Satellite Systems, Satcom & Space Systems

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28 Mar 24. Space Force General Outlines U.S. Approach to Maintaining Space Superiority. The chief of space operations laid out his vision for responsibly ensuring U.S. space superiority amid increasing competition in the domain.

Space Force Gen. Chance Saltzman underscored the dramatic rise in the use of space by competitors and the acceleration of hazards flooding the domain in recent years.

The U.S. now contends with an “incredibly sophisticated array” of threats such as space-based GPS jammers, anti-satellite weapons and cyberattacks against U.S. ground stations and space assets, Saltzman said yesterday in the opening keynote of the Spacepower Security Forum hosted by the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies in Arlington, Virginia.

Saltzman also noted that both Russia and China are increasingly using space-based intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities to enhance targeting capabilities for their precision-guided munitions.

“Collectively, this rise in congestion and competition within the domain has led to a growing risk to our continued access to, and operation within, space,” Saltzman said. “In the face of this unacceptable risk, the Space Force was established a military service focused on addressing the challenges and opportunities we face in the space domain.”

Just as the Navy, Army and Air Force maintain U.S. superiority across the sea, land and air domains, Saltzman said the Space Force must set the conditions in space.

“For our service, space superiority is the first core function,” he said. “It is the ability to contest, and when necessary, control the space domain at the time and place of our choosing. We must protect our space capabilities, while also being able to deny an adversary the hostile use of its space capabilities.”

He said doing so requires a responsible, measured approach that ensures space remains safe, secure and stable long into the future.

“Only by pursuing space superiority in a disciplined way, can the Space Force ensure that the U.S. and our allies and partners have the peace we desire, and more specifically, that we can all access and exploit the space domain,” he said.

Those priorities are central to Space Force’s framework for success, which Saltzman described as “competitive endurance.”

Underpinning the framework is Space Force’s focus on avoiding operational surprise, denying potential adversaries’ capabilities to effectively strike in space and undertaking responsible counterspace campaigning.

“These three tenets guide Space Force activities and investments and posture us to protect U.S. interest without compromising the usability of the space domain,” Saltzman said. “If we can do these three things, that allows the joint force to effectively engage strategic rivals does not compromise the safety, security, stability long- sustainability of the domain.

“This is the logic of space superiority and why it is so critical to the joint force,” he said. “Because if we do not have space, we lose.”

(Source: U.S. DoD)

 

27 Mar 24. Space Force to upgrade sensors for in-orbit testing, training. As the Space Force looks to improve its live testing and training capabilities, the service is considering upgrading existing satellites with more robust sensors to support that mission.

Through a partnership with the Pentagon’s Test Resource Management Center and the Defense Innovation Unit, Space Training and Readiness Command, or STARCOM, plans to install new space domain awareness sensors on satellites in orbit as soon as 2025.

Those sensors, designed to provide real-time information on the space environment, could help STARCOM create a secure environment to test space capabilities in orbit and train operators on live spacecraft.

“The race is on to get resilient capabilities into space ahead of emerging threats,” Space Force spokesperson Lt. Col. Meghan Liemburg-Archer told C4ISRNET in a March 25 statement. “This capability could enable a more robust on-demand test and training architecture.”

STARCOM’s plan for a live testing and training capability is just one piece of the Space Force’s broader Operational Test and Training Infrastructure, which includes a mix of simulated and in-orbit capabilities designed to train guardians and make sure satellites and ground systems work as designed.

The service’s fiscal 2025 budget request includes $196m in research and development funding to establish a National Space Test and Training Complex, or NSTTC — a significant jump from the $21.8m it asked for in FY24.

As for the upgrade mission, details on its potential scope are slim, and Liemburg-Archer said the service is still determining how many sensors it will buy and which satellites it will install them on.

Katalyst Space Technologies, an Arizona-based startup, is providing its SIGHT sensor for the effort as well as its Retrofit Attachment System, which allows it to install a sensor to a satellite in orbit. SIGHT was designed to track debris and other space objects, including active satellites.

DIU awarded Katalyst a $4.5m contract in January, the funds for which were provided by the Test Resource Management Center, which is also interested in better understanding how satellites could be used to support testing in multiple environments — including for hypersonic systems.

Ghonhee Lee, the company’s CEO, told C4ISRNET the initial contract was for the first ground test unit, which will complete testing this summer. The firm is awaiting additional funding to begin building the flight unit, he said, noting that the prolonged fiscal 2024 appropriations process slowed down that effort.

For the installation itself, the Space Force is working with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, which runs a program with the Naval Research Laboratory called Robotic Servicing of Geosynchronous Satellites, or RSGS, that aims to demonstrate the ability to inspect and service satellites using a mechanical arm.

Space Logistics – a subsidiary of Northrop Grumman — will fly the RSGS payload, which is set to launch in early 2025.

Lee said Katalyst will work with DARPA and Space Logistics to coordinate and rehearse the installation process and then Katalyst’s analytics software will be sent to government operations centers to support the mission.

The Space Force declined to comment on the timeline, saying information about the schedule is “restricted” and the mission has technical challenges that need to be resolved. Lee noted that the timing is tight and largely dependent on continued funding, including money in the fiscal 2025 budget request meant to support the mission.

Along with schedule pressure, Lee said he’s concerned the effort could end up being a one-off demo rather than an expanded program to provide STARCOM with in-orbit training capability.

“There’s a major risk that this basically ends up kind of in like its own little corner and doesn’t actually make it into the broader Space Force acquisition strategy and capability roadmap,” he said.

That roadmap will drive future investment in space mobility and logistics capabilities and is still in development as the service determines what utility these systems may have for future operations. The Space Force has refueling demonstrations planned in the next few years, requesting about $14 m for those efforts in fiscal 2025, but hasn’t settled on a longer term strategy.

Lee said Katalyst’s hope is that the need for sensors to support STARCOM and the NSTTC will drive the service to consider how in-orbit repair and upgrade capabilities could bring value. If the mission is successful, he said, it could help make that case and perhaps lead to opportunities for other applications.

He added that Katalyst is in discussion with Space Systems Command — the Space Force’s acquisition arm — and the Commercial Services Office about how to scale the technology through other program offices.

“I think it’ll actually increase the adoption of the capability in SSC and the operations community at large,” Lee said. “The Space Force has already done it through the NSTTC, so then there’s already a playbook.”  (Source: C4ISR & Networks)

 

27 Mar 24. C-LEO programme kicks off with £60m for satellite constellation ideas. Up to £60m is available for innovations that will help boost the UK’s satellite communications sector, following the record number of global satellite launches in 2023.

The UK Space Agency’s Connectivity in Low Earth Orbit (C-LEO) programme was highlighted in the recent Spring Budget, with the Chancellor confirming that up to £160m will be invested in UK expertise through the programme over the next four years. The first funding call launches today, with up to £60m being made available.

The UK has a rich heritage in satellite design, spacecraft manufacturing and the operation of large satellite constellations, but this new government funding is crucial to maintaining the UK’s competitive edge during a period of rapid change and growth for the global space sector.

A new record was set in 2023, with more than 2,900 satellites launched successfully into orbit, and the vast majority of these satellites operate as part of commercial constellations which will continue to grow rapidly.

This represents a major opportunity for the UK space industry to benefit from high-value contracts in the global supply chain for satellite constellations, and to play a leading role in the long-term growth of the satellite communication sector.

Andrew Griffith MP, Minister for Space at the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, said:

From super accurate navigation, future generations of mobile connections, to better access to healthcare, satellite communications is opening doors around the world.

As part of our UK space programme, we are making available up to £60 m to back world-class UK teams in seizing those opportunities.

Dr Paul Bate, Chief Executive of the UK Space Agency, said: “The UK is already home to some of the world’s most innovative leaders in satellite communications technologies and expertise, but continued growth requires sustained and strategic investment.  This major new funding allows us to provide additional support, signalling the UK’s long term commitment to the satellite communications sector and helping to bring its most ambitious projects to market. The new funding can be used for research and development projects to build the capabilities of satellite constellations, making them more efficient at processing data in space and improving the services they offer to customers on Earth.”

Advancing these communications services is critical to the success of emerging innovations – such as autonomous vehicles and healthcare deliveries via drone – and will ultimately give the UK space sector a competitive edge in the rapidly growing global market of low Earth orbit (LEO) constellations.

This will help catalyse investment, develop new manufacturing capabilities, and drive the improvement of connectivity in remote, rural and harder-to-reach areas in the UK and beyond.

Awards of up to £20m per project will be funded both by the UK Space Agency directly and through the European Space Agency’s Advanced Research in Telecommunications Systems (ARTES) programme. (Source: https://www.gov.uk/)

 

26 Mar 24. Space Development Agency may hire companies to tow defunct satellites. The Space Development Agency is interested in hiring commercial space firms to move inactive satellites out of low Earth orbit at the end of their service life.

The agency issued a notice to industry March 25 asking for analysis and studies on the feasibility and availability of in-space disposal services.

“SDA believes there are several industry partners with concepts and business models to support commercial on-orbit servicing, to include assisted disposal operations,” the agency said. “As such, SDA is interested in studying the feasibility of using these services as a ‘belt and suspenders‘ approach.”

In the coming years, SDA plans to launch hundreds of data transport and missile tracking satellites into low Earth orbit, about 1,200 miles above the equator. Those systems are designed to deorbit on their own in compliance with U.S. government standards, which call for operators to remove spacecraft once their missions have ended. Options include moving the satellites to designated disposal orbits where there is less risk that they could cause a debris-causing collision in space.

However, SDA is interested in securing a backup plan should those satellites fail earlier than expected or be unable to deorbit on their own. Companies including Blue Origin, Impulse Space, Firefly Aerospace and Northrop Grumman subsidiary Space Logistics are developing orbital transfer vehicles that can essentially provide a satellite tow service, among other missions.

Derek Tournear, SDA’s director, said March 18 at the Satellite 2024 conference in Washington, D.C., he’s interested in the business model these firms are pursuing.

He noted that if these spacecraft materialize, it could reduce the cost of SDA satellites, eliminating requirements for the backup systems that add size and weight.

“I want to be able to take more risks on my satellite, not have redundant propulsion, things like that,” Tournear said. “There’s several companies that are working on that, and I hope they’re successful,” he said.

Orbital transfer vehicles are part of a broader space logistics market that includes services like in-space satellite refueling and repair. The Space Force is exploring the use of these capabilities for some of its spacecraft — particularly those that need to maneuver to observe activities or objects.

Tournear said he doesn’t expect SDA systems to need services beyond an end-of-life tow because they’re not designed to last beyond a few years, at which point they’ll be replaced with fresh technology.

“I still do not want these LEO satellites to be maintained or refueled or fixed on orbit,” he said. “I want them to be more expendable.”

(Source: Defense News)

 

22 Mar 24. Space Force sends Congress $1bn list of unfunded projects. The Space Force asked Congress for more than $1bn for a largely classified slate of high-priority efforts it didn’t include in its fiscal 2025 budget request.

The list, obtained by C4ISRNET, includes $846m in classified projects. The remaining $305m is largely focused on improving the resiliency of Space Force systems and training capabilities.

The military services and combatant commands send Congress a similar document each year, detailing programs they want to fund but that weren’t included in the annual budget request.

The unclassified efforts included on the Space Force’s list reflects its focus on making its satellites and ground systems resilient against adversary threats. In recent years, the service has started to shift toward building smaller satellites in large quantities across key mission areas like missile warning and communications.

Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall, who provides civilian oversight for the Space Force, said that while the service’s $29.4bn FY25 funding request is sufficient to continue those efforts, it won’t allow it to move as quickly as he would like in other missions, like positioning, navigation and timing and its mostly classified counterspace portfolio.

“We need to find a way to have PNT be more resilient, and I think there are some additional communications things that we need to do,” he told reporters March 8.

Among the unfunded projects is a request for $159m to establish a fund to procure commercial satellite communications. Another $9m would support an effort to improve the power supply at certain facilities that operate wideband SATCOM systems.

The list includes $42.5m for the Space Development Agency’s fleet of demonstration and experimentation satellites. Without additional funding, the program would likely be delayed, the service said.

The service also asks for $60m for an effort to improve energy efficiency at Buckley Space Force Base in Colorado and $19m for the National Space Test and Training Complex, increasing the number of wargames the service conducts each year.

An additional $59m in FY25 would allow the service to conduct up to two more Rocket Systems Launch Program missions, which support science and technology efforts across the Space Force, National Reconnaissance Office, NASA and the Missile Defense Agency.

“Restoring RSLP is not just a matter of maintaining ongoing projects, but is critical for progressing towards the goals set forth by the [National Defense Strategy] to innovate and ensure security in space,” the service said. (Source: C4ISR & Networks)

 

22 Mar 24. Orbit Fab ships first satellite refueling ports to Space Force. Orbit Fab, a company developing in-space depots to refuel satellites, said this week its fuel interface has completed flight qualification and is ready to ship to customers, including the Space Force.

The Colorado-based firm’s Rapidly Attachable Fuel Transfer Interface, or RAFTI, is designed to be installed on satellites to allow them to receive propellant either in space or on the ground before launch.

For the last two years, Orbit Fab has been working to validate the port is ready to fly in the harsh space environment, conducting ground and in-orbit tests that show it can withstand extreme weather.

With that qualification completed, the company this week started shipping its first 12 RAFTI ports to customers who want to install them on their satellites. Eight of those are for the Space Force and the remaining four are for other customers, including Astroscale, which is developing spacecraft designed with refillable gas tanks.

The company expects to produce another dozen or so RAFTIs in the next month, and Orbit Fab CEO Adam Harris said production should reach about 100 units this year. Its also crafting licensing agreements with other firms to allow them to produce the ports, making them more available in the marketplace.

“That allows it to be not just one company offering it, but multiple companies offering something,” he told C4ISRNET in a March 19 interview. “Then we can really enter this era that I think the Space Force wants – this transition to reusable, refuellable satellites.”

The Space Force plans to conduct satellite refueling demonstrations in the coming years that will help it determine what military benefit the capability offers. U.S. Space Command officials have called for all DOD spacecraft to be equipped with refueling ports by the end of the decade to enable key spacecraft — particularly those designed to maneuver and observe adversary activities in orbit — can move more freely without the fear of running out of propellant.

Multiple firms are developing refueling ports to provide options for the government, including Northrop Grumman’s Passive Refueling Module, which the Space Force recently approved for inclusion on DOD satellites.

Harris said Orbit Fab’s intent is to offer RAFTI whenever possible.

“Anytime the Space Force has a new satellite that they’re building, we’re making RAFTI available to them,” he said.

That includes a recent request for information the service released seeking space domain awareness satellites that feature options for refueling.

In the meantime, the company is working with the Space Force, Defense Innovation Unit and the Air Force Research Laboratory to support an upcoming refueling demonstration and help advance technology development efforts.

Orbit Fab’s fuel depot and its RAFTI port will both play a role in the demonstration, scheduled for 2026. The plan is for a spacecraft made by Impulse Space to host the fuel depot — essentially a gas station. The depot will then refuel an Astroscale-built servicing vehicle, which will then provide fuel to three satellites that are part of AFRL’s Tetra-5 mission.

Harris said Orbit Fab’s depot has moved through its major design reviews and will begin manufacturing the system and preparing for testing this year with the goal of having it ready for launch in 2025.

The company is also working with the Space Force’s Rapid Capabilities Office on a separate effort to advance refueling technology. That program will run through 2025, he said. (Source: C4ISR & Networks)

 

17 Mar 24. Elon Musk’s SpaceX is developing spy satellites in Pentagon’s mega military push. The Jan. 6 event was the US Space Force’s first launch. SpaceX photo via Twitter. The spy satellites are being built by SpaceX’s Starshield business unit under a $1.8bn contract that was signed between Musk’s firm and the NRO in 2021

Elon Musk-led SpaceX is building hundreds of spy satellites under a classified with the US’s National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), the intelligence agency that manages spy satellites, Reuters reported.

As per the report, the project highlights the extent of SpaceX’s involvement in US intelligence and military projects. It also shows a deeper Pentagon investment into vast, low Earth orbiting satellite systems that are aimed at supporting ground forces.

The program if successful, will significantly advance the ability of the US military to quickly spot potential targets almost anywhere on the globe. It also signals growing trust by the intelligence establishment of a company whose owner clashed with the Biden administration and triggered controversy over the use of Starlink satellite connectivity in the Russia-Ukraine war.

Earlier in February, The Wall Street Journal had reported about a classified $1.8 bn Starshield contract with an unknown intelligence agency. No details about this program were reported.

As per the Reuters report, the SpaceX contract is for a new spy system with hundreds of satellites bearing Earth-imaging capabilities that can operate as a swarm in low orbits, and that the spy agency that Musk’s company is working with is the NRO.

It is not known when the new network of satellites would come online and could not establish what other companies are part of the program with their own contracts.

Earlier in February, The Wall Street Journal had reported about a classified $1.8 bn Starshield contract with an unknown intelligence agency. No details about this program were reported.

As per the Reuters report, the SpaceX contract is for a new spy system with hundreds of satellites bearing Earth-imaging capabilities that can operate as a swarm in low orbits, and that the spy agency that Musk’s company is working with is the NRO.

It is not known when the new network of satellites would come online and could not establish what other companies are part of the program with their own contracts. (Source: Satnews)

 

15 Mar 24. Exolaunch signs MLA with SATORO Space. Under the terms of the MLA, the first launch occurred on SpaceX’s Transporter-10 mission, which launched SATORO’s IRIS-F1 satellite on March 4, 2024, from Vandenberg Space Force Base, California. Using Exolaunch’s EXOpod Nova containerized satellite deployer, IRIS-F1 was successfully deployed and will conduct a scientific on-orbit verification mission with an automatic identification system (AIS). Subsequent launches will follow, extending the agreement through the end of 2025.

Initially, what began as a single launch agreement for SATORO Space, under the expertise of Exolaunch, has evolved into a comprehensive, multi-launch commitment that extends to future rideshare missions. This expansion underlines the confidence and trust that SATORO Space places in Exolaunch’s team, mission management capabilities, and reliable, flight-proven hardware.

SATORO Space, a spin-off from the prestigious National Cheng Kung University (NCKU), is a direct outcome of successful collaborative efforts between academia and industry and brings a wealth of expertise in building small satellites. SATORO is poised to emerge as a preeminent commercial satellite manufacturer in Asia, contributing to the region’s growing presence in the global space industry. With Exolaunch’s flight heritage in launching more than 390 satellites across 26 missions, this collaboration will enable and ensure seamless deployment and mission success for SATORO Space’s satellites.

