Real Betis Takes a Giant Leap into Space Sustainability
It sounds unlikely, but it is a fact . Real Betis Balompié has entered the space sector . And without leaving Seville . The historic football club and the aerospace company GMV have installed a satellite surveillance and tracking antenna in the Rafael Gordillo sports city.
<img alt="Starlink stopped competing with satellite Internet companies a long time ago: now it is going for something much bigger" width="375" height="142" src="https://i.blogs.es/576357/starlink/375_142.png"/>The agreement makes Betis the first football club in the world to host a facility dedicated to the sustainability of space. More specifically, it focuses on the pressing challenge of space debris and the growing risk of collisions in orbit .
Understanding the Space Debris Problem
Betis 1 – Space trash 130 million. Congestion in Earth’s orbit may not be the main concern of green-and-white fans, but it is indeed a danger for the satellites we use every day. Whether using a car navigator, checking the weather forecast, or streaming a football match, space debris poses significant risks.
Thousands of operational satellites coexist with up to 130 million fragments of space debris . These fragments are pieces of dead satellites and remains of rockets that travel at hypersonic speeds , forcing active satellites to perform evasion maneuvers . It is “one of the great challenges that humanity faces in the orbital environment,” says Miguel Ángel Molina from GMV.
The Role of the New Satellite Dish
Monitor and prevent. This is where the new 2.7-meter satellite dish installed at the Betis training center comes into play. Its essential mission is to track space debris and predict collisions to avoid them.
To achieve this, GMV has internally developed a system called Focusear . This innovative technology works by “listening” to the signals emitted by satellites themselves in the Ku band , which is the same band used by satellite television and is positioned in geostationary orbit, approximately 36,000 km above the Earth.
High Precision Tracking
Nanosecond precision. Upon receiving these signals, the system employs radio frequency triangulation techniques (TDoA and FDoA) to determine the exact position and orbit of the satellites, with a margin of error of about three meters —equivalent to just 10 nanoseconds .
This data is crucial for satellite operators , who manage the evasion maneuvers of their fleets. Additionally, it contributes to expanding the European Space Surveillance System (EUSST) , a catalog of objects aimed at preventing large-scale collisions in space.
Why Real Betis?
Why Betis? The Sevillian club had previously created the Forever Green Foundation , a name that reflects the club’s commitment to sustainability. In addition to sporting green colors, Betis is recognized as the most sustainable club in LaLiga and the second in Europe regarding energy efficiency , recycling , and water reuse .
By extending its vision of sustainability into space, Betis embraces a commitment that goes “beyond the Earth,” as stated by Rafa Muela, the foundation’s manager. Additionally, Seville serves as the headquarters of the Spanish Space Agency , making the club’s choice of location both strategic and meaningful, helping to establish the Andalusian capital as a noteworthy player in national space development.
In essence, this pioneering partnership highlights how sports organizations can be at the forefront of social responsibility , leveraging their platforms to address global challenges. Betis has provided a model for how sports entities can engage with cutting-edge tech industries. This collaboration between Real Betis and GMV not only enhances the club’s brand but also strengthens its commitment to sustainability and innovation in the ever-evolving landscape of technology.
As the challenges related to space debris continue to grow, the initiatives taken by organizations like GMV and Real Betis will be pivotal in ensuring a sustainable future for both space exploration and our daily digital lives. This unique intersection of sports and technology sets a precedent for future collaboration, emphasizing that dedication to the environment knows no boundaries.
Image | GMV, Real Betis Balompié
In Xataka | Three large pieces of space debris reenter every day: “one day our luck will run out and they will fall on someone.”