NorSat-4
Miniature low-light optical camera and 5th-generation AIS.
Space Flight Laboratory (SFL) developed NorSat-4 for the Norwegian Space Centre (NOSA) based upon its space-proven 35-kg DEFIANT microsatellite bus.
NorSat-4 launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California aboard the SpaceX Transporter-12 rideshare mission on 14 January 2025 and follows the successful launches of the NorSat-1, NorSat-2, NorSat-3 and NorSat-TD satellites also built by SFL and currently operational.
The maritime monitoring microsatellite is the seventh spacecraft developed for the Norwegian Space Agency (NOSA) by SFL and carries a fifth-generation Automatic Identification System (AIS) ship tracking receiver developed by Kongsberg Seatex and a first-of-its-kind low-light imaging camera.
The low-light optical camera expands the Norwegian Coastal Administration’s ability to detect and track vessels in its Arctic territorial waters by supplementing the AIS receiver aboard the satellite. Safran Reosc of France built the camera under contract with the Norwegian Defence Research Establishment to optically detect vessels longer than 30 meters in Arctic darkness.
The camera is a demanding payload because it requires active thermal control to maintain low-light image quality and also needs extremely precise attitude control for accurate image geolocation. Additionally, SFL designed and manufactured a very compact mechanical iris shutter for the camera aperture, protecting the device from direct sun exposure in orbit.
Beginning in 2010 with the launch of the AISSat-1 nanosatellite, SFL has a long history of supporting Norway’s leadership in space-based maritime traffic monitoring.