“We are pleased to announce this multi-launch agreement with SATORO Space, highlighting the synergies between our launch mission integration capabilities and their expertise in smallsat manufacturing,” said Kier Fortier, managing director of Exolaunch USA. “We are especially thrilled and privileged to have successfully deployed the IRIS-F1 satellite, and look forward to a successful partnership, contributing to the advancement of space exploration, innovation, and commercial satellite technology. This partnership reflects our commitment to making space accessible, supporting emerging players in the NewSpace industry, and providing flexible and reliable launch solutions to meet the evolving needs of our global customers.”

Exolaunch (Germany, USA) is a global leader in launch mission integration and deployment technologies. With a decade of flight heritage and over 390 satellites launched across 26 missions to date, Exolaunch leverages industry insight to tailor turnkey solutions that meet customer needs and respond to market trends. Exolaunch fulfills launch contracts for industry leaders, the world’s most innovative start-ups, research institutions, government organizations, and international space agencies. The company develops and manufactures its own flight-proven and industry-leading small satellite separation systems, with the fastest-growing heritage on the market. Exolaunch is committed to making space accessible to all and to promoting its safe, sustainable, and responsible use. (Source: Satnews)

 

17 Mar 24. SpaceX sends 23 Starlinks soaring. On Friday, March 15 at 8:21 p.m. ET, Falcon 9 launched 23 Starlink satellites to low-Earth orbit from Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. This was the 19th flight for the first stage booster supporting this mission, which previously launched GPS III Space Vehicle 04, GPS III Space Vehicle 05, Inspiration4, Ax-1, Nilesat 301, OneWeb Launch 17, ARABSAT BADR-8, and now 12 Starlink missions.

UPDATE 2: SpaceX is targeting as early as Friday, March 15 for a Falcon 9 launch of 23 Starlink satellites to low-Earth orbit from Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Liftoff is targeted for 6:39 p.m. ET, with backup opportunities available until 10:39 p.m. ET. If needed, additional opportunities are also available on Saturday, March 16 starting at 6:13 p.m. ET.

This is the 19th flight for the first stage booster supporting this mission, which previously launched GPS III Space Vehicle 04, GPS III Space Vehicle 05, Inspiration4, Ax-1, Nilesat 301, OneWeb Launch 17, ARABSAT BADR-8, and 11 Starlink missions. Following stage separation, the first stage will land on the A Shortfall of Gravitas droneship, which will be stationed in the Atlantic Ocean. (Source: Satnews)

 

17 Mar 24. Babcock Team Aurora progressing plans for UK MOD’s SATCOM program. Babcock-led Team Aurora is putting collaboration, continuity and responsiveness at the heart of its solution to support the UK’s the defence satellite communications system — the SKYNET 6 Service Delivery Wrap contract will include the provision of satellite operations management and through-life support for the UK’s Ministry of Defence.

Down-selected last year, Team Aurora – led by Babcock and including GovSat, Intelsat and SES – has gone forward to the next stage of the competition with its plans progressing at pace.

Together,the team brings a wealth of both international public and commercial expertise to support the delivery of the contract, and will put partnership with the Ministry of Defence at the center of its delivery approach.

Backed by its unique, collective experience across defence and SATCOM operations, Team Aurora will maximize the use of existing infrastructure to bring efficiencies, leverage its extensive experience as a UK service delivery and support provider, and provide value for money by bringing technological innovation from the outset of contract.

Skynet 6 SDW will provide services necessary to support the current Skynet 5 infrastructure, and the successful transition and continuous delivery of service for future Skynet operations.

On March 1st, Babcock announced that there was the successful start of operations of SKYNET, the UK’s constellation of military satellites and ground stations, as well as integration of terminals into the MOD network.

Matthew Parnell, Babcock’s Defence Systems Technology Director, on behalf of Team Aurora, said, “Bringing insight and engagement from day one, Team Aurora is focussed on providing an uninterrupted, highly available service that is responsive and brings an assured end to end approach for the Ministry of Defence. We will put people at the center of the service. Developing a culture of collaboration, Team Aurora will invest time to deliver value back through knowledge transfer and will grow a one-team ethos with our customer and the supply chain.” (Source: Satnews)

 

18 Mar 24. ST Engineering iDirect reveals next-gen ground system — Intuition. ST Engineering iDirect, a global provider of satellite communications, has unveiled its next-generation ground system, Intuition, at this year’s SATELLITE Conference and Exhibition in Washington D.C. Intuition aims to improve the speed, scale, cost and flexibility of service delivery amidst the satellite industry’s ongoing transformation to empower a connected tomorrow.

An advanced satellite networking ground system that combines major breakthroughs with ST Engineering iDirect’s industry-best technologies, Intuition is built on five core capabilities:

• Virtualized, Cloud-based Infrastructure to scale services quickly and cost-effectively for the fastest time-to-market.
• Intelligent, Multi-Orbit Support to deliver services for every application on every orbit.
• Standards-based Network Convergence to integrate satellite networks seamlessly into the global communications domain.
• End-to-End Orchestration to dynamically adjust resource and service allocation to meet evolving demand across a network of networks.
• Flexible Go-to-Market Strategies to reach more customers with the widest range of business models.

“We’ve listened intently to our customers’ needs and ambitions. Intuition represents the point where everything comes together — its goal is to constantly learn and anticipate, to understand every aspect of what’s happening inside the network, and to make the right decisions at every step in this increasingly complex environment,” said Don Claussen, CEO at ST Engineering iDirect.

Demand for satellite connectivity is spreading rapidly worldwide across commercial, government and consumer applications. In response, satellite operators are launching an unprecedented volume of new satellites into multiple orbits. This creates new requirements to digitally transform satellite network operations and service delivery, and operators are looking to the broader telecom industry, which is transitioning towards standardization and cloudification.

Intuition will expand operators and providers’ market reach and maximize their growth, standardize and automate their operations, and provide a runway to future opportunities, all while bringing forward the renowned iDirect portfolio of industry-best capabilities to ensure a seamless connectivity experience.

“There are billions of dollars in new service revenues at stake in the coming years, driven by new applications, pricing models, and the promise of telco convergence. The most significant opportunities are achievable only to those who are dedicated to the same digital journey that transformed cellular and wireless industries — interoperability in a global, multi-domain, cloud-enabled, standards-based telecom model. This open mindset is the path we believe moves the industry past its traditional growth constraints and delivers the maximum financial return possible on strategic space and ground investments,” added Claussen.  (Source: Satnews)

 

17 Mar 24. Umbra unveils bistatic SAR data from the firm’s tandem pair of smallsats. Umbra is set to provide customers with bistatic SAR data later in 2024. The monumental launch of Umbra’s first tandem pair of satellites, Umbra-07 and Umbra-08, aboard the SpaceX Transporter-9 mission on November 9, 2023, marked a significant leap in SAR imaging.

With eight satellites currently on-orbit, Umbra plans to deploy the remaining satellites in its licensed, 32-satellite constellation in strategically designed pairs. Operating satellites in a cluster formation facilitates multi-static collection and other integrated operations, offering distinctive phenomenology and inherent resilience.

This innovative approach opens the door to various applications, including Intelligence Surveillance Recognizance (ISR) capability, elevation modeling, imaging resilience, and the implementation of moving target indication techniques.

Umbra’s development of the technology necessary to automate formation flying and multi-static data processing has been dramatically accelerated by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) over the past year, which selected the company as a partner for its Distributed Radar Image Formation Technology program.

With the unique ability to capture images at day/night, all-weather capable, Umbra’s SAR satellites are indispensable for monitoring change. Umbra’s high-performance SAR satellites deliver the highest quality SAR data at unprecedented volumes and area density, enabling the U.S. Government, its allies, and commercial partners with actionable, all-weather insights.

Jason Mallare, Vice President, Global Solutions, said, “The ability to operate spacecraft in coherent pairs is an important step in unlocking the novel promises of cluster operations. The scaling up from one to many, with highly affordable individual satellites, enables clustered flight with the potential for proliferation of truly resilient systems that offer tremendous traditional and full spectrum capabilities.” (Source: Satnews)

 

18 Mar 24. Sierra Space unveils Axelerator™ to address the future of defense technology. Sierra Space has launched Sierra Space Axelerator™, an innovation-at-speed incubator designed to fast-track the development of revolutionary defense technologies and mission solutions. Axelerator is set to redefine industry standards by delivering cutting-edge products with unprecedented efficiency.

Introducing Sierra Space Ghost: The Future of Space Retrieval

The first tech to emerge from Axelerator is Sierra Space Ghost, a state-of-the-art, space delivery system engineered to safely return objects from space – and through space – directly to precise locations on Earth. Ghost, a low beta reentry vehicle using revolutionary deployable decelerator technology, represents a significant leap forward in space logistics and recovery operations, promising to enhance the sustainability and safety of space. Ghost will be able to deliver payloads anywhere in the world in 90 minutes or less, enabling a highly responsive space-based system without the need for a fixed infrastructure. Remarkably, Ghost transitioned from development to flight testing in just 90 days, showcasing Axelerator’s rapid prototyping and development capabilities.

Introducing Sierra Space Spectre: Revolutionizing Rendezvous and Proximity Operations

Sierra Space is also unveiling Spectre, a revolutionary satellite designed for precision rendezvous and proximity operations (RPO). Sierra Space Spectre embodies the pinnacle of innovation, equipped to perform complex tasks in the challenging environment of space with unmatched accuracy and flexibility. Scheduled for launch in late 2025, Spectre is poised to set new benchmarks for satellite technology.

Introducing Sierra Black OS:  A New Era of AI-Enabled Operating Systems

The third breakthrough announced today from Sierra Space’s Axelerator incubator is Sierra Black OS, an advanced AI-enabled operating system that will have the ability to operate across space, air and ground systems seamlessly. The inaugural release, STAR (Sierra Toolkit for Autonomous Rendezvous), an RPO software module, exemplifies the system’s capabilities, offering unparalleled operational intelligence and autonomy for space missions. Sierra Black OS and STAR are set to revolutionize how space operations are conducted.

The Axelerator incubator is part of Sierra Space’s Orbital Missions and Services group, founded in 2023 to focus on revolutionary new national security solutions. Since standing up the organization, Sierra Space has been awarded $1.3 bn in prime satellite constellations contracts. In January 2024, the company was awarded a $740 m prime contract by the Space Development Agency for 18 Tranche 2 satellites to accelerate the capabilities to provide global, persistent indications, detection, warning and tracking of conventional and advanced missile threats, including hypersonic missile systems.

Sierra Space’s Orbital Missions and Services has started a new chapter in defense technology, one where innovation, speed, affordability and on-orbit schedule reliability converge to create overmatch capability. At a time when the adversaries of the United States and its allies are significantly increasing their hostile aggressions around the world, Sierra Space is dedicated to innovating at speed to accelerate affordable national security solutions.

“With Axelerator, Sierra Space is not just imagining the future. We are actively building it,” said Sierra Space CEO Tom Vice. “Our new products – Ghost, Spectre and Sierra Black OS – are a testament to our commitment to pushing the boundaries of what’s possible and driving innovation at the speed of thought. We are proud to contribute to the defense sector with technologies that will shape the future for decades to come.”

About Sierra Space

control, offering myriad space-as-a-service solutions for the new space economy. (Source: Satnews)

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25 Mar 24. UK Space Agency announces new headquarters and regional offices.

The UK Space Agency is opening new headquarters at the Harwell Science Campus’ Space Cluster in Oxfordshire, and offices in Scotland, Wales and the Midlands.

The UK Space Agency is opening new headquarters in Harwell, Oxfordshire and regional offices in Scotland, Wales and the Midlands as it works to support the space sector across the UK.

Aligned with the government’s Levelling Up strategy, the expansion will enable the Agency to collaborate more closely with the UK’s thriving space sector, while promoting regional skills and job opportunities to deliver increasingly ambitious missions and capabilities.

The UK space sector is growing faster than the rest of the UK economy. It’s worth over £17.5 billion per year and employs over 45,000 people, while satellites underpin £360 billion per year of wider economic activity.

The new HQ at Harwell is due to open in June, while offices at William Morgan House in Cardiff and Space Park Leicester will open in April, with the office at Queen Elizabeth House, in Edinburgh, opening later in the summer.

Andrew Griffith MP, Minister for Space at the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, said:

Harwell’s Space Cluster is already a hub of collaboration with more than 100 thriving research organisations and 1,400 jobs making it the ideal location for the UK Space Agency’s new headquarters.

At the same time our space sector has grown considerably across all parts of the UK and new offices in Edinburgh, Cardiff and Leicester will serve the talented space researchers and innovators around the country while creating more jobs, growing our local economies and strengthening the UK’s science superpower ambitions.

Dr Paul Bate, CEO of the UK Space Agency, said: “This is a transformational moment for the UK Space Agency, responding directly to the feedback that the Agency should be embedded in the sector. Our new headquarters, located at the UK’s biggest space cluster in Harwell, will connect to regional offices in Edinburgh, Cardiff, and Leicester, and our existing London and Swindon teams, helping us recruit space talent from across the nation and deliver the National Space Strategy. “

This will place the UK Space Agency at the heart of the space sector we serve, boosting growth, improving relationships with regional organisations and supporting a strong, diverse and connected sector.

We have seen a significant rise in space organisations across the UK and it’s crucial we nurture their skills and expertise, to ensure we continue this journey.

The new structure will create significant opportunities to build on high-growth areas, such as Earth observation and satellite broadband. It will also help the UK establish early leadership in emerging markets such as in‑orbit spacecraft servicing, active space debris removal, and the new lunar economy, enabling us to help forge a greener, smarter and more inclusive sector.

The Agency will retain offices in London and Swindon.

UKspace Chair, John Hanley, said:  “The Agency’s decision to relocate its HQ will strengthen Harwell’s reputation as a major international space hub. It will also enable many UKspace members based at the Space Cluster to enjoy closer collaboration and support from the Agency. Furthermore, the opening of three regional offices in key locations will inevitably help the UK space sector ecosystem expand, as space-based businesses in those regions benefit from opportunities to interact more frequently with Agency staff.

Stuart Grant, Chief Executive of Harwell Campus, said:  “We’re delighted to welcome the UK Space Agency to the thriving space cluster of over 100 organisations at Harwell Campus. Their presence cements the campus’ position as a leading international space hub and will help leverage synergies, drive innovation, and foster partnerships with key industry players.

As set out in the Space Industrial Plan, the government is committed to continuing its support for space clusters across the UK and providing the tools needed to drive collaboration between them and catalyse further investment. “

Dr Barbara Ghinelli, Director for UKRI-STFC’s Innovation Clusters and for the Harwell Campus, said: “The UK Space Agency joining the Harwell Campus is not just about connecting with our thriving community, but becoming integral to shaping the future of space exploration. It’s about contributing to a collective vision shared worldwide, and that’s to push our limits and tackle real-world problems through partnership, creativity, and innovation. “

Further comment

UK Government minister for Scotland, Donald Cameron, said:  “The Scottish space sector continues to go from strength to strength with the latest figures showing an almost £40m increase in income and more than 100 new highly-skilled jobs with support from the UK Government. I welcome the UK Space Agency opening their first permanent Scottish office in Edinburgh and look forward to working closely together as this exciting sector continues to grow.”

Welsh Secretary David TC Davies said:

I’m delighted that the UK Space Agency is opening an office in Cardiff to support the fast-growing space sector in Wales. The UK Government has made significant investments in companies like Space Forge in Cardiff, and in research programmes at Welsh Universities. We have built talent and expertise and it’s great to see support coming to Wales to help the sector grow and develop.”

Dr Hina Khan, Executive Director of Space Scotland, said:  “The opening of the UK Space Agency’s new office in Scotland is very welcomed by Space Scotland. We look forward to strengthening our partnership and fostering greater involvement with the UK Space Agency in developing the Scottish Space Ecosystem.   We eagerly anticipate the opportunities that this closer collaboration will bring, as we work hand in hand to leverage Scotland’s strengths and expertise. By fostering greater connectivity and cooperation, we can drive innovation, create new jobs, and propel Scotland’s space sector to even greater heights.”

John Whalley, CEO of Space Wales, said: “The opening of the UK Space Agency’s office in Cardiff marks a transformative opportunity for the Welsh space sector. With over 85 space-related organisations across the nation, this not only acts as an opportunity to amplify our successes but also ignite further partnerships with the UK Space Agency to launch the Welsh space sector to new heights.”

(Source: https://www.gov.uk/)

 

06 Mar 24. European satellite constellation for very low earth orbit to launch in two years. The European Defence Agency (EDA) has brought together two EU Member States to develop a satellite demonstrator that can manoeuvre from Low Earth Orbit (LEO) to Very Low Earth Orbit (VLEO) – and back again.

The €10m project – called LEO2VLEO: Military Crisis-Response Satellite Constellation – with the Netherlands and Austria, will design, develop, launch and operate a constellation of between two and four satellites. It aims for a space launch in two years time. In this innovative approach to space, the project will, once operational, have the capability to support military operations.

The project was signed on 19 January 2024 between the Netherlands, Austria, and EDA. It was signed in EDA’s Capability Technology Area (CapTech) Space, which helped bring the two countries together for this collaborative project. EDA will support the project throughout.

Very Low Earth Orbit (VLEO) is most commonly situated at an altitude of between 250-350 kilometres. It has the advantage of being closer to the earth than the traditional orbit of satellites, allowing for higher resolution images from optical sensors, improved communications and agility.

As a demonstrator for initial space capabilities, the LEO2VLEO project aims to show the cost benefits of such an approach in a short timeframe. While VLEO is safer from collisions with space debris because objects eventually burn up, dragged into the Earth’s atmosphere, such altitudes require satellites to deal with surface erosion from atomic oxygen and so need more resistant materials.

Developing a satellite able to manoeuvre back into the traditional Low Earth Orbit (LEO) would extend its lifespan by spending time in VLEO only when necessary, as well as presenting lower costs and additional launch opportunities.

EDA Hub for EU Defence Innovation, known as HEDI, has funded a preliminary study for this problem; HEDI was established within EDA in 2022 to foster innovative solutions for military capabilities. If successful, the LEO2VLEO demonstrator could pave the way for a fully operational system to support military missions in the future.

(Source: EDA)

 

14 Mar 24. Enhancing maritime surveillance: EDA and SatCen begin new phase of cooperation. ©The European Defence Agency (EDA) and the European Union Satellite Centre (SatCen) signed a bilateral agreement on 14 March 2024 to initiate a new phase of cooperation within MARSUR, the maritime surveillance information exchange system crafted by EDA.

