SATELLITE SYSTEMS, SATCOM AND SPACE SYSTEMS UPDATE

Sponsored By Viasat

www.viasat.com/gov-uk

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10 Dec 20. Study: U.S. Military Communications Technology and Cyber Defense Challenges Remain. Second Annual State of Military Communications Study, from Government Business Council and Viasat, Finds Military Communications Still Not Seen as a Priority; Creating Potentially Dire Implications Relative to Adversaries

Despite the Department of Defense (DoD) making strategic moves to improve its communications technologies, a new study finds challenges still exist in fulfilling a successful military communications technology strategy for the multi-domain battlefield. Concerns regarding the DoD’s acquisition process and cybersecurity were revealed in the study, conducted by the Government Business Council (GBC), the research division of Government Executive Media Group, in partnership with Viasat Inc., (NASDAQ: VSAT) a global communications company,

According to the second annual State of Military Communications study, respondents reported the top three causes of defense communications technology deficiencies in their agencies include: limited funding, incompatibilities with legacy architectures and cultural complacency. Cultural complacency was also reported as the number one reason why defense agencies continue to contract with companies from the Traditional Defense Industrial Base (TDIB) over companies from the New Defense Industrial Base (NDIB).

Other key findings from the study include:

Despite technology improvements, communications technology strategy is still not seen as an agency priority, with communication technology blackouts still common

97% of respondents reported a complete loss in connectivity at some point while working in the military.
The majority (60%) of respondents think U.S communications technology is either behind or only on par with their adversaries, suggesting potentially dire implications relative to near-peer adversaries.
76% of respondents believe that a focus on improvements to defense communications is much lower, or just on par, with other top priorities in their agency.

Secure connectivity was seen as the number one improvement need in defense communications technology

When asked about their agency’s preparedness for a cyberattack on defense communications infrastructure, confidence levels were low across the board. The highest percentage (39%) of respondents indicated they were ‘moderately confident’ in their agency’ preparedness, while 16% said they were ‘not at all confident’ and only 8% reported feeling ‘extremely confident.’

Acquisition remains a barrier to a U.S. military lead in defense technologies

67% of respondents agree there is room for the military to improve its adoption of communications technology.
Increased commercial sector engagement could help boost the pace of improvements to the military’s communications technology portfolio, according to the majority (63%) of respondents.
Respondents (52%) also suggest that increased participation from non-traditional companies — including those from the NDIB — in DoD’s acquisition process could expose the military to the latest and greatest technology and business processes.

Investments in cloud, analytics and communications are being made to support the next-gen warfighter

Though challenges exist with developing and acquiring advanced communications technology, respondents did report their agencies are upgrading equipment to minimize challenges created by outdated legacy IT.
Advanced satellite communications, analytics and 5G technology were flagged by respondents as the top next-gen technologies their agency must leverage to advance defense communications capabilities.
Respondents also believe cloud computing is worthy of investment, noting their organizations were prioritizing it in order to outpace competitive adversaries. Specifically, 36% of respondents reported a concerted agency push for cloud computing technologies within the past 12 months.

“As the defense landscape evolves, global military prowess will no longer be determined by artillery alone; command over information — and the digital channels that convey it — will determine the victor,” said Daniel Thomas, director, Research & Strategic Insights, Government Business Council. “This year’s State of Military Communications survey continued to highlight the need for the DoD to increase its communications modernization efforts to remain competitive against global adversaries to drive real-time decision making and information sharing.”

“In its second year, the State of Military Communications survey once again spotlighted the need for enhanced communications to help bridge the multi-domain battlefield and support our warfighters,” said Ken Peterman, president, Government Systems, Viasat. “Status-quo acquisition models anchored in cultural complacency must evolve, the pace of technology deployment must align with the speed of relevancy and a focus on security, cloud computing, communications and analytics are all needed to ensure our U.S. competitive military advantage does not erode. Viasat is at the vanguard of the New Defense Industrial Base, focused on bringing innovative business models and game-changing technologies to the defense sector with the goal of creating unprecedented warfighter capabilities and mission outcomes.”

A complete copy of the Second Annual State of Military Communications Study can be found here.

About the research and methodology

Government Business Council, the research division of Government Executive Media Group, in partnership with Viasat, conducted the State of Military Communications survey, an in-depth study of senior military decision-makers. The study, now in its second year, was fielded from September-October 2020, to a random sample of U.S. active military and DoD civilians from across the nation. Responses of 195 defense employees were captured after quality control and screening, with about 40% of respondents identifying as GS/GM-13 level or above (including Senior Executive Service). Respondents represented all branches of the military, with the greatest input from the Air Force, Navy, and Army in the 2020 survey.

About Government Business Council

As Government Executive Media Group’s research division, Government Business Council (GBC) is dedicated to advancing the business of government through analysis, insight and analytical independence. An extension of Government Executive’s 50 years of exemplary editorial standards, GBC produces over 100 research initiatives each year, studying influential decision-makers across all sectors in government to provide invaluable insights, thought leadership content and marketing intelligence for government contractors.

About Viasat

Viasat is a global communications company that believes everyone and everything in the world can be connected. For nearly 35 years, Viasat has helped shape how consumers, businesses, governments and militaries around the world communicate. Today, the Company is developing the ultimate global communications network to power high-quality, secure, affordable, fast connections to impact people’s lives anywhere they are—on the ground, in the air or at sea. To learn more about Viasat, visit: www.viasat.com, go to Viasat’s Corporate Blog, or follow the Company on social media at: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter or YouTube.

10 Dec 20. SPA Australia Selected as a Provider to the Australian Space Agency. Systems Planning and Analysis Australia Pty Ltd (SPA Australia) has been selected as a potential supplier to the Australian Space Agency Support Services Panel.

Under the panel arrangement, SPA Australia has been selected as a potential supplier to support the Australian Space Agency with risk management and specialist support services. The work will be conducted by the SPA Australia office in Canberra while leveraging the 48 years of experience of its parent U.S. Company, Systems Planning and Analysis, Inc., supporting national security clients including the U.S. Department of Defense. SPA brings proven capabilities including advanced analytics, risk management services, and customized software tools development.

“We are excited to bring our many years of cutting-edge, advanced analytical techniques and sophisticated, proven software tools to help support the Australian Space Agency with their risk management efforts,” said Dr. William Vantine, SPA President and CEO. “We are honored to have the opportunity to build a strong working relationship with our Australian counterparts, helping them make well-informed decisions that will impact their future operations.”

SPA Australia is a wholly owned subsidiary of SPA, Inc., headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia, USA, and a registered proprietary limited company in New South Wales. If you are interested in joining the team in Canberra, visit the SPA website (www.spa.com) for open positions.

Systems Planning and Analysis provides innovative and leading-edge solutions integrating technical, operational, programmatic, policy, and business factors in support of important national security objectives. Our capabilities include Advanced Analytics; Software Tool Development; System Engineering and Safety Analysis; Strategy, Policy and Compliance; Program and Acquisition Management. Our employees have expertise in many domains, including Land, Undersea, Surface and Air Warfare Operations; Radar and Sensor Systems; Unmanned Systems and Counter Systems; Nuclear Deterrence Policy, Safety and Security; Defence Industrial Base; Space Systems; Ballistic Missile Systems; and Hypersonics. To learn more about SPA, please visit www.spa.com and connect with us on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. (Source: PR Newswire)

09 Dec 20. EOS expands offering, backs SpaceLink satellite data relay service. Australia-based Electro Optic Systems (EOS) has announced the formal backing of SpaceLink, a specialist satellite data relay service that will empower space system operators to maximise use of their assets, and appointed David Bettinger as chief executive.

SpaceLink, a company that is redrawing the map of space connectivity, announced it formed a corporation and named satellite communications innovator and industry visionary David Bettinger as CEO.

With significant spectrum rights in medium-Earth orbit (MEO), and the backing of Electro Optic Systems of Australia (EOS), SpaceLink will provide a secure, continuous, high-capacity data relay service between near-Earth space and the ground.

Bettinger has 30 years of experience in satellite communications systems engineering, and has played key roles at OneWeb, iDirect and Hughes Network Systems.

As CEO he will assume responsibility for the design, delivery and operations of the SpaceLink MEO Satellite Relay System.

Bettinger was a founding member of the OneWeb team and was responsible for the technology roadmap of the end-to-end communications network, including the satellite payload, user terminals, and ground segment.

As vice president of the Advanced Development Group he led a team of satellite, aerospace, and communications engineers to design its first- and second-generation systems.

EOS previously announced that it acquired significant spectrum rights in MEO and completed all US government approvals to deploy a constellation of three communication satellites that will relay data and imagery to meet pent up demand for fast and affordable access to the growing flood of data available from space.

Bettinger said, “The innovative architecture of the SpaceLink constellation means that at least one of the three relay satellites is always in sight of a spacecraft in LEO and a dedicated gateway Earth station.”

SpaceLink has strong financial backing, enviable bandwidth, and a roadmap to benefit from EOS’ advanced optical communications technology to unlock massively scalable capacity in its next-generation system.

“With the support of EOS we are providing an important resource with speeds and capacity to bring sensitive data down to secure networks anywhere in the world within milliseconds,” Bettinger added.

The relay system will optimise access to imagery from Earth observation satellites and will provide continuous communications for human spaceflight. It will provide a secure connection for the defence and intelligence communities and fast data transfer for space agencies.

Glen Tindall, chief executive of EOS Communications Systems, added, “SpaceLink is an important part of the EOS strategic ecosystem, which brings synergies to all three of our business units – space systems, defence systems, and communications systems.

“David’s track record of transforming start-up ventures into a competitive position makes him the ideal CEO to lead the SpaceLink effort to meet the growing demand for continuous connectivity from LEO.”

SpaceLink will help advance humanity to a new age of space commerce, exploration, environmental awareness, and security. The Always in Sight data relay system provides global coverage to empower space system operators to maximise use of their assets.

SpaceLink Corporation is headquartered in the Washington, DC, area, with offices in Silicon Valley and secure facilities collocated with sister company EOS Defense Systems USA in Huntsville, Alabama.

It is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Electro Optic Systems Holdings, a public company traded on the Australian Stock Exchange. (Source: Space Connect)

10 Dec 20. VSS Unity Preparing For First Rocket Powered Flight From New Mexico.

Flight Window Opens on Friday 11 December
Virgin Galactic will Operate Rocket Powered Flight with Reduced Team Onsite in Response to New State Government COVID-19 Restrictions

Virgin Galactic announced its new flight window since it paused the spaceflight preparations in response to state guidelines from the New Mexico Department of Health to reduce the spread of COVID-19.

The new flight window will open on December 11, pending good weather conditions and technical readiness. This flight expects to fulfill a number of objectives, including testing elements of the customer cabin as well as assessing the upgraded horizontal stabilizers and flight controls during boost. The flight will also carry payloads as part of the NASA Flight Opportunities Program.

The flight will be conducted by essential personnel only. No guests or media will be onsite, in accordance with company and state COVID-19 protocols. The operational footprint at our New Mexico facilities has been further minimized in the past 2 weeks. Only essential staff will be onsite to support the pre-flight operations ahead of the flight and the day of flight.

Michael Colglazier, CEO, Virgin Galactic said: “With safety as our core priority, we remain committed to completing our first powered flight in New Mexico. In accordance with local government guidelines and safety protocols, we have minimized the number of people onsite to the greatest degree possible. While on this occasion no media or guests will be allowed onsite, our team will endeavour to capture and share the beautiful images with the world after the flight has been completed. We look forward to completing this important milestone in our test flight program in the coming weeks.”

Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham said, “I’m grateful to Virgin Galactic, as I am to every business in our state, for their commitment to safety in this difficult time. This is an exciting announcement that demonstrates we have gotten back on track in a safe and speedy manner. New Mexico’s future on the cutting edge of aerospace development is brighter than ever.” (Source: ASD Network)

10 Dec 20. Investment in STEM needed to win space and digitisation race: Viasat. Speaking after the Defence Space Conference, Viasat UK Managing Director Steve Beeching told Air Force Technology that investment in STEM, diversity and an across-the-board appreciation of the rate of technology shifts in space was needed to keep the west ahead of adversaries in the space domain.

“We are in this era of highly unrestricted, highly competitive warfare with adversaries that are influencing as much on soft power as they are on hard power. I think those adversaries are investing heavily in areas of those new technology brands,” Beeching told Air Force Technology. He added: “We’ve seen what the likes of China and some of the others are heavily invested in to try and get ahead of this. I call it the ‘space and digitisation race’ that we’re now in.”

The space domain has in recent years become of increasing importance to defence and adversaries, and traditional western powers have looked to step up their presence from a defence perspective.

This has seen most recently the UK confirming its plans to develop a Space Command, a move preceded by the US and France, and Russian tests of an on-orbit anti-satellite weapon. While space is crucial for defence, something the US realised during operation Desert Storm, it is also vital to day-in-day-out of civilian life, being critical to services including GPS and banking.

This access is not always going to be assured, with the testing of anti-satellite weapons and cyber capabilities highlighting the importance of ensuring that space assets are safeguarded.

The UK’s new defence budget and formation of the Space Command go some way towards firming up the UK’s footing in the domain. Beeching, however, explained that the UK needs to go further to ensure its space capabilities, adding that the blurring of the lines between the traditional domains had made space even more important.

