Terran Orbital’s RUNNER-1 Soars Past 300 Days of Flawless Operation (Image Credit: Terran Orbital)
BOCA RATON, Fla., May 1, 2024 – Terran Orbital’s RUNNER-1 satellite, a champion of versatility in the realm of remote sensing, has surpassed a major milestone – 300 days of uninterrupted operation. Launched in June 2023, RUNNER-1 can capture sub-meter high-resolution multispectral imaging and true color video, making it a standout amongst its peers.
“We’re incredibly pleased with RUNNER-1’s ongoing performance,” said Marc Bell, Terran Orbital’s Co-founder, Chairman, and CEO. “This satellite exemplifies our unwavering dedication to pushing the envelope of small satellite technology, granting users the required flexibility and image quality.”
What makes RUNNER-1 such a game-changer? The secret lies in its powerful combination of Terran Orbital’s agile platform and a unique electro-optical payload developed in collaboration with a key partner ImageSat International (ISI). This integrated system seamlessly works alongside an optimized ground system and cutting-edge AI functionalities. This powerhouse combination empowers users to gather crucial data and gain rapid insights for a vast array of scenarios.
Here’s a closer look at RUNNER-1’s capabilities:
- Multi-Target Spot Capability: Enables detailed observation of multiple targets within the same area of interest during a single overhead pass. This is achieved through a seamless interaction between our avionics, payload characteristics, and powerful guidance and attitude algorithms that allow for a fast and stable sweep of the platform, capturing high-resolution images of various points of interest efficiently.
- Strip Capability: Capture high-resolution multispectral images along extensive linear features, perfect for monitoring pipelines or roadways. RUNNER-1 can acquire imagery along a specific ground track within a wide lookout angle. These individual images can then be stitched together to create a continuous, high-resolution strip image spanning hundreds or even thousands of miles.
- Mosaic Capability: Combining both spot and strip features, RUNNER-1 can perform a “mosaic capture.” The vehicle can sweep a large area and provide a broader scene by stitching together a multi-pattern sequence of high-resolution images, ideal for creating detailed maps of vast areas.
- True Color Video: Witness dynamic events unfold with exceptional clarity, offering valuable insights into rapidly changing situations. RUNNER-1 provides high-resolution true color video with tactical clarity and resolution.
- Fast Downlink and On-Board Processing: RUNNER-1 goes beyond image capture. It can get images back down to Earth within the same pass or immediately downrange thanks to its High Data Rate Radio and the multiple ground stations accessible to the vehicle. The user can select to downlink an on-board processed image for a tactical, faster analysis, or download the full image channel by channel and perform additional analysis on the ground for an even more detailed image.
- AI-Enhanced Features: To further enhance these capabilities, RUNNER-1 integrates new AI tools for image sharpening and analysis. This empowers users to extract even more valuable information from the collected data, solidifying RUNNER-1’s position at the forefront of remote sensing technology.
By combining these features, RUNNER-1 offers unparalleled flexibility and mission relevant image quality for a wide range of applications.
