Space-based wildlife tracker relaunches after split with Russia

In 2018, after decades of research and tens of millions in funding, Russian astronauts attached a wildlife tracking receiver to the outside of the International Space Station (ISS). Device received data from tagged animals from all over the planet and transfer them to a ground station in Moscow. From there it went into an open source database called Movebank.

space the tracker was the final piece of the ICARUS project puzzle. an international effort led by German biologist Martin Wikelsky to track wildlife migration patterns from space. This was a game changer for conservationists who could follow the journeys of tiny birds, bats, cats and other animals for the first time on a global scale. This data could even warn us about volcanic eruptions or protect us from diseases.

That was until Russia invaded Ukraine in March 2022. much of its bilateral research with Moscow. ICARUS was shot out of the sky. But now Wikelski – director of the Max Planck Institute for Animal Behavior – is hoping to give the project new wings.

Today the Max Planck Society announced that it teamed up with German space startup Talos to launch ICARUS 2.0.

Founded in 2022, Talos makes tiny solar-powered IoT tags that attach to the fur or feathers of wild animals. The five-gram devices collect location data and also measure ambient temperature, humidity, pressure and acceleration. The tags then transmit this information to a receiver on board the orbiting CubeSat, which then relays it to researchers on Earth.

“ICARUS 2.0 represents a complete technological overhaul” Gregor Langer, CEO of Talos, told TNV. “We are replacing Russian technology based on the ISS, and significantly increasing the update frequency and accuracy of animal tracking data.”

For Wikelski and scientists around the world, this is the ideal solution. The system allows for highly accurate animal tracking. It is relatively inexpensive to deploy and operate. And perhaps most importantly, it means that IKARU will finally be freed from the clutches of geopolitics, returning control to scientists.

“The closure of ICARUS demonstrated the potential vulnerability of international research projects to geopolitical changes and therefore the importance of sovereign infrastructures,” he said. Langer. “However, this relaunch also demonstrates the enormous potential of NewSpace technologies and companies that can provide services that government agencies were still needed for just a few years ago.”

Once operational again, ICARUS will, for the first time, allow scientists to observe almost entirely the movements of animals and help create what Wikelski calls it the “Internet of Animals.”

Although ICARUS 2.0 will still use 5-gram GPS tags, project plans to deploy devices weighing less than 1 gram in the future. Meanwhile, other scientists in Germany we’re even working on a miniature trackers for bees.

“ICARUS 2.0 will be a critical tool for addressing environmental issues including climate change, nature conservation and tracking zoonotic diseases such as SARS, avian influenza and West Nile virus,” Wikelski said.

The ICARUS 2.0 mission aims to launch a CubeSat constellation in stages. The first satellite will launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket this fall, and all five CubeSats are expected to be operational by the end of 2026. The system, funded by the Max Planck Society, will cost approximately $1.57 million to run and will operate annually. expenses about $160,000.

“By leveraging space technology and collaborating with innovative space startups, the ICARUS initiative benefits from accelerated development cycles and expanded capabilities, further expanding its reach and impact in global scientific research and conservation efforts” Wikelski came to the conclusion.