Beeching said: “I appreciate the government has just opened up an extra £24bn into the budget, but irrespective it’s facing these relentless and demanding challenges to act faster, to move faster, to stay ahead of these really evolving adversaries and these different threats.

“I see space and digitisation being at the centre and a lot of the opportunities that occur because we talk of the five domains, I think the five domains from communications from assurance and resilience is becoming more and more blurred.

“So you really do want to be talking about how do I get to my battlespace communications and offer the ability to deliver my missions, improve my effects, reduce fratricide and keep our service people really safe.”

To achieve this, he recommended that defence more closely integrates with the private sector to achieve its goals. Beeching said: “I think the integration of the private sector, what it can offer, how it takes the best of breed and layer that into defence so they can focus on the missions is really important.

“Part of what we [at Viasat] talked about at Defence Space was trying to say that the government has a really important role to play in that because of the way it adjusts its spending review and how it supports not only the strategic defence spend but the overall prosperity agenda spend around levelling up.”

During the Defence Space Conference Beeching spoke about the importance of investment in space from the Ministry of Defence (MOD) not being siloed to defence but being used to benefit the wider industry, and UK prosperity agenda.

The company is also advocating that the UK investment more heavily in Space STEM, diversity and the broader industry so that opportunities in space can be more readily identified and brought to bear. Viasat sees a more diverse workforce and base of recruits into the Armed Forces as key to achieving this.

On the wider importance of space, Beeching noted: “This new digital economy with 5G, and autonomous smart cities which are all interconnected through this IoT or Internet of Things approach, Space is at the centre of that. We need to be able to make sure that we take all of those investments, and layer it appropriately to get the best for the country and our networks.”

Beeching advocated for a move to a process wherein which defence, government and industry are engaged in a continual process of engagement which would allow both sides to bring ideas and innovations to each other’s attention when they arise, not just after a contract award.

Beeching added: “In a way, it is a total procurement reform through those elements that say on this new guiding technology, on these innovations, how do we create a continual cycle that moves forward, each and every time.

“That means the government needs to truly invest in space if it wants to be a world leader, we invest in ESA (European Space Agency), but we need to be having in the equivalent scale of investments at a national level to drive it, and we need to be investing in our STEM programmes, in graduates, in the youth and driving interest but across the whole space agenda.”

Beeching explained that while rockets and satellites rightly garner interest, less attention is paid to the computer science roles that are vital in developing the algorithms, artificial intelligence, machine learning systems and software needed to operate them.

He added that these roles, as networks become more contested and congested would only become even more important, and more critical to not only the private sector but also for defence.

Beeching said: “I can see those jobs, and those roles becoming more and more important, but they need direct investment through things like innovation centres.

“I think to some degree that idea is starting to be reflected in the Secretary of State for Defence’s recent £24bn investment talking of AI and machine learning, and cyber, but to get the best out of it we need a process to say, this is what I need and where I need it, and a forum under which to continually evaluate the marketplace.” (Source: airforce-technology.com)

10 Dec 20. Airbus successfully qualifies Europe´s first five metre deployable reflector for radar satellites. Airbus has successfully qualified Europe´s first five metre deployable antenna reflector. The 70 kilogram deployable reflector will help enable higher resolution from a radar instrument for Earth observation. With its exceptionally lightweight design, its stiffness and high robustness, the semi-rigid reflector technology offers significant advantages compared to classic mesh reflectors.

With its large diameter, the reflector would not fit in any rocket fairing, so it must be compactly stowed. After the fairing is released, the reflector will unfold like a flower – from 1.6 to five metres. The unfurlable parabolic reflector concept enables Airbus to enter the market of cost effective and small radar missions or constellations.

After successful completion of the intensive deployment and environmental tests, the qualification model has now been delivered to the customer for further tests on the satellite system level. The flight unit will be delivered in 2021 and is currently scheduled for launch for the export customer in 2022.

09 Dec 20. NASA Names Artemis Team of Astronauts Eligible for Early Moon Missions. NASA has selected 18 astronauts from its corps to form the Artemis Team and help pave the way for the next astronaut missions on and around the Moon as part of the Artemis program.

Vice President Mike Pence introduced the members of the Artemis Team Wednesday during the eighth National Space Council meeting at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

“I give you the heroes who will carry us to the Moon and beyond – the Artemis Generation,” said Vice President Mike Pence. “It is amazing to think that the next man and first woman on the Moon are among the names that we just read. The Artemis Team astronauts are the future of American space exploration – and that future is bright.”

The astronauts on the Artemis Team come from a diverse range of backgrounds, expertise, and experience. The agency’s modern lunar exploration program will land the first woman and next man on the Moon in 2024 and establish a sustainable human lunar presence by the end of the decade.

NASA will announce flight assignments for astronauts later, pulling from the Artemis Team. Additional Artemis Team members, including international partner astronauts, will join this group, as needed.

“We are incredibly grateful for the president and vice president’s support of the Artemis program, as well as the bipartisan support for all of NASA’s science, aeronautics research, technology development, and human exploration goals,” said NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine. “As a result, we’re excited to share this next step in exploration – naming the Artemis Team of astronauts who will lead the way, which includes the first woman and next man to walk on the lunar surface.”

The astronauts of the Artemis Team will help NASA prepare for the coming Artemis missions, which begin next year working with the agency’s commercial partners as they develop human landing systems; assisting in the development of training; defining hardware requirements; and consulting on technical development. They also will engage the public and industry on the Artemis program and NASA’s exploration plans.

“There is so much exciting work ahead of us as we return to the moon, and it will take the entire astronaut corps to make that happen,” Chief Astronaut Pat Forrester said. “Walking on the lunar surface would be a dream come true for any one of us, and any part we can play in making that happen is an honor. I am proud of this particular group of men and women and know that any of them would do an outstanding job representing NASA and the United States on a future Artemis mission.”

The Artemis Team members are:

Joseph Acaba was selected as a NASA astronaut in 2004. He has spent 306 days in space and performed three spacewalks. The Anaheim, California, native holds a bachelor’s degree in geology, as well as master’s degrees in geology and education. Before coming to NASA, he taught high school science and middle school math and science.

Kayla Barron was chosen as an astronaut in 2017. Originally from Richland, Washington, she earned a bachelor’s degree in systems engineering and a master’s degree in nuclear engineering. As a submarine warfare officer, Barron was a member of the first class of women commissioned into the submarine community. She is a lieutenant commander in the U.S. Navy.

Raja Chari joined the astronaut corps in 2017. A colonel in the U.S. Air Force, he was raised in Cedar Falls, Iowa. He received a bachelor’s degree in astronautical engineering and a master’s degree in aeronautics and astronautics. The U.S. Naval Test Pilot School graduate worked on F-15E upgrades and then the F-35 development program, before coming to NASA.

Matthew Dominick was chosen as an astronaut in 2017. Born in Wheat Ridge, Colorado, he holds a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering and a master’s degree in systems engineering. He also graduated from the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School and was a developmental test pilot specializing in aircraft carrier launches and landings before coming to NASA.

Victor Glover was selected as an astronaut in 2013. The Pomona, California, native and U.S. Navy Commander earned a bachelor’s degree in general engineering and master’s degrees in flight test engineering, systems engineering, and military operational art and science. He piloted the Crew-1 Dragon Resilience and is currently serving as an Expedition 64 flight engineer aboard the International Space Station.

Warren Hoburg joined the astronaut corps in 2017. A native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, he holds a bachelor’s degree in aeronautics and astronautics, and a doctorate in electrical engineering and computer science. Before coming to NASA, he was an assistant professor at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a seasonal member of the Yosemite Search and Rescue team.

Jonny Kim came to NASA as part of the 2017 astronaut class. The Los Angeles, California, native enlisted in the U.S. Navy following high school. He became a Navy SEAL before earning his commission and going back to school to pursue a bachelor’s degree in mathematics, followed by a doctor of medicine.

Christina Hammock Koch was selected as an astronaut in 2013 and holds the record for longest single spaceflight by a woman, with 328 days in space and six spacewalks. She grew up in Jacksonville, North Carolina, and received bachelor’s degrees in electrical engineering and physics, and a master’s degree in electrical engineering.

Kjell Lindgren was chosen as an astronaut in 2009. He spent 141 days in space and performed two spacewalks. Born in Taipei, Taiwan, he holds a bachelor’s degree in biology, a master’s degree in cardiovascular physiology and a doctor of medicine. Before becoming an astronaut, he was a flight surgeon supporting space shuttle and space station missions.

Nicole A. Mann joined the astronaut corps in 2013 and is currently training as pilot for the Crew Flight Test of Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner. Born in Petaluma, California, she earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mechanical engineering. The U.S. Marine Corps lieutenant colonel was an F/A-18 fighter pilot and graduate from the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School.

Anne McClain, from Spokane, Washington, joined the astronaut corps in 2013. She has spent 204 days in space and conducted two spacewalks. The U.S. Army lieutenant colonel is a Senior Army Aviator and graduated from the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School as a helicopter test pilot. She holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical/aeronautical engineering, and master’s degrees in aerospace engineering and international relations.

Jessica Meir was chosen as an astronaut in 2013. She has spent 205 days in space and performed three spacewalks. A native of Caribou, Maine, she earned a bachelor’s degree in biology, a master’s degree in space studies, and a doctorate in marine biology. Before coming to NASA, she studied the physiology of animals in extreme environments.

Jasmin Moghbeli joined the astronaut corps in 2017. A major in the U.S. Marine Corps, she was raised in Baldwin, New York. She received both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in aerospace engineering. She also graduated from the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School and tested H-1 helicopters before she came to NASA.

Kate Rubins was chosen as an astronaut in 2009 and is currently orbiting Earth on her second flight aboard the International Space Station. She was raised in Napa, California, and holds a bachelor’s degree in molecular biology and a doctorate in cancer biology. She was the first person to sequence DNA in space and has performed two spacewalks.

Frank Rubio was selected as part of the 2017 astronaut class. The U.S. Army lieutenant colonel considers Miami, Florida, his hometown. He earned a bachelor’s degree in international relations and a doctor of medicine. He served as both a Blackhawk helicopter pilot and a flight surgeon in the Army before coming to NASA.

Scott Tingle came to NASA to join the 2009 astronaut class. The U.S. Navy captain has spent 168 days in space and performed one spacewalk. He considers Randolph, Massachusetts, his hometown and holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mechanical engineering. He also graduated from the U.S. Navy Test Pilot School.

Jessica Watkins joined the astronaut corps in 2017. The Lafayette, Colorado, native received a bachelor’s degree in geological and environmental sciences, and a doctorate in geology. Before becoming an astronaut, she was a postdoctoral fellow at the California Institute of Technology, where she served as a member of the science team for the Mars Science Laboratory rover, Curiosity.

Stephanie Wilson was chosen as an astronaut in 1996. A veteran of three space shuttle flights, she has spent 42 days in space. She was born in Boston, Massachusetts, and earned a bachelor’s degree in engineering science and a master’s degree in aerospace engineering. Before becoming an astronaut, she worked on the Galileo spacecraft at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

Acaba, Dominick, McClain, Meir, and Watkins attended the announcement in person, representing their teammates. (Source: PR Newswire)

10 Dec 20. SpaceX’s Starship prototype explodes on landing after test launch. SpaceX’s Starship prototype exploded while attempting to land on Wednesday after an otherwise successful test launch from the company’s rocket facility in Boca Chica, Texas, live video of the flight showed.

The Starship rocket destroyed in the accident was a 16-story-tall prototype for the heavy-lift launch vehicle being developed by billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk’s private space company to carry humans and 100 tons of cargo on future missions to the moon and Mars.

The self-guided rocket blew up as it touched down on a landing pad following a controlled descent. The test flight had been intended to reach an altitude of 41,000 feet, propelled by three of SpaceX’s newly developed Raptor engines for the first time. But the company left unclear whether the rocket had flown that high.

Musk said in a tweet immediately following the landing mishap that the rocket’s “fuel header tank pressure was low” during descent, “causing touchdown velocity to be high.”

He added that SpaceX had obtained “all the data we needed” from the test and hailed the rocket’s ascent phase a success.

SpaceX made its first attempt to launch Starship on Tuesday, but a problem with its Raptor engines forced an automatic abort just one second before liftoff.

The complete Starship rocket, which will stand 394-feet (120.09 meters) tall when mated with its super-heavy first-stage booster, is the company’s next-generation fully reusable launch vehicle – the center of Musk’s ambitions to make human space travel more affordable and routine.

NASA awarded SpaceX $135m to help develop Starship, alongside competing vehicles from rival ventures Blue Origin, the space company owned by Amazon billionaire Jeff Bezos, and Leidos-owned Dynetcis.

The three companies are vying for future contracts to build the moon landers under NASA’s Artemis program, which calls for a series of human lunar explorations within the next decade.

Hawthorne, California-based SpaceX has been buying up residential properties in the Boca Chica village situated just north of the U.S.-Mexico border in southeastern Texas to make room for his expanding Starship facilities, which Musk envisions as a future “gateway to Mars.”

Musk has faced resistance from Boca Chica residents unwilling to sell their homes. (Source: Reuters)

10 Dec 20. Aussie space industry encouraged to apply for second round of MMF grants. The Department of Industry is encouraging Australia’s space industry to apply for round two of the Commonwealth government’s Manufacturing Modernisation Fund (MMF) grants, which are now open.

