Portugal leads the consortium that will test technology in Norway … – Economic

A European consortium led by a Portuguese multinational, will test in Svalbard, Norway, a new technology for exploration of planets, that part of sensor communication networks used to monitor the environment to its surface.

The Tekever, Portuguese multinational responsible for basic technology, plans to start the first tests on the ground of sensor networks at the end of September or in early October, after obtaining the required authorizations and conditions Weather permitting, told Lusa the administrator Ricardo Mendes.

In the Svalbard Islands in the Arctic Circle, “the researchers will find upcoming weather conditions existing in space,” the company said.

The sensor networks, including heat and light, will in future collect the largest possible amount of data from the surface of a planet like Mars, or even the moon, process them and transmit them to a satellite in its orbit, which will send them to Earth.

In practice, the technology used aims to help prepare for manned missions to other planets that may be scheduled by providing as much information about these planets, according Ricardo Mendes.

The project, designated as SWIPE (Space Wireless sensor networks for Planetary Exploration, networks “wireless” sensors for planetary exploration), cost two million euros, more than half supported by funds Community.

The administrator Tekever believes that with a “much lower cost” to a robot as Curiosity, exploring the surface of Mars, the SWIPE can extend the environmental study to the surface a planet.

Unlike the robot NASA an “equipment with many sensors on board” that will explore Mars as you look through the surface, the SWIPE requires small sensors communication networks spread over several the planet’s surface points, said Ricardo Mendes.

The European consortium are still part of the universities of Rome “La Sapienza” in Italy and Leicester in the UK, as well as engineering companies, telecommunications , security and aerospace defense of France and Spain.

The SWIPE will be presented at the International Astronautical Congress 66, to be held 12-16 October in Israel.

The Tekever has produced for the European Space Agency ESA, technology that enables communication between satellites.