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Scientists Relaunch the 'Internet of Animals'

German scientists have relaunched a satellite system that will be used to track wildlife all across the globe. The “internet of animals” was first launched in 2020, in collaboration with Russian researchers, but was abruptly halted after Russia invaded Ukraine.

The ICARUS system will gather data transmitted from tiny sensors attached to thousands of animals around the world, from birds to bats to sea turtles to zebras. Scientists will use the data to track the movement, behavior, and health of wildlife. On Friday, scientists sent the first receiver into space aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket as part of a German research satellite. A second receiver will launch next year, with six more to follow in 2027.

With the constellation of receivers, scientists “are building a truly planetary-scale observatory,” said Martin Wikelski, director at the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior in Germany, who is spearheading the project.

An ICARUS sensor. Courtesy of Martin Wikelski

ICARUS initially went live in 2020, after the first receiver was installed on the Russian segment of the International Space Station. But the system was shut down in 2022 after the West cut ties with Russia over its war on Ukraine.

Since then, scientists have redesigned the receiver. While the previous iteration required a large antenna to be outfitted on the International Space Station, the new version is small enough to fit in the palm of one’s hand. It consumes one tenth the energy as the old receiver while gathering data from four times as many sensors.

Scientists say the new system will allow scientists to track animals with unprecedented accuracy and spot emerging threats. Said Wikelski, “This capability radically increases the speed with which we can respond to global challenges such as habitat loss, disease outbreaks, and shifting migration patterns.”