Round two of the Manufacturing Modernisation Fund supports transformation in small and medium manufacturing businesses, it provides co-funded grants to transform manufacturing and to support job growth and a more highly skilled workforce – $50m will be available for this grant opportunity from 2020-21 to 2022-23

As the first of the key initiatives to be launched under the Australian government’s $1.5bn Modern Manufacturing Strategy, round two of the MMF is helping to modernise our manufacturing sector. It will stimulate business investment in new technologies and processes through co-funding capital investments to deliver jobs growth.

Australian businesses can apply for grants of $100,000 – $1m to invest in new manufacturing technologies that will increase productivity, create new jobs and drive economic growth. These are all critical to Australia’s recovery from COVID-19.

Round two of the MMF supports manufacturers by co-funding capital investments and associated reskilling to:

Adopt new technologies;
Encourage innovation;
Become more productive and competitive in the market; and
Create more jobs.

The program aims to support SMEs through:

Investment in transformative manufacturing technology and processes; and
Jobs growth and a more highly skilled workforce in the manufacturing sector.

Round two will run over three years (2020-21 to 2022-23) and supports transformative investments in technologies and processes, including:

Buying, constructing, installing or commissioning of manufacturing plant and equipment;
Integrating production-related software that is directly related to your capital investment;
Relevant training and skills development to assist you to integrate the new technology into your business, including upskilling and accreditation in advanced processes;
Process design and engineering directly related to your capital investment; and
Fit-out, alterations and/or extensions to buildings directly related to your capital investment.

The maximum project period is two years.

Under round two of the MMF, eligible projects need to demonstrate alignment with one or more of the National Manufacturing Priorities:

Resources technology and critical minerals processing;
Food and beverage;
Medical products;
Recycling and clean energy;
Defence; and
Space.

Round two of the MMF builds on the success of the previous round, which committed grant support for up to 200 projects that are expected to create around 2,600 new jobs. (Source: Space Connect)

09 Dec 20. L3Harris Technologies’ Shadow™ Satellite Terminal Now Qualified to Operate with Global Intelsat FlexMove International Services.

Highlights:

Military grade terminal authorized for use on global High-Throughput Satellites (HTS) network
Provides international customers access to advanced flat panel terminal and service
First terminal equipped with the iDirect 950mp modem to receive operational qualification

L3Harris Technologies’ (NYSE:LHX) Shadow™ Ku-band, flat-panel Very Small Aperture Terminal has been qualified to operate with the Intelsat FlexMove managed service.

FlexMove is a high-throughput land mobility offering that meets the increasing requirements for high data-rate speeds for Comms-on-the-Pause communications for ground forces, civil defense, NGOs and first responders. The service is offered via Intelsat’s global, high-throughput, multi-layered Ku-band satellite network.

“Expanding the international opportunities for our Shadow terminal, Intelsat’s FlexMove provides a world class HTS capability,” said Jerry Adams, General Manager, SATCOM Products, L3Harris. “The ease of use and global coverage provided by Intelsat provides the ideal platform for our customers to leverage the minimal size and simplicity of the Shadow.”

“The L3Harris Technologies’ Shadow terminal is a great addition to the Intelsat FlexMove network,” said Joel Schroeder, Director for Land Mobile at Intelsat. “Designed to power portable and lightweight terminals, such as the Shadow, our ubiquitous, high-throughput FlexMove managed service helps end-users seamlessly and cost-effectively connect with confidence―even in the most remote or challenging locations.”

08 Dec 20. NASA Awards Prizes to Six Startup Companies in Entrepreneur’s Challenge. NASA’s Science Mission Directorate has awarded prize funding of $100,000 each to six entrepreneurial startup companies under its pilot Entrepreneur’s Challenge program for concepts ranging from machine learning to enable exploration and other technologies to new ways to build instruments to study the universe.

NASA partnered with Starburst, the global aerospace hub, to jointly launch a pilot program to engage entrepreneurs.

The challenge’s purpose is to invite fresh ideas for development of new instruments and technologies to advance the agency’s science exploration goals and increase participation by entrepreneurial companies in the agency’s technology portfolio.

For the inaugural Entrepreneur’s Challenge, the technical focus areas were:

Advanced machine learning and artificial intelligence for autonomous spacecraft and surface rovers, and for Earth observation and disaster management
Advanced mass spectrometry for detection of the elements necessary for life and other science applications by using instrumentation beyond what is currently available in terms of low-power and low-mass and using cutting edge materials or components to innovate in sampling technology and processes
Quantum sensors that enable high-precision assessments of gravity, magnetic fields, dark energy and other measurements to support NASA scientific discoveries

The competition was conducted in three rounds. In the first round, nearly 80 submissions were sent in from companies nationwide and a judging panel selected 15 ideas to advance. The next round was a virtual event held July 29, 2020, where selectees presented their ideas to a judging panel of NASA program managers. The judges selected 10 companies for awards of $20,000 each. In the final round, the participants worked to refine their concepts and gave their final presentations Oct. 22 as part of the Innovation and Opportunity Conference held by NASA’s Small Business Innovative Research/Small Business Technology Transfer program. Six of the companies received an additional $80,000 in prize funding as determined by the same panel of judges from the previous round.

“This is a program that provides companies opportunities to showcase innovative technology and inject new and creative solutions of interest to NASA and its mission,” said Paul Mahaffy, one of the challenge judges and the director of the Solar System Exploration Division at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. “As technologies for the mass spectrometers mature for flight, these could be game changing.”

The following companies were selected as winners of the Entrepreneur’s Challenge:

Cognitive Space, Houston
Evermore Intelligence, Philadelphia
MOBILion, Chadds Fords, Pennsylvania
Trace Matters Scientific, Somerville, Massachusetts
Guardion Technologies, Burlington, Massachusetts
Cold Quanta, Boulder, Colorado

To learn more about the Entrepreneur’s Challenge, and to receive notifications regarding future events, go to:

https://nasa-science-challenge.com

For more information about NASA’s science technology activities, visit: https://science.nasa.gov/ (Source: PR Newswire)

10 Dec 20. Trump administration releases national space policy. Just days before the first anniversary of the U.S. Space Force, the White House has issued a new national space policy. In addition to outlining priorities for civilian and commercial space growth, the Dec. 9 document outlines how the outgoing administration wants the military and the intelligence community to approach space.

“The new National Space Policy is my plan for how the executive branch will advance United States interests in space for the benefit of the American people,” President Donald Trump said in a statement. “By charting a clear course for United States space activities, this policy reaffirms our leadership in the space domain and our status as the world’s foremost spacefaring nation.”

As with past Trump administration declarations, national security officials blame nations like China and Russia for making space a war fighting domain, justifying efforts to increase the resilience of America’s space-based capabilities and ensure the military’s ability to conduct offensive and defensive operations in and through space.

“The United States is committed to the safety, stability, security and long-term sustainability of space activities, and the Department of Defense is a key partner in ensuring we continue to have the freedom to operate in, from and through the critical space domain,” said acting Secretary of Defense Christopher C. Miller. “Our adversaries have made space a war fighting domain and we have to adapt our national security organizations, policies, strategies, doctrine, security classification frameworks and capabilities for this new strategic environment. Over the last year we have established the necessary organizations to ensure we can deter hostilities, demonstrate responsible behaviors, defeat aggression and protect the interests of the United States and our allies.”

Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe was more specific in describing the perceived threat during comments to the National Space Council, an executive-office advisory body the Trump administration revived in 2017

“America’s vital interests are increasingly at risk as China and Russia develop and field destructive weapons to threaten U.S. and allied space capabilities,” said Ratcliffe. “Russia in particular has recently demonstrated provocative behavior creating a potentially dangerous situation in space.”

Chief of Space Operations Gen. John “Jay” Raymond has been vocal in calling out perceived Russian aggression in space, particularly a series of Russian space vehicles that have demonstrated the capability of ejecting a high-speed projectile on orbit. Raymond has stated previously that these space vehicles are weapons, something Vice President Mike Pence repeated Dec. 9.

“China and Russia are continuing to develop space weaponry,” said Vice President Mike Pence in remarks to the National Space Council. “Russia demonstrated a space-based anti-satellite weapon earlier this year. China is developing a new manned space station, and its robotic spacecraft will return samples from the moon in just a matter of weeks.”

The new policy emphasizes three main thrusts for national security in space: increasing space situational awareness, establishing norms of behavior in space, and growing the resilience of the nation’s on-orbit capabilities. It also further cements the Space Force’s role in defending American interests in space.

SPACE SITUATIONAL AWARENESS

Specifically, the policy calls on DoD to ensure the military knows what is happening in space.

With regards to the intelligence community, the policy designates space as a “priority intelligence domain.” Ratcliffe noted that his office had already begun directing a significant, classified investment to counter space threats and support the intelligence requirements of the still nascent Space Force. He is also working with the service to establish a new National Space Intelligence Center.

The office is evaluating whether to designate the Space Force as the 18th member of the intelligence community, said Ratcliffe. Each of the other services has an intelligence community component.

“We anticipate a decision on this history-making opportunity in the next few months, which would profoundly strengthen the partnership between the Department of Defense and the intelligence community,” said Ratcliffe.

NORMS OF BEHAVIOR

The policy directs the secretary of defense to promote standards for behavior of space, while also calling out undesirable or irresponsible activities by other nations. Since the U.S. Space Command was revived in 2019, it has been vocal in decrying what it perceives as aggressive actions in space — specifically the Russian activities mentioned earlier.

“The national space policy also directs the United States to continue to adapt its national security strategy to defeat aggression and protect national interests in space,” said the president. “As part of this effort, the newly created sixth branch of our Armed Forces, the Space Force, will enhance the capabilities of our Armed Forces to protect our freedom of operation in, from and to space.”

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo added in a statement that his department would “encourage and uphold the right of nations to responsibly and peacefully use space, while identifying and resolving behaviors that threaten that right.”

If deterrence fails, the policy calls on the defense secretary “to defeat aggression while protecting and defending United States vital interests with allies and partners.”

RESILIENCE

While deterring aggression in space is the goal, the policy also prioritizes the need for the Space Force to make the nation’s space-based capabilities more resilient — either by making it more difficult for adversaries to deny or destroy those capabilities, or by making it easier for the U.S. to quickly replace space vehicles.

As part of that emphasis on resilience, the document brings up a common Pentagon space priority called responsive launch. Defense leaders want a rapid launch capability that could quickly put payloads on orbit with little notice or turnaround time. That way, if an adversary takes out a critical national security satellite — or it fails on its own — the government can quickly replace it.

In addition, if commanders determine they need a specific space-based capability for the battlefield, but there are no on-orbit assets available, the Space Force could launch a new payload into orbit to fulfill that mission in a timely manner.

The Pentagon has had limited success in developing a responsive launch capability. No company was able to complete a Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency competition designed to find a commercial rapid launch provider, although Astra Space came within inches — only to have multiple launch attempts scrubbed due to inclement weather. Recently, Aevum announced that it hopes to be the premier responsive launch provider with a slightly novel solution — launching rockets from the air via drone. According to the CEO, the company’s method isn’t impacted by inclement weather the way traditional launches are, and the drone has a turnaround time of just 180 minutes. Aevum has already locked down a handful of Space Force contracts and could launch its first mission in 2021.

The White House’s new policy charges the defense secretary with developing “rapid launch options to reinforce or to reconstitute priority national security space capabilities in times of crisis and conflict and that, when practicable and appropriate, leverage commercial capabilities.”

The timing of the document — just days before the Dec. 20 anniversary of the Space Force’s creation — should be noted.

“The national space policy guides the efforts of the United States Space Force as we continue to deliver capabilities and forces in defense of our nation’s interests in space,” said Raymond in a statement. “The strategic environment demands we act boldly, with speed and decisiveness, to ensure we provide advantage to the nation and our allies, and this policy paves the way.” (Source: Defense News)

08 Dec 20. Spotlight on HawkEye 360. We love putting a spotlight on our customers, showcasing their hard work and innovation. Today, we’re focused on HawkEye 360 and its radio frequency mapping satellites.

HawkEye 360 is bringing a unique technology to the commercial market and the world. Their satellites are bringing a brand new data layer never before available commercially — precise mapping of radio frequency emissions. This unique ability to identify and geolocate sources of radio frequencies from space reveals previously invisible knowledge about activities around the world. It is extremely valuable to many users ranging from defense security, shipping companies, insurance industry, and telecommunications customers.

HawkEye 360 first worked with Spaceflight in 2018, successfully launching its first cluster of spacecraft aboard Spaceflight’s record-breaking SSO-A mission, which sent 64 smallsats to space aboard a Falcon 9. The mission was a success, and HawkEye 360 was able to begin delivering data to their customers globally. Next up for launch is HawkEye Cluster 2, which features even more powerful satellites that can geolocate multiple signals simultaneously. These satellites are scheduled to launch with Spaceflight on its SpaceX Rideshare-3 (SXRS-3) mission via the Sherpa-FX orbital transfer vehicle on a Falcon 9, no earlier than January 2021. Each new set of satellites improves revisit, capacity, and latency. As the constellation continues to grow, HawkEye 360 is planning to collect data about every half hour anywhere on Earth.