Launched in 2005 as a network for sharing open-source maritime information, MARSUR has since matured into a multi-faceted information exchange platform. The multinational initiative resulting from this effort now encompasses 22 European navies. Out of this pool, under the EDA framework, 16 EU navies are developing a capability for the automatic exchange of maritime surveillance information and decision-making support.

MARSUR’s wide scope of services allow for information exchange, coordination and support to decision-making, aiming to improve the common ‘Recognised Maritime Picture’. The network plays an important role as a defence layer of the EU framework for exchanging information and maritime situation awareness, known as the Common Information Sharing Environment (CISE).

Now in its third stage of development, which is known as MARSUR III, the project is upgrading its technology and capabilities. That will soon include the exchange of classified information.  The bilateral agreement will provide the operational basis for the exchange of relevant data between SatCen and the MARSUR community through a secure network.

“This bilateral agreement is a unique mechanism introduced under the MARSUR III project to involve SatCen in EDA ad hoc activities under the control and funding of the contributing Member States,” said EDA Chief Executive Jiří Šedivý. “I am pleased to sign it today on behalf of the MARSUR III contributing members,” he said.

SatCen has aligned its efforts with EDA to define requirements and support maritime situational awareness with satellite data and analysis. SatCen joined the initiative in 2017 and in May 2021 signed the MARSUR III project arrangement for 2021-2026 and the way ahead.

SatCen Director, Ambassador Sorin Ducaru, said: “I look forward to intensifying the excellent inter-agency collaboration by concluding this agreement, which will solidify the SatCen collaboration within MARSUR over the long term, and I would like to thank all actors involved, in particular the Member States as well as the teams of SatCen and EDA.”

MARSUR III will now benefit from SatCen’s expertise, particularly in terms of governance, as it takes a role as permanent chair of the Technical Advisory Board, in training of operators and technicians, exchanging information and products, and connecting to CISE with its bridging node.

SatCen will in turn connect its resources to the information held by European navies. SatCen will also welcome two MARSUR maritime surveillance experts, funded by the MARSUR community.

During the signing ceremony, Commander Joachim Weidmann, Chairperson of the MARSUR Management Group and representing the participating nations, said: “The bilateral agreement between EDA and SatCen is a milestone, and it is important that both organisations show the willingness to succeed in ensuring that relevant operational maritime information is shared in the required time.”

EDA’s wider role

EDA supports its 27 Member States in improving their defence capabilities through European cooperation. Acting as an enabler and facilitator for Ministries of Defence willing to engage in collaborative capability projects, the Agency has become the hub for European defence cooperation with expertise and networks allowing it to the whole spectrum of defence capabilities.

Member States use EDA as an intergovernmental expert platform where their collaborative projects are supported, facilitated, and implemented. For more details, please see here.    (Source: EDA)

 

14 Mar 24. Exolaunch Signs Multi-Launch Agreement With SATORO Space.

• SATORO Space’s first satellite launch enabled by Exolaunch took place on March 4, 2024.

Exolaunch, the global leader in launch mission management, integration, and satellite deployment services, today announced the signing of a multi-launch agreement (MLA) with Asian-based SATORO Space, a cutting-edge commercial satellite manufacturer specializing in small satellites. The MLA encompasses a strategic partnerxship between Exolaunch and SATORO Space to deploy at least three satellites through 2025, marking a significant collaboration in advancing the global commercial space industry.

Under the terms of the MLA, the first launch took place on SpaceX’s Transporter-10 mission, which launched SATORO’s IRIS-F1 satellite on March 4, 2024 from Vandenberg Space Force Base, California. Using Exolaunch’s renowned EXOpod Nova containerized satellite deployer, IRIS-F1 was successfully deployed and will conduct a scientific in-orbit verification mission with an innovative automatic identification system (AIS). Subsequent launches will follow, extending the agreement through the end of 2025.

Initially, what began as a single launch agreement for SATORO Space, under the expertise of Exolaunch, has evolved into a comprehensive multi-launch commitment that extends to future rideshare missions. This expansion underlines the confidence and trust that SATORO Space places in Exolaunch’s team, mission management capabilities, and reliable, flight-proven hardware.

SATORO Space, a spin-off from the prestigious National Cheng Kung University (NCKU), is a direct outcome of successful collaborative efforts between academia and industry and brings a wealth of expertise in building small satellites. SATORO is poised to emerge as a preeminent commercial satellite manufacturer in Asia, contributing to the region’s growing presence in the global space industry. With Exolaunch’s flight heritage in launching over 390 satellites across 26 unique missions, this collaboration will enable and ensure seamless deployment and mission success for SATORO Space’s satellites.

“We are pleased to announce this multi-launch agreement with SATORO Space, highlighting the synergies between our launch mission integration capabilities and their expertise in smallsat manufacturing,” remarked Kier Fortier, managing director of Exolaunch USA. “We are especially thrilled and privileged to have successfully deployed the IRIS-F1 satellite, and look forward to a successful partnership, contributing to the advancement of space exploration, innovation, and commercial satellite technology. This partnership reflects our commitment to making space accessible, supporting emerging players in the NewSpace industry, and providing flexible and reliable launch solutions to meet the evolving needs of our global customers.” (Source: ASD Network)

 

20 Mar 24. Boost to land-based connectivity as Hanwha Phasor launches enterprise-grade flat-panel satellite antenna for mobile communications.

Hanwha Phasor, a UK-based satellite communications company, has announced it will release its land antenna, for mobile communications, the Phasor L3300B, to the market in Q3 of 2024. The Phasor L3300B is an active electronically steered antenna (AESA) which has been developed for commercial and military use.

This announcement marks the first time that Hanwha Phasor’s land antenna solution will be available for commercial and defence use, offering users uninterrupted communications regardless of the environment. This is as a result of dual simultaneous receive channels, meaning the antenna can form connections with new satellites before breaking its current connection.

With conflict in mainland Europe and the Middle East, and a growing number of natural disasters each year – the necessity for uninterrupted communications has never been more pressing. Hanwha Phasor’s new product helps fill this gap. The product provides the highest levels of connection, operating in Ku-Band, and is able to connect to both Geostationary Satellites (GEO) as well as the Low Earth Orbiting (LEO) constellations, and is compliant with OneWeb and developed to be compatible with leading providers.

The flat-panel design, weighing only 30kg with a 150mm thickness, makes the Phasor L3300B antenna an ideal option of choice for Armed Forces personnel and first responders operating in contested and high-intensity environments. This new offering from Hanwha Phasor will ensure this connectivity, keeping Armed Forces personnel and first responders safe, and ensuring they are able to carry out their roles more effectively.

Hanwha Phasor makes the announcement at Satellite 2024 as it displays the Phasor L3300B for the first time. The business has had a strong period in the lead-up to the conference with recent announcements including, a partnership with Lufthansa Technik as well as an agreement with OneWeb to become a User Terminal on their network.

 

19 Mar 24. Northrop, DARPA envision moon ‘railroad’ for lunar logistics.

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency is working with Northrop Grumman to flesh out a concept for a moon-based railroad network.

“The envisioned lunar railroad network could transport humans, supplies and resources for commercial ventures across the lunar surface — contributing to a space economy for the United States and international partners,” Northrop said in a March 19 statement.

The company’s work will focus on identifying the interfaces, resources and funding needed to build such a network as well as the technological and logistical risks. Northrop will also propose lunar rail system prototypes explore how the capability could be built and operated.

The effort is part of DARPA’s Lunar Architecture Capability Study, or LunA-10. The seven-month study will not fund construction or hardware development but is instead designed to identify the technologies that are foundational to developing a future infrastructure on the moon.

Northrop was one of 14 companies DARPA selected in December to explore concepts to support a future lunar economy by 2035. Focus areas for those studies include power generation, moon mining and resource utilization, navigation, and mobility and logistics. The firms selected include launch providers, startups, defense prime contractors and tech companies. DARPA has not disclosed the value of the contracts it awarded.

The studies come as the U.S., its international partners and commercial firms envision future activity around the moon. In recent years, DARPA and the Air Force Research Laboratory have started several programs to explore logistics and satellite sensing in a lunar environment.

The Space Force’s interest in the military utility of operations around the moon is also growing. The service in February announced plans to create a Space Futures Command that will validate forward-looking concepts and emerging missions. Cislunar operations — defined as activity around the moon — is one of the first concepts the command will explore.

Speaking March 18 at the Satellite 2024 conference in Washington, D.C., Lt. Gen. Shawn Bratton — the Space Force’s chief strategy and resourcing officer — said Space Futures Command’s cislunar work will focus on understanding whether operations in that environment offer military benefits to the service.

The plan is to then share that information with Chief of Space Operations Gen. Chance Saltzman and Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall.

“I think there’s important mission there. I can’t prove that there’s military utility there,” Bratton said. “I think we owe the boss, both Gen. Saltzman and the secretary, a little bit better data that validates that . . . yes, cislunar is critical and here’s how we should use it.”

(Source: Defense News Early Bird/Defense News)

 

20 Mar 24. Revolutionary rocket eats for the stars. Igniting innovation: With the help of DASA funding, engineers from the University of Glasgow successfully test-fired a rocket that eats itself for fuel

• With the help of DASA funding, the University of Glasgow has successfully test-fired an autophage rocket that consumes its own fuselage for fuel
• This technology can help significantly reduce the dry mass of launch vehicles, increasing payload fraction and facilitating miniaturisation
• DASA played a key role in offering a flexible and outcome-oriented funding approach, which helped the engineers achieve their objective of demonstrating the feasibility of the self-eating rocket.

The idea of a rocket that consumes its own fuselage has been on the minds of engineers since 1938. This is because traditional rocket launch vehicles are both huge and expensive, which poses cost and logistics challenges when it comes to launching rockets with smaller payloads.

Conventional rockets reduce their weight post-launch through staging, where each stage functions as an independent launch vehicle capable of handling the weight of the stage above it, using up its fuel, disconnecting, and dropping away on a step-by-step basis.

However, an autophage (Latin for self-eating) rocket uses up its own fuselage, as fuel, on a continuous basis.  This refined solution allows freed-up mass to be used for payloads instead.

Thanks to funding from DASA, and the ingenuity of engineers from the University of Glasgow, this innovative concept has become closer to reality.

A small rocket with a big appetite

Engineers at the University of Glasgow have been developing the autophage rocket concept since 2016, and first sought funding from DASA through the Open Call in 2019. Here, DASA’s flexible and outcome-focused approach, emphasising collaboration and adapting through incremental progress, greatly benefited the small engineering team with limited resources. This approach provided them with the flexibility to develop their idea over the next few years.

The team encountered various engineering obstacles, including maintaining the fuselage’s structural integrity during injection, and combining the structural fuel with other liquid propellants. The team explored options such as improving the engine inlet to streamline propellant injection, incorporating methods such as pulse combustion to generate pressure spikes for easier fuselage insertion.

On working with DASA, Professor Patrick Harkness, of the University of Glasgow’s James Watt School of Engineering, said:

Our team enjoyed working with DASA. The discussion of our idea and the submission of our proposal was very collaborative, and delivery felt like a shared endeavour with positive contributions from all sides. The autophage concept seems to offer a more continuous solution to the Tsiolkovsky equation, compared to the traditional staged approach, and we’re looking forward to translating that into payload in the years ahead.

Rocket Scran

Fast forward to 2023, and the team at the University of Glasgow successfully test-fired the novel, self-supporting autophage engine.

The trial happened in July 2023 at the MachLab facility in Machrihanish Airbase. During the test, a rocket engine generating 100 newtons of thrust utilised waste combustion heat to melt its polyethylene plastic fuselage. The melted fuselage plastic was then directed into the engine’s combustion system, effectively producing extra fuel to complement its liquid propellant.

The test not only demonstrated that molten polyethylene can serve as a fuel source, but also that the plastic fuselage proved capable of enduring the necessary forces to deliver the fuel to the engine, which is a crucial aspect in creating a feasible flight concept. During the test, the team also demonstrated the ability to control, throttle, and restart the autophage rocket’s burn, which is another capability that will be required in the future.

Igniting innovation: what’s next?

The successful test-firing of the autophage engine demonstrates significant potential for developing launch vehicles designed for smaller payloads. As the innovative approach transforms “dead mass” into fuel, it effectively generates extra energy and addresses mass-related issues encountered during small-scale rocket launches, such as nano satellites.

The University of Glasgow engineers will further develop the autophage engine with backing from the UK Space Agency (UKSA) and the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), which is part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). The next milestone of the project aims to reach up to 1 kilo newton of thrust. After that, the team will focus on enhancing the engine design even more to reach thrust levels comparable for flight.

(Source: https://www.gov.uk/)

 

18 Mar 24. ESA Kicks Off 2 New Navigation Missions. ESA has signed contracts with several European companies for an overall amount of € 233m to develop Genesis and a LEO-PNT demonstrator, two new missions within the FutureNAV programme that will keep Europe at the forefront of satellite navigation worldwide.

“With Genesis and LEO-PNT we are responding to rapidly growing needs for more resilient and precise navigation and ensuring Europe leads global satellite navigation, the largest downstream space market. I am excited to see our competitive industry bring these two missions to life”, says Javier Benedicto, ESA Director of Navigation.

The contract for Genesis amounts to € 76.6m. A consortium of 14 entities led by OHB Italia S.p.A. (IT) is tasked with developing, manufacturing, qualifying, calibrating, launching and operating the Genesis satellite, including all its payloads. This mission is supported by Italy, Belgium, France, Switzerland, Hungary and the UK. The Genesis satellite is planned to launch in 2028, followed by years of scientific exploitation.

For LEO-PNT, two parallel contracts of € 78.4m each have been signed for two end-to-end low Earth orbit positioning, navigation and timing (LEO-PNT) in-orbit demonstrators. The contracts include the design and development of satellites and payloads, ground segment, test user segment and satellite launches, operations, experimentation and demonstration of services with end users.

One of the contracts for LEO-PNT demonstrator is led by GMV Aerospace and Defence S.A.U. (ES), as overall system prime and OHB System AG (DE) as space segment prime and core partner. The other contract is led by Thales Alenia Space France S.A.S (FR) as overall system prime and Thales Alenia Space SPA (IT) as space segment prime. The two consortia involve over 50 entities from 14 countries, including industrial actors with a long heritage in space, together with new actors following novel approaches to space – a combination of space primes, midcaps and SMEs, also engaging representatives from end-user communities.

The first LEO-PNT satellite is planned to launch within 20 months from kick-off and the complete demonstration constellation to be in orbit before 2027.

The missions were approved at ESA’s Ministerial council of 2022 as part of FutureNAV programme, in ESA’s Navigation Directorate. FutureNAV enables ESA to respond to trends and needs in the field of positioning, navigation and timing, and allows Europe to stay on the cutting edge of satellite navigation technology.

Genesis, a flying observatory to measure Earth down to the millimetre

Genesis will contribute to a highly improved International Terrestrial Reference Frame (ITRF) of Earth with an accuracy of 1 mm and a long-term stability of 0.1 mm/year, providing a coordinate system for the most rigorous navigation applications on our planet.

The ITRF serves as a reference for all space- and ground-based observations for navigation and Earth sciences. An updated International Terrestrial Reference Frame (ITRF) will have immediate benefits on satellite-based systems, impacting Galileo-enabled applications in fields like aviation, traffic management, autonomous vehicles, positioning and navigation.

In addition, an enhanced ITRF will benefit countless other fields: meteorology, natural hazard prediction, monitoring climate change effects, land management and surveying, study of gravitational and non-gravitational forces, to name a few.

Genesis’ extreme accuracy will be achieved by co-locating the main geodetic (Earth-measuring) techniques: satellite navigation ranging, very-long-baseline interferometry, satellite laser ranging and possibly DORIS onboard one well-calibrated satellite that acts as a flying observatory, which will allow to determine biases inherent to each technique and correct them for superior precision. The instruments will be synchronized by an ultra-stable oscillator (USO).

LEO-PNT, a resilient navigation system of systems

LEO-PNT (low Earth orbit positioning navigation and timing) is a small constellation of demonstration satellites that will fly close to Earth and test the use of novel signals and frequency bands, unlocking exceptional resilience, accuracy and speed in navigation that will potentially enable a long list of new applications and services.

The constellation will demonstrate the benefits of working in combination with Galileo and other global navigation satellite systems in a multi-layer approach. LEO-PNT will assure signals to improve robustness of existing GNSS in medium Earth orbit such as natural phenomena impairments and interferences, and provide services to places where today’s satnav systems cannot reach deep urban areas and even indoors. This mission will also demonstrate the capability of a LEO navigation constellation to provide a monitoring capability for Galileo and EGNOS signals from space.

Another objective of this mission is to demonstrate the interoperability of PNT with open communication standards, including 5G/6G, opening the door to new applications for Internet-of-Things, emergency services and low latency data for positioning and timing.

The applications that a navigation constellation in low Earth orbit can enable together with existing GNSS range from transportation including automotive, autonomous vehicles, rail and maritime and digital mobility in general, critical infrastructure, mobile devices, asset tracking or indoor. (Source: ASD Network)

 

20 Mar 24. Blue Origin’s Blue Ring to Demo Operation Capabilities on DarkSky-1 Mission. Blue Origin will demonstrate Blue Ring’s mission operation capabilities and core flight systems on an upcoming Defense Innovation Unit (DIU)-sponsored launch, furthering its mission to build a road to space.

Blue Ring’s end-to-end services will seamlessly connect ground and space communications to support a variety of missions on-orbit. The DarkSky-1 (DS-1) mission will demonstrate Blue Origin’s flight systems, including space-based processing capabilities, telemetry, tracking and command (TT&C) hardware, and ground-based radiometric tracking.

“The lessons learned from this DS-1 mission will provide a leap forward for Blue Ring and its ability to provide greater access to multiple orbits, bringing us closer to our vision of ms of people living and working in space for the benefit of Earth,” said Paul Ebertz, Senior Vice President of Blue Origin’s In-Space Systems.

The DS-1 mission is a collaboration between Blue Origin and DIU for in-flight validation of Blue Ring’s orbital payload and mission operation capabilities under an Other Transaction Agreement. The U.S. Space Force’s Space Systems Command’s Assured Access to Space Mission Manifest Office manifested the DS-1 mission to fly on a National Security Space Launch.

