| Maritime Monitoring and Messaging Microsatellite | |
| Names List: | M3MSat |
| Mission Type: | Telecommunications technology demonstration |
| Operator: | Canadian Space Agency |
| Cospar Id: | 2016-040G |
| Satcat: | 41605 |
| Mission Duration: | 2 years |
| Manufacturer: | Honeywell, Canadian Space Agency |
| Launch Date: | [1] |
| Launch Rocket: | PSLV XL flight PSLV-C34 |
| Launch Site: | Satish Dhawan Space Centre |
| Orbit Reference: | Geocentric |
| Orbit Periapsis: | 650km (400miles) |
| Orbit Apoapsis: | 650km (400miles) |
| Orbit Period: | 10 orbits per day |
| Apsis: | gee |
The Maritime Monitoring and Messaging Microsatellite (M3MSat) is a tele-detection satellite developed by the Canadian Space Agency and launched in 2016. Its mission is to demonstrate and test the technology to assess the utility of having in space an Automatic Identification System (AIS) for reading signals from vessels to better manage marine transport in Canadian waters.[2] The system will be supported by an instrument called a Low Data Rate Service (LDRS), which transmits AIS messages to ground sensors.
The M3MSat microsatellite will be used to receive and locate digital signals transmitted by vessels. This data will be sent to ground stations to then be relayed to operators for Defence Research and Development Canada (DRDC).[2] This will make it possible to identify and record marine traffic, know vessels' direction, cruising speed, and ensure that they navigate legally and safely in Canadian waters.
Canada's Department of National Defence has granted a licence to exactEarth to commercialize the AIS data collected from M3MSat and integrate it with the data collected from the rest of the exactEarth constellation.[3]
M3MSat is a tele-detection satellite, and its mission is to demonstrate and test the technology of three instruments:[2]