The Malaysian company’s SpaceANT-D satellite will act as an early warning system and assist in environmental monitoring efforts
Planters International, or Planters for short, has launched its satellite, SpaceANT-D, as part of the Transporter-9 mission of Elon Musk’s SpaceX.
The Malaysian company, founded by Gen.T honouree Sadruddin Saifudin, is dedicated to sustainability and conservation. Its efforts cover replanting and protecting trees, training and employing people from local communities and using drones and satellite systems to fight illegal logging.
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According to Sadruddin, the company wants to harness the power of satellite technology to enhance reforestation initiatives and environmental monitoring. The satellite will provide connectivity and surveillance for the company’s operations in the deep jungle, where communication and data transmission are often challenging. It will enable the company to connect its sensors and IoT devices and make immediate and sound decisions in its daily operations.
The satellite will support several systems that benefit the company and the environment. These systems include an illegal logger early warning system that detects and alerts the company of unauthorised activities in the jungle, water surge and landslide early warning systems, sensors to measure the climate conditions in the jungle, GPS trackers for trees, wildlife and personnel, and a safety tracking system for hikers and visitors of the jungle.
Each system is equipped with sensors to transmit valuable data. “By having our satellite in the sky, we can capture the transmitted data and make the right decisions on time,” says Sadruddin.
The satellite will be part of the Planters AFAM (Active Forest Assets Management) system connectivity module, designed as a satellite constellation rather than a single satellite system. Sadruddin says the plan is to launch 44 satellites into orbit within the next decade.
He says Planters will also focus on the equator orbit as most other satellites concentrate on the northern hemisphere, neglecting this area. This strategy will provide total global coverage of rainforests around the world 24/7. The satellite will circle the Earth six times daily, ensuring global coverage.
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