Social Implementation of Earth Observation with Small SAR Satellites : A Case Study of iQPS

Abstract

This paper introduces the initiatives of Institute for Q-shu Pioneers of Space, Inc. (iQPS), a space development company founded in Fukuoka in 2005 with the aim of establishing a space industry in the Kyushu region. iQPS is engaged in the development, manufacturing, and operation of small SAR satellites named as “QPS-SAR,” and provides high-resolution Earth observation data obtained from these satellites. The company ultimately aims to build a constellation of 36 QPS-SARs, enabling near-real-time monitoring capabilities and significantly enhancing the utility of satellite data in various fields such as disaster response, infrastructure management, and environmental monitoring.