The CloudCT Satellite Sends First Light from Orbit

The first satellite in the CloudCT network has sent its first observation from orbit. The image shows a view toward central France as the satellite passes over the Baltic Sea. The upper image shows light intensity. Clouds can be seen in the upper-left corner, while deep space appears in the lower-right corner. The CloudCT camera observes light differently from the human eye, which is why most of the field of view, covering areas of vegetation, appears gray. The image below is a false-color representation of the polarized component of light: the brighter the pixel, the greater the degree of polarization.

The satellite and the observations it provide are the result of a collaboration between Israeli and German scientists from the Weizmann Institute of Science, led by Prof. Ilan Koren; the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, led by Prof. Yoav Schechner; and the Zentrum für Telematik, led by Prof. Klaus Schilling, with support from the European Research Council (ERC).

The satellite was successfully launched by SpaceX on July 7, 2026. The images below, courtesy of SpaceX, show the launch and the moment the satellite was deployed into orbit. The satellite is currently undergoing commissioning. See the photos in the attached file.