Warpspace partners with Australian Earth Observation Satellite Operator LatConnect60

Warpspace is delighted to announce today that it has signed a strategic partnership agreement with LatConnect 60 Ltd. to create a mechanism to monitor carbon emissions from space efficiently and in very high resolution.

LatConnect 60 Ltd. of Perth, Western Australia, is developing a constellation of satellites to measure carbon emission concentrations from space, with the sensitivity to pick up emission flow rates as low as 50kg/hr and higher. The first satellite is scheduled to be launched into low Earth orbit in the second half of 2025.

“Global warming derived from greenhouse gases is an urgent issue for the entire planet, with the MIT Climate Clock warning of a 1.5 degree Celsius climate change in the following decade if emissions are not significantly reduced by 2030. “, says Hirokazu Mori, Chief Strategy Officer of Warpspace, also a CEO of WARPSPACE USA.

In recent years, global warming countermeasures have been discussed around the world. In the U.S., the Biden administration has announced plans to increase funding for federal environmental programs, including clean energy and energy efficiency improvements, and legislation requiring measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, including targets and milestones.  

In Japan, the Cabinet approved a plan for global warming countermeasures on October 22, 2021, with the goal of reducing emissions by 45% from the fiscal 2013 level (approximately 677 million tons of CO2) by fiscal 2030. In the midst of this trend, LatConnect 60 is one of the operators that have recognized the advantage of using satellites to monitor carbon emissions at asset-level precision with high frequency and repeatability.

Warpspace is developing a next-generation space communications network, “WarpHub InterSat,” to promote "visualization" of the Earth. In this network, a data relay satellite placed in the medium Earth orbit, which satellites in this orbit have more visibility to the Earth’s ground stations, serves as a "hub.” The relay satellites receive data from the customer's satellite via optical lasers and transmit the data to the ground one after another. As a result, the customer can obtain a larger volume of data more quickly than with conventional communication methods. This system is expected to be especially useful when highly accurate data is needed as soon as possible, such as disaster prevention.

The network is also expected to effectively observe "gases," such as Carbon dioxide and Methane, whose distribution and conditions change over time. LatConnect 60 will work in partnership with Warpspace to monitor the emission and distribution of greenhouse gases so that companies and local governments can take appropriate countermeasures. As a first step, the two companies will select the most suitable optical communication terminal for the LatConnect60’s observation satellite and integrate it with the ground system. Furthermore, through this strategic partnership agreement, the two companies will collaborate in approaching government agencies and other stakeholders in the Japanese and Australian markets.

Warpspace aims to solve global issues. Last year they opened a subsidiary in Washington D.C., and this year Warpspace is setting up a base in Europe. LatConnect60 likewise aims to solve global warming, which is one of the major global issues. In this context, the two companies will not stop at collaboration in Australia and Japan, but will also work toward collaboration with countries that show the same solidarity, such as the United States and Indian countries, and their companies to solve various issues.

Mori said, “I feel a great sense of significance and mission for having been given the opportunity to take on this major challenge that affects everyone, including myself, together, and for agreeing to expand this circle of collaboration worldwide. We are very pleased to have agreed to collaborate with LatConnect 60.”

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