Blue Ring has unprecedented delta-V capabilities for commercial and government customers to easily maneuver through multiple orbits. The spacecraft platform also provides in-space processing and access to onboard data storage to ensure a customer’s successful mission.

The DarkSky-1 mission is expected to be launched co-manifested on the upper stage of a future National Security Space Launch. The launch service provider and specific timeframe have not been disclosed.

 

18 Mar 24. Astronics Corporation Launches Next Generation Typhon T-400 Ku SATCOM System.

• Simplified, Dual LRU (Line Replaceable Unit) Ku system provides maximum connectivity performance with a low-cost design

Astronics Corporation (Nasdaq: ATRO), a leading provider of advanced technologies for global aerospace, defense and other mission critical industries, launched today the Typhon T-400 Series system, which represents the next generation in Satellite Communications (SATCOM) connectivity technology. The Typhon T-400 Series is designed to seamlessly operate on any GEO-based Ku Satellite network, effectively addressing challenges associated with the high cost of equipping an aircraft with SATCOM connectivity.

“Astronics continues to lead the way in optimizing connectivity for airborne platforms,” said Mike Kuehn, President of Astronics CSC. “By leveraging cutting-edge technologies and emphasizing installation flexibility, the Typhon T-400 series sets a new standard for connectivity hardware. This innovative system achieves significant optimization by reducing the number of LRUs required from four to two thereby streamlining installation and substantially cutting down the total fly-away cost. Furthermore, customizable variants of the system, including a modem-less configuration, offer special mission and military end-users heightened flexibility.”

Advanced satellite technology combined with the innovative Modem Manager (MODMAN), the Typhon T-400 Series is a streamlined Dual LRU system that provides both ease of installation and cost savings. To further facilitate a seamless and cost-effective installation process, the system incorporates commonly sourced connectors with low-cost cabling. As a result, the system also enables reduced total life cycle costs. At the core of the Typhon T-400 series lies the integration of the iQ800 modem technology from iDirect, a renowned leader in satellite communications. This advanced, future-proofed modem technology ensures optimal connectivity and data transmission capabilities, empowering seamless communication and the highest available data rates in even the most demanding airborne environments.

One of the standout features of the Typhon T-400 series is the Modem Manager (MODMAN), which boasts a flange mount design and enhanced environmental specifications. This allows for secure mounting in any orientation, both inside and outside the pressure vessel. The antenna can be flexibly mounted on the aircraft fuselage or tail, offering unparalleled installation versatility. Moreover, the system offers options for a modem-less version, seamlessly integrating with external customer-furnished modems for enhanced security applications, ease of export, and flexible system integration. (Source: ASD Network)

 

20 Mar 24. Bittium Continued Deliveries of Mexsat Satellite Terminals to Mexico. Bittium has continued the deliveries of Mexsat satellite terminals to its cooperation partner Inmosat in Mexico. Inmosat is a certified provider of telecommunications solutions in the Mexican authority market and has been the exclusive distributor of Bittium’s Mexsat phones to Mexican national security organizations since 2021. In addition to the satellite terminals, Bittium will deliver different accessories that are related to the terminals. The first purchase order was received at the end of the year 2023 and the second one at the beginning of the year 2024. The final batches of the orders were delivered in February 2024. The total value of the purchase orders was approximately EUR 2.4m. The Android™ based Mexsat terminals developed for the Mexican state by Bittium have been designed to be part of the state-operated Mexican Satellite System known as Mexsat. The devices work both in terrestrial and satellite networks, and communication through both networks is secure, fast, and easy. The development of the devices was completed in 2017 and since then there have been yearly product deliveries to the authorities using the system.

“The demand for the Mexsat terminals has been constant as new authority organizations have adopted satellite communication as part of their communication systems. Cooperation with Inmosat has been a good and effective solution as their extensive sales and customer support network in the states of Mexico has been a significant advantage for the customer organizations across Mexico”, says Tommi Kangas, Senior Vice President of Bittium’s Defense & Security business segment.

“Bittium’s continuous effort towards innovation and security has allowed Inmosat to create an ecosystem with a reliable and effective solution that continues to grow among national security entities in Mexico. In addition, the Mexican government recently changed the way the Mexsat service is commercialized, opening the possibility for other government branches, in addition to national security entities, to acquire the Mexsat technology. With Bittium’s and Inmosat’s partnership we have been able to give the customer the service they need, with the scope of crafting a better solution each time.” says Héctor González, CEO of Inmosat.

 

18 Mar 24. Kymeta Begins Fulfilling Customer Orders of its First Multi-Orbit, On-the-Move Flat-Panel Antenna for Military Users.

World-leading flat-panel satellite antenna company, Kymeta (www.kymetacorp.com), announced today at SATELLITE 2024 that the Osprey u8 HGL, a hybrid geostationary/low Earth orbit (GEO/LEO/LTE) terminal purpose-built for military users, is shipping out of their facility in Woodinville, Washington. This marks the first commercially available multi-orbit terminal and the first multi-orbit terminal on Eutelsat OneWeb’s LEO network. Kymeta announced the official launch in October last year and is fulfilling a backlog of orders.

In February, the Kymeta team demonstrated in the field the capabilities of the new Osprey u8 HGL delivering resilient, auto-PACE ready communications for the armed forces to meet the demands of challenging and rugged military environments. The multi-orbit, multi-network capabilities of the Osprey u8 HGL terminal will offer even greater availability, while being durable, low power consuming, having low visibility, and easy to use.

The Osprey u8 HGL includes a field swappable modem cartridge and a OneWeb modem to enable connectivity with the Eutelsat OneWeb LEO network. At launch an iDirect 950mp cartridge is available enabling TRANSEC services over GEO. Other cartridge configurations will be available soon enabling end users to customize their terminal configuration based on their mission needs.

Initial feedback was overwhelmingly positive, with one military member stating: “This is everything we’ve been looking for in a terminal, form function and features. The LEO to GEO switching far exceeded our expectations. It’s amazing that Kymeta is already delivering on the community’s urgent need for multi-orbit SATCOM.”

Others in attendance at Army field demonstrations commented, “I cannot wait to get started with these!” and “Wow! It tracks satellites over some very difficult terrain.”

“The Kymeta Osprey HGL has a unique capability to address government requirements in support of government PACE plans,” said Ian Canning, Chief Operating Officer, OneWeb Technologies. “The Osprey supports multi-network/orbit requirements through the concurrent LTE/satellite configuration with the added benefit of now being able to add OneWeb LEO capabilities.”

Jon Osler, Senior Vice President Global Sales and Services of Kymeta, commented: “In the contemporary military landscape, mobile connectivity has become indispensable for achieving success. Unlike any other sector, the military relies heavily on dependable, adaptable, and resilient on-the-go communication systems to fulfill its operational and training needs. We take pride in our longstanding partnership with the military, delivering cutting-edge solutions that meet and exceed expectations.”

This milestone further establishes Kymeta as the leader in the multi-X revolution. Attendees of SATELLITE 2024 in Washington, DC, March 18– 20 are encouraged to visit Kymeta’s meeting room 156 to see the Osprey u8 HGL in person and to speak with a member of the Kymeta team. (Source: BUSINESS WIRE)

 

18 Mar 24. China’s military, state media slam U.S. after Reuters report on SpaceX spy satellites. Chinese military and state-run media on Sunday accused the United States of threatening global security, days after a Reuters report which found Elon Musk’s SpaceX was building hundreds of spy satellites for a U.S. intelligence agency.

SpaceX’s Starshield unit is developing the satellite network under a classified $1.8 bn contract with the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), Reuters reported on Friday, citing five sources familiar with the programme.

A social media account run by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) said the SpaceX program exposed the United States’ “shamelessness and double standards” as Washington accuses Chinese tech companies of threatening U.S. security.

“We urge U.S. companies to not help a villain do evil,” Junzhengping, an account run by the PLA, posted on social media platform Weibo on Sunday. The account has 1.1 m followers.

“All countries worldwide should be vigilant and protect against new and even bigger security threats created by the U.S. government,” the post said.

Wang Yanan, chief editor of Aerospace Knowledge, a magazine overseen by the ruling Communist Party, was quoted in an interview as saying the SpaceX satellite project posed “a challenge to global security and stability”.

“The United States’ high-profile intelligence reconnaissance of countries or regions it is concerned about will inevitably cause some hot issues to become more sensitive or even escalate,” Wang told The Global Times, a Chinese state-controlled newspaper, in an interview published on Sunday.

Musk runs other companies including electric vehicle maker Tesla that has a large manufacturing presence in China. Neither Junzhengping or the Global Times mentioned Musk or Tesla.

In response to the Reuters’ story, the NRO acknowledged its mission to develop space-based surveillance systems, but declined to comment on the extent of SpaceX’s involvement.

SpaceX, the world’s largest satellite operator, did not respond to several requests for comment about the contract.

The planned Starshield network is separate from Starlink, SpaceX’s growing commercial broadband constellation that has about 5,500 satellites in space to provide near-global internet to consumers, companies and government agencies.

Chinese researchers in the PLA have over the past two years studied the deployment of Starlink in the war in Ukraine and repeatedly warned about the risks it poses to China.

China has said it also plans to start building its own satellite constellations.

Space X, NRO, and the Pentagon did not immediately respond to requests for comment on China’s reaction to the contract. (Source: Reuters)

 

18 Mar 24. US, Japan urge nations not to deploy nuclear weapons in orbit. The United States and Japan on Monday proposed a U.N. Security Council resolution stressing that nations should comply with a treaty that bars putting nuclear weapons in space, a message that appeared aimed at Russia.

Washington believes Moscow is developing a space-based anti-satellite nuclear weapon whose detonation could cause havoc by disrupting everything from military communications to phone-based ride services, a source familiar with the matter has said.

Russia, a party to the 1967 Outer Space Treaty that bars putting “in orbit around the earth any objects carrying nuclear weapons or any other kinds of weapons of mass destruction,” has previously said it opposes deploying nuclear weapons ins space.

Russia’s defense minister has also denied it is developing such a weapon. Deploying a nuclear weapon in orbit is barred by the treaty; developing one, however, is not prohibited.

In their resolution seen by Reuters, the United States, the only nation to use a nuclear weapon in war, and Japan, the only nation attacked with one, urged countries bound by the treaty not to place such weapons in space and also not to develop them.

Reports about possible Russian development emerged after a Republican lawmaker on Feb. 14 issued a cryptic statement warning of a “serious national security threat.”

The clearest public sign Washington thinks Moscow is working on such a weapon was a White House spokesman’s Feb. 15 comment that the lawmaker’s letter was related to a space-based anti-satellite weapon that Russia was developing but had not deployed, and that would violate the Outer Space Treaty. (Source: Reuters)

 

15 Mar 24. EDA and SatCen improve naval data exchange. The European Defence Agency and the EU Satellite Centre sign a bilateral agreement to initiate a new phase of the MANSUR data exchange system.

The European Defence Agency (EDA) and the EU Satellite Centre (SatCen) have signed a bilateral agreement on 14 March 2024 to enhance the protective layer of maritime surveillance data.

Specifically, the two agencies will build on their co-operation in developing the MANSUR maritime data exchange system, now in its third generation (III).

Launched in 2005 as a network for sharing open-source maritime information, MARSUR has since matured into a multi-faceted information exchange platform.

The multinational initiative resulting from this effort now encompasses 22 European navies. Out of this pool, under the EDA framework, 16 EU navies are developing a capability for the automatic exchange of maritime surveillance information and decision-making support.

MARSUR’s wide scope of services allow for information exchange, co-ordination and support to decision-making, aiming to improve the common ‘Recognised Maritime Picture’. The network plays an important role as a defence layer of the EU framework for exchanging information and maritime situation awareness, known as the Common Information Sharing Environment (CISE).

Now, the MANSUR III project is upgrading its technology and capabilities, which will soon include the exchange of classified information. The recent bilateral agreement will provide the operational basis for the exchange of relevant data between SatCen and the MARSUR community through a secure network.

SatCen has aligned its efforts with EDA to define requirements and support maritime situational awareness with satellite data and analysis. SatCen joined the initiative in 2017, and in May 2021 signed the MARSUR III project arrangement for 2021-2026 and the way ahead.

MARSUR III will now benefit from SatCen’s expertise, particularly in terms of governance, as it takes a role as permanent chair of the Technical Advisory Board, in training of operators and technicians, exchanging information and products, and connecting to CISE with its bridging node.

SatCen will in turn connect its resources to the information held by European navies. SatCen will also welcome two MARSUR maritime surveillance experts, funded by the MARSUR community.

During the signing ceremony, Commander Joachim Weidmann, Chairperson of the MARSUR Management Group and representing the participating nations, said: “The bilateral agreement between EDA and SatCen is a milestone, and it is important that both organisations show the willingness to succeed in ensuring that relevant operational maritime information is shared in the required time.”  (Source: airforce-technology.com)

 

18 Mar 24. Kanyini satellite successfully completes critical testing milestone. The South Australian government’s satellite, Kanyini, has achieved a key milestone with the successful completion of its Environmental Stress Screening (ESS) ahead of the satellite’s mid-2024 launch. The critical ESS testing was conducted at the National Space Test Facility at the Australian National University in Canberra.

The Kanyini mission is a collaboration between the South Australian Government, the SmartSat Cooperative Research Centre as mission lead, Adelaide-based commercial satellite manufacturer Inovor Technologies, and global IoT provider Myriota. Kanyini will be launched onboard SpaceX’s Transporter-11 mission from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, USA, later this year.

Manufactured entirely in Adelaide’s Lot Fourteen, Kanyini underwent two weeks of trials including exposing the satellite to extreme temperature variations, intense vibrations, and crushing vacuum conditions. The satellite remained fully operational throughout the extensive testing, passing the screening with flying colours.

“In reaching this milestone, Kanyini has already achieved one of our key goals for the mission – building the capacity of the Australian space industry and advancing the local expertise within the sector,” said Mission Director Peter Nikoloff, who is also a co-founder of Nova Group.

“The collaborative effort from the whole mission team, including SmartSat CRC and our partners Myriota and Inovor Technologies, as well as the support from the South Australian Government, has been outstanding up until now,” he added.

With Kanyini’s full System Integration Review also concluded, the successful completion of this testing now sees the wholly South Australian-based mission team embarking on the final manufacturing phase in readiness for launch.

The launch of Kanyini marks a pivotal step for the South Australian space sector. It will build space flight heritage for local satellite manufacturing, Internet of Things (IoT) and mission lead capabilities – a fundamental requirement for success in the global space sector.

Once in orbit, Kanyini’s dual IoT and imager payloads will deliver critical space data to be used by government and research institutions to expand their knowledge, particularly in relation to sustainability and climate impacts.

The enhanced onboard processing capability of the Hyperscout 2 imager, together with advanced Artificial Intelligence algorithms, enables smart processing of data directly in orbit, supporting rapid decision-making for time-critical applications such as smoke detection for bushfires and other services. (Source: https://www.ex2.com.au/news/)

 

10 Mar 24. SpaceX’s 2 successful launches from two coasts first from Florida’s Cape Canaveral.

On Sunday, March 10 at 7:05 p.m. ET, Falcon 9 launched 23 Starlink satellites to low-Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

This was the 11th flight for the first stage booster supporting this mission, which previously launched Crew-5, GPS III Space Vehicle 06, Inmarsat I6-F2, CRS-28, Intelsat G-37, NG-20, and now five Starlink missions.

This mission was the ninth launch for SpaceX from Florida in 2024 and the 309th launch of a Falcon 9 rocket to date.

Another weekend launch as SpaceX targets Sunday, March 10 for a Falcon 9 launch of 23 Starlink satellites to low-Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. Liftoff is targeted for 7:05 p.m. ET, with backup opportunities available until 10:21 p.m. ET. If needed, additional opportunities are also available on Monday, March 11 starting at 6:42 p.m. ET.

The forecast calls for a temperature of 68°F, overcast clouds, 100% cloud cover and a wind speed of 12mph.

A live webcast of this mission will begin on X @SpaceX about five minutes prior to liftoff. Watch live.

This is the 11th flight for the first stage booster supporting this mission, which previously launched Crew-5, GPS III Space Vehicle 06, Inmarsat I6-F2, CRS-28, Intelsat G-37, NG-20, and four Starlink missions. Following stage separation, the first stage will land on the Just Read the Instructions droneship, which will be stationed in the Atlantic Ocean. (Source: Satnews)

 

12 Mar 24. Success as Rocket Lab launches 45th Electron mission, 4th for longtime partner Synspective. Rocket Lab USA, Inc. (Nasdaq: RKLB) provider of launch services and space systems, today launched its 45th Electron rocket, successfully deploying a fourth synthetic aperture radar satellite to Synspective’s Earth-observation constellation.

“Owl Night Long,” a dedicated mission for Synspective, launched from Pad B at Rocket Lab’s Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand at 04:03 NZDT March 13, 2024 (15:03 UTC, March 12). The mission delivered a single spacecraft, the StriX-3 satellite, to a 561km Sun Synchronous Orbit, where it joined Synspective’s growing constellation.

Rocket Lab has been the sole launch provider for Synspective’s constellation, previously delivering three satellites across launches in September 2022, February 2022, and December 2020.  Rocket Lab will launch two more missions for Synspective as part of a multi-launch agreement signed in 2023.

“Owl Night Long” was Rocket Lab’s third Electron mission of 2024. Rocket Lab’s next launch is scheduled to liftoff no earlier than March 20th from Launch Complex 2 in Wallops, Virginia for the National Reconnaissance Office.

Rocket Lab is ramping up for their third launch this year and the 45th Electron launch overall. The ‘Owl Night Long’ mission is scheduled to launch from Pad B at Launch Complex 1 in Mahia, New Zealand, and will carry a single satellite for Synspective.

Synspective Satellite Rocket Lab Clearnroom, Launch Complex 1, Mahia, NZ

Electron will carry the Strix-3 satellite to a Sun Synchronous Orbit where it will join a constellation of the other StriX-series satellite from Synspective, a Japanese Earth-imaging company.

The StriX-series satellites are a Synthetic Aperture Radar, or SAR, spacecraft that can image millimeter-level changes to the Earth’s surface from space, independent of weather conditions at any time day or night. The constellation to return to any spot on the globe every 12 hours. (Source: Satnews)

 

14 Mar 24. Hispasat + Infinite Orbits to cooperate on European life extension mission. Hispasat and Infinite Orbits will collaborate in analyzing a life extension mission, using Endurance, Infinite Orbits’ GEO satellite life extension service solution.

