible for hundreds of millions of years of healthy life lost. To address this pressing global issue, the WHO is calling for immediate action to improve air quality and mitigate the effects of climate change. GAPMAP is responding to this call by developing an advanced air quality product to forecast hazardous air pollution events and quantify past exposure. This product is aimed at helping to protect public health and reduce the impacts of air pollution on the environment.
GRASP EARTH – Generalized Retrieval of Atmosphere and Surface Properties – Société par actions simplifiée, https://www.grasp–sas.com/ – is a spin-off of CNRS and the University of Lille that was created for valorizing GRASP-OPEN algorithm (https://www.grasp–open.com/) developed by the Laboratoire d’Optique Atmosphérique. The company specializes in algorithm development and data interpretation of public space missions. GRASP-SAS collaborates with public organizations and private companies in the environmental sector worldwide, universities and space agencies such as CNES, ESA, EUMETSAT, NASA, etc. In 2022, as a result of Pre-Series-A investments of 2M€ from Findus Ventures (https://findus–venture.com/) and a strategic agreement with its shareholder Cloudflight (https://www.cloudflight.io/) GRASP acquired AirPhoton (https://www.airphoton.com/), the US company manufacturing satellite payloads and in situ Air Quality instrumentation. The united company provides a complete line of products and services for the New Space sector.
GRASP EARTH is one of the three space companies in the Hauts-de-France region listed in the CNES space industry catalog and one of the 35 companies from all over France to have received the CNES SME label for its service. The GAPMAP initiative is supported by French government as a part of “Plan de Relance” program.
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