Spaceflight’s unique rideshare model works for HawkEye 360’s launch needs. “It’s a cost-effective way to get to orbit, with the size of our satellites,” says Adam Bennett, Product Marketing Director at HawkEye 360. “Our satellites are approximately 30 kg each, we launch three satellites at a time to form a cluster. The satellites fly together in a unique formation to gather the geolocation data.”

Spaceflight takes care of more than just the ride to space. “Spaceflight handles the launch integration, the logistics and planning of getting our satellites on the rocket and safely into orbit. We appreciated the great work Spaceflight provided for Cluster 1,” says Bennett. “As a young startup company, it was critical we had trusted experts leading the launch efforts. Spaceflight continues to be a valued partner as we scale our company.”

Spaceflight has also signed a Multiple Launch Services Agreement (MLSA) with HawkEye 360, whereby we will provide capacity, engineering, and mission management services to launch Cluster 4, 5, and 6.

“Since launch is challenging, we looked for a partner that could offer a variety of launch options and flexible arrangements to satisfy our mission needs,” said Rob Rainhart, chief operating officer at HawkEye 360. “Spaceflight’s experience in mission management and launch services has allowed us to focus on building our spacecraft while they handle the logistics of getting our satellites safely on orbit. They have been supportive from the early days of HawkEye 360 and we look forward to continuing the relationship as we rapidly expand our constellation.” (Source: ASD Network)

07 Dec 20. Space Force declares anti-spoofing GPS signal operational. War fighters can access a limited version of a new, more secure military GPS signal, after the U.S. Space Force recently declared a necessary upgrade to the ground system operational.

More accurate than the civilian signal, the encrypted M-Code programming language provides advanced anti-spoofing and anti-jamming capabilities designed to provide positioning, navigation and timing data to the war fighter even when adversaries are trying to block or degrade the signal. But even as the military has successfully added more and more GPS satellites with M-Code availability — 23 and counting — the ground system being purpose-built for GPS III and M-Code is years behind schedule. According to a 2019 Government Accountability Office report, the $6.2bn Next-Generation Operational Control System (OCX) being built by Raytheon Technologies is five years behind schedule, and the government doesn’t expect it to be delivered until June 2021.

To provide access to M-Code sooner, the Air Force tasked Lockheed Martin in 2017 with building an upgrade to the current ground system called M-Code Early Use (MCEU), a more limited version of M-Code that will operate until OCX is ready. Installation of the hardware and software upgrades for MCEU was officially completed in July.

On Dec. 4, the Space Force announced that MCEU had received operational acceptance Nov. 18, meaning war fighters with the appropriate user equipment can now request access to the M-Code signal.

“MCEU ushers in a new era of GPS support that will provide operators across the warfighting domain with assured PNT access while further preventing unauthorized use by our adversaries. This is a critical step in remaining the gold standard of PNT systems and promoting a peaceful, secure, stable and accessible space domain,” said Lt. Jordan Malara, 2nd Space Operations Squadron GPS Warfighter Collaboration Cell assistant flight commander, in a statement.

The early-use version of the ground system allows the Space Force to task, upload and monitor M-Code within the GPS constellation, and the branch will use the system to support the testing of new military GPS user equipment.

“M-Code’s more secure, harder-to-jam and spoof signals are critical to helping our war fighters complete their missions, especially in contested environments,” said Maria Demaree, vice president and general manager for Lockheed Martin’s Mission Solutions line of business. “This upgrade to the current GPS ground control system, and the launch of more modernized GPS III satellites, is making M-Code’s full-fielding a reality.” (Source: Defense News)

04 Dec 20. AEHF-6 Satellite Control Authority Transferred to Space Operations Command. The Space and Missile Systems Center’s Production Corps successfully transferred Satellite Control Authority of the Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) Space Vehicle 6 to Space Operations Command on Oct 29. Operational Acceptance is expected to occur before the end of the year after operational testing has successfully concluded. The 4th Space Operation Squadron will exercise operational control as the satellite is integrated into the constellation.

SV- 06 successfully launched on March 26 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida on an Atlas 551 rocket under strict COVID-19 restrictions. The subsequent orbit raising to a Geo-Stationary orbit and performance testing were completed in August. Testing was conducted from seven locations across the country that involved nine organizations and more than 100 space professionals. This is the last of six AEHF satellites launched and the first launch under the U.S. Space Force.

SV-06 completes the Milstar/AEHF constellation. The constellation system provides critical Nuclear Communications, Command and Control capabilities for national decision makers and warfighters in support of the country’s national security posture. The system provides global, assured, protected, jam-resistant communications through all conditions to include nuclear confrontation.

The U.S Space Force’s Space and Missile Systems Center, located at the Los Angeles Air Force Base, California, is the center of excellence for acquiring and developing military space systems. Its portfolio includes the Global Positioning System, military satellite communications, defense meteorological satellites, space launch and range systems, satellite control networks, space based infrared systems, and space situational awareness capabilities.

“AEHF enables both strategic and tactical users to communicate globally across a high-speed network that delivers protected communications – including real-time video, battlefield maps and targeting data — in any environment. We are hard at work designing the next generation of resilient protected satcom which including strategic and tactical satellite communications systems and 10 satellites for the first tranche of SDA’s Transport Layer. These systems will usher in a new level of networked connectivity that will let our military and allies operate in a joint all domain operations connected battlespace.” — Erik Daehler, Director of Protected Communications, Lockheed Martin Space

Fast facts on the Advanced Extermely High Frequency (AEHF) system:

Powerful Technology: Connects the warfighter on ground, sea and air platforms in a contested environment through a protected and jam-proof system that overpowers enemies.
Extended Data Rate (XDR) waveform technology adds to the constellation’s high-bandwidth network
A single AEHF satellite provides greater total capacity than the entire legacy five-satellite Milstar constellation it is augmenting and eventually replacing.
AEHF Ground adds backward compatibility to the legacy system and increased reliability through server virtualization.
National Security: This robust system enables military users to transmit and receive sensitive data over a survival network through rapidly deployable assets.
Cost Saves: We’ve reduced risk to the customer, improved manufacturing and lowered satellite cost by 35 percent with its recent block buy. AEHF-5 and -6 are models of acquisition excellence, delivering $1.6bn in savings to USAF and earning the prestigious David Packard Award for Excellence in Acquisition.
Evolving Architecture: AEHF-5 and AEHF-6 will support enhancements to future warfighter missions. AEHF ground systems, also built by Lockheed Martin, are a crucial component of the constellation’s success providing backward compatibility and increased reliability.
International Partnerships: Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands are connected to this highly-protected and proven global communications constellation.

07 Dec 20. Space Agency Hopes to Gain Industry’s Trust With Proliferated Satellite Marketplace. The National Defense Space Architecture will include hundreds of satellites in orbit around earth dedicated to gathering targeting and tracking information and instantly transmit it to war fighters. Getting the defense industry on board with this, means gaining their trust. Part of that will require the creation of a stable market for those satellites and technologies, the director of the Space Development Agency said.

“We’re trying to get industry to think differently — and actually, the commercial industry is more aligned with this, and [the] aerospace and defense industry is coming along,” Derek Tournear said during a virtual panel discussion today as part of Via Satellite’s MilSatCom Digital Week. “We are setting and establishing a new market. And that market is based on the proliferation of these systems.”

The SDA, in its plans for the NDSA, expects to launch hundreds of satellites every other year. Those satellites will provide beyond-line-of-sight targeting for time sensitive targets as well as beyond-line-of-sight targeting and tracking of advanced missile threats. That’s going to require a mesh network of satellites in space to be able to communicate with each via optical cross-link technology, and also communicate with the ground via tactical data links, Tournear said.

Rather than have each satellite or tranche of satellites be built as part of a program, such as with other weapon systems the U.S. military may buy, Tournear said he hopes to convince industry that there will be an ongoing market for these satellites. Who makes them or what they look like is less important than that they all work together once in the air, and that they all accomplish the mission.

“Our plan is to say, look, we are going to launch hundreds of satellites every other year in these tranches,” Tournear said. “What I need industry to do is to partner with me on that and develop their own products internally, that then they will bring to bear in a fixed price bid against those capabilities and against that market.”

Tournear said he hopes the industry will feel comfortable investing in products they can sell in that market, to capture market share, rather than thinking about trying and then succeeding or failing to bid on a program.

“That’s what I’m trying to start, that kind of mindset in industry, to help us work together,” he said. “I think that’s the best way. That will prevent me from asking for something that can’t be delivered. And it will allow industry to actually come up and develop a product that they have competence they can build at a fixed price model under a short timeframe.” (Source: US DoD)

07 Dec 20. USAF Launches SpaceWERX Innovation Hub. “We will begin designing future ‘Prime’ programs focused on space, autonomy, energy, gaming, supersonics and microelectronics,” Air Force Secretary Barbara Barrett said.

The new SpaceWERX innovation hub, based at Los Angeles AFB, will cement the service’s effort to bring startups and cutting-edge commercial tech into the Space Force’s industrial base, Air Force acquisition head Will Roper says.

“This is not Space Force’s first foray into the world of commercial technology and commercial investment, but it is time for us to formalize their role,” Roper told the AFWERX “Accelerate” event today. He cited the Air Force’s first Space Pitch Day held last November, and last month’s International Space Pitch Day as examples of previous efforts to expand DoD’s space industrial base.

The Nov. 17 International Pitch Day was a first, co-sponsored by the United Kingdom and involving US and UK companies pitching to potential DoD, the UK Ministry of Defence and NATO buyers. The event was jointly funded by the UK’s Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTI), the Royal Air Force and the US Air Force, and was organized by Starburst Aerospace, a US accelerator that links defense primes with startups. According to the Ministry of Defence press release, the 10 US and UK winning companies each received contracts worth up to $66,000.

SpaceWERX, also called AFWERX West, will work closely with Space and Missile Systems Center (SMC), the primary acquisition arm for US military space systems, said SMC head Lt. Gen. JT Thompson. It will be led by Lt. Col. Rock McMillan, who is Space Force’s chief of innovation.

“The global space economy continues to grow at rapid rates, and SpaceWERX is going to help us continue our momentum as we try and take advantage of that growth,” Thompson told the AFWERX virtual audience.

The Dec. 7-11 event was put together to highlight new initiatives since Roper elevated AFWERX with a direct line of reporting to him back in June, as well as embedding it more firmly with the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL).

These include the unveiling later this week of the first videos from the Agility Prime program, designed to kick start the commercial market for ‘flying cars,’ Air Force Secretary Barbara Barrett told the AFWERX event.

As Breaking D readers know, some 50 vendors of electric vertical take off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft this spring were given a chance to strut their stuff to potential buyers across the military services and the US government.

Barrett noted that the Air Force is seeking to expand its efforts under AFWERX’s ‘Prime’ branch to use Air Force money to ‘prime the pump’ for bringing cutting-edge tech of interest to DoD into the commercial market as a way to reduce costs and speed development. (The other two AFWERX branches are Spark, which provides incentives to airmen to come up with new ideas; and AFVentures, the investment arm that debuted last March.)

“We will begin designing future Prime programs focused on space, autonomy, energy, gaming, supersonics and microelectronics,” Barrett said.

“Innovation is embedded in the DNA of our Air and Space Forces,” Barrett added. “AFWERX is uniting the ingenuity of Spark, AFVentures and Prime, with the expertise of the Air Force and Space Force to propel us toward an inspired future.” (Source: glstrade.com/Breaking Defense.com)

07 Dec 20. UK Government awards £850,000 to three space projects in Scotland. The cash injection is going to high-risk, high-reward projects that support companies and universities with radical ideas. The £850,000 funding is part of a wider UK Government funding package awarding 21 projects a share of over £7m to put the UK at the forefront of the latest advances in space innovation.

The cash injection is going to high-risk, high-reward projects that support companies and universities with radical ideas for how we tackle climate change through earth observation or address satellite communications challenges, from providing greater connectivity to remote places to increasing the efficiency of our homes.

The three projects in Scotland benefitting from the package:

The University of Edinburgh’s Global Lidar Altimetry MISsion project receives £289,920.53

The School of Geosciences at the University of Edinburgh will bring together expertise from Scotland’s growing space and photonics sectors to pioneer a new approach to space-borne lidar using a laser compatible with a small satellite and, for smaller platforms, deployable optics to collect sufficient light. Consortium partners: Fraunhofer UK Research Ltd (Glasgow), UK Astronomy Tech Centre, University of Strathclyde.

The University of Edinburgh’s Data SlipStream project receives £214,542.82

The University of Edinburgh will develop and demonstrate efficient, scalable data handling systems for use by organisations working on climate change mitigation. These systems will have a further potential impact on the agriculture, forestry, coastal, freshwater, urban and infrastructure domains. Their pathfinder system, SingleTree, will use EO data to detect small scale land use changes that are important from a climate policy perspective. Consortium Partners: Resilience Constellation Management Ltd, the Data-Driven Innovation (DDI) initiative and Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region.

Glasgow-based Craft Prospect Limited receives £345,433

The Responsive Operations for Key Services (ROKS) mission will demonstrate technologies for future secure telecommunication systems using Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) and supported by artificial intelligence. This phase of work will progress the flight payload and ground test systems before a final build to demonstrate in-orbit by 2022. To date the work has developed the mission concept, proved the technology basis for highly miniaturized space-ready quantum systems and AI toolbox, and secured opportunities with multinational finance, telecommunication and data providers for cybersecurity. The consortium harnesses Glasgow and UK-wide technology and skills at Strathclyde University, Bristol University, and Fraunhofer Centre for Applied Photonics (CAP) Glasgow.