Both entities are enthusiastic about advancing the development of a European life extension service solution for GEO satellites. Infinite Orbits serves as the service provider, while Hispasat acts as the recipient of this service. They recognize the substantial commercial demand for this type of service on a global scale and believe it is financially viable for both GEO satellite operators and life extension service providers, especially once the majority of non-recurring development costs are absorbed and a competitive design and manufacturing approach is considered.

The parties emphasize that the creation of a European Life Extension service solution is crucial to maintaining a competitive edge for the broader European Space Industry and, specifically, for European satellite service providers.

Infinite Orbits is dedicated to presenting a European-made, state-of-the-art replicable technical solution developed in Toulouse, France, by the end of 2026 or the beginning of 2027. Additionally, they plan to showcase a real-life, replicable use case of such service supporting the international expansion of Hispasat—a prominent European satellite operator. This collaboration will demonstrate the inaugural European life extension service in GEO.

According to the agreement, both parties target finalizing the corresponding satellite life extension service contract in the first half of 2024.

Adel HADDOUD, CEO of Infinite Orbits, said, “After the successful launch and start of commercial service of our first line of GEO-Orbit services with Orbit Guard # in 2023, we are proud to partner with Hispasat for the launch of our second line of GEO orbit services, proposing a real-life commercial mission leveraging our GEO satellite Life Extension solution Endurance to extend the operational and commercial life of an important satellite of the Hispasat fleet. This first mission will help us materialize the substantial pipeline of international commercial prospects that we have constituted over the past months, contributing to the international development of the European Space Industry as a net positive contributor to the French and European economy.“ (Source: Satnews)

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At Viasat, we’re driven to connect every warfighter, platform, and node on the battlefield.  As a global communications company, we power ms of fast, resilient connections for military forces around the world – connections that have the capacity to revolutionize the mission – in the air, on the ground, and at sea.  Our customers depend on us for connectivity that brings greater operational capabilities, whether we’re securing the U.S. Government’s networks, delivering satellite and wireless communications to the remote edges of the battlefield, or providing senior leaders with the ability to perform mission-critical communications while in flight.  We’re a team of fearless innovators, driven to redefine what’s possible.  And we’re not done – we’re just beginning.

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Sponsored By Viasat

 

www.viasat.com/gov-uk

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14 Mar 24. Terran Orbital Unveils Next-Generation SmallSat GEO™ Solution.

Addressing Evolving Needs for Agile, Cost-Effective Geosynchronous Communications

Highlights:

• Enhanced maneuverability enabling precise adjustments within geosynchronous orbit to meet mission demands.
• Affordable small satellite GEO solutions with shorter lead times compared to traditional options.
• Designed for potential integration with existing communication constellations.

Today, Terran Orbital Corporation (NYSE: LLAP) (“Terran Orbital” or the “Company”), a global leader in satellite-based solutions primarily serving the aerospace and defense industries, announced their entrance into the small satellite geosynchronous orbit (GEO) market with their SmallSat GEO™ solution for satellites above 500kg. This will be unveiled at the SATELLITE 2024 trade show, happening March 18-21 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington D.C. Visit us at Booth #2251 and experience our next-generation SmallSat GEO solution through immersive augmented reality.

SmallSat GEO is intended for the communications market and can operate in geosynchronous orbit and provide higher power and performance than may have been needed in low earth orbit (LEO). The geosynchronous market is moving more towards small satellites with more and more GEO spacecraft ordered in the small size class. Terran Orbital is leveraging its investment in a 94,000 sq ft advanced manufacturing facility with automation in build and test, as well as three previous GEO missions, to expand into this market.

“Our customers require agility, affordability, and the ability to adapt their geosynchronous communication architecture,” said Marc Bell, Co-Founder, Chairman, and Chief Executive Officer at Terran Orbital. “We can bring our LEO small satellite heritage to GEO and provide the agile customization that our customers have come to expect and value.”

Key strengths of Terran Orbital’s SmallSat GEO capability:

• Performance & Power: Gives customers a high-performing platform compactly packaged to support missions with the best price/bit offering.
• Payload: Adaptable to commercial/customer-provided or Terran Orbital-supplied payloads. Allows for independently steerable multi-beam arrays. Supports multiple reflectors.
• Cost: Significantly lower cost, with a faster delivery timeline than traditional GEO.

By offering this new capability, Terran Orbital further solidifies its position as a leader in cost-effective responsive space solutions. The company remains committed to developing innovative and cost-effective technologies that empower the national security community and revolutionize the future of space exploration. Click here to learn more about our spacecraft solutions. (Source: BUSINESS WIRE)

 

12 Mar 24. ICEYE expands high-resolution SAR data products with Dwell Fine imaging mode. ICEYE’s Dwell Fine is unique in commercial SAR satellite imagery. As a satellite orbits the Earth in Dwell Fine mode its radar signals focus on a defined area of the planet’s surface to create an image for 25 seconds – in contrast to the usual 10 seconds for a standard Spot image. Thanks to the longer duration imaging mode, Dwell Fine users can determine the shape of an aircraft’s fuselage, wings, stabilizers, and engines; recognize narrow objects like power lines and antennas; or evaluate the extent and nature of damage to civil infrastructure. Short videos, composed of multiple images taken during collection and delivered as part of the Dwell Fine services, can detect vessels’ movement, direction, and speed.

With its many practical applications, Dwell Fine can detect and emphasize the differences between human-made and natural features. And because images in Dwell mode are taken from a much more comprehensive range of angles, it can perceive objects through gaps in the trees and foliage.

Owner and operator of the world’s largest constellation of SAR satellites, ICEYE first introduced its Dwell mode in May 2023. With the introduction of Dwell Fine less than a year later, ICEYE underlines its commitment to constant innovation in serving private and public sector organizations globally with the most advanced commercial Earth Observation capabilities and SAR satellite imagery.

John Cartwright, ICEYE’s SVP and Head of Data Product, said: “Dwell is a first-in-the-world capability that just evolved into an even better one with the introduction of Dwell Fine. Sharpening the resolution down from one meter to 50 centimeters produces SAR satellite images with incredible clarity. This – combined with the ability of ICEYE satellites to observe any location on Earth every few hours, day or night, and in any weather – enables a level of change detection that’s never been possible before.”

ICEYE’s radar antennae are one-of-a-kind in the SAR satellite sector, controlled by software to direct the radar beams to areas of interest as needed. This technology confers unique capabilities in the sector and provides greater versatility in imaging modes – ranging from the fine granularity of Dwell Fine to views covering tens of thousands of square kilometers. (Source: BUSINESS WIRE)

 

13 Mar 24. Rocket Lab USA, Inc. (Nasdaq: RKLB) (“Rocket Lab” or “the Company”), a global leader in launch services and space systems, today launched its 45th Electron rocket, successfully deploying a fourth synthetic aperture radar satellite to Synspective’s Earth-observation constellation.

“Owl Night Long,” a dedicated mission for Synspective, launched from Pad B at Rocket Lab’s Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand at 04:03 NZDT March 13, 2024 (15:03 UTC, March 12). The mission delivered a single spacecraft, the StriX-3 satellite, to a 561km Sun Synchronous Orbit, where it joined Synspective’s growing constellation.

Rocket Lab has been the sole launch provider for Synspective’s constellation, previously delivering three satellites across launches in September 2022, February 2022, and December 2020.  Rocket Lab will launch two more missions for Synspective as part of a multi-launch agreement signed in 2023.

“Owl Night Long” was Rocket Lab’s third Electron mission of 2024. Rocket Lab’s next launch is scheduled to liftoff no earlier than March 20th from Launch Complex 2 in Wallops, Virginia for the National Reconnaissance Office. (Source: ASD Network)

 

13 Mar 24. Space Force Chief Says Shift to Warfighting Posture Continues Despite Slight Budgetary Decrease. During fiscal year 2025, the Space Force will continue to invest in areas key to obtaining a warfighting posture despite a proposed 2% downturn in next year’s budget, according to the agency’s chief of space operations.

While discussing the current state of the Space Force during a broad-ranging, half-hour interview with Defense One yesterday afternoon, Gen. Chance Saltzman said the approximately $600 m reduction from the Space Force’s FY 2024 budget isn’t holding the agency back from focusing on areas necessary to face off against potential adversaries.

“We are still investing heavily in resilient architectures to make sure we can continue to provide missile warning, satellite communications and precision navigation and timing,” Saltzman said, adding that the Space Force has also invested heavily in operational tests and training infrastructure to make sure the service’s personnel, known as Guardians, have proper training to face potential threats on the horizon.

“There lots of areas that I feel very comfortable that we’ve plussed-up and that we’re increasing to make sure we can meet all the requirements,” Saltzman added.

The FY 2025 Space Force budget request for $29.4 bn is down from the FY 2024 request for $30 bn. The reductions come in the areas of research, development and testing and evaluation, along with procurement.

The Space Force budget is included in the overall Department of the Air Force budget. According to the Air Force, the FY 2025 Space Force budget request “focuses on comprehensively fielding equipment and trained Guardians with sufficient sustainment funding to conduct prompt and enduring operations against any adversary. It presents major investments in fielding combat-ready forces for a growing and maturing service.”

Along the lines of “comprehensively fielding equipment,” the $4.7 bn FY 2025 budget request for procurement is $400 m less than last year’s. However, requesting less money in that department isn’t necessarily indicative of a problem, according to Saltzman.

“I don’t think there’s a particular problem, he said. “It’s just the timelines that come with us estimating what we’re going to need in the future.”

Spotlight: DOD Space Strategy

To illustrate this, the general pointed out that the Space Force purchases some of its rockets for launching satellites two years in advance, and planning for the acquisition of those rockets takes place even further out from the purchase date.

“And, so, as we get closer to execution, we modify and refine those estimates to make sure that we don’t buy anything that we don’t need or can’t use,” Saltzman said. “And that’s what you’re seeing this year.”

On the topic of Space Force Guardians, whose portion of the budget request remained unchanged from the last fiscal year, Saltzman said the Department of the Air Force recently announced a re-optimization plan that focuses on training-up the Space Force personnel to be at the highest level of readiness standards.

“We want to develop advanced training,” Saltzman said. “We’re re-scoping all the education, training and experience opportunities to make sure our Guardians are ready.”

“I want to put tools in their hands this year, so they can start to practice, they can ask questions of themselves rather than forwarding questions all the way up to the leadership, they can solve problems at their level,” Saltzman continued. “They’re hungry for it, and I’m just trying to take advantage of that this year.”

The Space Force’s $29.4 bn proposed budget for FY 2025 is the smallest request of the U.S. armed forces, with the overall Air Force request being $217.5 bn. The Army is requesting $185.9 bn, and the Department of the Navy—including the Marine Corps—is requesting $255.7 bn.

The White House made President Joe Biden’s proposed DOD budget for FY 2025 public on Monday. Congress will now spend the coming months legislating over authorizations and related appropriations. (Source: U.S. DoD)

 

13 Mar 24. ADF to gain breakthrough satellite voice tech. ADF personnel situated thousands of kilometres away from each other in remote locations will soon be able to send secure voice messages following a pioneering experiment.

Fleet Space Technologies – best known for its mining tech – made the breakthrough by updating the software on one of its existing LEO Centauri satellites.

The successful demonstration of “push to talk” (PTT) messages follows the SA-based business being awarded a AUD$6.4 m contract by Defence Space Command last year as part of the ASCEND2LEO program.

The project was supported by SmartSat CRC – a collaboration between universities and research organisations that partner with industry – and the UniSA-backed Safety from Space.

Fleet called the innovation a “major leap forward in tactical communications capabilities” and said its Centauri satellite is now the “smallest voice-capable satellite on Earth”.

“Custom waveforms are a critical part of enabling high-performing satellite capabilities,” said Dr. Mark Rice, founder of Safety From Space.

“We’re excited to continue working with partners to help build secure and resilient satellite-based solutions in support of the ambitious objectives of the Australian private and public sectors.”

The live demonstration was hosted by the Defence Science & Technology Group (DSTG) and abided by a “strict criterion” for one-way voice transmission, including voice quality, reliability, and link persistence across “thousands of kilometres in manifold operational environments”.

Space Connect previously reported that the ASCEND2LEO program seeks to identify how commercial space capabilities can support Australia’s national security objectives.

Professor Andy Koronios, chief executive officer of SmartSat, said last year, “ASCEND2LEO is an ambitious project and a prime example of how SmartSat can help our partners successfully develop and demonstrate innovative Australian technology to customers such as Defence.

“It delivers one of the Defence Space Strategy objectives, being that ‘Defence may benefit from repurposing civilian technology for military means, without having to invest in R&D or venture incubation’.

“SmartSat was able to work with Fleet to develop a proposal to do just this — repurpose technology being used for world-leading mineral exploration, and technology SmartSat developed to build more resilient search and rescue infrastructure into a demonstration of tactical voice communications.” (Source: Space Connect)

 

14 Mar 24. SpaceX’s third Starship test flight gets FAA green light. The FAA on Wednesday granted SpaceX a license to test-launch the company’s Starship rocket system from Texas, according to the agency’s website, paving the way for another early demonstration of a spacecraft crucial to Elon Musk’s satellite launch business and NASA’s moon program.

“The FAA determined SpaceX met all safety, environmental, policy and financial responsibility requirements,” the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which oversees launch site safety, said in a statement.

The regulatory sign-off came less than 24 hours before Starship’s targeted launch time of 7 a.m. CDT (1200 GMT)on Thursday from SpaceX’s Boca Chica, Texas, launch facilities, where the rocket’s first two attempts to reach space blasted off from last year.

Starship, a towering two-stage rocket system that will become the centerpiece of Musk’s space launch business, will aim to fly farther and clinch more testing objectives than its last two flight tests, including the reignition of the system’s upper stage engine and opening its payload door in space.

Unlike the last two tests, both which ended in explosions before reaching a planned splashdown target in the Pacific Ocean near Hawaii, the Thursday test flight will launch on a trajectory bound for the Indian Ocean, a flight profile picked by SpaceX to enable the mission’s new test objectives, the company said.

Starship’s window to launch on Thursday – and on Friday, as a backup – is from 7 a.m. to 8:51 a.m. CDT (1200 GMT to 1351 GMT), SpaceX said.

NASA, under a roughly $4 bn contract with SpaceX, plans to use Starship in the next few years to send the first crew of humans to the moon’s surface since the Apollo era more than half a century ago.

The upcoming Starship test is an early demonstration on a long path to prove itself capable of safely getting astronauts to the moon, a feat that will involve other NASA spacecraft and require extra fuel for Starship supplied in space by a fleet of “tanker” refueling Starships.

(Source: Reuters)

 

13 Mar 24. Australia demonstrates satellite-enabled push-to-talk capabilities. South Australia-based Fleet Space Technologies has demonstrated push-to-talk (PTT) capabilities using a low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite as part of an Australian military project on satellite communications (satcom). Fleet Space implemented a “software update” to its Centauri 4 satellite, currently in LEO, that enabled the satellite to deliver tactical PTT communication capabilities for the Australian Defence Force’s (ADF’s) Joint Capabilities Group (JCG), the company said in a media release on 12 March.

“Built with the world’s first 3D-printed all-metal patch antennas and advanced field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), this demonstration showed that Centauri satellites can be reprogrammed to deliver high-quality, fit-for-purpose voice capabilities while in orbit,” Fleet Space added. According to a company document, Fleet Space has a fleet of eight Centauri satellites. (Source: Janes)

 

11 Mar 24. Four Spiral Blue computers launch aboard Transporter-10 mission. Four of Sydney-based Spiral Blue’s SE-1 edge computers have been launched into orbit aboard the SpaceX Transporter-10 mission from Cape Canaveral in Florida. This successful launch brings the total number of Spiral Blue computers in orbit to 8 and also marks the first customer missions carrying the SE-1.

Two computers are launching as part of customer missions, with the other two being operated by Spiral Blue.

The two Spiral Blue-operated computers are part of Project Rainbow Python, the first Australian hyperspectral mission. These will enable an expansion of the YCIS (Your Code In Space) program launched by the company in 2023 that allows users to test drive Spiral Blue hardware in orbit.

Of the two customer-operated SE-1 computers, one forms a critical component of Esper Satellites ‘Esperesso’ hyperspectral imager. The mission is designed to unlock the hidden secrets of Earth’s surface by exploring chemical compositions with HSI technology.

The second SE-1 is providing edge computing capabilities for an undisclosed customer’s satellite.

“Our customers are using our hardware to carry out onboard processing and to control imaging hardware,” said Co-Founder James Buttenshaw. “The hardware launched by Spiral Blue will, among other things, be utilised to offer our YCIS service once more, helping future customers test-drive our hardware in orbit.  We anticipate being able to commence operations in around one month’s time.”

Spiral Blue has various other customer and test missions planned this year, it says, with additional SE-1 computers scheduled to launch later in the year, as well as the release of the company’s next generation space edge computer by Q3. The SE-2, which is based on the Orin NX, will boast greater processing power as an additional product offering alongside the SE-1. (Source: https://www.ex2.com.au/news/)

 

08 Mar 24. France prepares for space wars in ‘AsterX’ European exercise. In silent orbit around Earth, a potentially hostile satellite approaches an allied communication node, intentions unknown.

French Space Command has determined the move is deliberate, and intelligence shows the enemy spacecraft is equipped with a robotic arm that would allow it to de-orbit the friendly asset. The French-led blue team moves a “patroller” satellite into a protective position – a capability France is working on, but now lacks – to block any hostile action by the U.S.-led red team.

While fictional, the scenario played out March 7 during Europe’s largest space wargames is credible and based on real capabilities, said Colonel Mathieu Bernabé, who is leading the exercise. During the event called AsterX 2024, some 190 participants from France and 15 partner countries are training for everything from jammed space communications to hostile satellites maneuvering to take out friendly orbiters.

“This type of exercise is absolutely essential for our operators, but also our processes, training for what we call operational readiness, so we’re ready to fight a real war,” General Philippe Adam, the commander of France’s space command, said during a presentation of the exercise in Toulouse in south-west France. “It’s as realistic as an exercise scenario can be, obviously – inspired by a lot of things you’ve probably recognized.”

Adam said, “unfriendly behavior” by Russian satellites, with uncoordinated and unannounced approaches, happens “all the time,” in all orbits.

Space is becoming more dangerous, and militarization is on the rise, Adam said. Earth orbits have become busier, with increased competition between commercial players and states, while satellites are becoming a lot more capable and maneuverable.

