SATELLITE SYSTEMS, SATCOM AND SPACE SYSTEMS UPDATE

Sponsored By Viasat

www.viasat.com/gov-uk

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04 Feb 22. JP 9102: Australia opens bidding on its biggest space contract ever. Industry sources say the tender will lead to at least two, and as many as four, military communication satellites being built for the Australian military, as well as ground stations. A decision on the winner is expected this year.

A recent solicitation released by the Australian government under the uninspiring title of JP 9102 may not have caught much attention in the US, but it should: despite the plain name, the solicitation represents a major step forward in what is expected to be a $4bn AUS ($2.86bn) commitment to Australia’s first sovereign military satellite program.

Industry sources say the Jan. 11 tender will lead to at least two, and as many as four, military communication satellites being built for the Australian military. A decision on the winner is expected this year, with the contract all encompassing of ground stations, launch and life cycle costs. Not included in the package are the buildings to house the yet-unknown number of ground stations; as space experts note, those buildings can be crucial to a program’s success because of the complex wiring, shielding and security requirements.

Getting the system up and running as quickly as possible is important for Canberra. The Australian Defence Force does have other defense satellite communication options today, but they are not robust. It owns a communications payload aboard an Optus C-1 satellite, which it is nearing the end of its projected operational life; the military also bought access to 20 channels on Intelsat IS-22, a deal that runs out in 2024. (It does have access to the Boeing-built WGS defense constellation, having paid to build one of the satellites.)

The lack of details on the ground station requirement is particularly notable for several reasons. First, Australia and BAE Systems struggled to build the first WGS ground stations, with the system coming in years late and over budget (not unusual for space systems). Second, Australia discovered the limits of access to WGS during the recent massive bushfires. The Aussies asked the US military for WGS coverage to help with command and control; US Army Pacific turned things around in 24 hours, but that was time lost and highlighted the limits of Australia’s access even during a time of peace, when American assets were available.

One issue to keep an eye on as the program spins up: as this is the first sovereign military communications satellite system, the Australian Defence Force simply does not have many people trained in flying, managing and fighting satellite systems. One industry source here believes that will be the most challenging aspect of JP 9102 — building a large enough cadre of military and civilians to make and keep the constellation useful. Military satcom requires large groups of people in control rooms to make them work; Australia will need at least several hundred highly trained people, this source believes.

Another challenge will come as Australia deploys systems such as the MQ-4C Triton, MQ-9B SkyGuardian, and MC-55A Peregrines, modified Gulfstream 550s which boast advanced sensors and communications equipment. Those platforms generate huge amounts of data, and it all must be shared security and at speed.

Add to that the ambitious effort here to build a much more joint command and control system, somewhat akin to America’s Joint All Domain Command and Control (JADC2), and the importance of WGS grows clearer. The relatively small Australian military (89,000 active and reserve) has launched Projects Jericho (Royal Australian Air Force), Pelorus (Royal Australian Navy), and Beersheba (Royal Australian Army) to improve joint performance and information sharing, and the new 9102 system will be a key enabler.

Which companies are competing for this unprecedented Australian space investment? Here’s a rundown:

Airbus is offering something based on its Skynet system, built for the British military. This system includes ground stations, buildings and satellites and is provided on a service contract to the UK and to other partners.

“Team Maier” includes global giant Microsoft; Willyama, an IT and cyber security company which also provides support to the Australian Department of Defence; engineering and utilities provider UGL Limited; and satellite technology manufacturer Blacktree Technology. In its releases, Airbus stresses putting Australian organizations at “the forefront” and “transferring knowledge from international partners.”

In one of the more uniquely Australian twists to a defense competition, this team is named with a Torres Strait islander word. And the release on the team creation includes this quote: “Airbus thanks the Meriam people of the Eastern Islands of the Torres Strait for permission to use their language in the naming of our JP9102 Industry Team, and pays respect to their Elders, past and present.” Paying respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait islanders is often the first thing done at a government or corporate event here, and a clear corporate signaling that Airbus is trying to brand its effort as a uniquely Australian venture.

A linguisitic study of the word offers this explanation: “To the Meriam Mir people of Mer (Murray Island) in the eastern Torres Strait, bright meteors are an important element of death customs and beliefs. We draw from a combination of ethno-historic studies and interviews with Meriam elders to understand the role of bright meteors (Maier) in Torres Strait traditions relating to spiritual elements of death rites using a framework of symbolic anthropology. We find that bright meteors serve as symbolic representations of death and mortuary purification practices and show how the physical properties of meteors are incorporated in ritual, belief, spirituality, and custom.”

Boeing Australia views itself as the incumbent because of its experience with WGS, and will offer an upgraded version of WGS.

The American aerospace giant has teamed with Saber Astronautics, a Sydney-based artificial intelligence and machine-learning company, to develop technology that predicts the impact of unexpected events and space weather on spacecraft. It is also working with Clearbox Systems, a Sydney-based software development and integration provider.

Leidos will provide cyber, security and network integration services and software development environments and cyber test ranges. ViaSat is doing work to develop and standardize the modem and waveform “used for JP 9102’s high capacity data circuits,” per a release. Titomic will work on producing “sustainable ‘green’ titanium for the production of space components.”

Finally, Boeing is pledged to work with the Indigenous Defence and Infrastructure Consortium to “find opportunities for Indigenous-owned and -controlled businesses on JP9102 by aligning discrete work packages to their capabilities as well as supporting capability growth.”

Lockheed Martin Australia has experience as the prime for the AEHF secure satellite communications network which the Australian Defence Force can use, thanks to an international agreement. Their solution has been optimised for data throughput, geographic coverage and survivability against counterspace threats. Like the other competitors, it is teaming with a wide array of Australian companies.

Blacktree Technology, an Australian owned communications solutions specialist, “will primarily support the Lockheed Martin Australia narrowband MILSATCOM ground segment.” Meanwhile, DXC Technology, a leading global IT services company, will handle “development of ground and control segment cybersecurity architectures, including interfaces with existing hardware and external software elements.”

Lockheed has also listed a number of smaller local firms, including agreements with Linfox, Conscia, Av-Comm, Calytrix Technologies, EM Solutions, Shoal Group, Clearbox Systems, STEM Punks and Ronson Gears.

Northrop Grumman Australia is teaming with Inmarsat, the US-based satellite communications company. It’s also working with L3Harris Technologies, which will “provide in-country, ground station capability including the Australian Wide Multi-Band Terminal (WMBT), pronounced WOMBAT, delivering exponential growth in capability and upgradeability over existing systems, while occupying the same ground footprint.”

Finally, Optus, which is best known here as a mobile phone carrier but it also is Australia’s largest satellite operator. They’ve teamed with Raytheon Australia and Thales Australia in a joint bid on the project, with Mitsubishi Electric also part of the team.

As their release on JP 9102 notes: “Since 1985, Optus has been Australia’s preeminent satellite provider, launching 10 satellites, operating 13 spacecraft, and providing support to over 100 international space programs. Since 2003, Optus has flown the C1 Satellite — which provides critical mission capabilities for Defence’s operations and, at the time of launch, was the world’s largest Defence-civilian spacecraft.

“Optus currently flies 7 satellites — including NBN’s 2 Skymuster Satellites, with plans to deploy software-defined satellite Optus 11 in 2023 for Australia and New Zealand, making Optus the first satellite operator in Asia Pacific to launch a software-defined satellite that can provide both flexible concurrent broadcast and broadband services via a very high throughput satellite (VHTS) design.” (Source: Breaking Defense.com)

03 Feb 22. Mitsubishi Electric joins Optus-led JP9102 team. The global electronics juggernaut has been tapped to support the Optus-led push to deliver a next-generation defence SATCOM to the ADF. Mitsubishi Electric has joined Team AUSSAT – an Optus-led cooperative vying for the Commonwealth government’s JP9102 Australia Defence Communication System contract. The company has been tasked with leveraging its experience supplying satellites as a prime contractor and providing onboard equipment for spacecraft to customers around the world. This has included the delivery of over 70 satellites and delivering equipment for more than 500 spacecraft. The JP9102 collaboration builds on a longstanding partnership between Optus and Mitsubishi Electric, which has included the Optus C1 satellite program, currently providing critical mission capabilities to the ADF.

