SANTO DOMINGO.- sargassum seaweed masses arriving from the Atlantic in 2025, with an estimated 400,000 tons of the macroalgae that, like a silent enemy, clouds the waters, affects biodiversity, public health, and generates losses for economies that depend on tourism, as the costs of cleaning the coasts are in the millions.
Faced with this environmental and economic challenge, the Technological Institute of Santo Domingo (INTEC) is committed to an innovative solution: manufacturing and launching into orbit the first nanosatellite designed in the country, QuisqueyaSat-1, a project led by aerospace engineer Edwin Sánchez, along with a team of young researchers and students.
However, the ultimate success of the project depends on funding . “We are currently in the assembly and post-launch testing phase. To complete this phase, we need financial support from institutions that can join this effort. More than just a satellite, this project aims to develop highly skilled human capital in aerospace sciences,” Sánchez emphasized.
¿What does it consist of??
QuisqueyaSat-1 is a cube measuring 10 x 10 x 10 cubic centimeters and weighing less than 2.2 kilos, but with a far-reaching purpose: to detect, georeference and analyze in real time the clusters of sargassum that float towards the Caribbean coasts.
“With this satellite, we aim to provide valuable information for early warning systems. The goal is for current models to have real-time images and data on ocean currents that help us understand the transport of sargassum,” Sánchez explained in an interview with El Inmobiliario.
Assembly process. (External source).
The engineer also highlighted that QuisqueyaSat-1 will serve as a relay instrument for marine buoys, allowing for the integration of information on ocean movements. “Beyond sargassum, we want society to understand the importance of using satellite data in everyday decision-making,” he added.
2025
, the Intec project began in 2019 and has since evolved as the situation has become more complex and new possibilities have emerged. “Originally, the plan was only to take images. Today, we cover much more: we are incorporating artificial intelligence to process the images directly in orbit before sending them to Earth,” Sánchez explained.
The team has received training at Sapienza University of Rome, the International Italo-Latin American Organization (IILA), and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). They also have a ground station on the INTEC campus, donated by the IILA, which will allow direct communication with the satellite.
The working group is small but dynamic: “We are two full-time professors, with rotating students. We usually work with a maximum of four students depending on the needs,” Sánchez explained.
Countdown
While the launch was projected for 2025, the final date is not yet confirmed. “The launch date is tentative because it depends on the progress of laboratory tests and the availability of the launch vehicle. We hope it will be possible next year—2026,” explained the project director, who reported that the launch would take place from French Guiana, in coordination with European space agencies.
The QuisqueyaSat-1 project has been made possible thanks to a network of national and international support. At the local level, the main support has come from the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology (MESCyT), through the FONDOCYT research funds, and the following institutions are also involved: INTEC, the National Defense University “General Juan Pablo Duarte y Díez”, the Dominican Institute of Telecommunications, and the Dominican Institute of Civil Aviation.
At the international level, the IILA, Sapienza University, the Italian Embassy in Santo Domingo, as well as the Indian Embassy and the Indian Space Research Organisation itself stand out.
The impact of QuisqueyaSat-1 extends far beyond combating sargassum. Its launch into orbit marks the Dominican Republic's entry into the club of countries that have developed and put into operation their own satellite technology and opens the door to future applications: from monitoring environmental phenomena to exploring potential uses for sargassum as a source of biogas or agricultural fertilizer.
In Sánchez's words: “What we seek is not just to launch a satellite, but to create Dominican capabilities in space. We want to demonstrate that projects impacting the present and future of the country can be developed from a university laboratory.”.