Space-based systems have become an integral part of military operations, from communication to ballistic-missile detection, navigation, planning and targeting. Meanwhile, the value of the space economy rose 8% to $546 bn in 2022, according to the non-profit Space Foundation.

French President Emmanuel Macron created a military space command in 2019, with the goal of boosting the country’s awareness of the security situation in space, and to better protect its satellites. France had 91 satellites in orbit in February 2023, the most of any European Union country, according to data published by Statista.

AsterX is “absolutely essential” for ramping up French Space Command, which doesn’t have operational status yet, though it’s performing operations, Adam said. The command is expected to pass an initial stage of operational qualification when it moves into new headquarters in Toulouse next year, and targets full operational capability by 2030.

France is organizing the AsterX wargames for the fourth year, pitting the French-led blue team against the fictional country of Mercure, an adversary trying to destabilize the nation of Arnland. What’s new this year is that the red team, with “significant” space resources, is played by U.S. Space Force personnel, the first time a foreign nation plays the role of adversary.

The exercise simulates more than 4,000 objects in orbit, spinning around in simulated space already days before the exercise, and with the blue and red teams not fully aware of the spatial capacities of their adversary. The knowledge gaps create an intellectual challenge, and the red team being played by the U.S. results in a non-deterministic scenario, Bernabé said.

“AsterX is a laboratory in which you’re confronted with situations, where you experiment with solutions, and get feedback,” Bernabé said. “The challenge is to train how to manage a space situation, but backed up by an inter-army and multi-domain environment, which also means cyber or informational, so this scenario provides for conditions that enable us to play the full spectrum.”

Americans playing the red team provides an additional element of surprise to the exercise, according to Bernabé.

The exercise runs through to March 15 and will include 14 different types of threats and 23 events, within the scenario of a gradually worsening crisis, headed towards high-intensity warfare. Adam said a crisis situation is a useful exercise, as there’s “a lot of ambiguity” to be resolved, while a high-intensity scenario is in some ways simpler because “anything goes.”

Worst-case scenario

A worst-case scenario for orbital conflict would be generalized war with a completely uninhibited enemy attacking satellites “quite indiscriminately,” according to Adam.

“Then we’re going to be losing satellites all over the place, we’re going to lose resources, we’re going to create debris, and then it’s a bit of a snowball effect,” Adam said. Failure to quickly stop such an adversary would create “a problem that will last for decades. Once you’ve created debris everywhere, some orbits become completely inoperable.

”So yes, a generalized conflict in space would be very, very bad news.”

Through the exercise, France also seek to develop a common culture of space operations with its allies and partners, under realistic threat conditions. In addition to the U.S., countries participating in AsterX include the U.K., Japan and South Korea, as well as a number of EU partners.

“We understand each other better after this exercise, in the nature of the responses we can provide, since we’ve experimented with things together,” Bernabé said.

Interoperability challenges between countries’ space forces are “extremely numerous,” including distinct vocabulary for the same things and different procedures and policies, according to Adam.French Space Command targets about 500 personnel in 2025, from around 350 now, according to Adam. He said partners such as Japan, Germany and Italy are creating commands similar in size, between 300 and 600 personnel, adding that human resources are “a tremendous problem” for everyone.

Those goals compare to around 13,900 staff for the U.S. Space Force at the end of December. France doesn’t have the ambition of creating anything similar, which would require “being rich like an American,” the general said.

In addition to the new Toulouse headquarters, the main priority for France is to get patroller satellites into orbit, according to Adam. He said the country also needs to strengthen the terrestrial part of its space capabilities, and needs more space-surveillance sensors.

He said the country’s Yoda agile satellite demonstrator, which has been held up by a lack of launch slots, may become operational “in the next few months,” with operational space-patrol capacity following within one to two years.

“These are not very big satellites, they’re not very complicated satellites,” Adam said. “What’s most complicated is knowing how to use them.” And that’s what France is preparing for with AsterX. (Source: Defense News Early Bird/Defense News)

 

11 Mar 24.  Gilmour Space’s Bowen Orbital Spaceport granted Australia’s first orbital launch facility licence.  Australia’s first orbital launch facility has been granted a licence under the Space (Launches & Returns) Act 2018. Located within the Abbot Point State Development Area in north Queensland, the Bowen Orbital Spaceport is built and operated by Gold Coast-based Gilmour Space Technologies, which plans to offer commercial orbital launch services – including satellite platforms and dedicated/rideshare launches – to Low Earth Orbits (LEO).

The Bowen Orbital Spaceport received grant funding from the Australian Government as part of the Modern Manufacturing Strategy and is co-funded by the Queensland Government and Gilmour Space. The licence is a vote of confidence in the company’s technical capability and paves the way for the launch of Australia’s first sovereign-made rockets, ‘bridging Country to Sky’, says the company.

Gilmour Space Technologies has also secured approval from the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, enabling the operation of the spaceport at Abbot Point.

“Australia now has its own ‘road’ to space,” said Gilmour Space Co-founder and CEO, Adam Gilmour. “The ability to launch our own satellites, on launch vehicles that we own and control, to key orbits in space from Australia, will be a significant capability for our global customers, as well as for our nation and allies.”

Added James Gilmour, Co-founder and Head of Launch Operations at Gilmour Space: “It’s been two years since we started the project, engaging with the Juru traditional owners and other stakeholders at the local, state and federal levels. We’ve seen these efforts lead to diversified business opportunities, jobs, and investment in Bowen and greater Whitsunday region; and it will be exciting to see ‘rocket tourism’ emerging to support the local economy.”

Eris TestFlight 1 is targeted to launch in the coming months, pending approval of the launch permit by the Australian Space Agency.

(Source: https://www.ex2.com.au/news/)

 

11 Mar 24. Capricorn Space joins Saber Astronautics Marketplace for space operations.  Adelaide-based Saber Astronautics has formed a strategic partnership with Capricorn Space a leading Australian satellite ground station services provider. This collaboration is set to significantly bolster Saber Astronautics’ Responsive Space Operations Centre (RSOC) program, incorporating Capricorn Space’s advanced satellite ground station capability into its expanding SATCOM marketplace.

The RSOC is Saber’s mission control program offering satellite operations and traffic support. With several mission control centers based in Australia and Colorado, the RSOC provides a global “follow-the-sun” service for large numbers of satellites. The service includes an open marketplace for satellite communications (SATCOM) giving satellite owners the ability to select a service that scales to their needs.

“We are delighted to welcome Capricorn Space to the RSOC program and our SATCOM marketplace,” said Dr Jason Held, CEO of Saber Astronautics. “They are leaders in the community with an exceptional offering in the West Australia region with antennas available to support missions up to GEO and beyond.”

The partnership aims to expand the operational reach of satellite communications, serving a diverse clientele across the defence, commercial, and research sectors. Capricorn Space joins a wide range of RSOC’s commercial space providers in support of client missions, connecting the RSOC to its S/X-Band antennas.

Mark Thompson, CEO of Capricorn Space, commented, “Supporting fellow members of the emerging Australian Space community such as Saber Astronautics is a priority for Capricorn Space as we can offer unique world-class sovereign capability that has been privately funded and established over the past 5 years.” (Source: https://www.ex2.com.au/news/)

 

11 Mar 24. Frond Space to provide dragsail system for Gilmour Space satellite. Frond Space Systems, a New Zealand-based company specialising in deployable space technology, will provide a dragsail system for Gold Coast-based Gilmour Space Technologies’ MMS-1 satellite mission.

The MICRO dragsail system, developed by Frond, is a lightweight and compact device that can be deployed at the end of a spacecraft’s life to increase its drag and accelerate its deorbiting. The system aims to enhance space sustainability and reduce the risk of space debris, thereby ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements.

“The new five-year deorbit requirement introduced by the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is a great step in the right direction for the responsible and sustainable use of the space environment,” said Mr Kody Cook, Head of Satellites at Gilmour Space.

“Products like the MICRO dragsail system developed by Frond Space will be critical for meeting these requirements. It’s also a core part of our strategy to support the growth of the trans-Tasman supply chain and start-up ecosystem as we continue to develop future platforms.”

The Gilmour MMS-1 satellite mission, scheduled for launch in early 2025, will deploy a 100-kilogram class microsatellite to low Earth orbit. Frond’s dragsail system will be attached to the satellite and activated after the completion of the mission. The contract reflects Gilmour Space’s commitment to the principles of responsible and sustainable space utilisation. (Source: https://www.ex2.com.au/news/)

 

02 Mar 24. Rocket Lab reveals their spacecraft bus lineup. The spacecraft share many common components and subsystems, designed and manufactured in-house by Rocket Lab, including carbon composite structures, star trackers, reaction wheels, solar arrays, radios, separation systems, avionics, flight and ground software.

Rocket Lab’s family of spacecraft includes:

Photon: The original Rocket Lab spacecraft, Photon is the Company’s integrated launch-plus-spacecraft solution. Photon is a modified Electron Kick Stage with power, propulsion, and communications to deliver a capable LEO platform that serves civil, defense and commercial customers across a range of missions. With a mass of 200-300 kg, Photon is launched on Electron for responsive space and other challenging missions like cryogenic fuel demonstration, taking advantage of precision orbit insertion, launch on demand, and the lowest launch environments in industry.

Lightning: Rocket Lab’s newest spacecraft bus is designed for a 12+ year orbital lifespan in LEO, delivers high power and high radiation tolerance, incorporating redundancy in critical subsystems. This ~3 kW bus is ideal for high operational duty cycle telecommunications and remote sensing applications. Lightning can be launched on Neutron and other medium and heavy launch vehicles. Lightning is based on the same design as the custom spacecraft Rocket Lab developed for MDA and Globalstar and is the basis for the Company’s bus for the Space Development Agency.

Pioneer: A highly configurable medium delta-V platform designed to support payloads up to 120 kg and unique mission profiles, including re-entry missions for Varda Space Industries, and dynamic space operations. Depending on the mission profile, Pioneer can be launched on Electron, Neutron or other launch vehicles.

Explorer: A high delta-V spacecraft with large propellant tanks, deep space capable avionics, and ranging transponders. Explorer enables small spacecraft missions to planetary destinations like Mars and Venus, the Moon, highly eccentric Earth orbits, GEO, Earth-moon Lagrange points, Earth-sun Lagrange points, and near Earth objects (NEOs). Depending on the mission profile, Explorer can be launched on Electron, Neutron or other launch vehicles. Explorer gained flight heritage during the CAPSTONE mission to the Moon for NASA and forms the basis of the twin spacecraft Rocket Lab is developing for the ESCAPADE mission to Mars for NASA and the University of California, Berkeley.

Each member of Rocket Lab’s spacecraft family is currently in production in a range of quantities for different customers, with more than 40 satellites currently in backlog. To support the rapid production of our family of spacecraft, Rocket Lab has established an advanced spacecraft development and manufacturing complex at the Company’s Long Beach headquarters. The facility includes more than 10,000 sq. ft. of cleanroom and 40,000 sq. ft. of additional production and test facilities designed to support constellation class manufacturing and satellite assembly, integration and test for commercial, civil and national security customers. (Source: Satnews)

 

04 Mar 24. SpaceX launches the Transporter-10 mission. On Monday, March 3 at 2:05 p.m. PT, Falcon 9 launched Transporter-10, SpaceX’s 10th dedicated smallsat rideshare program mission, from Space Launch Complex 4E at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. This was the fifth flight for the first stage booster supporting this mission which previously launched Crew–7, CRS–29, PACE, and one Starlink mission. On board this flight were 53 spacecraft, including CubeSats, MicroSats, and a hosted payload. To date, SpaceX has launched nearly 1,000 smallsats for more than 130 customers across the company’s entire Rideshare program. (Source: Satnews)

 

06 Mar 24. Finally a maiden flight for Space One’s Kairos rocket. Space One’s satellite will be carried into space on a Kairos solid fuel rocket launched from Space Port Kii on Friday, March 8. Built by Japanese general contractor Shimizu Corporation, Space Port Kii is located near the southern tip of the Kii Peninsula in Wakayama prefecture south of Nagoya and Osaka. The launch, which was originally scheduled to take place in March 2022, has been postponed twice. The type of satellite and its mission have not been disclosed. The Kairos rocket is based on technology developed by IHI Aerospace and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). It is a relatively small rocket at 18 meters long and 1.4 meters in diameter, but is capable of putting satellites weighing up to 100 kilograms into low Earth orbit at an altitude of 500 kilometers.

According to a press release, “SPACE ONE is a launch service that uses small rockets. We will offer the world’s shortest lead time from contractual agreement to launch as well as the world’s most frequent launching schedule.” (Source: Satnews)

 

27 Feb 24. ST Engineering iDirect + AITELECOM/APCO expand their strategic partnership. ST Engineering iDirect and AITELECOM/APCO are expanding their partnership to deploy new, cutting-edge technology on the SES 17 network, increasing connectivity services throughout Latin America.

Together, the companies have deployed ST Engineering iDirect’s flexible and scalable Dialog multi-service satellite communications platform with hundreds of operational sites deploying its MDM3310 modems across two, high throughput satellite (HTS) Ka-band beams. Such platforms take advantage of the high packets per second processing capabilities specifically designed for 4G/5G mobile backhaul applications.

Advancing on this success, AITELECOM/APCO is continuing to work with ST Engineering iDirect as it looks to expand to additional HTS beams on the SES 17 network.  The update will further roll out ST Engineering iDirect’s award-winning Mx-DMA® MRC waveform with intelligent automation, which has been a key component in enabling AITELECOM/APCO to deliver critical connectivity for 4G cellular backhaul and enterprise services.

The demand for cellular backhaul services across Mexico has seen a major surge in recent years. In 2022, more than 74 percent of mobile phone users in Mexico accessed the internet through their mobile phone. By 2027, it is projected that this will rise to around 88 percent. To continue delivering the best connectivity performance to its customers in Mexico and across Latin America, AITELECOM/APCO is forging close collaborations with best-in-breed technology partners championing innovation.

Orlando Castillo, Chief Executive Officer of AITELECOM/APCO, said, “The high efficiency of ST Engineering iDirect’s solutions, combined with the expertise and experience of the AITELECOM/APCO integration and operational processes, have been extremely beneficial in the growth of our 4G networks, bringing cost-effective communication services to people in the most rural towns in the southwest of Mexico. We partnered with ST Engineering iDirect as we were impressed by the team’s ability to provide a comprehensive turnkey and managed-services solution under an innovative long-term scheme. We’ve found deployment to be very quick and efficient, with excellent technical support and project planning. Above all, we’re seeing very strong network performance with exceptional bit/hertz efficiencies.”

Diego Casquero, Regional Vice President, Latin America at ST Engineering iDirect, said, “Supporting our customers’ growth and expansion is a key priority for us – with AITELECOM/APCO, we provided a tailored technical support and deployment strategy to ensure comprehensive network availability and service delivery. The scalable nature of our technology and the availability and capability of our support team are essential requirements to fulfil AITELECOM/APCO’s vision. Our Mx-DMA MRC technology has helped AITELECOM/APCO simplify its operations by sharing capacity seamlessly and very efficiently among its user terminals, satisfying the most demanding throughput requirements presented by both its MNO and enterprise customers.” (Source: Satnews)

 

09 Mar 24. First ‘Christmas tree’ antennas installed on SKA-Low telescope. The installation of the 2 metre-high devices is a significant milestone in the construction of the site, which is currently scheduled to end in July 2029.

When complete, the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) Observatory will be the largest radio telescope ever built and will work in tandem with a partner observatory being built in South Africa.

Researchers hope to use it to explore the first bn years after the so-called dark ages of the Universe when the first stars and galaxies formed.

Professor Phillip Diamond, the SKAO’s director general, said astronomers had been “dreaming of this project for decades”, and laying the first antennas was a “proud moment for us all”.

“These telescopes are next-generation instruments, allowing us to test Einstein’s theories and to observe space in more detail than ever before,” he said.

“With this telescope in Australia, we will watch the births and deaths of the first stars and galaxies, giving us invaluable clues about how the Universe evolved.”

Construction on the project began in 2022 at the CSIRO Murchison Radio-astronomy Observatory site in Wajarri country, Western Australia.

When complete, the telescope will cover roughly an entire square kilometre, with 131,072 antennas to be built across the site.

The antennas at the Murchison Observatory, which is classified as “SKA-Low”, will be used in tandem with the 197 dishes that will be built at a site in Karoo in South Africa, which is dubbed “SKA-Mid”.

A core goal of the SKA is to map the structure of the fledgling Universe for the first time and help astronomers understand how galaxy formation began.

Australia-based SKA-Low Telescope Director Dr Sarah Pearce said, “The telescopes are like time machines. We’ll see things we’ve never been able to see in the history of humanity.

“It may not look like other telescopes you’ve seen. But the SKA-Low telescope in Australia will be able to map the sky more than 100 times faster than other state-of-the-art telescopes and will be so sensitive that it can detect the faintest radio signals that have travelled bns of light years across space.” (Source: Space Connect)

 

08 Mar 24. Amphinicy Blink software modem breaks the 10Gb/s limit, 1.2 GHz carrier, all on a single server. Blink was able to easily support two, concurrent, X-band channels on a single machine and with capacity to spare — no other commercially available software modem was even close to that capability. The company has been optimizing the code for about a year and the decision was made to run those tests again and note the results…

Blink runs at 10 Gbps… in addition to breaking through a psychological barrier, this is a significant result in a number of ways. For a start, the bandwidth that Blink can support on a single server in real time is approximately 2.5 GHz. This means that users could, for example, handle two nearly full-size Ka-band carriers, or four carriers of 600+ MHz wide, all on a single server. This is a significant capability in the light of a long list of large agency and commercial missions announcing Ka-band-class channels, up to four times wider than those used in the currently dominant X-band.

Further toward the horizon, V-band and optical space-to-ground communications are expected to push the envelope with regard to throughput. Blink’s current performance already makes usage in those bands feasible. What’s more, the 27% yearly GPU performance upgrades suggest that, by the end of 2026, Blink will be able to support 5 GHz or 20 Gbps carriers and much higher throughput with receiver-friendly modulation schemes such as on-off keying (OOK), which is in wide use in optical communications, and that would occur even if the software was not further optimized.

For decades, software modems were hampered by throughput and, therefore, constrained mostly to TT&C, where their numerous benefits could shine through: speed of development, ease of use, rapid evolution, deployment and scaling, seamless fit in a virtualized ground segment, configuration and state management, reliability and ease of integration.