Optus chief executive Kelly Bayer Rosmarin welcomed the addition of Mitsubishi Electric to Team AUSSAT.

“As a leader in the Australian space sector, Optus is thrilled that we can once again work closely with Mitsubishi Electric, further building on our Optus C1 success, and ensuring the highest design, build and launch standards from Team AUSSAT,” Rosmarin said. “Our JP9102 proposal draws on the best in breed partnerships with Raytheon Australia, Thales Australia and now Mitsubishi Electric to deliver the ADF’s future satellite communications requirements while growing critical skills in the local technology and space sector. With our combined track record of performance successes, our best-in-class collaboration will deliver an unrivalled satcom solution designed in Australia, by Australians, for Australians.”

Mitsubishi Electric Australia’s managing director, Jeremy Needham, reflected on the opportunity to bolster Australia’s relationship with Japan through the industry partnership. “We are particularly pleased to have the opportunity to extend this relationship at a time when Australia and Japan’s defence cooperation has never been stronger,” Needham said. “Development of closer space and defence industry ties with Japan and the contribution of Mitsubishi Electric will transform the local industry capability and builds on the almost 50 years of experience that Mitsubishi Electric have, working in Australia, delivering projects here and upskilling our people and partners.”

Team AUSSAT is competing against a host of other major contractors, including Airbus, Boeing, Lockheed Martin Australia (LMA) and Northrop Grumman Australia. (Source: Defence Connect)

With Britain’s first satellite launches set to take place this year, the SatelLife Competition is looking for the best new ideas for how to use data collected from space to benefit daily life, from supporting local communities and the NHS, to monitoring the environment and tackling climate change.

The competition is now in its fifth year, with previous winning ideas including drones carrying medical supplies, a pin badge to monitor air pollution and an app to track abandoned shopping trolleys.

This year will see the first satellite launches taking place from UK spaceports, with the first horizontal launch from a carrier aircraft expected from Spaceport Cornwall, followed by vertical launch from Shetland’s SaxaVord Spaceport and Space Hub Sutherland.

Satellites support the economy and everyday life, and this competition gives people aged 11-22 the chance to test their ideas with space experts and perhaps one day become part of one of the UK’s fastest growing industries which already employs 45,000 people.

Science Minister George Freeman said: “Britain is set to become the first nation in Europe to offer small satellite launch, building on our world-leading satellite manufacturing industry. Seeing satellites launch from the UK for the first time will be a huge moment for the UK space tech sector.”

The SatelLife Competition is deigned to inspire the next generation of British space scientists, engineers and entrepreneurs, by helping our young innovators unleash their imaginations and turn their ideas into real-life proposals that could eventually transform our lives – from supporting our transition to Net Zero, to improving local healthcare services.

The UK Space Agency is committed to championing the power of space to inspire people and to offer greener, smarter solutions for businesses, supporting a more sustainable future.

British ESA astronaut Tim Peake said: “It has been amazing to see so many people inspired by my mission to the International Space Station and I hope that when satellites launch from the UK, it will help to show young people that there are all sorts of jobs in the space sector, including developing new applications for the data we get from space. Satellites are playing a huge role in our daily lives, from monitoring climate change, to watching television and I know that young people will have some fantastic ideas for new ways they can improve our lives. I can’t wait to see what they come up with, the possibilities are endless!”

Previous winners include Lowena Hull, from Portsmouth, who, in 2019, had an idea to track abandoned supermarket trolleys using satellites.

Lowena Hull said: “The SatelLife competition was an amazing chance to research into all the different ways satellite data can be implemented to help tackle a whole host of problems in both the local community and nationwide. My advice for anyone looking to get involved with the SatelLife Competition is to take a good look around and think: are there any problems either locally or globally I would like to try and solve? How might I be able to use satellite data to come up with a solution? Take your time with research and consider both feasibility and how might you implement your solution. Good luck!”

There is a total of £50,000 prize money up for grabs which will be shared across three age groups; 11-14, 15-18 and 19-22.

The judging panel will be made up of experts including industry representatives and the UK Space Agency, Satellite Applications Catapult and European Space Agency (ESA). The UK is the leading investor in ESA’s business applications programme and hosts the European Centre for Space Applications and Telecommunications in Harwell, Oxfordshire.

All winners will go on to pitch their ideas to a panel of ‘dragons’ at the Harwell Space Cluster in June for the chance to win further prizes. Previous prizes have included further funding, patent advice and invitations to discuss job opportunities as well as introductions to the other relevant experts for further help. (Source: https://www.gov.uk/)

02 Feb 22. NRO launches first secretive satellite of 2022. The National Reconnaissance Office launched its first satellite of the year on Feb. 2., with plans to launch more than a dozen additional payloads later in 2022.

“The success of NROL-87 was the result of multiple partnerships and the innovation of our people,” said NRO Director Chris Scolese in a statement. “Technology is ever changing. The relationships we build enable us to recognize solutions faster to ensure we field the latest capabilities. Our people continue to prove they are our greatest asset, solving the most complex problems in new and innovative ways.”

The satellite took off on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launching from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. Following the launch, the first stage safely returned to Earth for a picture perfect landing on the launch pad.

The launch is the first time the NRO has used a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket procured under the National Security Space Launch program. The agency plans to reuse the booster in a future mission.

“Today was our first National Security Space Launch SpaceX Falcon 9 from Vandenberg Space Force Base and it was a true team effort,” said Col. Robert Bongiovi, director of the Space Systems Command’s Launch Enterprise, in a statement. “The Launch Enterprise teams’ relentless pursuit of innovation drives us to partner with industry to assure access to space, meet mission objectives, and lower costs. Each launch is unique and culminates a campaign of activity that ensures successful placement of the space vehicle into orbit.”

The rocket’s sole passenger was a payload designed and built by the NRO, the intelligence agency charged with developing and maintaining the nation’s spy satellites. The agency declined to provide any specific information on the payload’s mission or capability, saying that information is classified.

“NROL-87 enhances NRO’s overall mission of providing critical information to more than a half-million government users to include every member of the Intelligence Community, two dozen domestic agencies, our nation’s military, lawmakers, and decision makers,” an agency spokesperson said in a statement. The NRO expects to conduct more than six additional launches in 2022 to send more than a dozen payloads into orbit. (Source: C4ISR & Networks)

02 Feb 22. Boost for space clusters across the UK. Ten space clusters across the UK have been given a boost, thanks to new UK Space Agency funding. These regional hubs, known as space clusters, will support new and growing companies, building on local expertise and catalysing investment into the space sector. Over £600,000 will go towards supporting activities that create jobs and growth, including recruiting space cluster managers, to strengthen local space sector leadership groups and developing new business opportunities.

The funding comes as the Government is set to unveil its flagship Levelling Up White Paper later today (2 February 2022), setting out a plan to transform the UK by spreading opportunity and prosperity to all parts of it.

Space plays a pivotal role in our daily lives and is already a vital part of the UK economy, worth over £16bn per year. However, the balance of investment and jobs is skewed towards certain regions.

The government recently launched its National Space Strategy which outlines its long-term plans to grow and level up the space sector across the UK.

Dr Paul Bate, Chief Executive of the UK Space Agency, said: “The National Space Strategy sets out a vision for ensuring we have a thriving, resilient and well-connected space ecosystem across the whole of the UK. We are building on our strengths in space such as satellite manufacturing, while supporting emerging markets like in-orbit servicing, to unlock the growth in the UK space sector and help level up the economy.”

