Apogeo Space at Report Rai3

Meanwhile, technologies are becoming increasingly less expensive, lowering the entry barrier to the sector. Many young people in Italy understand this and do not hesitate to develop original products and space services.

Brescia. Located in Borgo Wuhrer, Apogeo Space develops and builds picosatellites in its specialized laboratories — advanced satellites small enough to fit in the palm of a hand.

Guido Parissenti: “It’s possible to build smaller objects that operate in low Earth orbit, about 500–600 kilometers above our heads.”

Twenty Apogeo satellites are already in orbit. By 2027, there will be around one hundred, forming a swarm that will surround the Earth in a constellation dedicated to the Internet of Things, enabling a global telecommunications service.

What is this satellite capable of doing?

Guido Parissenti: “It collects data from distributed sensors deployed even in remote areas where traditional connectivity — cellular networks or the internet — is not available, and it allows this data to be delivered directly to the customer’s home computer.”

Thanks to accessible costs and the versatility of the system, services like this simulation are made possible.

Guido Parissenti: “At this moment, two Apogeo operators are installing sensors like the one I’m holding in the woods near our headquarters. It is a rapid fire detection sensor based on monitoring carbon monoxide.”

The operators attach the sensor to a tree, connecting it to the satellites.

Guido Parissenti: “When a fire occurs, carbon monoxide levels increase in the atmosphere. This sensor detects it and then transmits the information through Apogeo’s satellites.”

The sensors are equipped with batteries and photovoltaic panels and are designed to communicate directly with the satellites.

Meanwhile, Apogeo operators activate a device that emits smoke. The sensor is also able to detect the presence of gasoline as a precursor to arson.

Guido Parissenti: “As you can see on the screen in the upper right, at this moment three of our satellites are passing over Italy and therefore over our headquarters. On the central screen, instead, you can see our monitoring system. The light blue dots represent where the sensors are located. In this case, the onset of a fire has been detected in that area, the dots turn red, and the carbon monoxide concentration value spikes.”

The satellites receive the signals from the sensor and immediately download them to the relevant servers automatically, cutting down the dead time between the onset of an event and intervention operations.

The user base for these services is expanding. The key is miniaturization. Italian startups are moving forward and reasoning in this way: if picosatellites can fit in the palm of a hand, why not PocketCubes as well?