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ScienceGermanyhttps://p.dw.com/p/56wyC
The ICARUS Initiative is aimed at monitoring animals worldwide to protect species and better understand ecological and environmental interactions. The Max Planck Institute project has already saved endangered wild dogs in South Africa’s Kruger National Park by triggering alarms when animals were caught in poachers’ traps. ICARUS launched in 2018 with an antenna installation on the Russian module of the International Space Station. But when the war in Ukraine began, the data flow stopped. The solution? Replace the single antenna on the ISS with microsatellites developed by startup Talos—compact, scalable and cheaper than the existing system. With global coverage from pole to pole, the satellites can map migration routes of birds, bats, marine reptiles and land mammals worldwide. Tens of thousands of animals have so far been fitted with mini transmitters. Also in this episode: a wide range of animals on land, in water and in the air can exhibit same sex behaviors—indicating potential evolutionary advantages that go beyond reproduction. And: glowworms and fireflies—unraveling the secrets of bioluminescence and the dramatic global decline of insects.