Will Whitehorn, President of the trade association UKspace, said: “Additional grants of this nature are hugely important in helping to communicate the potential for the growing ‘New Space’ economy. Monitoring and understanding our world from space has already become crucial to our survival. Now industrialisation in space will be driven by the need to get to Net Zero and mitigate climate change by shifting more and more carbon generating digital activities outside the atmosphere, and even producing solar power in space. The opportunities these activities will bring to the UK should not be underestimated, from space launch to digital services and even infinity and beyond!”

There is also an urgent need for continuing significant investment by government and the private sector if these goals are to be achieved and the UK is able to move into the top tier of nations leading the industrial revolution in space.

Funding has gone to the following organisations in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland:

Cornwall Development Company – £51,000

Cornwall space cluster will use grant funds to hold a series of workshops and events to showcase local business capabilities to academic and industry partners across the UK to stimulate new opportunities for research and innovation. The CDC will also use funds to create a new cluster website, undertake research for a local skills strategy and refine the local space proposition for the region.

West of England Combined Authority – £97,500

The West of England region will use grant funds to build and deliver on the recommendations from the West of England Space Strategy. Funding will support a range of activities to raise the profile of the region’s space sector, including attracting inward investment and hosting a regional showcase event.

Northern Ireland Space Office – £72,000

Northern Ireland will use grant funds to undertake a series of cluster development activities that build on the recommendations from the NI Space Market Insight Report. Activities include the formation of a NI Space Leadership Council, undertaking stakeholder engagement to further mature the cluster and define a business case for sustainable cluster development.

Aerospace Wales £34,000

Wales was funded to appoint a Space Wales Development Manager. The individual appointed will lead the implementation of the Wales space sector strategy as embodied in the document “Wales –a sustainable space nation” and development of the Space Wales network and cluster.

Midlands Aerospace Alliance £64,000

West Midlands region will use grant funds to promote the West Midlands cluster, identify business opportunities, connect businesses to academia and space suppliers including non-space companies that can pivot into both the upstream and downstream sectors. The MAA and the University of Birmingham will also use funds to hold workshops to showcase the expertise within the region.

Leeds University £73,000

Space Hub Yorkshire will use grant funds to appoint 2x Cluster Development Managers that will drive and take forward recommendations from Yorkshire’s regional space strategy. Funding will also be used to initiate and deliver a programme of events, which will be continued and sustained beyond the lifetime of this grant through in-kind support from regional universities.

Highlands and Islands Enterprise £38,000

Space Hub Sutherland will use grant funds to undertake cluster development activity around the proposed site of a spaceport and launch facilities at Sutherland.

Open University £43,500

As part of the Arc for Space Group, The Open University will use grant funds to support and coordinate regional space sector growth ambitions in the Oxford-Cambridge Arc. Work will be delivered in close collaboration with industry, academia and regional organisations. World-leading research programmes will be mapped to develop commercial and funding opportunities for the region to enable businesses to participate and commercialise R&D projects.

Scottish Space Group (Space Scotland) £64,500

Scotland will use grant funds to appoint a cluster development manager to build and deliver on recommendations from the Scottish Space Strategy. Other activities will include identifying opportunities in the downstream sectors, scaling of regional STEM activities and undertake a series of stakeholder engagement activities to promote the cluster.

Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC; part of UK Research and Innovation) Daresbury Laboratory £61,000

This grant funding is being used to establish a North West of England Space Cluster, that connects with and empowers the UK’s global space Ambitions. It brings together all five bodies of the North West (Cumbria, Cheshire and Warrington, Greater Manchester, Lancashire and Liverpool City Region) with local, regional and national stakeholder organisations. Through building the shared understanding of the regions sizable space-related research, innovation and business assets, the added value the space sector can bring to other industrial sectors and the opportunity for greater national and international connection, a vision and strategy for this cluster can be co-created. Hosted by STFC, a North West Space Cluster Leadership Group has been established, to enable and ready this cluster for launch later in 2022.

Each organisation will use the funding to support locally led space sector activities in their region. This will include business case development and evidence gathering for local authorities and economic development bodies.

The new funding for regional space clusters follows £500k awarded to seven space hubs across the UK in 2020 to bring together local authorities, expertise and businesses to create a strategy for how their area can take maximum advantage of the commercial space race.

The UK already boasts a thriving space sector employing over 45,000 people in highly skilled jobs – from space scientists and researchers to engineers and satellite manufacturers.

The National Space Strategy looks to harness these strengths and support British companies to seize future opportunities, with the global space economy projected to grow from an estimated £270bn in 2019 to £490bn by 2030.

The UK Space Agency is working with local partners, Devolved Administrations, universities and industry to encourage more space businesses to start, grow and connect with the UK’s wider UK space ecosystem. (Source: https://www.gov.uk/)

01 Feb 22. Airbus and Partners Have Been Awarded 2 Laser-communication Projects Related to HydRON on Behalf of ESA. The past years have seen an unprecedented rise in the volume of data streams that circle the globe. Terrestrial communications infrastructure is quickly expanding worldwide to meet the ever-growing demand. However, terrestrial fibre-based networks depend on intrinsically point-to-point implementation of suitable infrastructure – often involving expensive earthworks and construction – and thus neglecting less populated/developed areas almost completely. Laser based satellite communication has the potential to help bridge this digital gap for a variety of applications such as television broadcasting, internet and phone services, virtual private networks over satellite and the like.

One response to this demand is the ESA HydRON (High Throughput Optical Network, SCYLIGHT SL.021) vision: an Optical Transport Network concept, based on the combination of space-based laser communication payloads in combination with extremely high throughput Optical Ground Space and Optical Inter-Satellite Links, complementing the existing terrestrial networks.

Airbus Defence and Space and partners Tesat, Fraunhofer HHI, Fraunhofer FOKUS, DLR-IKN, ADVA and COLT recently kicked-off two projects to A) develop a System Simulator Testbed and B) study the implementation of a HydRON Demonstration System. The Telecommunications and Integrated Applications Directorate [TIA] of the European Space Agency (ESA) is funding both.

The objective of the HydRON Demonstration System is to push the development and validation of the HydRON “Fibre in the Sky” technology integrated into terrestrial networks at terabit-per-second capacity to pave the way for a realisation of the HydRON system vision by demonstrating:

the end-to-end system, including critical key technologies and a minimum viable service
networking capabilities including seamless integration in high capacity terrestrial networks
operational concept, reflecting an expandable HydRON concept

The demonstration system study (Phase A/B1) will last 18 months to propose an implementation concept for an end-to-end demonstrator of the HydRON vision, tentatively composed of two space-based laser communication payloads in LEO and GEO, interconnecting with each other, several optical ground stations and the terrestrial fibre optics network. Key objectives of the study will be to:

consolidate mission and system requirements and define potential service scenarios
define the system architecture, its main constituents and associated concept of operations
demonstrate technical and programmatic feasibility
prepare and plan the demonstrator implementation phase, incl. technical pre-developments

Study completion by mid-2023 shall serve as the technical and planning basis for the subsequent HydRON demonstration system implementation phase (Phase B2/C/D/E1) with a launch in 2026.

The consortium has been awarded a second contract to develop a HydRON System Simulator Testbed to:

consolidate HydRON vision, system functionalities & end-to-end system architecture
support HydRON Demonstration System trade-offs and baseline selection
verify optical communications network solutions and technologies in a representative end-to-end network involving satellites and interfaces with high capacity terrestrial networks
evaluate performance of optical satellite networks in scenarios with many degrees of freedom and under a large number of stochastic environment variables. (Source: ASD Network)

01 Feb 22. SpaceX successfully launches COSMO-SkyMed satellite for Italy. SpaceX successfully launched Italy’s new Earth observation satellite from Florida on Monday after days of delays due to bad weather.

The COSMO-SkyMed Second Generation (CSG) satellite launched onboard a Falcon 9 rocket at 6:11pm EST on 31 January from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

“Falcon 9 has successfully lifted off from pad 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, carrying the COSMO-SkyMed satellite to a polar sun-synchronous orbit” said Jessie Anderson in the live broadcast, a production engineering manager for the Falcon at SpaceX.