Steve Greenland, Managing Director, Craft Prospect Ltd said:

Craft Prospect is excited to be working with world class partners in UK quantum technology and optics to progress our ROKS mission, accessing major market opportunities in space autonomy and cybersecurity.

Support from the UK Space Agency underpinned by the Scottish Investment Bank is accelerating our Smart Secure Space roadmap to demonstrate how emerging quantum technologies and artificial intelligence will impact the space sector in the coming years.

Science Minister, Amanda Solloway, said, “We want the UK to be a world leader in space technology which is why we are supporting our most ambitious innovators who are developing first of a kind technologies to help solve some of our greatest challenges. From slashing carbon emissions to protecting the UK’s critical services from harmful cyber-attacks, today’s funding will unshackle our most entrepreneurial space scientists so that they can transfer their revolutionary ideas into world class products and services, while helping to boost the UK economy.”

The funding comes from the UK Space Agency’s National Space Innovation Programme (NSIP), which is the first UK fund dedicated to supporting the space sector’s development of innovations, allowing us to compete internationally on the world stage with other countries, like France and Germany, which have dedicated national funding for space.

Businesses, universities and research organisations were awarded co-funding for projects that will help the space sector create new high-skill jobs, while developing new skills and technologies on UK soil. Grants from the £15m funding pot range from between £170,000 and £1.4m per project.

From the satellites connecting our calls to the ones that tell us when to expect rain when we step outside, space technologies are fundamental to our day-to-day lives.

Our space sector is constantly advancing and welcoming new ideas, and through this funding we are championing the best of this British innovation.

UK Government Minister for Scotland, Iain Stewart, said, “The UK Government is committed to investing in innovation to cement the UK as a global leader in space. We are living during a very exciting time for the space industry. The Chancellor committed £14.6bn in funding for R&D in the Spending Review, which means investment in Scotland’s highly-skilled experts will continue to grow.”

In addition, £5m of the programme funding has been set aside for international projects, which will focus on increasing exports and securing new inward investment, supporting UK science and the prosperity agenda by funding working relationships between world-leading researchers and institutions and developing space capabilities important to the UK’s security interests.

The call for applications for this strand of funding closed in October and successful applicants will be announced in the coming weeks.

The UK space sector is a huge economic success story, growing by over 60% since 2010. The industry already supports £300bn of UK economic activity through the use of satellite services and is expected to grow further as this new Government support unlocks commercial opportunities.

The UK also remains a leading member of the European Space Agency, which is independent of the EU. ESA membership allows the UK to cooperate in world-leading science on a global scale, enabling UK scientists and researchers access to a range of international R&D programmes. (Source: https://www.gov.uk/)

07 Dec 20. Government funds UK companies at the forefront of space innovation. 21 UK organisations have been awarded a share of over £7m of funding to put the UK at the forefront of the latest advances in space innovation The cash injection is going to high-risk, high-reward projects that support companies and universities with radical ideas for how we tackle climate change through Earth Observation or address satellite communications challenges, from providing greater connectivity to remote places to increasing the efficiency of our homes.

Projects set for the cash boost include The Open University who will use the money to create the UK’s first Precision Forestry tool, TreeView, which will support efforts to tackle the climate emergency through detailed measurement of tree-planting initiatives aimed at increasing carbon dioxide removal.

Surrey-based Global Satellite Vu will build a new compact, high-resolution infrared camera for satellites to measure thermal emissions from our homes, schools and places of work, supporting the government’s green economic recovery plan.

Space Forge will take advantage of the unique qualities offered by the space environment. By manufacturing in microgravity, the space start-up hopes to produce a next-generation computer chip for the terrestrial and satellite telecommunications industries and return them from orbit for use on Earth.

Science Minister Amanda Solloway said, “We want the UK to be a world leader in space technology which is why we are supporting our most ambitious innovators who are developing first-of-a-kind technologies to help solve some of our greatest challenges. From slashing carbon emissions to protecting the UK’s critical services from harmful cyber-attacks, today’s funding will unshackle our most entrepreneurial space scientists so that they can transfer their revolutionary ideas into world-class products and services, while helping to boost the UK economy.”

Businesses, universities and research organisations were awarded co-funding for projects that will help the space sector create new high-skilled jobs, while developing new skills and technologies on UK soil. Grants from the £15m funding pot range from between £170,000 and £1.4m per project.

Dr Graham Turnock, Chief Executive of the UK Space Agency, said, “Space technologies have become deeply embedded in, and critical to, almost every aspect of our daily lives. With rapid technological innovation, space offers a broad and growing range of opportunities to support economic activity and protect the environment. From the satellites connecting our calls to the ones that tell us when to expect rain when we step outside, space technologies are fundamental to our day-to-day lives.”

Our space sector is constantly advancing and welcoming new ideas, and through this funding we are championing the best of this British innovation.

The call for applications for this strand of funding closed in October and successful applicants will be announced in the coming weeks.

The UK space sector is a huge economic success story, growing by over 60% since 2010. The industry already supports £300bn of UK economic activity through the use of satellite services and is expected to grow further as this new government support unlocks commercial opportunities.

Further details on the 21 projects

Space-based Mapping & Monitoring of Wetlands Carbon Sequestration, Argans, Plymouth, £215,866.00

Wetlands regeneration and conservation efforts offer a highly effective source of reducing emissions via carbon sequestration. The potential of wetlands is limited by the cost of mapping and monitoring. Plymouth based Argans aim to remedy this by utilising Earth Observation (EO) by developing a wetlands map to support monitoring of total carbon emissions for national accounting and to provide low-cost intelligence on how and where governments can most cost-effectively intervene to leverage wetlands as a source of carbon sequestration.

Consortium Partner: London Economics Ltd

GHGWatch, Geospatial Insight, Birmingham, £226,295.86

Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions are recognised as a major contributor to climate change and temperature increase, but detection and monitoring of locations where emissions are occurring is problematic and expensive using current technologies. Geospatial Insight aims to create a service which will detect, quantify and monitor point-source GHG emissions.

Consortium Partner: University of Leicester

TreeView: Precision Forestry to Tackle Climate Change, The Open University, Milton Keynes, £283,978.68

TreeView, led by The Open University, is a SmallSat mission to provide unprecedented capacity in the emerging field of Precision Forestry. A major pillar of UK’s national response to the climate change emergency is a significant increase in tree planting for a nature-based carbon capture and storage solution. In this project, the team will conduct a feasibility study, resulting in a system design document and science case that both justifies and defines the UK’s first Precision Forestry tool with a national focus but global potential.

Consortium Partners: 2Excel Geo, Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Forest Research, Grey Consultants, In-Space, RAL Space, Teledyne e2v, XCAM

Development of Novel High Resolution Infrared Sensor Payload for Heat Detection, Global Satellite VU, Surrey, £1,399,179.83

Global Satellite VU will develop and launch the world’s first small ~130kg satellite that will deliver high-quality thermal video and thermal still imagery of the Earth, initiating the design, build and integration of the infrared camera.

By launching a small constellation of infrared satellites, this project looks to measure the thermal emissions from any structure on the planet; their technology will act as the Earth’s ‘Smart Energy’ meter to monitor energy efficiency, economic activity and carbon footprint.

Consortium Partner: Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd

Nexus, Space Forge, Newport, Wales, £329,326

Space Forge is developing and launching the world’s first returnable satellite, delivering revolutionary products back to Earth to significantly improve the efficiency and sustainability of telecommunications infrastructure. They are launching a small fleet of satellites to harness the benefits of the space environment for manufacture of next generation devices, changing the way in which the UK uses space, for the benefit of its citizens on Earth.

Consortium Partners: Compound Semiconductor, Applications Catapult, AAC Clyde Space

Project CitiScan, D-Orbit UK Ltd, London, £183,158.00

Project CitiScan aim to develop a new, responsive, space-based climate observation service to support end users in their goal to achieve national and global climate obligations. The project will provide climate-related measurements of individual cities and industrial complexes to enable end-users, such as local authorities, to monitor their omissions and progress.

Consortium Partners: Thales Alenia Space UK, University of Leicester

ROKS payload flight model – discovery phase, Craft Prospect Limited, Glasgow, £345,433.00

The Responsive Operations for Key Services (ROKS) mission will demonstrate technologies for future secure telecommunication systems using Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) and supported by artificial intelligence. This discovery phase will progress the flight payload and ground test systems to Critical Design Review (CDR), before a final build and delivery to demonstrate in-orbit operation by 2022. To date the work has developed the technology basis for miniaturized space-ready QKD systems and has developed service opportunities with multinational finance, telecommunication and data providers for securing their networks.

Consortium Partners: Strathclyde University, Bristol University, Fraunhofer Centre for Applied Photonics (CAP) Glasgow

RAPID – Real-time AI Processes for Intelligent Detection, Teledyne e2v, Chelmsford, £207,637.50

New imaging sensors designed for Earth Observation (EO) are being developed with increasing numbers of pixels and faster operating rates. Whilst this allows improved performance it presents great challenges for data handling in the satellite itself and also for data downlink given the vast amount of data generated. RAPID – Real-time AI Processes for Intelligent Detection will use space ready hardware to establish the RAPID test and demonstration system while also providing the image processing platform and algorithms to handle the significantly higher data volumes.

Consortium Partner: Craft Prospect Ltd

STORICLI (EO STOrylines for water RIsk under CLImate change), HR Wallingford, Oxfordshire, £202,529.38

The STORICLI project will look into the opportunities for using earth observation techniques to better understand how the supply and demand for water might change in the future due to climate change. HR Wallingford will develop a prototype web-based tool to help water companies and regulators consider the robustness of water resources plans, using a set of plausible future storylines.

BRAIL (Backhaul Radio Access with Integrated LEO), Satellite Applications Catapult, Harwell, £510,757.00

There is an increased recognition of the need to deliver enhanced connectivity across the globe. In this project led by the Satellite Applications Catapult, the team is developing a pioneering solution for delivering connectivity to poorly served areas, leveraging the performance and ubiquitous coverage of satellite mega-constellations with the innovation of terrestrial networks. This project is the first of its kind and will use OneWeb’s satellites to demonstrate high speed data transfer through space to the Catapult’s 5G network at its connectivity research and innovation centre in Westcott, Buckinghamshire.

Consortium Partners: OneWeb, LiveWire Digital Ltd, Uni of Strathclyde

AI4CC Toolbox, Trillium Technologies, London, £332,765.12

Applying Machine Learning (ML) to Earth observation (EO) data gives us the ability to better make predictions about how to adapt and mitigate our changing climate. Trillium Technologies aims to create a new public ‘ML Toolbox’, comprising an open repository of artificial intelligence tools such as enhanced, simulated and labelled geospatial data and advanced machine learning modules. ML4CC is dedicated to simplifying ML production and validation and ultimately improving climate related decision-making within the UK.

Consortium Partners: Oxford University Innovation, Know.space

High resolution thermal infrared space telescopes for globally monitoring the energy efficiency of buildings, University of Cambridge (Institute of Astronomy and Cambridge Zero), £294,041.26

Thermal infrared telescopes in space can monitor the energy output of buildings which makes them a powerful tool for ensuring that governments, companies and even individuals are on track to meet internationally agreed carbon emission goals. The team will study how the data can be used and develop prototypes for an innovative unfolding telescope for a nanosat constellation giving the required ground resolution (7 metres) with frequent revisit rates.

Consortium Partners: Super-Sharp Space Systems Ltd, Open Cosmos Ltd

Hyperspectral Microwave Sounder Constellation of Nanosatellites for Climate change And Mitigation (HYMS CONCAM), RAL Space, STFC, £494,022

As average global temperatures rise, hazards such as heatwaves and floods grow in frequency and severity, and chronic hazards, such as drought and rising sea levels intensify. Improved observations of our weather systems and more accurate forecasts are essential for our understanding, planning, and mitigation of extreme events. RAL Space will carry out a rigorous analysis and develop the Hyperspectral Microwave Sounder, a first of its kind, designed to provide unprecedented resolution of global moisture and temperature profiles in a highly compact form factor, allowing for a constellation deployment that will dramatically enhance global weather forecasting and climate monitoring.

Satellites for Batteries, Satellite Applications Catapult – Harwell, £463,650.55

Climate change is a defining issue of our time with transport being the UK’s biggest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. The transition from greenhouse gas-emitting conventional engines to Electric Vehicles (EVs) will bring an unprecedented increase in demand for a mixture of battery metals.

This project is a collaboration between space and mining companies led by the Satellite Applications Catapult and will use satellite data with advanced analytics to increase the identification of battery metals for mining companies in the UK and internationally, whilst decreasing the overall cost and environmental degradation associated with exploration.

