Muon House climate-monitoring satellites eyed for navy purposes

WASHINGTON — Muon House, a startup specializing in small satellites for Earth local weather monitoring, has been awarded a $2.9 million contract by the U.S. House Power to judge its satellite tv for pc expertise for navy purposes. 

The Small Enterprise Innovation Analysis (SBIR) Part 2 settlement, introduced Dec. 5, goals to evaluate whether or not Muon’s devices can present high-resolution imagery of cloud cowl and climate situations essential for navy and intelligence operations.  

Based mostly in Mountain View, California, Muon House is working to advance dual-use expertise by collaborations with protection and environmental stakeholders. Its newest mission, in partnership with the nonprofit Earth Fireplace Alliance, entails deploying a constellation of “FireSat” satellites in low Earth orbit to watch wildfires and associated environmental phenomena. The House Power contract will discover how these methods may also fulfill protection wants.  

Cloud cowl information

Correct cloud cowl imaging is significant for navy operations, as precision-guided munitions, satellite tv for pc imagery scheduling and reconnaissance planning depend on detailed climate information. Traditionally, the Protection Meteorological Satellite tv for pc Program (DMSP) has offered this functionality, however the growing old fleet is nearing the tip of its operational life, prompting a seek for different options.  

Muon House’s electro-optical infrared (EO/IR) devices, designed for local weather monitoring, have proven promise in addressing navy necessities, CEO Jonny Dyer informed SpaceNews.

Underneath an earlier contract with the U.S. Air Power, Muon has been finding out its capabilities to seize cloud characterization information. The brand new settlement broadens that scope, permitting the corporate to judge its sensors’ capability to ship complete climate imagery utilizing its upcoming FireSat constellation.  

Scheduled for launch in 2026, FireSats will carry devices tailor-made for each wildfire detection and climate monitoring. “It’s a dual-use expertise that not solely helps protection priorities but in addition the wildfire monitoring mission,” Dyer mentioned.  

He defined that the FireSat infrared devices will embody further spectral bands to boost their cloud cowl imaging capabilities. To higher perceive navy necessities, the corporate has been working with the Air Power’s 557th Climate Wing, the navy’s main meteorological unit, which integrates climate inputs from numerous sources to generate operational fashions.  

Muon House is vertically built-in, that means it designs and builds its satellites, handles launches, and delivers information on to clients. 

Thus far, the corporate has launched two satellites. The primary, an illustration mission, happened in June 2023, adopted by a prototype climate satellite tv for pc launched in March 2024 in partnership with the U.S. Air Power Life Cycle Administration Heart and the Protection Innovation Unit.  This prototype, nevertheless, doesn’t present the infrared information that will be required for theater climate imagery. 

Associated