Yesterday a Russian Soyuz 2-1b rocket with a Fregat upper stage launched the Meteor M2
weather satellite as its primary payload. Also on the rocket were smaller secondary satellites including the AISSat-2 nanosatellite built by the UTIAS Space Flight Laboratory for Norway.


The AISSat-2 satellite was funded by the Norwegian Space Centre with support from the Norwegian Defence Research Establishment and is the second satellite of Norway’s space based Automatic Identification System (AIS) constellation.
In 2012 AISSat-1, also built by the UTIAS Space Flight Laboratory, was launched. Norway’s AIS constellation will be used to monitor and track ships in Norwegian territorial waters using.
A third AIS satellite, AISSat-3, will be built and added to Norway’s AIS constellation.
Norway also intends to built a larger AIS satellite, Norsat-1, which will include a next generation AIS transponder and a science payload including a space weather instrument and a solar observatory developed in collaboration with ESA and Switzerland.

Marc Boucher is an entrepreneur, writer, editor, podcaster and publisher. He is the founder of SpaceQ Media. Marc has 30+ years working in various roles in media, space sector not-for-profits, and internet content development.

Marc started his first Internet creator content business in 1992 and hasn't looked back. When not working Marc loves to explore Canada, the world and document nature through his photography.