Consortium Partners: Decision Lab, CGG Satellite Mapping, Terrabotics, Pixalutics, Cornish Lithium, Uni of Exeter, BGS

Improved “real time” tracking of vessel performance and emissions across the global maritime system, UMAS International Ltd, Shrewsbury, £167,126.72

Shipping is responsible for approximately 1bn tonnes of greenhouse gas and significant air pollutant emissions. NSIP’s support to integrate the latest satellite measurement developments into the latest modelling, is giving UMAS and the UK a globally leading position in the decarbonisation of this important sector. This project will build on previous “big data” capabilities and modelling studies that utilise the latest satellite systems to create powerful new tools for the estimation and tracking of shipping emissions on a global scale.

Consortium: UMAS International Ltd, University College London

Laser Optical Communications for CubeSats, University of Northumbria at Newcastle, £367,659.82

The space communications sector is currently booming with the emergence of low cost, short-turnaround and high production rate satellites, such as CubeSats. One significant drawback for CubeSats is that they are not currently applicable for data intensive applications, primarily because CubeSats have low data storage and data transmission capabilities. The aim of the project is to replace the existing low-speed radio frequency transceiver used in CubeSats with the high-speed, light weight and lower power free-space optical transceivers, enabling a step-change in our approach to communications constellations and space science missions. By the end of this project, a test-bed design will have been developed together with a mission design study for future testing of the system in space.

Consortium Partner: ISOCOM Limited

Faraday+, In-Space Missions Limited, Hampshire, £235,233

In-Space Missions is using its NSIP programme to substantially extend its current Space as a Service, Faraday, capabilities. The expanded capability, Faraday+, will provide a Software Defined Satellite service which will allow customers to upload their application from the ground or buy capacity without the need to launch their own space hardware. Short-circuiting lengthy satellite build schedules lasting years and costing millions of pounds, new services using Faraday+ will be rolled out in weeks and at a fraction of traditional costs. Faraday+ will support multiple customers at the same time and underpin a significant acceleration of innovation across the whole of the UK space sector.

Consortium: Subcos Wave RF Ltd, National Physical Laboratory (NPL)

LynkCast, Lynk Global UK, Guildford, £348,061

Lynk Global UK Limited, a subsidiary of Lynk Global, is developing LynkCast that will work on Lynk’s mobile microsatellite communications network. This network will function as a “mobile network in orbit” to enable mobile phones anywhere on Earth connect to their orbiting network without the need of modification to the devices’ hardware or software. LynkCast is an innovative product, which will be accelerated by funding from the UK Space Agency, to bring the critical information services such as weather forecasts and alerts to users direct from the satellites to the mobile phones in their pockets.

Consortium Partners: With Reason Ltd, Farm.ink

Global Lidar Altimetry MISsion: GLAMIS, University of Edinburgh, £289,920.53

Space-borne lidar systems, Laser altimeter system that determines the distance by measuring light pulse travel time, are collecting important data but provide only sparse coverage, making them unsuitable for many commercially and societally important applications such as flood prediction. Scaling up these existing technologies to provide continuous global coverage would be prohibitively expensive.

The School of Geosciences at the University of Edinburgh, GLAMIS will bring together expertise from Scotland’s growing space and photonics sectors to pioneer a new approach to space-borne lidar using a laser compatible with a small satellite and, for smaller platforms, deployable optics to collect sufficient light.

Consortium Partners: Fraunhofer UK Research Ltd (Glasgow), UK Astronomy Tech Centre, University of Strathclyde

Quantum Accelerometer Climate Explorer (Q-ACE), Thales Alenia Space, Reading, £205,437.59

The Quantum Accelerometer Climate Explorer (Q-ACE) Mission brings together cutting edge Teledyne e2v Cold Atom Space Payload (CASPA) quantum accelerometer with Thales Alenia Space’s new revolutionary Very Low Earth Orbit (VLEO) SkimSat satellite platform to better understand climate change. Through the development of these highly innovative technologies, the mission would measure the density of the Earth’s thermosphere, mapping the small scale structure. In the future, this could further improve climate predictions and its evolution.

Consortium Partners: Teledyne e2v, University of Birmingham, RAL Space

The Data SlipStream Project: advanced data systems to deliver timely information on Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation from Earth Observation, University of Edinburgh, £214,542.82

The University of Edinburgh will develop and demonstrate efficient, scalable data handling systems for use by organisations working on climate change mitigation. These systems will have a further potential impact on the agriculture, forestry, coastal, freshwater, urban and infrastructure domains. Their pathfinder system, SingleTree, will use EO data to detect small scale land use changes that are important from a climate policy perspective. Consortium Partners: Resilience Constellation Management Ltd, The Data-Driven Innovation and Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region. (Source: https://www.gov.uk/)

07 Dec 20. Aevum Rolls Out Ravn X – World’s First Autonomous Launch Vehicle. Aevum, Inc., a provider of comprehensive space logistics and autonomous launch services for lightweight payloads, on Thursday December 3rd rolled out its Ravn X Autonomous Launch Vehicle, the world’s largest Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS), by mass, designed to deliver satellites to space as fast as every 180 minutes.

Aevum’s customer and mission partner, The United States Space Force, also took part in the Ravn X unveiling.

“Aevum is completely reimagining access to space. The current definition of rocket science doesn’t work for us. With Aevum, everyone will be able to say, ‘It is rocket science and I can do it.’ Aevum is pushing logistics to the next generation with software and automation technologies,” said Jay Skylus, founder and CEO of Aevum. “U.S. leadership has identified the critical need for extremely fast access to low Earth orbit. We’re faster than anybody. To me, space is merely a vantage point from which the next generation can commit global progress. Through our autonomous technologies, Aevum will shorten the lead time of launches from years to months, and when our customers demand it, minutes. This is necessary to improve lives on Earth. This is necessary to save lives.”

“I’m excited to see the bold innovation and responsiveness in development today by our small launch industry partners to support emerging warfighter needs,” said Lt. Col. Ryan Rose, Chief of the Space and Missile Systems Center’s Small Launch and Targets Division at Kirtland Air Force Base in Albuquerque, New Mexico. “The U.S. Space Force is proactively partnering with industry to support U.S. space superiority objectives. Having a robust U.S. industry providing responsive launch capability is key to ensuring the U.S. Space Force can respond to future threats.”

Aevum has developed what is being credited as an entirely new paradigm for space access: Autonomous Launch. Autonomous Launch, unlike ground launch or air launch, involves a global, fully-autonomous, self-flying, self-managing, self-operating intelligent system of systems, called the autonomous launch architecture, working in concert to deliver payloads from any terrestrial origin to any space destination in low Earth orbit. The autonomous launch architecture optimizes every launch, taking into account variables including weather conditions, air traffic, orbital destination, payload weight, ground crew schedules, and other complex logistics processes to provide an end-to-end seamless service, autonomously. Critical to the Autonomous Launch architecture is the autonomous launch vehicle (AuLV), which flies itself without a pilot and only requires a one-mile runway and an 8,000 sf hangar for operation. AuLV’s use jet fuel and work exactly like an airplane.

With its fleet of autonomous Ravn X vehicles, Aevum will offer on-demand scheduling of precision orbital deliveries, as fast as every 180 minutes, 24/7, with no risk to human life. Ravn X is the only small launch vehicle that has been built from the ground up as reusable – 70% reusable out of the gate, it will be up to 95% reusable in the near future. After making its delivery to low Earth orbit, the UAS simply returns to Earth, autonomously landing safely on a runway and parking itself in the hangar.

The autonomous launch paradigm dramatically lowers the barrier for space access, in time, cost, and customer experience, and accelerates improvements in billion-dollar industries such as logistics, intelligence, defense, e-commerce, advanced analytics, climate change and weather monitoring, agriculture, IoT and more.

Already profitable and generating revenue, Aevum is on track for first launch with the U.S. Space Force and its ASLON-45 mission.

Relevant Ravn X Facts Include:

Ravn X is 80 ft. long, has a 60 ft. wingspan, is 18 ft. tall and has a gross takeoff weight of 55,000 lbs.
Ravn X is the only small launch vehicle that has been designed and built from the ground up as reusable. 70% reusable out of the gate, it will be up to 95% reusable in the near future
Virtually weather agnostic, Aevum offers 96% availability to space per year and minimal delays
Aevum doesn’t need to build or maintain a launch site. Ravn X can launch from any 1-mile runway; the entire vehicle also uses the same jet fuel as an airplane, Jet A
All of Aevum’s products and technologies are 100% designed and built in the U.S.A. (Source: UAS VISION)

05 Dec 20. The Space and Missile Systems Center’s Production Corps, achieved a major Global Positioning System milestone on Nov. 18 with the approval for Operational Acceptance of GPS Military-Code (M-Code) Early Use (MCEU). The encrypted M-Code signal enhances anti-jamming and anti-spoofing capabilities for the warfighter. M-Code signals are available on all 23 GPS Block IIR-M, IIF and III space vehicles currently on orbit. The successful testing events were completed at the Master Control Station at Schriever Air Force Base, Colorado and Alternate Master Control Stations at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California.

Operational Acceptance followed successful integrated developmental and operational testing of the GPS Operational Control Segment (OCS) upgrade. Operating in a trial period since June 2020, the MCEU upgrade allows the OCS Architecture Evolution Plan to task, upload and monitor M-Code within the GPS constellation, as well as support testing and fielding of modernized user equipment. With M-Code now declared operational, upcoming Military GPS User Equipment (MGUE) will be able to request early use of the M-Code signal-in-space to provide more secure position, navigation and timing (PNT) to warfighters.

“MCEU ushers in a new era of GPS support that will provide operators across the warfighting domain with assured PNT access while further preventing unauthorized use by our adversaries. This is a critical step in remaining the gold standard of PNT systems and promoting a peaceful, secure, stable, and accessible space domain,” said Lt. Jordan Malara, 2nd Space Operations Squadron GPS Warfighter Collaboration Cell assistant flight commander.

The USSF awarded the contract to Lockheed Martin in 2017, MCEU serves as a gap filler for M-Code operations prior to the entire GPS constellation’s operational transition to the Next Generation Operational Control System (OCX) Block 1, which is currently in development. MCEU also includes a new software defined receiver installed globally at all six Space Force Monitoring Sites. The M-Code Monitor Station Technology Improvement and Capability (M-MSTIC) uses commercial, off-the-shelf hardware to cost effectively receive and process M-Code signals, enabling OCS operators to successfully monitor the M-Code signals.

“M-Code’s more-secure, harder-to-jam and spoof signals are critical to helping our warfighters complete their missions, especially in contested environments,” said Maria Demaree, vice president and general manager for Lockheed Martin’s Mission Solutions line of business. “This upgrade to the current GPS ground control system, and the launch of more modernized GPS III satellites, is making M-Code’s full-fielding a reality.”

Possible Photos for Use:

GPS III SV04, the 23rd M-Code enabled GPS satellite to join the GPS constellation, was operationally accepted on Dec. 1.
GPS III SV04 being packed to ship to Cape Canaveral for launch
Notional GPS III satellite on orbit image

Background on M-Code:

Military Code (M-Code) is a more-secure, harder-to-jam and spoof GPS signal specifically for military forces.
With the Dec. 1 Operational Acceptance of GPS III Space Vehicle 04 (GPS III SV04), today 23 GPS IIR-M, GPS IIF and GPS III satellites broadcast M-Code in the current GPS Constellation.
Awarded in September 2017, M-Code Early Use (MCEU) is a software upgrade to the GPS OCS (Operational Control Segment), which allows the current ground control system to task, upload and monitor M-Code within the GPS constellation. Accelerating M-Code’s deployment supports testing and the fielding of modernized GPS user equipment (MGUE) in support of the warfighter.
MCEU serves as a gap filler for M-Code operations prior to the entire GPS constellation’s operational transition to the Next Generation Operational Control System Block 1.

Background on GPS Ground Control: Lockheed Martin has sustained the Space Force’s current GPS ground control system since 2013. The system is known as the GPS Operational Control Segment (OCS) Architecture Evolution Plan (AEP) or “OCS AEP.”

In February 2016, the Air Force contracted Lockheed Martin to develop the GPS III Contingency Operations (COps) software upgrade to the OCS AEP. COps was delivered in May 2019, successfully connected with on-orbit GPS III SV01 in October 2019, and was Operationally Accepted in February 2020. COps enabled the Air Force’s ground control system to command and control both the legacy satellites, as well the more powerful GPS III satellites beginning to launch.
In November 2018, the company completed the AEP 7.5 upgrade — the largest architectural change in the systems history — replacing significant code, hardware and software to improve the system’s cybersecurity capabilities and positioning the Air Force to better operate in contested, degraded and operationally limited environments.
In December 2018, the Air Force awarded Lockheed Martin the GPS Control Segment Sustainment II (GCS II) contract to continue to further modernize and sustain the OCS AEP through 2025.
In the fourth quarter of 2019, Lockheed Martin delivered the Red Dragon Cybersecurity Suite (RDCSS) Phase III upgrade to the OCS AEP, dramatically improving Defensive Cyber Operations (DCO) visibility into GPS network traffic. Other add-ons include user behavior analytics to analyze patterns of traffic and network taps to improve data collections.
Earlier this year – and key to enabling M-Code — Lockheed Martin installed new software-defined M-Code Monitor Station Technology Capability (M-MSTIC) receivers at six Space Force monitoring sites around the world. In Dec. 2019, SMC granted security approval for M-MSTIC.

04 Dec 20. Space Force Should Hire Commercial Tracking Services ASAP: 2021 NDAA. Congressional authorizers approved some $10.4bn in Space Force RTD&E, an almost $85m bump from the budget request.

