Researchers at the Institute of Aerospace Technologies INTA in Spain have developed a groundbreaking CubeSat named ANSER. This compact satellite demonstrates a novel approach to orbital maneuvering by leveraging lightweight wings that capture faint air currents in the upper reaches of Earth’s atmosphere. The development has been reported by the European Space Agency, highlighting its potential to influence how small satellites manage their position in orbit without traditional propulsion systems.
The ANSER project envisions a small constellation consisting of three CubeSats positioned roughly at an altitude of 500 kilometers above the Earth’s surface. The satellites will be spaced about 10 kilometers apart to form a coordinated trio. Rather than carrying engines, each unit uses wing-like panels that exploit atmospheric currents to adjust altitude and guide movement in various directions. This passive method stands as a striking departure from conventional propulsion strategies and could pave the way for new formation-flying techniques among lightweight space platforms.
Without onboard propulsion, the operational lifespan of the ANSER cluster is anticipated to be two to three years, a duration influenced by initial deployment altitude and the long-term effects of atmospheric drag. Realizing stable operation over this period will require careful management of altitude dynamics and collective behavior within the trio to maintain relative positioning and functional coordination.
The ANSER CubeSats are roughly the size of a shoebox, making them exceptionally small even by CubeSat standards. They were designed to enable space-based observation of lakes and reservoirs across the Iberian region, leveraging high-resolution cameras and spectrometers to gather environmental data. The imagery and spectral data collected by ANSER aim to illuminate patterns of water pollution, track the spread of contaminants, and identify shifts in water quality. In addition, the payload is expected to provide insights into the presence and growth of aquatic microorganisms, including phytoplankton, which can serve as early indicators of ecological changes and potential ecological stressors in regional freshwater systems.
Such initiatives emerge against a broader backdrop of concern within the space community about collision risks in Earth orbit. There is ongoing attention to how increasing numbers of satellites and debris may intersect paths, prompting researchers to explore novel strategies for maintaining safe distances and reducing collision probabilities. The ANSER project contributes to this discourse by showcasing an alternative approach to orbital management that minimizes active propulsion while pursuing stable, cooperative behavior among small satellites in a shared orbital neighborhood. As these concepts mature, they hold implications for future low-cost, low-resource missions that require reliable relative positioning without relying on conventional thrusters or propellant-dependent propulsion schemes.