Satellite photos are extremely widespread, and the demand for sharp images of the Earth’s surface is not diminishing. The images from space are e.g. used by researchers and authorities to monitor nature areas, environmental disasters such as oil spills or the movement of glaciers.
However, satellite photos often have the drawback of being energy-intensive to produce: Rocket launches of satellites expel around 1000 tons of black carbon yearly into the stratosphere. Therefore, the researchers behind this project have received support for an imaging system that can be sent up with a balloon and send high-resolution images back down to the Earth. The resolution can be as fine as less than 30 cm. The images and data will be used for environmental and climate research. Sending the imaging equipment up with a balloon instead of a rocket uses much less fuel and is therefore much more sustainable.
The camera equipment will, among other things, take pictures of Denmark's forests and coastline and can specifically zoom in on the vegetation in Svanninge Bjerge to the extent that biologists can distinguish between different types of vegetation in the images. The images can also differentiate between eelgrass and seaweed along Denmark’s coastlines.
SDU researchers
- Professor Mads Toudal Frandsen, Department of Physics, Chemistry and Pharmacy, Faculty of Science, frandsen@cp3.sdu.dk
- PhD Student Mads Juul Ahlebæk, Department of Physics, Chemistry and Pharmacy, Faculty of Science, ahle@sdu.dk
- Scientific assistant Nikolaj Forskov Eriksen, Department of Physics, Chemistry and Pharmacy, Faculty of Science, nikofe@cp3.sdu.dk
- Professor Ulrik Pagh Schultz Lundquist, SDU Drone center, Faculty of Engineering, ups@mmmi.sdu.dk
- Engineer Oscar Bowen Schofield, SDU Drone center, Faculty of Engineering, obs@mmmi.sdu.dk
- Scientific assistant Danny Johansen, Department of Law, Faculty of Business and Social Sciences, danjo@sam.sdu.dk