Together, the students are learning how to build a nano-satellite that can map crop-residue from low earth orbit.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s like a friend group (and) we\u2019re developing a satellite, together,\u201d said 21-year-old Ege Artan, a member of the FINCH team.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are working on a very cool project. How many undergrads, all over the world are working on\u2026 such a project?\u201d<\/p>\n
Measuring crop residue is a way to track soil erosion, the amount of nutrients returning to the soil, carbon sequestration and soil organic matter.<\/p>\n
The students, a group that evolves over time because some students graduate and then new people enter the program, have been working on the project since 2020.<\/p>\n
Read Also<\/p>\n
There are other ways to study crop residue across a large geography, such as expensive satellites or drones, but a nano-satellite could be a cheaper option to gauge crop stubble.<\/p>\n The FINCH project will rely on shortwave infra-red sensors.<\/p>\n Shortwave infrared is electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths ranging from 1.0 to 2.5 micrometers (\u00b5m).<\/p>\n \u201cIt isn\u2019t detectable by the human eye, but it can be captured by specialized sensors on satellites, drones,\u201d says an explainer on the GeoWGS84 website<\/a>.<\/p>\n About 150 students are currently involved in the project, including Artan, who spoke to the Western Producer from his home in Turkiye.<\/p>\n \u201cYou can already do this with high-priced satellites, but they are incredibly expensive so you wouldn\u2019t want to send them to space just for that purpose (measuring crop stubble).\u201d<\/p>\n What is a nano-satellite?<\/p>\n A Cube-sat <\/a>is another name for a nano-satellite, said the Canadian Space <\/a>Agency<\/a>.<\/p>\n The \u2018cube\u2019 bit comes from the shape of the satellite, which could be as small as a Rubik\u2019s cube.<\/p>\n These nano-satellites have become more popular, as they can be launched into orbit for $50,000 to $100,000.<\/p>\n The \u201cFINCH\u201d mission patch designed by students at the University of Toronto \u2013 it stands for Field Imaging Nanosatellite for Crop residue Hyperspectral mapping. Photo: University of Toronto<\/p>\n The small cubes are assembled to build a larger cube. In the case of the FINCH project, their nano-satellite is about the size of a housecat or raccoon.<\/p>\n
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