In 1996, POLDER-1 was launched into orbit by CNES in collaboration with LOA, making it the first mission to observe the Earth with a spaceborne polarimeter. It marked a turning point for atmospheric science, the beginning of a new way to study our planet through the polarization of light.
A few years later, the GRASP algorithm was applied to POLDER-3/PARASOL, and that was when things came together. The combination of polarimetric data from POLDER and the scientific framework of GRASP showed what was possible when technology and science work together. For the first time, researchers could study aerosol behavior from Space with an unprecedented level of detail, opening new possibilities for climate and air quality research.
With the growth of the NewSpace industry, access to orbit is changing, and so is the pace of innovation. In 2023, we launched GAPMAP, our first private polarimeter, built on the same principles and scientific heritage that began with POLDER and GRASP.
Now we are preparing to deploy a constellation of multi-angular polarimeters, expanding access to comprehensive aerosol data on a global scale. Our goal is to make advanced atmospheric insights available to scientists, policymakers, and industries everywhere.
This journey has been shaped by years of collaboration, research, and persistence. Among more than 10,000 forward-thinking projects from 169 countries, our mission was selected as one of the top 100 world-changing initiatives in the Middle East by the Entrepreneurship World Cup (EWC).
We extend our most sincere gratitude to Global Entrepreneurship Network, the Communications, Space & Technology Commission (CST), Biban Global, Moonshat SA, and Misk Foundation for their support and for giving visibility to this work.
Links of interest
Laboratoire d’Optique Atmosphérique (LOA) — https://www.loa.univ-lille.fr/
Centre National d’Études Spatiales (CNES) — https://cnes.fr/en
POLDER mission — https://cnes.fr/en/projects/polder
Global Entrepreneurship Network (GEN) — https://www.genglobal.org/
Communications, Space & Technology Commission (CST) — https://www.cst.gov.sa/en/pages/
Biban Global — https://bibanglobal.sa/en
Misk Foundation — https://misk.org.sa/en/
