Lacuna Space successfully launches its fourth IoT gateway in space

Global connectivity provider Lacuna Space announced successful launch and communications with its fourth IoT (Internet of Things) gateway in space. The satellite, carrying a new generation of space gateways, was transported to equatorial low Earth orbit on board the PSLV-C49 mission from India last Saturday. The mission will cover a geographic band around the entire globe between the 40th parallels North and South, stretching from Madrid all the way down to Cape Town.

One of Lacuna’s early partners has been Sustainability Tech, a technology systems developer that focuses on tropical forest ecosystems in Southeast Asia. Sustainability Tech is working with Lacuna Space to produce new satellite-connected sensors that monitor wetland hydrology. These enable a variety of companies, from commercial plantation managers to conservation projects such as peatland restoration, to monitor fire risk and water levels from any internet-connected device.

Commenting on the development, Rob Spurrett, CEO of Lacuna Space said: “We are continuing to push the boundaries of what’s technically possible with extremely low power IoT technology with each generation of IoT gateways we are putting into space. This latest one offers higher sensitivity and capacity for message reception from LoRaWAN (long-range wide area network) devices. It also allows us to better cover regions around the equator offering more opportunities for our technology partners and IoT services providers across South America, Africa and Southeast Asia.”

Josh Van Vianen, MD of Sustainability Tech said: “The Lacuna satellite connection allows our clients to monitor their peatland restoration impact in harsh environments with more reliable uptime and lowers costs compared with first-generation systems. This is exactly the type of technology needed to massively scale up the climate solutions necessary to protect our planet from further warming.

“By partnering with Lacuna, Sustainability Tech is improving its sensor suite and enabling clients to effectively monitor and manage large areas with access to better data. Low orbit satellites improve coverage for these sensor networks and reduce costs for clients, which include conservation and climate mitigation projects, researchers and agribusiness that need real-time management tools. The partnership with Lacuna will benefit all local actors, ensuring they can transparently measure their impacts and implement interventions at scale.”