A few years ago, software modems demonstrated that they can do more than TT&C. With Blink in particular, wideband payload reception became a reality, but claims to high throughput were always made with the awareness that traditional, hardware modems are the undisputed champions of high-throughput data reception.

With Blink’s latest performance upgrade, this is no longer the case: it may well be that no other, currently commercially available modem — software or hardware — can receive a single 10 Gbps signal. This is a remarkable achievement for any modem and possibly the first time in space industry history that the title goes to a pure-software modem.

Most, but not all, digitizers are too bandwidth-limited to feed Blink with the kind of bandwidth needed to achieve peak throughput. The company is working on evaluating and integrating high-performance Commercial-Off-The-Shelf (COTS) digitizers to have solutions ready for a wide array of ground station operators, including those aiming at the highest end of performance. The product will debut at Satellite 2024, Washington DC, at booth #2547. (Source: Satnews)

 

07 Mar 24. Exolaunch deploys 28 customer satellites onboard SpaceX’s Transporter-10 mission.

Exolaunch, the global leader in launch mission management, integration, and satellite deployment services, announced the successful deployment of 28 customer satellites during the SpaceX Transporter-10 Rideshare mission. The mission, which took place on March 4, 2024, from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, marks another milestone in Exolaunch’s commitment to advancing the booming commercial space and smallsat industry.

The launch took place on March 4, 2024 at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California. The T-10 launch photo is courtesy of SpaceX

Exolaunch has participated in all Transporter missions to date, and the Transporter-10 mission builds upon Exolaunch’s previous successes, bringing the company’s total number of deployed satellites up to 391. Exolaunch has a Multi-Launch Agreement with SpaceX, and with each launch procured under the contract, Exolaunch provides its trusted mission management, industry-leading integration services, and flight-proven proprietary separation hardware to ensure efficient and reliable satellite deployments to its customers.

Exolaunch’s customers on the Transporter-10 mission included: Aerospacelab, Careweather, ICEYE, Kongsberg NanoAvionics, Loft Orbital, Muon Space, ONDO Space, Open Cosmos, Orbital Astronautics, SATORO Space, Satlantis, Spire Global, Unseenlabs, and Universität Würzburg.

The end-users that were also served included: CEiiA (Portugal’s Center of Engineering and Product Development) via Open Cosmos, CONTEC via Kongsberg NanoAvionics, and Hubble Network via Spire Global.

In addition, Exolaunch provided its proprietary deployment solutions and integration services to Sidus Space, Space Machines Company and Satellogic.

Hailing from locations around the world – such as Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Lithuania, Mongolia, South Korea, Spain, Taiwan, the United Kingdom, and the United States – this mission marked one of Exolaunch’s most diverse yet. To effectively navigate intricate technical, logistical, and legal processes, Exolaunch clients onboard the mission received a service package which facilitated end-to-end testing, integration, global shipping, and deployment of their satellites. (Source: Satnews)

 

08 Mar 24. USSF seeking new GEO satellite, payload capability. The US Space Force (USSF) is looking to industry to provide inputs in support of its efforts to develop an operational architecture for a new slate of satellites and payloads operating at geosynchronous orbit (GEO), according to a 5 March USSF request for information (RFI). USSF’s Space Systems Command Space Domain Awareness and Combat Power (SSC/SZ) directorate is culling industry inputs for the development of “a constellation of free flyer, Rendezvous and Proximity Operations (RPO)” space vehicles (SVs) and associated electro-optic (EO) payloads, the solicitation stated. “The primary objective of this notional multi-SV, replenishable constellation will be to detect, track, and characterise resident space objects” at GEO, it said. (Source: Janes)

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At Viasat, we’re driven to connect every warfighter, platform, and node on the battlefield.  As a global communications company, we power ms of fast, resilient connections for military forces around the world – connections that have the capacity to revolutionize the mission – in the air, on the ground, and at sea.  Our customers depend on us for connectivity that brings greater operational capabilities, whether we’re securing the U.S. Government’s networks, delivering satellite and wireless communications to the remote edges of the battlefield, or providing senior leaders with the ability to perform mission-critical communications while in flight.  We’re a team of fearless innovators, driven to redefine what’s possible.  And we’re not done – we’re just beginning.

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Sponsored By Viasat

 

www.viasat.com/gov-uk

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07 Mar 24. Viasat and Rocket Lab Partner to Showcase On-Demand, Low-Latency Data Relay Services for LEO Satellites. Viasat Inc. (NASDAQ: VSAT), a global leader in satellite communications, today announced it selected Rocket Lab USA, Inc (Nasdaq: RKLB), a leading launch and space systems company, to support Viasat’s hybrid space communications networks demonstrations by producing a spacecraft bus and providing mission operation support. The demonstrations will make evident Viasat’s portfolio of multi-band, space-based relay communication services in support of Low Earth Orbit (LEO) space missions with substantial flexibility in managing data, with lower data latency and higher throughput in real time.

The demonstrations are part of Viasat’s work across two awards, totaling $80m, under NASA’s Communications Services Project (CSP), which is evaluating commercial satellite communications services and technologies to support NASA near-Earth communications requirements as it sunsets the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System (TDRSS).

LEO satellites typically require direct line-of-sight to a ground station to communicate, introducing significant data latency into the mission operations. Viasat’s Ka- and L-band relay solutions are designed to address this challenge with near real-time, low-data latency communications. The Real-Time Space Relay (RTSR) space-qualified Ka-band terminal will use Viasat’s high-capacity Ka-band network of satellites in geostationary orbit (GEO) to enable LEO operators on-demand access to critical mission data. The InCommand system will use Viasat’s global L-band network to provide real-time telemetry, tracking and command (TT&C) operations at any point in the spacecraft’s orbit. Rocket Lab will also provide a new L-band radio for InCommand called Frontier, which will support demonstrations of various TT&C applications.

Scheduled to launch in early 2026, the demonstration mission will also include direct-to-ground communications through Viasat’s Real-Time Earth (RTE) Ground-Station-as-a-Service for S-, X-, and Ka-bands. All transports will be integrated through Viasat’s Integrated Space Access Network (ISAN) to show the benefits of adaptable transport, giving LEO operators the ability to access data while balancing network availability, cost, and time-sensitive applications.

“We are proud to support NASA with this critically needed real-time space relay communications capability and excited about our continuing partnership with Rocket Lab to support Viasat’s growing space missions portfolio,” said Michael Maughan, Vice President of Space and Mission Systems, Viasat Government Systems. “From Earth observation and scientific missions to supporting defense operations, we designed our space relay services to be a highly flexible, cost effective and scalable solution for both government and commercial LEO operators to transport data based on application and mission needs.”

Rocket Lab Vice President of Space Systems, Brad Clevenger, said: “Rocket Lab spacecraft are built on configurable, high-performance subsystems based on constellation-class manufacturing. By providing a configurable platform that can be tailored to suit even the most complex missions, our customers can focus on their own novel hardware and services and leave the development and operation of the spacecraft to us. We look forward to supporting Viasat on the NASA CSP mission, as it will also add responsive satellite communications capabilities to our configurable platform.”

The Rocket Lab spacecraft will provide the power, communications, propulsion, and attitude control for the mission demonstration. Rocket Lab will incorporate its own satellite components and sub-systems into the spacecraft including star trackers, reaction wheels, solar panels, S-band radios, flight software and ground software, and the new L-band radio in development for the future InCommand service. (Source: BUSINESS WIRE)

 

07 Mar 24. Italy’s Leonardo looks to space for future growth. Italy’s aerospace conglomerate Leonardo is preparing to invest in space as one of the pillars of its new industrial strategy, aiming to tap into a buoyant global defence market.

“Space is fundamental for defence and security in the future, both in terms of satellites and in terms of services,” Chief Executive Roberto Cingolani told reporters at a recent press briefing.

Cingolani, a minister in the previous Italian government, said more private and public investment in the space sector was needed to develop defence systems and secure communications.

State-controlled Leonardo manufactures satellites, orbiting infrastructure and sensors, as well as managing satellite services and propulsion and launching systems.

There is plenty of room for growth as space generated just under 4% of Leonardo’s full year core profit in 2023.

“For the first time the space industry will be an important chapter in the company’s business plan,” the company’s Chief Space Business Officer Franco Ongaro told reporters on Monday, ahead of the presentation of the plan on March 12.

Morgan Stanley estimates the global space industry will generate revenue of more than $1trn or more in 2040, up from around $350bn in 2020.

Italy’s Industry Minister Adolfo Urso said on Monday that space was fundamental for the development of the economy.

He said parliament would approve by the summer a national framework law to regulate the fast expanding space economy sector and that the government had earmarked 320 m euros ($347 m) for the next two years.

Ongaro said Leonardo’s space businesses would include partnerships and manufacturing.

Leonardo has teamed up with France’s Thales through two separate joint ventures, satellite services company Telespazio and space manufacturer Thales Alenia Space.

In February the Ministry of Defence asked Leonardo to study the development of its military space cloud architecture project, the first in Europe.

Earlier this week, Telespazio’s Fucino space centre in central Italy was assigned the role of the main control site for the IRIS² EU satellite constellation. (Source: Google/Reuters)

 

07 Mar 24. Spanish startup Sateliot joins race for cheap space connections. Spanish space startup Sateliot is raising cash to send 100 microwave oven-sized satellites to the orbit, entering a crowded race for a slice of a market potentially worth $100bn to offer cheap data connections via space. The company, which already has two test satellites in orbit, seeks 100m euros ($109m) in equity and debt from private equity investors, funds and banks, CEO Jaume Sanpera said in remarks cleared for publication on Thursday.

Sateliot expects to launch its first four commercial satellites by June, he said.

“With just four satellites, we will be able to invoice, to go commercial in the second half of this year,” Sanpera told Reuters at the Sateliot facility in northwestern Spain where his teams are manufacturing the nano-satellites.

Sateliot has an order book worth about 187 m euros in annual revenue, and its clients are mostly from countries with vast areas not covered by mobile networks, including Canada, Brazil, South Africa, Indonesia or Australia, Sanpera said.

Sateliot has spent about 25m euros to develop, build and send in orbit, through SpaceX, the two test satellites and the first four commercial ones.

The space industry is going through a market revolution as new technologies have reduced the cost and the size of space devices to a fraction of what they used to be, with many startups joining the fray.

Lucas Bishop of investment firm Seraphim Space said only the most cost-efficient of the few dozen nano-satellite operators would likely make it.

While larger operators such as Elon Musk’s Starlink are focusing on providing high-speed Internet connection on the ground from a network of thousands of satellites, startups are setting up smaller networks, dubbed constellations, to extend the reach of the “Internet of things”, or IoT.

Sateliot is aiming at connecting small devices, such as monitoring equipment on refrigerator containers shipped by sea, with satellites. Potential customers include logistics companies, farmers, oil platforms, or environmental applications, Sanpera said.

Luigi Scatteia, space adviser at PwC said the ability to operate and maintain the whole system seamlessly, including robust, low-power, autonomous equipment at the user end, complete with advanced software, is another key challenge, possibly more complex than deploying the satellites.

Sateliot, in which defence contractor Indra (IDR.MC), opens new tab, telecoms infrastructure operator Cellnex (CLNX.MC), and the Spanish government hold stakes of 10.5%, 3.5% and 4.69%, respectively, plans to deploy the 100 satellites by 2028 and hit 1bn euros in revenue by 2030. ($1 = 0.9196 euros) (Source: Google/Reuters)

 

06 Mar 24. Space Development Agency Approach is ‘Constructive Disrupter,’ Says Its Director. The Space Development Agency has been incredibly disruptive to the Pentagon’s traditional acquisition approach, but in a way that’s good for the warfighter, said Derek Tournear, SDA director, who spoke today in the Pentagon.

Tournear called the approach a “constructive disrupter,” inspired by and modeled on Clayton Christensen’s book, “The Innovator’s Dilemma.”

“We’re disrupting in a way that’s constructive for the entire space enterprise,” he said, noting that the agency has made acquisitions outside of the traditional approach, which means speeding up the process to acquire the best in technological advancements.

The innovator’s dilemma isn’t unique to the Pentagon. It happens everywhere in big organizations because once you get things moving in a certain direction, you develop resources, processes and values that become the status quo, he said.

“Everyone in the Pentagon is a patriot. They want to do the right thing.” But sometimes the status quo isn’t the right approach, he said.

The agency has dedicated workforce that is laser-focused on two key elements: site targeting for the warfighters and advanced missile detection and tracking, Tournear said.

“We’re all focused on the mission of delivering those capabilities. Everyone comes to work every day focused on one thing: getting those satellites up and capabilities to the warfighters,” he said.

Tranche 0 is now operational with 27 satellites in orbit, using Link 16, which is communications gear used by the warfighters in the United States and NATO. That’s a big achievement, he said.

This year begins Tranche 1 with about 160 satellites planned for launch, followed by Tranche 2 with about 300, Tournear said.

There are a lot of proposals from industry from companies not well known for Tranche 2. That speaks to the market’s healthy driving force for the defense space industry, he said. “I was surprised by the number of proposals that we saw.”

There are always people in industry that say to the department, “You know, if the prices go up, you can get more capabilities.” However, technological advances have driven the prices down and vendors are getting in line with DOD’s price-point targets, which ultimately save taxpayer dollars and add capability for the warfighters, he said. (Source: U.S. DoD)

 

06 Mar 24. New funding to boost space sector growth across the UK.  6 projects across the UK’s growing space sector have been announced today at Space-Comm Expo, following publication of the government’s Space Industrial Plan.

Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd (SSTL), one of the nation’s leading satellite manufacturers, has won a project from the UK Space Agency’s flagship Space Clusters Infrastructure Fund (SCIF).

The £250,000 public investment, matched by the company, will enhance SSTL’s facilities with a Research and Development Imager Cleanroom in Guildford. This will support the development of cutting-edge, space-based imaging technology – the ‘eyes’ of satellites that monitor our planet and the space environment.

SCIF, which has awarded £47 m to date, for projects ranging from a space skills centre in Newcastle to a microgravity research centre in Cardiff, builds upon the UK Space Agency’s wider investments to develop the UK space ecosystem.

As set out in the Space Industrial Plan, the government is committed to continuing its support for space clusters across the UK and providing the tools needed to drive collaboration between them and catalyse further investment.

Minister for Space, Andrew Griffith said: “Our £250,000 investment in Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd underlines the key role this government sees for UK businesses in advancing global space capabilities.”

Aligned with our new Space Industrial Plan, this funding will enhance SSTL’s research facilities so it can drive forward innovation in cutting-edge imaging technology, which is so crucial for satellite operations.

Philip Brownnett, Managing Director of SSTL, said:   “We’re pleased to have been selected by the UK Space Agency for the Space Cluster Infrastructure Fund. By enhancing our optical Research and Development Cleanroom Facility, the new project will help address the growing need for space-based imaging equipment for a wide range of commercial, defence and governmental customers. This will give a real boost to cutting-edge research into space imaging technology carried out in the UK.”

The UK Space Agency is announcing a total of £500,000 for a further 5 projects today to foster collaboration between the UK’s network of space clusters:

Space North

Uniting Space Hub Yorkshire, the North West Space Cluster, and Space North East England to showcase the region’s resilient communications expertise, attract inward investment and boost research and collaboration.

Unlocking Space for Agriculture

Bringing together regional space and agricultural sectors in Scotland and the East of England to explore challenge-based opportunities through space capability research and knowledge-sharing.

South West Space Partnership

Building on the strengths of Space West, the Cornwall Space Cluster, the West of England Combined Authority, Cornwall Council and Invest Bristol & Bath, this pan-regional partnership aims to promote the region’s space capability, attract international investment and develop strategic collaborations.

Power4Space

Strengthening ties between the North West Space Cluster and Midlands Space Cluster, and their respective supply chains, to seize commercial opportunities in novel power systems for deep space applications.

Using Earth Observation to monitor Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) and Seaweed Production

Leveraging Earth observation capabilities within NI Space, Space Wales and the Space East clusters to monitor water bodies for harmful algal blooms and seaweed production, improving delivery of local government services using space assets and data.

Dr Paul Bate, Chief Executive of the UK Space Agency, said:  “With entrepreneurs and businesses from across the UK space sector at Space-Comm Expo, I’m pleased to announce this series of targeted projects to support the continued growth of our space ecosystem and deliver on the government’s Space Industrial Plan.  Hot off the heels of the Chancellor’s Budget boost for Low-Earth Orbit satellite manufacturing in the UK, these new projects will help catalyse investment, increase collaboration and boost prosperity across the country.”

In yesterday’s Spring Budget 2024, the Chancellor announced the launch of the full Connectivity in Low Earth Orbit (C-LEO) programme, building on the initial £15 m C-LEO call that was announced at the Autumn Statement.

This programme of up to £160 m over the next 4 years will unleash the country’s potential to become a global leader in next generation satellite communication technologies while creating hundreds of highly skilled jobs to boost the Prime Minister’s priority of growing our economy. This will ensure that the UK space sector is able to compete in the rapidly growing global market of LEO constellations.

The government will also make available £10 m of funding to SaxaVord Spaceport to support orbital launch in 2024, subject to due diligence.

The UK Space Agency funds a wide range of projects to catalyse investment, deliver new missions and capabilities, and champion space. Recent announcements include:

• a £2 m upgrade to the Satellite Applications Catapult’s In-Orbit Servicing and Manufacturing (IOSM) facility at the Westcott Space Cluster in Aylesbury, which will provide unique capabilities in the UK where companies can verify, validate and demonstrate a range of in-orbit operations including manufacturing, servicing, inspection, repair and assembly
• a £10 m investment into telecoms capabilities under the European Space Agency (ESA) Advanced Research in Telecommunication System (ARTES) programme
• the launch of the Unlocking Space for Business programme with a £2 m investment into initiatives to help organisations understand how satellite data and services could support their growth and kick off pilot projects and partnerships
• a £7.4m investment into collaborations between UK and international space organisations, supporting their bids for selection by major science and exploration missions. (Source: https://www.gov.uk/)

 

07 Mar 24. Astrolight Joins NATO DIANA to Accelerate Innovation in Defense Technology, Will Facilitate Communication Between Ships.

Astrolight’s entry into the Defense Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic (DIANA) represents a significant advancement in its mission to deploy its dual-use laser communication technology for defense applications. The company has already been utilizing DIANA’s resources and expertise to support such NATO initiatives as revolutionizing ship-to-ship laser communications.

Astrolight, a pioneering technology company dedicated to facilitating space-to-Earth and ship-to-ship laser communications, has joined the Defense Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic (DIANA), which will advance its dual-use laser communication technology in the defense sector.

