NOCTUA is the pilot test of a future commercial service that will gather, elaborate, analyse and spread observation data for the Lombardy area. The purpose is to monitor the built environment and infrastructure (urban centres, buildings, hospitals, schools, cultural sites, bridges, viaducts, dams, etc.) as well as glaciers, mountain slopes, forests and natural resources in general. These data will be sent from a small satellite with synthetic-aperture radar technology, placed in orbit to demonstrate that it is possible for a space system to be low cost, high resolution and commercially available.

D-Orbit è capofila di un consorzio di 6 membri che include Beta 80 S.p.A. Software e Sistemi, Fondazione EUCENTRE, Istituto Universitario di Studi Superiori, Radarsensing s.r.l., TRE Altamira s.r.l., con il supporto di Fondazione Politecnico di Milano come partner trasversale e il sostegno di Lombardia Aerospace Cluster e Fondazione Cluster Tecnologie per le Smart Cities & Communities – Lombardia.