House and Senate authorizers want the Space Force to use commercial space surveillance services and they want it done now — mandating that the Air Force contract with two providers within 90 days of the 2021 space policy bill’s enactment.

The 2021 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) conference report agreed today fences off 25 percent of the Air Force’s annual appropriations until the two contracts are awarded.

Space situational awareness (SSA) — what the Space Force and Space Command now call Space Domain Awareness despite the term’s lack of acceptance in the latest Joint Doctrine on Space Operations (JP 3-14) — is the foundational capability for all military space operations. Currently, the 18th Space Control Squadron is responsible for keeping tabs on satellites and space junk, and warning operators of close approaches in orbit, via the US military’s network of radar and optical telescopes.

But as Breaking D readers know, the Trump administration, with full DoD support, has been trying to offload the mission of warning commercial and foreign space operators about potential on-orbit collisions to the Commerce Department.

One of the key policy questions at hand is how much DoD, and eventually Commerce, should rely on the increasing capabilities for space object tracking and analysis available from commercial firms. Indeed, as I reported just Wednesday, Space Force chief Gen. Jay Raymond says the Space Force is “beginning to leverage” such commercial capabilities and expects to expand reliance on commercial providers in future.

The NDAA report defines “commercial space domain awareness services” as meaning:

space domain awareness data, processing software, and analytics derived from best-in-breed commercial capabilities to address warfighter requirements in low-Earth orbit and fill gaps in current space domain capabilities of the Space Force, including commercial capabilities to:

provide conjunction and maneuver alerts
monitor breakup and launch events; and,
detect and track objects smaller than 10 centimeters in size.

As expected, congressional authorizers are taking a fairly generous hand with the nascent Space Force. All totaled, they approved some $10.4bn in research, test, development and evaluation, almost an $85m bump compared to the budget request. They do want to trim procurement, however, by some $144m to $2.3bn; and shave operations and maintenance by $17m to $2.51bn.

The authorizers are keeping a close eye in particular on the National Security Space Launch (NSSL) program, instructing the Space Force to move ahead with providing early R&D funding to support three potential providers of launch services under the program’s next phase — as opposed to the two providers, United Launch Alliance and SpaceX awarded phase 2 contracts in August for launches through 2027.

The NDAA agreement also mandates that the Space Development Agency (SDA) be transferred into the Space Force no later than Oct. 1, 2022. As Breaking D readers know, there has been some internal debate within DoD about whether, and if so when, SDA should be subsumed by the new service. Indeed, SDA has been controversial since the get go — it’s creation under the DoD Office of Research & Engineering was opposed by the Air Force, including former Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson.

In recent months, Air Force and Space Force leaders have said that SDA will be brought into the new Space Systems Command, along with Space and Missile Systems Center — but would retain its independent in some way. Indeed, lawmakers expressed support for SDA and its mission “to address emerging threats, leverage new commercial architectures, and provide innovative solutions” as well as its “independent culture of innovation and rapid acquisition.” (Source: Breaking Defense.com)

29 Nov 20. Kymeta’s u8 + Connect Terminals Now Available. Kymeta has announced that the Kymeta™ u8 and Kymeta Connect™ are available for government and commercial purchase after November 30, 2020, unlocking the potential of broadband satellite connectivity and cellular networks to satisfy the overwhelming demand for communications on the move. Kymeta’s next-generation solutions are built for mobility and designed to meet the needs of global defense agencies, government, first responders, and commercial customers. Kymeta’s products and services have been field deployed for three years and the demand for the Kymeta u8 presales has already exceeded expectations.

With the introduction of the Kymeta u8, the company has meaningfully increased antenna throughput and significantly reduced the total cost of ownership. Kymeta’s new products and services offer a breakthrough in performance, ease of use, and affordability, and it anticipates that these solutions will further enhance its position in both commercial and government markets, further increasing its lead over competitive offerings.

The launch of Kymeta’s next-generation solutions builds on the successful deployment of our beta program earlier this year to facilitate real-world testing. The testing demonstrated throughputs of over 45Mbps in land mobile environment with large scan-off angles of over 50 degrees, which is a remarkable achievement for such a low power (<150W) electronically steered antenna platform. The u8 was tested in regions around the world including North America, APAC, and Europe, in a variety of conditions confirming that the product can be operated with confidence even under the most trying scenarios.

The Kymeta u8 covers the full Ku-band and is designed to be LEO upgradeable. The u8 is available as an antenna, an ODU (with no modem), and a turnkey terminal with embedded satellite modem, cellular modem, and SD-WAN capabilities. The Kymeta terminals are easy to set up and they acquire service within minutes of being powered. Also coming soon is a transportable configuration called the u8 GO, which is ideal for rapid deployments. The u8 GO will enable safe transport with a hardened case for protection and provides a built-in car mount to support easy operations on the pause and on the move.

Combining the u8 with Kymeta’s hybrid satellite-cellular connectivity services, Kymeta Connect transforms the purchase and consumption of mobile data delivering a complete end-to-end solution with a best-in-industry customer experience. The all-inclusive hybrid satellite-cellular connectivity, global support, and network services package start at $999 per month.

Kymeta Connect is powered by a virtual architecture consisting of an operational stack that connects remote terminals to managed satellite and cellular services, integrates a state-of-the-art digital back office for service and subscription management, and includes an operations and care element to deliver an excellent customer experience. These services are augmented with a unique application called Access which simplifies the control, management, and monitoring of all hardware and connectivity solutions. The newly announced app is available for download through the Apple and Google Play stores. Today, Kymeta Access can be used on a tablet or through a web-based portal to interact with hardware, data, customer care, and subscription services.

Kymeta expects to further accelerate its new product development and commercialization of its next-generation solutions and looks forward to sharing more in 2021.

“Government and military need the most reliable and seamless connectivity to safely fulfill their missions,” said Walter Berger, Kymeta President, and COO. “These men and women often go to the most remote or disaster-stricken areas of the world, and they need reliable communications to rescue lives, keep property safe, and complete missions. Our government, military, and commercial customers trust Kymeta solutions. The enhanced performance of the u8 is helping our customers make fast, easy, and reliable mission-critical communications on the move a reality.”

“My team works in some of the most densely populated, rugged, and steep forest terrain in the U.S.,” said Tim Dunfee, Deputy Forest Fire Chief, U.S. Forest Service. “There are places across our varied terrain that have been engulfed by fires and communications cell towers that have been destroyed, causing loss of all communications. When we tested Kymeta’s solutions, we could use FaceTime and make voice calls for the first time. We now have a Kymeta antenna installed on one of our vehicles and deploy it to every forest fire because we know it has reliable communications wherever it goes.” (Source: Satnews)

29 Nov 20. Kymeta’s u8 Terminal Receives The FCC’s Blessing. Kymeta has announced that the FCC has granted blanket authorization for the operation of the company’s next-generation electronically steered, flat-panel, ESIM (Earth Station In Motion) platform, the Kymeta™ u8 terminal.

The authorization is a major milestone toward the release of the u8. In addition, Kymeta has received type approvals from several leading satellite service operators (SSO’s) that include Intelsat, Echostar, Hellasat, KTSat, and Telesat for use with Kymeta u8 terminal.

The u8 is the world’s only commercially available, electronically steered, flat-panel ESIM platform with no moving parts, built specifically for mobility and designed for the needs of DoD, government, first responder, and commercial customers.

Combining the u8 with Kymeta’s hybrid satellite-cellular connectivity services, Kymeta Connect™, transforms the purchase and consumption of mobile data with all-inclusive hardware, hybrid connectivity, global support, and network services in a monthly subscription. The u8 is available as an antenna, a terminal or in flyaway configurations.

The u8 covers the full Ku-band with improved efficiency and will be LEO upgradeable at a later time. The u8 offers a low-profile form factor with native DC power input for easy integration into mobile platforms, always-on connectivity, and cloud-enabled solutions. With a multi-WAN satellite and cellular configuration, the u8 terminal provides communications anywhere.

To date, Kymeta has deployed 25 beta units globally to facilitate real-world testing of the u8 terminal and Kymeta Connect connectivity services. The beta trial program kicked off last month with select partners and customers across the globe in preparation for the fourth-quarter launch. Additionally, Kymeta recently announced securing an approximate $85m financing round, led by Bill Gates, to aggressively accelerate new product development and commercialization of their next-generation solutions, the Kymeta u8, and Kymeta Connect.

“Receiving the FCC authorization, puts us one step closer to releasing our next-generation solutions into the market and at scale,” said Walter Berger, President, and COO, Kymeta. “We have the only hybrid technology that is part of a global land mobile ecosystem. The market needs a connectivity solution they can rely on and we are positioned well to be a driving force of what lies ahead for mobile communications.” (Source: Satnews)

03 Dec 20. NSR Insight: A Critical Assessment Of HTS Satellite Constellations. Non-GEOs continue to make noise, and for the right reasons. With SpaceX launching hundreds of satellites and revealing more info on their user antennas (with Elon Musk admitting that the biggest challenge is cost of user terminals) to OneWeb restarting their production and awaiting a 36-satellite December launch, to Telesat forming a new public company post SSL acquisition – this space is becoming increasingly hot.

If you haven’t kept up to date on the nuances on Non-GEOs offer vs. GEOs, or on other burning timeline, revenue, pricing questions, NSR offers a quick list of burning questions to catch you up via our HTS Constellation: A Critical Assessment, 3rd Edition report…

ViaSat and Hughes already offer space-based Internet by using traditional satellites in GEO (Geosynchronous orbit), while new players such as SpaceX and Amazon are building LEO satellite constellations. What are the differences between the two kinds of Internet, for instance, in terms of costs, services, etc.?

Expect the CAPEX $/Mbps/Mo to largely remain in the same range ($5-$10/Mbps/Mo) for ViaSat, Hughes and SpaceX on usable, uncontested capacity. Though Amazon is likely to break the $5/Mbps/Mo barrier with the first launch expected in 2024, making it more efficient. End-user ARPU is expected to largely remain the same around the $70-$80 mark, though LEO players offer better latency, while Amazon and 2nd Gen SpaceX will be able to provide end-to-end secure connectivity via inter-satellite links. The biggest plus point for GEO consumer broadband (ViaSat and Hughes) is the cost of user terminals ($250-$300), while LEO players are likely to offer user terminals in low thousands of dollars range.

Compared with mature terrestrial networks, what is special about non-GEO satellite-based internet? Will it pose a threat to traditional communications industry?

Global telecommunications is a ballpark $2trn industry, while satellite based internet is less than $20bn today, though growing at a fast pace of 10-15% CAGR. So, there is a long way to catch up for satellite sector, which has grown from critical communications in early 2000s, from serving unserved areas in 2010s to now defining the Mobility and Gov/Mil segments, and bringing efficiencies to compete in the underserved areas of the world.

A lot of demand will come from Consumer Broadband and Backhaul use cases from Rural areas with USO opportunities, while Gov/Mil and Mobility will rake in the highest revenue per bit. Segments such as Secure Fiber+CDN play will surely look to disrupt a small percentage of fiber, CDN and cloud security business and is expected to be launched by the likes of Amazon as they build e-2-e secure cloud services.

What are the possible future application scenarios (and GEO limitations) of satellite-based Internet that Non-GEOs could support?

The biggest use case is (arguably) end-to-end secure networks, where there are no terrestrial touch points, and thus potentially help avoid security breaches. Low latency has limited use cases in specific applications (ex: gaming, autonomous vehicles, high frequency trading, etc.). Recently rural tele-medicine in the U.S. is touted to be a use case emanating from SpaceX broadband solution.

Musk estimated that Starlink could bring in revenue of $30bn a year – or about 10 times the highest annual revenue SpaceX expects from its core rocket business. But currently the business has not proven its profitability.

Is this a risk for the satellite-based Internet industry? What are the other possible challenges in the industry?

The biggest challenge is affordable user terminals, as without them – scale is impossible. That said, $30B is still a very high number, given the precedence of annual business ViaSat and Hughes have done over the last 5 years, who have a well-established commercial solution. Also, given the competition, the annual Non-GEO revenue pie is certainly going to be split among multiple players (OneWeb, SES, Amazon, Telesat).

There are wild cards such as rural broadband subsidies (RDOF) by the FCC, or possible military payload leases that provide additional revenue. But $30bn would be a 10x stretch even post combining all possible connectivity revenue channels in the near to medium term. Although, applications / revenues from services offered on top of connectivity revenues could rake in more revenue, similar to apps offered within Tesla. As manufacturing and throughput efficiencies improve, a 2nd Gen SpaceX constellation could post higher revenues from underserved areas.

Satellite constellations require large CAPEX and R&D, with associated risks. Will the industry be a battleground only for big companies like Space X and Amazon? How should start-ups compete and survive in the battle?

Unless the manufacturing and launch processes are done at scale, the CAPEX $/Mbps/Mo is not competitive enough for small players to match LEO efficiency. Constellations inherently require large funding ($3B-$10B) and risk to build towards this scale, which only billionaires and massive corporations are capable of.

However, startups aren’t meant to play this conventional game and should look at developing the next breakthrough technology that helps improve the current cost/performance efficiency by 10x, or develop new sensors, or push ground segment cost for LEO down by 10x. There are glaring gaps both in hardware sensing and software automation, and this would be the right battleground for startups to innovate.

