The institute explained that a SpaceX rocket launched a satellite equipped with an advanced receiver into orbit yesterday, Friday, with other satellites to follow in the coming years, allowing the system to gradually restart.

Martin Fikelski, director of the institute and founder of the project, said that the new device is capable of capturing signals from small transmitters installed on migratory birds, bats and sea turtles from an altitude of up to 500 kilometers. These signals reveal the locations of animals and their migration paths, which contributes to developing behavioral research, protecting species from extinction, and monitoring disease infections.

Vikelski added that the system will operate for the first time on a global level “almost instantly,” thanks to the improved technical capabilities of the new satellites.

The “Icarus” project was launched in 2020 from the International Space Station, where a dedicated antenna on the Russian module captured data until 2022, before the project was halted due to the special military campaign in Ukraine and the interruption of cooperation between the German space agency and its Russian counterpart.

The project will be restarted in cooperation with a research mission of the German Armed Forces University in Munich. The trial phase is expected to begin over a period of three months before work resumes fully.

By mid-2027, a network of six satellites will be formed that will provide comprehensive and reliable data on wildlife around the world, including previously uncovered areas such as the North and South Poles.

Source: German media