The first Fraunhofer small satellite ERNST was successfully launched in last August. The satellite’s commissioning phase have been completed with all functions and subsystems verified.

ERNST is a small satellite built at the Fraunhofer Institute for High-Speed Dynamics EMI in Freiburg and funded by the German Federal Armed Forces. The mission objectives are to demonstrate the potential of CubeSat technology for military utility, while evaluating missile detection from low Earth orbit.

»The launch and commissioning of a satellite are critical moments when the system has to prove itself in orbit for the first time. ERNST has successfully passed these tests,« said Dr. Martin Schimmerohn, ERNST project manager. Fraunhofer EMI established contact with ERNST during the first overflights. All systems were then commissioned and tested, and the first unexpected obstacles had to be overcome. In the meantime, all operational modes and functions have been successfully tested, most recently the X-band downlink of large data packets from the infrared camera to Earth. 

»The launch and commissioning of a satellite are critical moments when the system has to prove itself in orbit for the first time. ERNST has successfully passed these tests,« said Dr. Martin Schimmerohn, ERNST project manager. Fraunhofer EMI established contact with ERNST during the first overflights. All systems were then commissioned and tested, and the first unexpected obstacles had to be overcome. In the meantime, all operational modes and functions have been successfully tested, most recently the X-band downlink of large data packets from the infrared camera to Earth. 

Ready for rocket detection. First detection just missed.

ERNST is now ready for rocket detection. Using a high-resolution infrared camera, it monitorsthe Earth's surface and tracks detected objects. As an experimental satellite, it is testing methods and technologies for early missile warning that could be used in future operational European satellite constellations.

A few days ago, ERNST was supposed to detect its first rocket launch. SpaceX's Transporter-12 mission was in ERNST's flyover window. But the launch of the civilian rocket on January 14 was delayed by a few minutes: ERNST was over the Vandenberg rocket launch site in California too early. Just missed. It would have been a nice hit: On board was the first satellite of the Fraunhofer EMI spin-off constellr, for Fraunhofer EMI contributed critical components.

Training with flaring gas, detections expected soon.

ERNST is currently training by observing gas flares in oil production. Gas flares are nearly as hot as rocket exhaust plumes. The team is testing target tracking and analyses the infrared signal detection at different wavelength against the background of the Earth.

The scientists are ready to move on to the goal: rocket detection. »We need a little patience. ERNST is a single experimental satellite. It observes a small part of the Earth's surface along its flight path. For our own safety, it is fortunate that not too many rocket launch windows coincide with an ERNST overflight,« says Martin Schimmerohn. »However, we expect to detect several events during ERNST's mission time.«

ERNST in detail

Research for innovative satellite applications: Fraunhofer EMI develops technologies for small satellites and new approaches for mission concepts in Earth observation and science. 

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Shared mission: A total of 116 satellites share in the approximately $70 million cost of the rocket launch.

ERNST is in the small black box in the center of the picture. 

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Launch into orbit: ERNST (top left) begins its orbital journey after being successfully deployed by the Falcon 9 upper stage.

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Fligth over the Black Forest: ERNST also has a real image camera on board. It is used to georeference the infrared data.

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