It blasted off immediately as the launch window opened, and in just under eight minutes, the rocket’s first stage returned to Landing Zone 1 back on Earth.

The next gen satellite will monitor the Earth for emergency prevention, strategy, scientific and commercial purposes according to the European Space Agency.

“Providing data on a global scale to support a variety of applications among which risk management, cartography, forest and environment protection, natural resources exploration, land management, defense and security, maritime surveillance, food and agriculture management,” the ESA said.

The prime contractor for the launch is Thales Alenia Space Italia, a global defence company providing services to both civil and military markets.

CEO Massimo Comparini said in an interview: “COSMO-SkyMed is a key program to monitor our planet, to sustain new services and applications, [and] to bring information about the evolution of our planet”.

Monday’s launch marked the third launch and landing of this particular booster, which previously supported the lift-off of Arabsat-6A and STP-2 in 2019.

The original launch was set for Thursday, but the forecast showed only 60 per cent chance of good weather conditions, mostly concerning high winds and rain.

It comes almost three years after the CSG-1 launched on board an Arianespace Soyuz rocket from French Guiana on 18 December in 2019.

It is the new and improved COSMO-SkyMed (CSK) which was a constellation of Earth imaging satellites launched between 2007 and 2010 for Italy.

According to the ESA, the CSG is “at the forefront of radar technology” and will ensure the continuity of the CSK satellites.

The program is funded by Agenzia Spaziale Italiana (ASI), the Italian Ministry of Defence and the Italian Ministry of Education, Universities and Scientific Research. (Source: Space Connect)

01 Feb 22. Rocket Factory Augsburg (RFA) is the first aerospace company in the world to put the naming of its rocket engine in the hands of the public. Starting today, anyone can submit their name suggestions online at www.rfa.space/nameourengine as part of the #NameOurEngine campaign. After an internal vote, RFA will put the top ten suggestions to a public vote on Twitter and Linkedin, where the final name will be determined. RFA hopes to receive numerous suggestions from individuals, but also from school classes, institutions, companies or other groups.

Submitting a name can be done online at www.rfa.space/nameourengine without registration. The submission is secret and, if desired, anonymous. There are no limits to the imagination, the name just has to be serious, free of copyrights, and be able to be briefly explained and justified. All submitted names will be presented to RFA and the top ten will then be put to a public vote on Twitter and Linkedin. Two rounds will be held to determine the final name: From the initial ten names, the top three are chosen and put to a public vote again, where the final name is chosen. The votes on both platforms are added together to determine the three finalists and the winning name.

The campaign will run for four weeks. Deadline for submitting names is February 20, the first round of voting will take place on February 23, the second and final round on February 28. The final name will be officially announced on March 3. The engine’s name giver will receive an official RFA certificate, engine hardware and a package of gifts from RFA.

About the engine

The RFA engine with staged combustion is one of the most advanced engine types in the world. Unlike engines with an open combustion cycle, in RFA´s staged combustion engine the exhaust gases from an oxygen-rich preburner are fed into the main combustion chamber after driving the turbopump. The fuel is thus burned more completely, increasing the engine’s efficiency by 7%, which translates into 30% more payload capacity of the RFA ONE micro launcher. Staged combustion is also more environmentally friendly, as significantly fewer highly sooty exhaust gases are released into the atmosphere.

The RFA engine is operated with RP-1 as propellant and liquid oxygen as oxidizer, has a thrust of 100kN and an Isp of 325s (SL) / 350s (Vac). Nine engines are used in the first stage, and one vacuum-optimized engine in the second stage.

Dr. Stefan Tweraser, Chief Executive Officer of RFA, says: “Part of our vision at RFA is to democratize access to space. However, this does not only refer to payloads. We want to be as transparent and open as possible and let everyone participate in our journey and development. Today, we want to go one step further and let the public play an active role in shaping it. The final name, perhaps suggested by a young boy or girl, will shape European spaceflight for years to come. And everyone who voted for that name will know they had a hand in it.”

Dr. Stefan Brieschenk, Chief Operating Officer at RFA, adds: “The RFA staged combustion engine is leading-edge technology combining performance and efficiency with modern, cost-effective manufacturing. Our staged combustion engine is the first of its kind in the European Union and will launch numerous satellites into low Earth orbit, as well as into higher orbits and even to the Moon, to better understand and protect our Earth. We are eagerly looking forward to a name that carries and reflects that spirit. Naming this engine is a truly unique opportunity and the name will become part of many articles, stories and conversations.”

About Rocket Factory

Rocket Factory Augsburg was founded in 2018 with the mission to significantly reduce launch costs in the space industry. The company’s goal is to develop a launch vehicle prototype by the end of 2022 which can launch satellites into low Earth orbits on a weekly basis at unmatched prices. The RFA ONE launch vehicle combines three key competitive advantages: a highly cost-efficient architecture using industrial automation and lowest-possible development costs, precise in-orbit delivery by its orbital stage, and superior propulsion systems using staged-combustion.

01 Feb 22. UK Launches Defence Space Strategy. The UK will invest £1.4bn to bolster our national interests in space, as part of the first Defence Space Strategy published today.

UK’s first Defence Space Strategy published today to address growing threats
£1.4bn invested in cutting-edge technology to protect UK interests in space
UK will strengthen partnerships with key allies and NATO to build stability and resilience

Following publication of the National Space Strategy in September last year, the Defence Space Strategy (DSS) outlines how Defence will protect the UK’s national interests in space in an era of ever-growing threats, stimulating growth across the sector and supporting highly skilled jobs across the UK.

As part of the new £1.4bn investment, over the next ten years £968m will be committed to deliver a multi-satellite system to support greater global surveillance and intelligence for military operations – known as the ISTARI Programme. A further £61m will explore cutting-edge laser communications technology to deliver data from space to Earth at a speed equivalent to superfast broadband.

This substantial investment in space defence is on top of the existing £5bn already upgrading the UK’s Skynet satellite communications capability – providing strategic communication services to the UK Armed Forces and allies.

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said: “It’s crucial we continue to push the frontiers of our defence space ambitions, enhancing our military resilience and strengthening our nation’s security.

This significant investment will help to ensure the UK remains at the forefront of space innovation and one step ahead of our competitors.

Through close international collaboration with our allies and NATO, the DSS outlines how the UK will protect our space interests, build stability, increase resilience and prevent conflicts from extending into space.”

In addition to projects funded by £1.4bn, a series of supporting programmes funded through existing investment will launch as part of the DSS to provide cutting-edge technologies for intelligence, surveillance, situational awareness, and Command and Control.

These include:

MINERVA

An additional £127m invested over the next four years will develop a network of satellites designed to integrate space with land, air, sea and cyber. An operational concept demonstrator, the new programme “MINERVA”, will present the UK’s ability to autonomously collect, process and disseminate data from UK and allied space assets to support frontline military decision-making. Work has already commenced on the programme and MINERVA will present a developed and tested system in due course, which will be brought together under the established UK Space Command and underpin the £968m ISTARI Programme.

PROMETHEUS 2

Designed and assembled by In-Space Missions Ltd in Alton, two tiny satellites (30cm x 20cm x 10cm), comparable to the size of a shoebox, will provide a test platform for monitoring through GPS, radio signals and sophisticated imaging, paving the way for a more collaborative and connected space communication system with our combat allies.

These satellites will support MOD’s science and technology activities both in orbit and on the ground through the development of ground systems focussed at the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory site near Portsmouth.

Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Sir Mike Wigston said: “With this strategy, the Ministry of Defence will protect and promote the United Kingdom’s interests in space, and take a leading role in the coalition of like-minded nations and organisations who have come together to ensure space is there for the benefit of all.

