On March 14, the Brazilian Air Force (FAB) reached a new milestone in its surveillance and airspace control capabilities with the launch of autonomous operations of the Lessonia-1 Space System. From this date onward, the Space Operations Center (COPE), under the Aerospace Operations Command (COMAE) based in Brasília, assumed full control over the images generated by satellites X39 and X43, which form the country’s first synthetic aperture radar (SAR) remote sensing constellation.
This technology will provide crucial information for operations against drug trafficking and illegal mining, cartography and hydrography updates, wildfire and natural disaster monitoring, as well as surveillance of the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and border control. With this, the FAB strengthens its capacity for surveillance and defense over Brazilian airspace, land borders, and territorial waters.
The head of COPE, Air Brigadier Alessandro Cramer, emphasized the importance of this advancement for national sovereignty and defense, stating: “With the global coverage provided by the sensor mounted on the satellites of the Lessonia-1 Space System, we will take a significant leap both in the quantity and quality of information available to support the operations of the Armed Forces and government agencies, especially in uninhabited and hard-to-reach areas such as the Western Border, the Northern Region, and the South Atlantic. This will enhance our ability to monitor, respond, and protect Brazilian territory.”
He also highlighted the dual-use nature of the system, stressing its benefits for environmental monitoring and disaster prevention, stating that “Lessonia-1 not only strengthens national security but also directly contributes to sustainable development and our country’s resilience against environmental and climate challenges.”
One of the system’s key features is that, unlike traditional optical sensors, SAR radar can capture high-resolution images both day and night, even in adverse weather conditions. This capability provides a strategic advantage for surveillance and monitoring of areas of interest.
It is worth recalling that on May 25, 2022, the FAB announced the launch of its first two surveillance and monitoring satellites under the Lessonia-1 Project. The devices, named Carcará I and Carcará II, were acquired from the Finnish company ICEYE with funds from Brazil’s Ministry of Defense and launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, United States.
Image credit: Agência Força Aérea.
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