Blue Skies Space Satellite Mauve Will Provide Science Data As A Subscription Service

UK startup Blue Skies Space has announced the upcoming launch of its first satellite, Mauve, which is scheduled for next year. This ambitious project seeks to revolutionise astronomical research by offering access to crucial data from space.

Mauve is expected to be launched in October 2025 aboard SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket as part of the Transporter-15 rideshare programme.

Mauve Satellite: A Breakthrough In Stars Observation

Mauve is an ultraviolet (UV) satellite specifically designed to study stars in our galaxy. It has a 13 cm telescope that will observe hundreds of stars in the Ultraviolet and visible wavelengths. The research will focus on stellar spectroscopy – the spectrum of light emitted by stars. The data collected by the satellite will allow scientists to explore stellar magnetic activity and powerful flares and understand their impact on the habitability of neighbouring exoplanets. Mauve will operate in a low-Earth orbit, maximising opportunities for science observations. Satellite and instrument manufacturers C3S and ISISPACE are collaborating to design the satellite.

About The Programme

The Mauve survey programme will become an international collaboration of scientists dedicated to the study of stars. The data collected by the satellite will be accessible through a subscription-based membership model. This program already includes researchers from Boston University and the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, which signed up prior to launch to help make decisions about the location of the Mauve satellite and the duration of the project. According to programme representatives, any scientist worldwide can become a member. Members will have access to Blue Skies Space’s innovative collaboration portal, Stardrive, which offers a comprehensive suite of data management and mission planning tools. Regular data releases will be made to all members throughout the survey’s three-year lifetime. The Blue Skies Space team will provide full-time support to assist in the provision and exploitation of the data. The project actively encourages the involvement of PhD students and early-career scientists.

Notably, Blue Skies hasn’t revealed the price for the membership yet, stating that this information will be available soon.

This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme.

Dr Marcell Tessenyi, CEO and co-founder of Blue Skies Space, said: “We are delighted to confirm the launch date for Mauve. It is a crucial step in our mission to accelerate the supply of space science data and making it accessible to any researcher, anywhere in the world”.