This is the name of CSHARK's first PocketQube, which was produced to host hardware and software 'Made in Piacenza,' and concludes its stay in orbit after 36 months. But this is only the first in a series of satellites destined to quickly form a true constellation. Here are more details about the mission, and for the nostalgic, the video of the first launch!

Thanks to SpaceX's "Smallsat Rideshare Program'' the launch of the carrier rocket that took "CSHARK Pilot-1" into orbit, between 500 and 700 km above the Earth's surface, was scheduled for late February 2021 from the American spaceport of Boca Chica Village in Texas. The journey on the payload lasted only a few minutes, while the first shark's stay in a sun-synchronous orbit was 36 months.

The mission of Pilot-1 was threefold. With its multisensory optics, it recorded and transmitted essential meteorological data, acting as a specialized and attentive eye for reporting and forecasting analysis, fundamental elements for Agriculture 4.0 and real-time datasets of atmospheric phenomena. In just 250 grams—and in other dedicated slots—Pongo's modules found their place, becoming the true heart and brain of the operation, while hardware and software with getaway functions were housed in the third compartment. Thanks to the use of Pilot-1 as a satellite gateway, the onboard services were also used by third parties for the implementation of concrete and operational applications. Pilot-1 offered a unique service essential for testing integrated systems, prototyping smart cities and smart farms, initiating control and robotics activities, assessing cybersecurity standards, managing resources, and analyzing social behavior.

Thanks to Pongo, Pilot-1, once in orbit and operational, remotely managed "CatFish," the terrestrial rover currently in beta phase, also developed by CSHARK's studies department. A robot designed to perform remote operations, such as probing the soil and subsoil, offering geologists, geophysics institutes, private companies, and researchers new targeted information and opportunities for research verticalization.

Until December 23, 2024, Pilot-1 was self-powered thanks to special photovoltaic cells; upon its decay, when gravity drew the satellite towards the Earth's surface, no "space debris" remained, as rapid combustion of the entire apparatus occurred upon contact with the stratosphere. The name "Pilot" inspired the project, originating from the pilot fish that clean the teeth of sharks and other large fish in the oceans.

Green energy and zero debris

Before that moment, only consortia, research institutes, and universities had moved towards the stars with the launch of nanosatellites into low Earth orbit. Alessandro Fanni's endeavor comes after years of studies and applications. It is the world's first case of a small, indeed very small company making significant evolutionary leaps with small but swift steps, aiming to offer high-value-added services and new technology!