Lemu Nge satellite: observing biodiversity with advanced technology.
Lemu Nge, "Forest Eye" in Mapudungun, is the first hyperspectral satellite designed exclusively to observe the Earth's biodiversity and the first private satellite in the history of Chile. Learn about its mission, characteristics, and capacity to reveal the invisible to protect our planet's ecosystems.
Why did we decide to launch our own satellite?
Efficient ecosystem monitoring
Satellite imagery is the most efficient way to monitor the 51 billion hectares of our planet and study biodiversity in natural ecosystems.
Bridge the data gap in the Global South
The few satellites in orbit dedicated to Earth observation focus on the Global North; there is not enough satellite data and images for the Southern Hemisphere.
Better resolution in satellite imagery
Our satellite's hyperspectral camera allows us to analyze vegetation biodiversity at 20 times higher resolution than other satellites in orbit.
Enhancement of nature-based solutions
Lemu Nge enables us to access high-value data to inform nature-based solutions, support conservation actions, and enhance sustainability strategies.
Initial observation areas.
In its first year, our satellite will focus on observing ecosystems in Chile, then extend to the rest of the Global South and eventually to the entire world. The biological mission, focused on analyzing vegetation biodiversity, has five initial observation areas.
Lemu Nge in numbers.
Lemu Nge was built as a nanosatellite to minimize the energy and emissions needed to put it into orbit. It has an advanced propulsion system to adjust its orbit and then de-orbit safely at the end of its mission, disintegrating without leaving space debris.
6U
Satellite size. Lemu Nge is a 6U nanosatellite. The satellite "bus," which carries all of its components, measures 30x20x10 cm, similar to the size of a shoebox.
600
Kilometers of altitude. Our satellite orbits the Earth and captures images nearly 600 km above the Earth's surface in Low Earth Orbit (LEO).
14
Daily orbits. The "Forest Eye" takes an average of 96.5 minutes to complete one orbit around the Earth, moving at approximately 27,337 km/h.
Seeing the invisible: the hyperspectral camera.
Lemu Nge's high-resolution hyperspectral camera can segment land cover and vegetation biodiversity with more than 20 times the accuracy of other satellite images. The data for the images it captures is received by antennas in Svalbard and Punta Arenas.
32
Hyperspectral camera bands. Captures images at 32 different wavelengths within the electromagnetic spectrum, exceeding the human eye's capability.
5.5
Meters of camera resolution. Each pixel captured by the hyperspectral camera represents an area on the ground of approximately 4.75 meters per side.
450-900
Approximate nanometers. The range goes from 450 nm in the visible spectrum, near blue and violet, to 900 nm in the near-infrared (NIR), invisible to the human eye.
3-7
Revisit rate. Our nanosatellite takes between 3 and 7 days to pass over the same place on our planet and revisit a specific area.
Lemu Nge’s first image.
Only 4 days, 14 hours, and 10 minutes after entering orbit, Lemu Nge captured its first image over an area of vineyards near Lisbon.
This initial test was made with 1 of the 32 bands of the satellite hyperspectral camera and was colorized with AI to highlight the distinction of surfaces.
Project partners.
Vilnius, Lithuania - NanoAvionics specializes in designing, manufacturing, and operating small satellites known as CubeSats. They currently have more than 80 microsatellites and nanosatellites launched or in production. NanoAvionics has been at the forefront of the Lemu Nge mission.
Cape Town, South Africa - Simera focuses on developing and implementing innovative technology solutions for space and environmental applications. They specialize in the manufacture of remote sensing and environmental monitoring systems. Simera sense developed Lemu Nge's hyperspectral camera.
Hawthorne, California (USA) - SpaceX, founded by Elon Musk in 2002, is an aerospace technology company specializing in designing, manufacturing, and launching rockets and spacecraft to revolutionize space travel. Lemu Nge was launched by SpaceX on a Falcon 9 rocket in August 2024.
A tour of our satellite.
Take this guided tour to see exactly what Lemu Nge looks like, learn about its main components, and discover some of its more exciting details.
Want to know more about Lemu Nge?
If you are a company interested in Lemu Nge hyperspectral imagery or how it informs the indicators of our nature data platform, Lemu Atlas, get in touch.
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