In a separate development, Oxford Space Systems has today announced an investment round of £4m which, subject to final completion, will accelerate the build of their innovative Wrapped Rib Antenna. Working in collaboration with the Ministry of Defence and backed by UK venture capital investors and the National Security Strategic Investment Fund, the project will create up to 50 new jobs. The technology will enable high resolution imaging from small satellite earth observation missions, irrespective of weather conditions or daylight.”

The UK has been operating in space continuously since 1988 and boasts a world-leading sovereign satellite communications capability. UK Space Command, established in July 2021, will lead our Defence space approach, harnessing the energy and adaptability of the country’s space sector, while driving integration, innovation and conducting day-to-day space operations, all under a single command.

The DSS reinforces objectives outlined in the 2021 Integrated Review: to build resilience, shape the international order of the future; sustain strategic advantage through science and technology; and strengthen security and defence at home and overseas.

Viasat comments on the launch of the UK Space Strategy

John Reeves, Managing Director, Viasat UK: “We applaud the UK Ministry of Defence for its Defence Space Strategy and share its commitment to developing sovereign UK space capabilities to protect national interests, while also collaborating with the commercial sector, allies and NATO to bring stability to space. The space domain is essential to the defence and security of the nation. The DSS is an enormous step towards enhancing UK military operations and building the resilient capabilities needed to operate in highly contested and congested environments. As a global defence communications provider, we are fully aligned with the UK Government in its commitment to integrate satellite networks to enhance Multi-Domain Integration and assure autonomous data-sharing for greater situational awareness, delivering an information advantage over adversaries.”

Airbus comments on the launch of the UK Space Strategy. Richard Franklin, Managing Director of Airbus Defence and Space UK, said: “We welcome the UK’s new Defence Space Strategy, which rightly reinforces the importance of the space domain for defence and security, and of military satellite communications for command and control and information advantage. As the operator and manufacturer of the UK’s Skynet military satellite communications fleet, which successfully supported the recent Carrier Strike Group deployment, we are at the heart of maintaining Britain’s space capability and Space Domain Awareness, and committed to the development of the UK’s space industrial ecosystem. As a world leader in commercial and military telecommunications satellites, as well as synthetic aperture radar satellites, we are committed to the provision of assured information, using space assets that are cyber secure by design. We are ready to support the Government’s ambition to be a meaningful actor in the space domain and create a mesh of both commercial and military to provide truly resilient networks and information for the demanding national user requirements.”

Detail of Space Strategy here:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1051456/20220120-UK_Defence_Space_Strategy_Feb_22.pdf

01 Feb 22. Defence Procurement Minister launches Defence Space Strategy. Defence Procurement Minister Jeremy Quin announces the Defence Space Strategy.

It’s a huge pleasure to be here today on the next step in our execution of the Integrated Review, the Defence Command Paper and Defence and Security Industrial Strategy.

A lot has happened in Defence in the last year. From assisting in homeland resilience in issues as varied at vaccine delivery to Heavy Goods Vehicle support to the largest Royal Navy deployment in decades making our positive presence felt on the far side of the world.

Above all, as I speak, the Defence Secretary is meeting NATO partners, discussing the truly concerning situation on Ukraine’s borders – the most serious threat of a major war on our continent since the fall of the Berlin Wall.

However the British people know that what they can always expect from UK Defence is calm, determined, delivery.

We are continuing to progress the positive future for Defence to ensure we can meet the threats of the future with the most modern, integrated, technologically advanced forces reaching out through every domain.

For hundreds of years we have faced down threats from land and sea. Over the last century we rose to the challenge of air warfare.

One of the threats of the future. A threat that has the ability to fundamentally threaten so many of our key interests in and from Space.

Building on our National approach published last year, we promised a Defence Space Strategy which I am proud to announce today.

We know the opportunities that space delivers from effective global communications through to ISR. We also know of the threat. Several states are pursuing hostile capabilities that can disrupt and deny others’ use of space.

A few months ago, Russia recklessly destroyed an inactive satellite – sending debris spinning around the Earth and endangering the International Space station.

Just consider a simple fleck of paint travelling in space at five miles per second in Low Earth Orbit can cause huge damage to critical space assets.

But what we’re talking about here with Russia’s actions is at least 1,500 pieces of debris that we can track, its probably, ten times that amount, travelling at that speed through space, with potential to cause disastrous results to any space equipment with which it collides.

Such irresponsible actions underline the dangers in a domain on which we place ever increasing reliance.

Satellite constellations in orbit link up almost every aspect of our daily lives, from mobile phones, the internet and television to transport networks, and the world’s financial trading systems. Our allies and we rely on space to deliver secure global communications, provide surveillance intelligence and missile warning, as well as support our deployed forces globally.

So our new Defence Space Strategy sets out a plan for us to become more resilient, more robust and a more significant space player on the global stage. We’ve begun laying the groundwork. Last April we established a single joint UK Space Command that will conduct day-to-day space operations, deliver leading-edge capabilities and generate the Force structure we need. And last September, we published our first integrated National Space Strategy. It set out our ambition to strengthen the UK’s status as a world-class space nation and become one of the most innovative and attractive space economies in the world.

Defence is integral to this ambition. So we’ve been investing to deliver. In addition to the £5bn over 10 years already allocated to our future Skynet Satellite communications, a further £1.4bn has been allocated to support defence operations over the next decade.

Our priorities are set out within today’s strategy.

£970m will go into our new ISTARI programme. This puts in place the foundations of a next-generation constellation of ISR in Low Earth Orbit. They will be fitted with a variety of sensors which can ‘see’ across multiple aspects of the spectrum – allowing for 24/7 observation capabilities whatever the weather.

Related to this, we are investing £61m in a programme called TITANIA, which will experiment with optical laser communication technology. This will enable the transfer of data in, to and from Space at an equivalent capacity to high-speed broadband.

£85m is destined to develop our Space Domain Awareness capabilities. Enhancing our ability to properly understand activity in space stretching as far as geostationary orbit and beyond – more than 36,000km from Earth. Our Space Domain Awareness activity also includes close collaboration with our US and Australian partners on the Deep Space Advanced Radar Capability programme announced last July by the Defence Secretary.

And £135m has been allocated to boost our Command and Control capabilities over the decade. Besides underpinning our new Space Command, this cash will deliver our AURORA programme. Developing the architecture on which we’ll build game-changing apps so our commanders can make rapid decisions in real time.

Finally, we are investing £145 m on Space Control to explore capabilities that deliver carefully calibrated effects to protect our access to space and our operational independence.

Our ambitions don’t end there and are not capped at £1.4bn. So today I am delighted to announce we’re going to invest a further £127m over the next four years in Minerva. This project emerged from a Dragon’s Den style process. Testing the great ideas that come through from the Defence Innovation Unit (DIU).

Minerva is about the best means to deliver the digital backbone upon which our space enterprise will depend. It is focussed on the processing power, the radio frequencies, the imaging capabilities, and the data streams to deliver space-based intelligence.

Not only will it make us fully interoperable – enabling us to tap into our key Space allies. But it will allow us to share what space-derived data we discover across every domain in a timely manner. We’ll share what we know. They’ll share what they know …to our mutual benefit. Best of all we are working closely with UK companies to deliver it.

Together, MINERVA and ISTAR will form the building blocks of our Defence space ISR capability. Collectively they will help us learn lessons about how to spirally develop our capabilities in an agile manner – outpacing both the rapidity of technological advancement and potential adversaries.

As I hope I’ve begun to show, this strategy is about more than capabilities. It is about partnerships. Government working as one with industry and international allies. With this in mind, I am delighted to announce another really exciting innovation. Our Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) is manufacturing a tiny shoe-box-sized satellite – otherwise known as Prometheus 2. Manufactured in the UK, it is operated by the company In-Space Missions, with ground station support from Dstl’s international partners and Airbus Defence & Space UK.