The focus will be on facilitating tactical communication between navy ships. The company plans to develop a product for optical communication between ships so that they can communicate without using conventional radio systems.

Today, Astrolight is already conducting a project with the Lithuanian Naval Flotilla. Justinas Žukauskas, Lieutenant Commander of the Lithuanian Navy, highlighted that the Navy initiated the proposal to develop this technology in response to the evolving demands of the operational environment in the Baltic Sea. It aims to establish alternative communication systems tailored to the unique requirements of Lithuania’s naval vessels.

“The upcoming prototype signifies a pivotal addition to our technology, introducing alternative communication methods through laser technology while simultaneously addressing the crucial imperative of reducing electromagnetic signatures for heightened operational stealth. Moreover, this technology holds potential for adaptation in the land domain as well,” added LCDR Žukauskas.

Astrolight specializes in free space optical communication, a secure and high-bandwidth communications technology that enables two distant objects to communicate using laser beams. Leveraging the optical spectrum’s significantly higher frequency, Astrolight’s space-to-ground laser communication terminals ATLAS offer enhanced security and speed compared to traditional radio frequency systems.

As part of the partnership with DIANA, Astrolight will collaborate with NATO and other defense stakeholders to adapt its laser communication terminals for terrestrial applications. This collaboration will enable Astrolight to utilize its dual-use technology further, expand its product portfolio, and tap into new markets within the defense industry.

DIANA provides startups like Astrolight with access to a network of experts, resources, and funding opportunities to help them develop and commercialize innovative technologies for defense applications.

“As a commercial company specializing in the development of dual-use telecommunications technology, our partnership with NATO DIANA is pivotal in transitioning our expertise into the defense sector,” said Laurynas Mačiulis, Astrolight co-founder and CEO. “The participation in DIANA’s program involves guiding us through defence-specific requirements and facilitating our understanding of the nuances associated with this market. It also encompasses adapting our space-developed product for terrestrial applications, with a primary focus on enabling laser communication between navy ships.”

Further, DIANA is a prestigious accelerator program focused on advancing innovation in defense technology and strategies within NATO. Leveraging its acceleration program and test center network, DIANA supports startups that can address NATO’s specific challenges, including energy resilience, undersea sensing and surveillance, and secure information sharing.

“We’re delighted to have Astrolight as part of DIANA’s first cohort of innovators,” said Dr. Tien Pham, DIANA’s Chief Scientist. “Laurynas and his colleagues are working on exciting prospects to improve secure communications on the ground and in space. As part of DIANA’s program, Astrolight receives training, funding, commercial advice, and much more to grow its technology. We’re looking forward to seeing what the team achieves in the months and years ahead.”

Looking ahead, Astrolight will continue to develop its space-to-Earth optical connectivity solutions as Mačiulis reiterates that there is still a lack of bandwidth for making data collected by satellites accessible.

“Our planet’s satellites are amassing unprecedented amounts of data about Earth, yet our ability to download this information is severely limited by outdated technology,” said Mačiulis. “By leveraging optical communication systems that are more than 10 times faster than traditional radio communications, Astrolight aims to bridge the connectivity gap between space and Earth, and this way unlock the full potential of satellite data for the benefit of humanity.”

The company plans to finish certifying its prototype space-to-Earth laser communication terminal ATLAS-1 this year with an in-orbit demonstration mission scheduled for early 2025. The next steps involve undergoing an environmental test campaign to ensure that ATLAS-1 can operate in the harsh conditions of space.

 

05 Mar 24. Gilmour closes on Eris launch with spaceport licence.  Gilmour is a step closer to the first test flight of its Eris rocket after its spaceport was granted a licence to operate from the Australian Space Agency.

However, the company still requires a separate launch permit before it can begin the four initial blast-offs from the Bowen Orbital Spaceport in North Queensland.

Gilmour has been developing its three-stage launch vehicle for eight years and hopes to address a gap in the global market for small satellite launch providers.

The company’s CEO, Adam Gilmour, said the announcement meant Australia now has its own “road to space”.

“The ability to launch our own satellites, on launch vehicles that we own and control, to key orbits in space from Australia, will be a significant capability for our global customers, as well as for our nation and allies,” he said.

Gilmour already employs more than 100 people and hopes to increase its headcount to more than 300 by mid-2027.

It’s one of several businesses in Australia building spaceports for either its own or clients’ rockets, with Gilmour facing competition from ELA’s Arnhem Space Centre in the Northern Territory and Southern Launch’s Orbital Launch Complex in SA.

The news comes days after the full text of the landmark deal that will allow more US rockets to blast off from Australian spaceports was released.

The Technology Safeguards Agreement (TSA) has also been tabled in Parliament and will be subject to an inquiry examining its potential benefits and challenges.

Currently, launching US spacecraft in Australia is difficult, given concerns about protecting sensitive US technology. However, the TSA will remove many of the barriers faced by firms in both countries.

Joel Lisk, a research associate in space law at Flinders University, said the TSA is a “complex document” because it protects US technology but contains advantages over similar deals agreed with the UK and New Zealand.

“The TSA imposes significant supervision, disclosure and compliance requirements on the Australian government and any business seeking to provide services to US companies,” he explained.

“This includes the establishment of ‘controlled’ and ‘segregated’ areas within Australia restricted to US citizens and people approved by the US, restrictions on who can examine US technology when it is brought into Australia, and limitations on the countries Australia (and Australian businesses) can deal with or provide space-related services to.

“The UK and NZ also have TSAs with the US to enable space businesses to go to those jurisdictions, but in a welcome development, it appears that not all restrictions in those agreements have been applied to Australia.

“This included restrictions on the ability for New Zealand to develop its own rocket technology that have not been carried over to the Australian TSA as this would have had substantial negative impacts on the existing Australian space sector.

“The TSAs in place in the UK and NZ have both facilitated launches from those jurisdictions.”

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese signed the agreement in Washington in October alongside the US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken.

 

05 Mar 24. Kymeta Announces Grant of Two New U.S. Patents for Multi-Network Operation. Kymeta leads the Multi X satcom revolution with first to market products supported by innovative patents for hybrid satellite/cellular operation and multi-satellite network connectivity from a flat panel electronically steered antenna. World-leading flat panel satellite antenna company Kymeta (www.kymetacorp.com) announced today the United States Patent and Trademark Office awarded Kymeta Corporation two U.S. patents. The first patent is related to the cooperation of a SD-WAN edge appliance and a satellite terminal, enabling users to engage in concurrent or switched satellite and cellular communications. The second patent is related to an Electronically Steered Array (ESA) antenna operating across multiple satellite networks in multiple modes (e.g., concurrent mode, switched mode, etc.). These achievements demonstrate Kymeta’s continued thought leadership in the marketplace as the satellite communications industry evolves into a multi-orbit, multi-network ecosystem.

Ryan Stevenson, Ph.D., Senior Vice President, and Chief Scientist at Kymeta, emphasized the company’s dedication to expanding its intellectual property (IP) with relevant additions to its patent portfolio and technology roadmap. He stated, “These patents exemplify our proven track record of continuous innovation and translating those innovations into fielded solutions. The launch in 2023 of the Hawk™ u8 LEO, Peregrine™ u8 LEO, and the Osprey™ u8 ‒ Hybrid-GEO-LEO [user terminals] demonstrate Kymeta’s commitment to leading the multi-x satcom revolution.”

With these latest additions, Kymeta’s patent count surpasses 230 in the U.S. and internationally, along with an additional 165 pending applications. Since its establishment in 2012, the company has consistently demonstrated thought leadership in the market through continuous innovation and the advancement of Kymeta’s connectivity solutions.

U.S. Patent No. 11,818,606, issued November 14, 2023

https://ppubs.uspto.gov/dirsearch-public/print/downloadPdf/11818606

U.S. Patent No. 11,729,633, issued August 15, 2023

https://ppubs.uspto.gov/dirsearch-public/print/downloadPdf/11729633

About Kymeta

Kymeta is the industry leader in flat panel satellite antennas, providing purpose-built solutions across a variety of enterprise and military applications and unlocking the commercial value of space to address the vast, unmet demand for ubiquitous broadband and truly mobile connectivity for customers around the world. Its innovative metasurface technology, coupled with a software-first approach, delivers the first commercially available, metamaterial-based and electronically steered flat panel satellite antenna. Kymeta’s low-cost, low-power and high throughput solutions make it easy to connect on the move or while stationary – for any vehicle, vessel, aircraft, or fixed platform – enabling industries on earth to transform their operations by harnessing capacity in space.

Kymeta is a privately held company based in Redmond

 

04 Mar 24. Airbus Defence and Space and mu Space’s Memorandum of Understanding.

On January 26, 2024, Airbus Defence and Space SAS (“Airbus”) and mu Space and Advanced Technology Co, Ltd (“mu Space”) entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate on potential future Thailand small satellite missions. This MoU outlines the terms and conditions for their cooperation and the key principles that would govern their relationship for the establishment of the Project.

Airbus, a French company with expertise in space programs and systems, and mu Space, a Thai company specializing in satellite design, manufacture, and operations, believe that their combined expertise can lead to successful collaboration in the field of advanced space technology.

The main purpose of this Agreement is to establish the terms and conditions under which the Parties will cooperate to establish the Project. The Project aims to identify the activities needed for its implementation, create a roadmap for its execution, and establish the preliminary principles for a definitive binding agreement that would formalize their relationship.

Both companies have identified several areas of cooperation for the Project, including Earth-observation, Space Situational Awareness (SSA), Low Earth Orbit (LEO) communications, Science and Technology, and Planetary missions. They will collaborate to establish the Project, exchange relevant information regularly, and participate in meetings with local stakeholders to present the Project.

This MoU between Airbus and mu Space sets the stage for potential collaboration and cooperation on future Thailand small satellite missions. With mu Space constantly looking to drive Thailand and Asia into the global aerospace market, this MoU with aerospace giants Airbus is a push in the right direction for mu Space and its end goal. (Source: Google/Satnews)

 

04 Mar 24. GEOST bets on focal plane, edge computing capabilities for PWSA fire control. Arizona-based sensor payload company GEOST is betting big that improved focal plane fidelity, coupled with artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled imagery processing at the edge, will be the solution for the new fire-control payload being developed for the Pentagon’s Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture (PWSA).

GEOST – a subsidiary of LightRidge Solutions – and the Space Development Agency (SDA) in February reached a deal for GEOST to develop and produce 16 fire-control mission payloads for Tranche 2 Tracking Layer (T2TL) of the PWSA.

The PWSA payload contract “is a transformational win” for the GEOST team, according to Bill Gattle, CEO of LightRidge Solutions.

The payload development deal “does open up new markets … proving that some of the things we have done, at a smaller scale, we can now do at a larger scale”, he said during an early February interview with Janes. (Source: Janes)

 

04 Mar 24. Italy to host main control centre for EU satellite constellation. A space centre in the heart of Italy is set to host the main control site for the low-orbit IRIS² (pronounced ‘Iris squared’) EU satellite constellation, Italy’s industry minister said on Monday.

The Fucino Space Centre, close to the town of l’Aquila and one of the world’s largest space centres for civilian use, will be expanded to include control operations for IRIS², Adolfo Urso told a press conference.

The centre already manages the European satellite positioning and navigation system Galileo.

IRIS² is designed to compete with Elon Musk’s Starlink and Jeff Bezos’ Kuiper.

It is an array of up to 170 satellites that will secure communications for European Union governments and open new commercial broadband services to under-served areas between 2025 and 2027.

“IRIS² will be the European answer to low-Earth-orbit constellations, which are becoming the future of telecoms,” said Franco Ongaro, Chief Space Business Officer for Italian aerospace and defence conglomerate Leonardo (LDOF.MI), opens new tab.

The Fucino site is owned by Telespazio, jointly controlled 67%-33% by Leonardo (LDOF.MI), opens new tab and France’s Thales (TCFP.PA), opens new tab respectively.

“It [IRIS²] is a critical [piece of] infrastructure for the country, as it enables a series of operations relevant to aspects of national security,” Telespazio CEO Luigi Pasquali said.

The deal will be formally announced by the European Commission in coming days, Urso said, including two other centres to be located in Toulouse, France, and in Luxembourg.

Urso added that 50 m euros ($54 m) would be invested and 200 new jobs created at the Fucino centre.

Ongaro added that the EU is expected to assign the first contracts for IRIS² as soon as this year.

The EU has pledged that 30% of the EU-funded part of IRIS², which is worth 2.4bn euros, will be allocated to small firms. ($1 = 0.9217 euros) (Source: Reuters)

 

03 Mar 24. RMIT creates super strong material for rocket parts. Researchers at RMIT have used 3D printing to create a new type of super-strong material that could be used to create rocket parts.

The university said the artificial ‘metamaterial’ – made from common titanium alloy – is 50 per cent stronger than the next strongest alloy of similar density used in aerospace applications.

It comes as the space industry is increasingly experimenting with 3D printing to create next-generation materials that can better cope with the unique rigours of space travel.

RMIT said that while its new material is currently resistant to temperatures as high as 350 °C, it could potentially withstand temperatures up to 600 °C using more heat-resistant titanium alloys.

However, the study’s lead author, PhD candidate Jordan Noronha, warned that because the technology required to make the new material is not widely available, its adoption by industry might take some time.

“Traditional manufacturing processes are not practical for the fabrication of these intricate metal metamaterials, and not everyone has a laser powder bed fusion machine in their warehouse,” he said.

“However, as the technology develops, it will become more accessible, and the printing process will become much faster, enabling a larger audience to implement our high-strength multi-topology metamaterials in their components.

“Importantly, metal 3D printing allows easy net shape fabrication for real applications.”

The new metamaterial gains its unique strength by imitating lattice-style structures seen in nature but uses 3D printing to negative the technique’s traditional drawback – which sees the load stress concentrating on the inside areas of the hollow struts, leading to premature failures.

“Ideally, the stress in all complex cellular materials should be evenly spread,” said RMIT’s Distinguished Professor, Ma Qian.

“However, for most topologies, it is common for less than half of the material to mainly bear the compressive load, while the larger volume of material is structurally insignificant.”

RMIT said that by “pushing 3D printing design to its limits”, it was able to optimise a new type of lattice structure to distribute the stress more evenly.

“We designed a hollow tubular lattice structure that has a thin band running inside it. These two elements together show strength and lightness never before seen together in nature,” said Qian.

“By effectively merging two complementary lattice structures to evenly distribute stress, we avoid the weak points where stress normally concentrates.”

It comes after Space Connect reported in September how the iLAuNCH research collaboration would begin work on a new 3D printing facility that aims to manufacture spacecraft structures using an electron beam.

The additive manufacturing project is the first in development from iLAuNCH and is partnering with Adelaide-based VPG Innovation.

“This important project is well underway in one of our key focus areas – additive manufacturing,” said iLAuNCH Trailblazer executive director Darin Lovett.

“Increasing the availability of custom structures, which are space-ready, will support the growing space sector.

“The partnership will also support a world-class Australian sovereign manufacturing capability that will create new jobs alongside a highly trained workforce, leading to global exports within the space industry and other markets.”

The $180-m iLAuNCH trailblazer is a partnership between the universities of South Australia (UniSA) and Southern Queensland (UniSQ), ANU, and more than 20 industry partners.

It’s aimed at accelerating the development of a space manufacturing sector. (Source: Space Connect)

 

27 Feb 24. ST Engineering iDirect and AITELECOM/APCO are expanding their partnership to deploy new, cutting-edge technology on the SES 17 network, increasing connectivity services throughout Latin America.

Together, the companies have deployed ST Engineering iDirect’s flexible and scalable Dialog multi-service satellite communications platform with hundreds of operational sites deploying its MDM3310 modems across two, high throughput satellite (HTS) Ka-band beams. Such platforms take advantage of the high packets per second processing capabilities specifically designed for 4G/5G mobile backhaul applications.

Advancing on this success, AITELECOM/APCO is continuing to work with ST Engineering iDirect as it looks to expand to additional HTS beams on the SES 17 network.  The update will further roll out ST Engineering iDirect’s award-winning Mx-DMA® MRC waveform with intelligent automation, which has been a key component in enabling AITELECOM/APCO to deliver critical connectivity for 4G cellular backhaul and enterprise services.

The demand for cellular backhaul services across Mexico has seen a major surge in recent years. In 2022, more than 74 percent of mobile phone users in Mexico accessed the internet through their mobile phone. By 2027, it is projected that this will rise to around 88 percent. To continue delivering the best connectivity performance to its customers in Mexico and across Latin America, AITELECOM/APCO is forging close collaborations with best-in-breed technology partners championing innovation.

Orlando Castillo, Chief Executive Officer of AITELECOM/APCO, said, “The high efficiency of ST Engineering iDirect’s solutions, combined with the expertise and experience of the AITELECOM/APCO integration and operational processes, have been extremely beneficial in the growth of our 4G networks, bringing cost-effective communication services to people in the most rural towns in the southwest of Mexico. We partnered with ST Engineering iDirect as we were impressed by the team’s ability to provide a comprehensive turnkey and managed-services solution under an innovative long-term scheme. We’ve found deployment to be very quick and efficient, with excellent technical support and project planning. Above all, we’re seeing very strong network performance with exceptional bit/hertz efficiencies.”

Diego Casquero, Regional Vice President, Latin America at ST Engineering iDirect, said, “Supporting our customers’ growth and expansion is a key priority for us – with AITELECOM/APCO, we provided a tailored technical support and deployment strategy to ensure comprehensive network availability and service delivery. The scalable nature of our technology and the availability and capability of our support team are essential requirements to fulfil AITELECOM/APCO’s vision. Our Mx-DMA MRC technology has helped AITELECOM/APCO simplify its operations by sharing capacity seamlessly and very efficiently among its user terminals, satisfying the most demanding throughput requirements presented by both its MNO and enterprise customers.” (Source: Satnews)

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At Viasat, we’re driven to connect every warfighter, platform, and node on the battlefield.  As a global communications company, we power ms of fast, resilient connections for military forces around the world – connections that have the capacity to revolutionize the mission – in the air, on the ground, and at sea.  Our customers depend on us for connectivity that brings greater operational capabilities, whether we’re securing the U.S. Government’s networks, delivering satellite and wireless communications to the remote edges of the battlefield, or providing senior leaders with the ability to perform mission-critical communications while in flight.  We’re a team of fearless innovators, driven to redefine what’s possible.  And we’re not done – we’re just beginning.

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