Albedo announced that its Clarity-1 satellite was successfully launched to orbit on SpaceX's Transporter-13 Rideshare mission from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. The Albedo team has successfully made contact with Clarity-1 and achieved key commissioning milestones just hours after launch.
Approximately four hours after separation from SpaceX, the Albedo team confirmed that the satellite was able to send telemetry and receive commands through its Mission Operations team. Most critically - just 14 hours after launch, Clarity-1 has successfully commissioned its precision GNC hardware and algorithms to transition between different operational modes, including Protect Mode.
This mode is a specialized autonomous operating state that allows the satellite to maintain its orbit and perform necessary maneuvers without human intervention. The capability is similar to a normal satellite’s “safe mode” but includes niche and essential functionality for operating in the challenging and dynamic environment of VLEO, where spacecraft experience significantly higher atmospheric drag, atomic oxygen exposure, and greater effects from solar events compared to traditional satellite orbits.
Clarity-1 is the world's first commercial satellite designed to operate in VLEO. Once it reaches its target orbit at approximately half the altitude of traditional Earth observation satellites, Clarity-1 will deliver unprecedented resolution - 10-centimeter visible imagery and 2-meter thermal imagery - that was previously only achievable using aircraft.
“This is a monumental milestone for Albedo, the United States, and our long-term ability to deploy exquisite capabilities for low cost into VLEO,” said AyJay Lasater, Co-founder and CTO of Albedo. “Clarity-1 will serve as the proof point that VLEO is the next frontier. Our mission-centric view allows us to build exquisite capabilities at a significantly reduced price as we further develop our VLEO capabilities. We are excited to continue commissioning and calibrating Clarity-1 to provide our customers with unprecedented visible and thermal imagery.”
Clarity-1 will now undergo further commissioning steps and sensor calibration, descend in altitude, and perform inclination adjustments to its operational VLEO positioning.
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