Despite its tiny size, Prometheus’s payload will include a Hyperspectral Imager from Cosine Measurement Systems, Global-Positioning receivers from the University of New South Wales, a wide field-of-view imager from Canadensys, and multiple Software-Defined-Radios from Airbus UK. This exciting project is hugely innovative. We’re testing the concept, experimenting, pushing the boundaries. Investing to stay on the cutting edge.

And, on top of this huge pipeline of space investment coming down the track, we’ve got our SKYNET 6A satellite, being built by Airbus Defence and Space. It remains on track for launch in 2025.

These investments are about security. But they are also about prosperity. Government has already helped create a thriving UK space sector worth over £16.4bn per year, with a strong talent pipeline employing over 45,000 people in fields from satellite manufacturing to research. This makes the UK an excellent location for space businesses.

The funding I’ve announced today represents a significant boost for the UK space industry and will play a key part in stimulating wider innovation, commercialisation, and growth.

Rest assured, we will continue working ever more closely with industry to develop the space technologies needed to maintain our advantage and amplify our competitive edge. Knowing that, as we do, our innovative space research and development will inspire a new generation and enhance the expertise of an entire sector.

So, today we’re boldly pushing back the frontiers of our Defence space ambitions. Not just enhancing our military resilience, strengthening our security, and furthering our prosperity. We are applying rocket boosters to the UK’s innovative instincts and helping our space sector surge ahead of the threats we’ll face in the future. (Source: https://www.gov.uk/)

01 Feb 22. UK Defence Space Strategy – Athena statement. Speaking in response to the launch of the UK Defence Space Strategy on behalf of Athena, Paul McCarter, Managing Director, Serco Defence, said: “As the UK’s national champion in Space, Athena welcomes the launch of the UK’s first Defence Space Strategy. The Strategy is an opportunity to underpin our national security, enhance alliances, and grow, diversify, and increase the resilience of industrial capability in support of Global Britain. The scale of the task to protect and project interests in space means that alliances will be key. The UK will need to work collaboratively with like-minded allies, and their industries, to access vital space-based technologies, improve understanding of the domain, achieve resilience, and shape the norms and behaviours in space.

Defence Space will also have an importance role in supporting government broader priorities, including the National Space Strategy and Levelling Up, by encouraging further investment in and growth of the space sector.”

01 Feb 22. US and NATO Forces to Benefit From Groundbreaking Satellite Technology Following Breakthrough Antenna Trials with Isotropic Systems.

– Isotropic Systems’ multi-link terminal successfully connects to GEO and MEO satellites simultaneously during landmark trials ensuring enhanced resilience and security for defense systems

Isotropic Systems, the leading developer of transformational multi-link satellite technology, today announced the successful completion of advanced multi-orbit antenna trials which will enable a new age of resilience for worldwide government communications increasingly reliant on satellite connectivity on the ground, at sea and in the air.

The tests were conducted with SES Government Solutions, the leading provider of government satcom solutions, at the U.S. Army proving grounds in Aberdeen, Maryland, and successfully demonstrated a range of capabilities that will support military and government missions across the globe. During the milestone multi-orbit trials, separate satellites in different orbits were simultaneously linked with a single Isotropic Systems multi-link antenna, demonstrating the terminal’s capabilities tailored to meet the rigorous conditions and challenging connectivity demands across the battlespace.

With this breakthrough from Isotropic Systems, U.S. and NATO forces will for the first time be able to access every bit of satellite capacity across military and commercial satellites from a single antenna, which offers greatly enhanced defense and security capabilities:

Unmanned Aircraft or UAVs will be able to connect to the optimal satellites for a variety of surveillance and armed missions
Military pilots can link to optimal satellites for ground communications, while aircraft crew can connect to entirely separate satellites at the same time to access superfast broadband for real-time communications with warfighters and central command
A broad range of ships and vessels at sea will be able to communicate and connect with troops in the air and on the ground for a seamless mission campaign
Should a satellite be disrupted or denied during a conflict, U.S. and NATO forces on the ground will benefit for complete mission assurance with multiple connections to multiple satellites running at the time

As part of the Isotropic Systems multi-link antenna trials, the U.S. Army demonstrated a simultaneous connection in operational conditions as part of the U.S. Air Force’s innovative Defense Experimentation Using Commercial Space Internet (DEUCSI) program. The terminal established two live simultaneous, full-performance connections with SES satellites in GEO and MEO, and seamless satellite-to-satellite transitions, providing a game-changing leap in wartime communications.

“Our terminal is the first and only U.S. Army tested antenna capable of multiple simultaneous satellite links, which provides the US military and NATO with the communications capabilities they need for today’s threat environment with disrupted satellites becoming more common,” said John Finney, founder and CEO of Isotropic Systems. “We have proven our optical multi-link antenna technology is fully capable of providing mission-critical, resilient space-based connectivity for the military and across a broad range of vertical markets – from government and enterprise to aero and maritime – as we remain on track for our commercial launch in 2022.”

“These back-to-back breakthrough antenna trials demonstrate how a new generation of terminals, led by Isotropic System’s optical multi-link platform, will unleash the full potential of existing and next-gen satellites for mission-critical government and defense missions anywhere,” said Pete Hoene, President and CEO of SES Government Solutions. “The timing of the commercial availability of this new antenna is ideal with the recent launch of our SES-17 GEO satellite and the launch of our new O3b mPOWER MEO system in 2022.”

About Isotropic Systems

With offices in the UK and U.S., Isotropic Systems is developing the world’s first multi-service, high-bandwidth, low power, fully integrated high throughput terminals designed to support the satellite industry to ‘reach beyond’ traditional markets and acquire new customers with a full suite of high throughput services. The company’s team of industry experts and scientists has pioneered several firsts in satellite terminal design resulting in a line of terminals that are customizable to meet the performance, cost and power requirements of countless applications – from the most complex government defence systems and mobile backhaul solutions capable of extending 5G, to next-gen connected experiences aboard commercial airliners, cruise ships, offshore rigs, and even small fishing boats at sea.

Investors in Isotropic Systems include Boeing HorizonX Global Ventures, SES and Promus Ventures through its Luxembourg based space investment fund, Orbital Ventures, Seraphim Capital, Firmament Ventures, Space Angels and family office investors such as Waterlow Management Limited. Further information is available at www.isotropicsystems.com.

About SES Government Solutions

SES Government Solutions (SES GS) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of global satellite operator SES. SES GS operates under a proxy board allowing them to provide services through contracts with the U.S. Government, including classified work. SES GS is exclusively focused on meeting the satellite communications needs of the U.S. Government. Leveraging more than four decades of experience in the government SATCOM market, SES Government Solutions offers robust and secure end-to-end satellite communications solutions. Further information can be found at www.ses-gs.com (Source: PR Newswire)

31 Jan 22. Space Sustainability – It’s Time for Action. His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales visited Astroscale’s ELSA-d Mission Control Centre this afternoon, to learn more from the first private company to demonstrate a vision for the safe and sustainable development of space for the benefit of future generations. His Royal Highness gathered with leading industry representatives from OneWeb and the Satellite Applications Catapult, together with Minister for Science, George Freeman MP, and Paul Bate, CEO of the UK Space Agency. The group toured the ELSA-d Mission Control Centre and met with a group of young engineers from Astroscale who are breaking new ground to provide a solution to the growing problem of space debris, an issue that puts critical satellite infrastructure and astronauts based on the International Space Station (ISS) at serious risk.

“We were delighted to meet with HRH Prince of Wales, industry and government leaders to discuss how we might envision the space environment as an extension of Earth’s environment – an essential asset that all space actors must utilise safely to ensure we maintain critical space-based national infrastructure and satellite services including monitoring climate change,” said John Auburn, Managing Director of Astroscale Ltd. “We need to act now to protect the space environment for governments, global industry, society and for future generations.”

His Royal Highness, Prince of Wales, commented during the visit, “While we’re making rather a mess of this planet, it might be useful to have an environmental management agreement for space.”