Will the industry consolidate and become a battle of the few?

The industry is certainly witnessing a change in guard, with large players like SpaceX entering with thousands of satellites and with Amazon dedicating $10B to the development of its Kuiper constellation. Traditional players like Telesat are consolidating so as to raise capital for its LEO constellation, while SES has invested in a new fleet mPower and post C-band proceeds will potentially look at M&A.

Intelsat recently became vertically integrated in the IFC business with its Gogo acquisition, while large integrated players such as ViaSat and Hughes have demonstrated double-digit growth in the last 2 to 3 years. While this consolidation happens, the manufacturing and ground segment efficiencies improve and the wholesale pricing keeps dropping – hurting small operator economics even more.

While VHTS (200-1,000 Gbps) look to sell capacity at $100-$150/Mbps/Mo price points in Backhaul and Broadband segments, LEOs are expected to match and go lower than this price, creating a glut of capacity post 2024. This is expected to fuel further consolidation as legacy fleets will be bought at a distressed price. Bottom Line

Non-GEOs have arrived and the top 5 contenders SpaceX (Starlink), OneWeb, SES (mPower), Amazon (Kuiper) and Telesat are certain to launch their 1st Gen constellations. There is enough addressable market for all players to play, but not for all players to succeed.

Order this informative report at this direct link: https://www.nsr.com/order-reports/?postId=8623 (Source: Satnews)

01 Dec 20. ITU Gives Sateliot The OK To Launch Their Smallsat Constellation Comprised Of As Many As 100 Smallsats. The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has given Sateliot the green light to start coordinating the frequencies of its smallsat constellation with telecoms operators.

Sateliot is thereby taking a further step toward their goal of democratizing the Internet of Things (IOT) with 5G coverage through a constellation of as many as 100 nanosatellites; devices that will function as telecommunication towers from space providing an extension of coverage to telecommunication companies where terrestrial networks cannot reach.

Once this first procedure with the body in charge of defining the use of the terrestrial and satellite spectrum has been completed, the company will start a round of talks with the space operators and the relevant public administrations to ensure the compatibility of their frequencies so that telecommunications companies can access the roaming service provided by the smallsats.

The ITU is not the only body that has endorsed Sateliot, as the 3GPP (3rd Generation Partnership Project) working group for non-terrestrial IoT networks — which brings together leading representatives of the telecommunications industry and other non-governmental organizations for the definition of the new 5G standard — has recently agreed to take Sateliot’s proposal up for discussion for final decision at the next meeting scheduled for January. In particular, the company proposes to include in the definition of the standard a scenario for LEO nanosatellite networks providing IOT services.

The space sector is experiencing a new paradigm in which the size of electronics, costs and times are being reduced, giving rise to a real “democratization of space,” with more competitive innovation cycles and more possibilities of deploying not one but tens or hundreds of satellites progressively to provide services on a global scale.

In defining the standards, it is important to take into account that, if previously only large geostationary devices the size of a bus, developed over decades and priced between 100 and 500m, it is now possible to offer connectivity through satellites the size of a microwave, developed in a matter of months and priced between 1 and 5m.

This means that New Space is configured as one of the great motors of the economy, due to its high added value, its capacity to generate employment and large investments in the coming years, which will be called upon to drive the recovery. In fact, in Spain alone in 2019, this sector moved nearly one billion euros and contributed 0.5% to the national GDP. Moreover, Spain is in the top five European countries by number of employees in this industry, according to TEDAE figures. (Source: Satnews)

02 Dec 20. Exec Leaving Eutelsat + Bharti Pondering OneWeb Service Ops. Gerry O’Sullivan, Eutelsat’s EVP/Global TV & Video, has left the satellite operator to take on new opportunities nearer his UK home. He has been in the post at Eutelsat since 2017, commuting to and from its Paris office from his London home — Eutelsat staff have been informed of his departure via an internal announcement.

O’Sullivan was instrumental in launching a range of new innovations for Eutelsat’s Video Business Unit, including the highly innovative Cirrus, and Eutelsat’s recently launched SAT.TV EPG which has now been extended from its Middle East service to HotBird. He was also responsible for the Fransat platform and that service’s now 2 million user base.

O’Sullivan’s broadcasting career included spells at the BBC, Fox News and ABC and importantly at BSkyB (2000-2010) as Director/Strategic Product Management, and responsible for a team that introduced Sky+HD and Sky’s VoD and Catch-Up services. From 2011 to 2013 he was SVP/Global TV and Entertainment at Deutsche Telekom and responsible for developing its global media business. At Digicel Group, he devised strategies on cloud-based multi-screen consumer propositions and steered the launch of IPTV across the Caribbean. He also served on the board of Piksel, an innovative cloud-based video services company.

However, his departure — and that of Markus Fritz (EVP/Commercial Development/Strategic Partnership) a few weeks ago — might be seen as a worrying trend. While Eutelsat’s arch-rival SES has been trimming headcount and closing offices, Eutelsat can ill-afford to lose talented staff from its executive tier. Sullivan had frequently spoke of the satellite industry’s need for video innovation to transform what is – at best – a stagnant video segment.

Also being reported is that Bharti Global’s MD, Shravin Mittal, son of Bharti Enterprises Chairman Sunil Mittal, speaking to India’s Economic Times, stated that Bharti is now planning how it will enter the giant Indian market.

Mittal says that OneWeb is on track to secure the regulatory approvals and permissions to launch a service in India. However, what is not yet settled is whether Bharti will launch its own OneWeb service direct to users (probably via Bharti’s Airtel business) or tap commercial partners. The options could include creating a joint-venture.

Sunil Mittal is on record as saying that OneWeb will start offering broadband services by May/June 2022 and would initially focus on remote areas and those parts of India that remain unconnected.

The next batch of OneWeb satellites will launch in mid-December and take the number of satellites in orbit to more than 100. (Source: Satnews)

02 Nov 20. iDirect Government’s Evolution® Platform Receives IA + Cybersecurity Enhancements. iDirect Government (iDirectGov) has enhanced their Evolution® platform with information assurance (IA) and cybersecurity, all as a part of a multi-layered approach to security.

Two main technology advancements in Evolution 4.2.2.0 include SHIELD, a security service for remotes, and Communication Signal Interference Removal (CSIR™), a real-time streaming technology to mitigate interference. These enhancements are fully integrated across iDirectGov’s 9-Series satellite modems.

To address vulnerabilities in satellite modems, SHIELD provides periodic IA security updates for the 9-Series modems. These remote-side packages are created using the same capability that the Defense Information Systems Agency‘s (DISA’s) Assured Compliance Assessment Solution (ACAS) recognizes. When installed, SHIELD addresses vulnerabilities based on the Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) and Nessus ID database on the satellite modem and delivers IA posture across the SATCOM network.

CSIR excision technology effectively mitigates a wide range of interferers, from carrier waves to multiple strong interferers, without requiring any prior information on them. CSIR can locate fast-moving and intermittent interference and restore the quality of the original signal, without requiring additional hardware. This helps to combat adversaries who are increasing their implementation of signal intelligence (SIGNET) to attack military and government spectrum use by jamming transmissions intended for radio communications, radar and various operations.

SHIELD and CSIR add to the Evolution platform’s award-winning, high standard of transmission security (TRANSEC) to create a multi-layered highly secure solution. Other enhancements as part of this approach include dual-mode and beam choice features to mitigate threats to a SATCOM network. Dual-mode enables the 9-Series modems to operate on both government-owned and commercial networks, giving the user both flexibility and ubiquitous coverage. Beam choice allows operators to manually select the ideal beam for their missions rather than using the automated process.

“Our customers are becoming more proactive and are seeking ways to reinforce defenses before problems occur, and we are moving forward with our customers to secure our solutions with our specialized product enhancements,” said John Ratigan, President of iDirectGov. “Safeguarding critical communications signals is important, and any satellite modem attempting to operate in a congested environment, especially where adversaries may be intentionally jamming signals, can benefit from CSIR,” said Ratigan. “Whether attacks are intentional or unintentional, the CSIR interference mitigation is a core feature of the Evolution system to ensure holistic communication integrity and availability.” Mr. Ratigan added, “Implementing a Defense-in-Depth approach allows defense, homeland security, first responders and other government users to have reliable and secure communications to support their critical missions. iDirectGov’s approach to SATCOM cybersecurity provides the means to plan, detect, locate, remove, report and deploy mitigation to signal interference. (Source: Satnews)

03 Dec 20. Thales Alenia Space to Build The ROSE-L Satellite For The ESA. Thales Alenia Space, a joint venture between Thales (67 %) and Leonardo (33 %), has signed a 482m euros contract with the European Space Agency (ESA) to build the Copernicus Radar Observation System for Europe in L-band (ROSE-L) environmental monitoring satellite, as part of Europe’s Copernicus program, the first tranche being 90m euros.

Copernicus is an Earth Observation (EO) program led by the European Commission with the European Space Agency ESA coordinating and managing the space component. It provides for the Sentinel satellites series and EO data for environmental protection, climate monitoring, natural disaster assessment and other social tasks.

Thales Alenia Space will serve as prime contractor for this program, with Airbus Defence and Space as the main partner for the radar instrument. This mission responds to the requirements expressed by both the Land Monitoring and the Emergency Management services. Its target applications are: soil moisture, land cover mapping, crop type and status discrimination, forest type/forest cover (in support to biomass estimation), food security and precision farming, maritime surveillance and natural and anthropogenic hazards. In addition, the mission will contribute to the operational monitoring of the cryosphere and polar regions including sea ice mapping and land ice monitoring.

Other emerging applications will be possible by the synergistic and complementary observations with C-band and X-band SAR systems. ROSE-L is a 3-axis, stabilized satellite based on the new Thales Alenia Space Multi-Mission Platform product line (MILA) and will embark the L-Band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) Instrument dedicated to the day-and-night monitoring of land, ice and oceans offering improved revisit time, full polarimetry, high spatial resolution, high sensitivity, low ambiguity ratios and capability for repeat-pass and single-pass cross-track interferometry.

The satellite is based on a 5-panel, deployable, 11 m x 3.6 m L-band, highly innovative and lightweight planar Phased Array Antenna (PAA). The satellite will also carry a set of 3 Monitoring Cameras (CAM) to monitor the deployment of the SAR antenna and the solar arrays.

The platform, based on the new MILA platform product line, will also be compliant with space debris mitigation requirements using demisable technologies for clean space requirements and mechanical Interfaces compatible with a possible future On Orbit Servicing capability. ROSE L will be compatible with Vega-C and Ariane 6-2 and will weight 2,060 kg at launch and will be positioned at an altitude of 700 km.

“With this contract, Thales Alenia Space confirms its positioning as a key player in Earth Observation and Environmental missions. For services such as the Copernicus Emergency Management Service (EMS) in particular, ROSE L data will allow to reduce time between the occurrence of a natural or anthropogenic disaster and the first post-disaster image which is of crucial importance for citizen security,” said Hervé Derrey, CEO of Thales Alenia Space.

Massimo Comparini, Senior EVP Observation, Exploration and Navigation at Thales Alenia Space, added, “Thales Alenia Space will capitalize on its flight proven heritage on Radar Earth observation programs to serve this new mission. ROSE-L will provide additional European radar imaging capacity above and beyond that provided by Sentinel-1 and thus an opportunity to increase coverage at European and Global level, reducing the time intervals between successive radar images.” (Source: Satnews)

29 Nov 20. PDR Completed By Thales Alenia Space For Space INSPIRE. Thales Alenia Space, a Joint Venture between Thales (67 %) and Leonardo (33 %), has announced that a major milestone for Space INSPIRE (INstant SPace In-orbit REconfiguration) development has been achieved by the accomplishment of the Preliminary Design Review (PDR). The Americas at night viewed from space with city lights showing human activity in United States (USA), Canada and Mexico, New York, California. The elements of this image furnished by NASA.

Thales Alenia Space is developing this product line with the aim to allow seamless telecommunication mission and services reconfiguration, instant on-orbit adjustment to the demand, outstanding flexibility for video broadcasting and broadband connectivity services while maximizing the efficiency & effective use of the satellite resources.

This product line is supported by France’s space agency (CNES) with which a contract for satellite system engineering and development for phase CD activities has just entered into force in the frame of Space Inspire PIA (Plan d’Investissement d’Avenir) and by the European Space Agency through a dedicated Partnerships Project contract which has also entered into force and which will develop several building blocks outside France within an extensive European supply chain.

Space Inspire product line will embark on the following major innovations:

A new design and architecture to fully fit new satellites communication environment, in particular regarding flexible payload and multi launches capability
A new industrial approach enabling series production designed to lower cost satellites and reduced procurement schedule
Major breakthroughs with disruptive technologies to allow European industries to take the lead on major innovations

Following this Preliminary Design Review, Space Inspire product line is now entering into final design and qualification phases involving an industrial consortium all across Europe.

“We are delighted to put on track our Space Inspire product line thanks to the fruitful partnership and strong involvement of all the industries and agencies teams. Mixing extremely high capacity, unique agility, on-orbit reconfiguration, flexible coverage, this solution is perfectly adapted to operators’ expectations in the evolving telecommunication market,” said Marc-Henri Serre, EVP Telecommunications at Thales Alenia Space. (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 millions 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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