Astroscale launched the first end-to-end demonstration mission to remove debris from space in March 2021. The ELSA-d mission, designed to test the technology and capabilities needed to remove a defunct satellite from space, is operated in the UK from the National In-Orbit Servicing Control Centre, a specialist facility developed by Astroscale, in partnership with the Satellite Applications Catapult, and funded by UK Research & Innovation.

“This sounds like science fiction, but it’s really happening up in space right now.” said Auburn. “His Royal Highness met our team of expert engineers who, as part of the ELSA-d mission, are in the middle of commanding two spacecraft, a servicer and a client satellite that they’re preparing to capture in the coming weeks.

The European Space Agency (ESA) estimates there are more than 9800 tons of space junk, including an estimate 2840 defunct satellites, that risk collision with 5000 active satellites, or worse still the International Space Station (ISS).

“I’ll never forget listening to a talk by Astronaut Tim Peake – he said he was only ever really frightened by one major thing during his time in space: space debris colliding with the space station,” said Auburn. “Tim was not alone. We recently witnessed seven astronauts and cosmonauts who prepared for an emergency evacuation of the ISS after a Russian anti-missile test caused more debris in space.”

Others share Auburn’s sentiments. Neil Masterson, CEO of OneWeb talked of his enthusiasm for space sustainability stating. “We are honoured to have attended the HRH High Level Meeting on Space Sustainability,” said Masterson. “Space is a shared natural resource that can transform the way we live, work and connect.

With the increased global demand for launches of satellites that can provide data to support the environment, the economy and society, there are concerns around ensuring access to space can be provided in a sustainable way without risking in-orbit collisions. The UK’s National Space Strategy, unveiled last September, highlighted the importance of the sector addressing the issue of space sustainability as a strategic priority.

Earlier in the year, industry-led group Space Scotland had acted as the catalyst for a major sectoral drive towards net zero ambitions through the Sustainable Space Challenges initiative, which called for environmental groups, schools and the local public to highlight environmental issues for space to solve. Outcomes and ideas were shared by international partners including ESA, the University of Texas at Austin, UK Space Agency, Astroscale and First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, calling for the industry to collaborate across all key stakeholders internally, and to forge closer partnerships with other sectors, to ensure the UK’s burgeoning space industry develops in a sustainable fashion.

Advancing the technology to remove space debris creates other commercial opportunities that will strengthen the UK’s global position in the space sector, provide further opportunities to lead on space sustainability, and could over time contribute towards Net Zero Space. The sector is known as in-orbit servicing and manufacturing, and it is driven in the UK by a group which convenes regularly via the UKspace Trade Association. The UK’s space economy has a tremendous opportunity for growth in this sub-sector, highlighted in a report commissioned by the UK Space agency. It’s estimated the fast-growing in-orbit servicing sector will be worth $4bn globally by 2030, with UK industry aiming to capture first-leader advantage and a $1bn share of the total market.

“We’re at a tipping point for in-orbit servicing and manufacturing in the UK,” said Stuart Martin, CEO of Satellite Applications Catapult. “We already have many capabilities developing at pace within Airbus, SSTL, Astroscale, D-Orbit, ClearSpace and many more. For us to accelerate capability and commercial growth, we need strong partnerships between industry, academia and government, and effective international alliances will be critical.”

31 Jan 22. Satcom Direct Plane Simple™ Antenna System qualified on Intelsat FlexExec Network. Satcom Direct, the business aviation solutions provider, is celebrating the qualification of the Satcom Direct Plane Simple™ Antenna System on the Intelsat FlexExec network. Together, Intelsat’s high throughput satellite network, combined with the Plane Simple Ku-band tail-mounted antenna system, simplifies high-speed data access for more business aviation owners globally through ease of installation, flexible plans and advanced antenna technology.

The verification follows months of diligent testing and optimization by both companies, confirming that the first network integrated SD Plane Simple terminal, designed exclusively for business aviation, is fully compatible with the world’s first dedicated network capacity for business aviation, the Intelsat FlexExec service.

“Until now high-speed capabilities have remained the domain of the large jet market, this qualification opens up the possibilities for more jet sizes to benefit from the advantages of high-speed broadband,” explains Chris Moore, President Satcom Direct Business Aviation. “Our operators are going to be delighted with the level of performance, cost effectiveness and convenience of the powerful system. We are excited to introduce this advanced technology as it will better support more inflight productivity, enhance leisure time, and enable improved operational management for more customers.”

The singular design of the SD Plane Simple Antenna System, which has been built in partnership with QEST, Quantenelektronische Systeme GmbH, a worldwide market leader in innovative aeronautical antennas, consists of just two-Line Replaceable Units, the Satcom Direct modem and tail mount antenna. This minimizes invasive installation, reduces maintenance fees, and provides an easy transition pathway to upgrade connectivity services. The qualification confirms that together, SD and Intelsat have successfully enabled more seamless communication options, while enabling high-speed data connectivity through, flexible, managed services, from a single resource, SD. Customers from the private, corporate, government and military sectors will all have access to the benefits of the Intelsat FlexExec network and the SD Plane Simple hardware.

“SD and Intelsat are advancing the in-flight experience for business aviation with a future-proof, hassle-free, end-to-end managed solution. Our successful partnership and collaboration are based on our shared focus for innovation, commercial simplicity and flexibility in business aviation communications,” says Mark Rasmussen, Intelsat Senior Vice President, Mobility. “FlexExec is the only broadband solution fully integrated with the SD Plane Simple Antenna Solution which is a huge testimony to the power and adaptivity of the Intelsat network.” FlexExec is a global, multi-layered, redundant high-throughput satellite network. It is a dedicated solution designed exclusively for business aviation with ubiquitous, always-available access and features speeds up to 15×2 Mbps globally.

SD used its own Dassault Falcon 2000LX aircraft to gather the flight data during the qualification process. Testing spanned more than 115 flight hours over 62 individual legs. Some 250GB of data were transmitted to deliver consistent data streaming across multiple devices during the series of international test flights.

31 Jan 22. New funding to support sustainable future of space.

Government announces new funding for space sustainability projects.

Space debris is a major threat to the satellite services we rely on
13 projects involve industry and academia across the UK

The UK Space Agency is providing £1.7m for new projects to support sustainable space operations, Science Minister George Freeman announced today.

The 13 new projects will help track and remove dangerous debris in space. They include an AI-based tool which can take autonomous action to avoid a collision and another which will see multiple small spacecraft fired at debris before taking it into the atmosphere to dispose of it.

The Science Minister, UK Space Agency CEO Paul Bate and representatives from the UK space sector met at the Harwell Space Cluster in Oxfordshire to discuss the sustainable future of the space environment today (Monday 31 January).

Orbital congestion created by space debris is one of the biggest global challenges facing the space sector. There are currently an estimated 330 million pieces of space debris, including 36,500 objects bigger than 10cm, such as old satellites, spent rocket bodies and even tools dropped by astronauts orbiting Earth.

Space debris can stay in orbit for hundreds of years and present a real danger to the rapidly increasing number of new satellites being launched each year which provide vital services, including communications and climate change monitoring.

Science Minister George Freeman said: “Like debris on Everest, the first generation of space exploration and satellite launch has left millions of pieces of dangerous satellite fragments and 4,000 redundant satellites in orbit. As our reliance on satellites for everyday activity grows, and the UK becomes a leading hub of small satellite design, manufacturing and launch this year via Virgin Orbit in Cornwall, this debris now poses a serious threat to our £16bn space sector.”

That’s why we have made debris mitigation and removal – and the long-term importance of space sustainability – key elements of our National Space Strategy.

These projects will help put the UK at the forefront of both protecting the space environment for future activity, and accelerating UK technology leadership.

The UK’s National Space Strategy set out a bold vision for the sector and recognises the need for the UK to lead in making space safe and sustainable. The new funding supports the development of underlying technology or data processing capabilities for space surveillance and tracking to support the removal of orbital debris.

In the past two years the UK Space Agency has provided £2.7m for UK industry and academia to develop new technology for Space Surveillance and Tracking (SST) and debris removal, as well as investing around £16m on space sustainability through the European Space Agency in 2019.

The UK is the largest contributor to ESA’s Space Safety Programme. This new funding comes from a joint call from the UK Space Agency’s Space Surveillance and Tracking and National Space Technology Programme.

Managing Director, Astroscale Ltd and Co-Chair of the IOSM Working Group, UKspace, John Auburn said: “We need to act now to build the UK’s capability with the right level of UK investment; enhanced UK regulation and policy; supply chain development, and international partnerships. The In-orbit Servicing and Manufacturing (IOSM) working group, part of UKspace, is comprised of more than 65 members.”

This rapidly expanding group is driving forward a shared vision to gain first leader commercial advantage in the in-orbit servicing and manufacturing sector. We must accelerate our efforts to secure a safe and sustainable space environment and see it as a natural extension of the Earth’s environment. This will help to protect vital services, including those monitoring climate change, weather forecasting, disaster management and digital services for citizens and ensure we can provide them for generations to come.

In 2021 the UK Space Agency worked with the UN Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) to support the next stage of international efforts to promote space sustainability and provided funding to research a UK-led mission to remove junk from space. (Source: https://www.gov.uk/)

31 Jan 22. Europe launches fund to invest in space startups. The European Commission is rolling out a new program to offer investment for European startups to keep those companies on the continent. Officials from the European Commission, European Investment Bank and European Investment Fund announced Jan. 25 they were committing at least €1bn ($1.12bn) over five years to Cassini, a program that will provide early-stage funding for European space companies.

The intent of Cassini is to provide European support for those startups to keep them from looking elsewhere, particularly the United States, for funding, which might lead those companies to leave Europe.

“European space entrepreneurs feel that there is a lack of private financing sources. They, therefore, tend to keep an eye on private capital outside of the E.U., especially the United States,” said Kris Peeters, vice president of the European Investment Bank, during a speech at the 14th European Space Conference where he and other officials announced the fund. “European public financial instruments play an essential role in unlocking private capital for the space sector.”

Thierry Breton, the European Union commissioner responsible for space policy, offered similar sentiments at the conference. “Many of our startups cannot get the equity investment they need in Europe. They have no choice but to turn to non-E.U. investors. Of course, this is a loss of opportunity and also a major risk for Europe.”

Breton, Peeters and Alain Godard, chief executive of the European Investment Fund, signed a joint statement at the conference formalizing their partnership on Cassini. That was followed later in the day by another joint statement by officials with the E.U., European Space Agency and European Investment Fund.

“Europe is lacking access to funding in order to allow industry to flourish,” said Josef Aschbacher, director general of ESA, at the signing of the second joint statement regarding Cassini. “Europe is full of ideas, it’s full of energy, but they need the means to transform these ideas into projects, into program and into activities.”

Those officials, though, offered few details about how Cassini will invest in European startups. During a later panel session at the conference, Guillaume de La Brosse, head of the innovations, startups and economics unit at the European Commission directorate responsible for space, said the European Investment Fund will partner with venture capital funds in Europe for Cassini. Those funds will make their initial investments in the second half of the year.

“It’s exactly what we need because what we’re facing today is that you need equity to scale up, but private investors are not willing to invest because they perceive this sector as too risky,” he said. “So we need to un-risk that sector.”

Executives with European space companies on the panel welcomed Cassini while also noting that the environment for space investment in Europe was already improving. “Five years ago, the situation was completely different,” said Nicolas Capet, chief executive of Anywaves, a French antenna manufacturer. At that time, he said, space was still considered in Europe to be the realm of governments and large companies only.

“In five years, the number of possibilities that have been developed and implemented by institutions is just incredible,” he said, including support from ESA and national governments. “I think there are a lot of huge things that are already implemented.”

“We’re living in a moment where the mindset is changing, and it’s very exciting for us,” said Clément Galic, chief executive of Unseenlabs, which is developing a constellation of maritime intelligence satellites. Cassini, he said, “will push the private investors to follow.”

“We are European. Why should we have to move?” he said. “But, to be honest, we will not put the company into danger. If we need to raise money out of Europe, we will do so.” (Source: glstrade.com/Space News)

28 Jan 22. Collins Aerospace Granted Developmental Licenses for Iridium Certus SATCOM Solutions. Iridium recently awarded Collins Aerospace an Iridium Certus Developmental Over the Air License for Collins’ new Active Low Gain Antenna (ALGA) and a High Gain Antenna (HGA). The license is the latest milestone in Collins’ development of its new higher bandwidth Iridium Certus® airborne satellite communications (SATCOM) solution — expected to be available in 2022. Collins is the first Iridium Certus Aviation Partner to have been awarded this license for both an ALGA and an HGA-based solution.

Iridium awarded the licenses after Collins completed multiple tests in 2020 and 2021 where its ALGA and HGA successfully connected and transmitted data to an orbiting Iridium® satellite. In addition, the HGA System recently performed a three-hour flight test, conducting a series of voice and data transfers in various flight phases and profiles on an experimental aircraft in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

When complete, Collins Aerospace’s new Iridium SATCOM solution will provide business aviation and air transport customers with faster speeds, lower weight and smaller antenna footprint than legacy SATCOM systems allowing for minimum drag and lower power usage. This will provide operators with additional options for use in both the cockpit for safety services and in the cabin for passenger entertainment.

Collins Aerospace’s solutions will include all airborne hardware for the new systems, including the Satcom Data Unit (SDU), SDU Configuration Module and the antennas — either ALGA or HGA — depending on the operator’s bandwidth requirements. (Source: ASD Network)

24 Jan 22. Orbital Micro Systems Selected For Elite U.S. Defense Exportability Features Program. Orbital Micro Systems’ (OMS) Global Earth Monitoring System (GEMS), WeatherRecord, WeatherLock, and International Center for Earth Data (ICED) capabilities, have been competitively selected across the entire Department of Defense (DoD) after nomination by the U.S. Space Force (USSF) to the Office of the Secretary of Defense’s Defense Exportability Features (DEF) program. The DEF program is designed to develop and incorporate technology protection features into designated systems during their research and development phases with the goals of enhancing coalition interoperability, decreasing costs to the DoD and partner nations, and improving the international competitiveness of U.S. defense systems.

Through this initiative, OMS will perform market research for the DoD regarding the potential to export its technology portfolio to countries who have signed defense cooperation treaties or agreements with the United States, including the Combined Maritime Forces, Organization of American States, North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), Five Eyes, Five Power Defense Arrangement, ANZUS treaty, Compact of Free Association, U.S.-Israel Strategic Partnership, Japanese Security Alliance, South Korea Mutual Defense Agreement, India Major Defense Partner, and Rio treaty. In addition, OMS will outline a plan to incorporate the necessary program protection and security features to enable future export of its capabilities.

In its nomination for the DEF program, the USSF noted that the OMS technology portfolio has a high degree of potential for export to international government customers who lack in-country Meteorological Satellite (MetSat) and Meteorological Data (MetData) capabilities.

“OMS is truly humbled to be selected for the highly competitive DEF program and is working quickly to engage with 20 U.S. government stakeholder organizations to coordinate this complex effort, including the Space Force, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Navy, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),” said Michael Hurowitz, OMS chief executive officer. “Our unique passive microwave satellites (GEMS), data platform (ICED), WeatherRecord nowcasting, and WeatherLock forecasting systems enable continuous monitoring of and rapid access to environmental data to inform mission critical decisions. Our suite of technologies can cost-effectively deliver MetSat and MetData capabilities to countries without their own space-based weather observation infrastructure.”

Orbital Micro Systems (OMS) specializes in the development and delivery of remote sensing technologies for space, air, sea, and land applications. With broad expertise in applied science, weather science and Earth observation, instrumentation development, data science, space operations, and program delivery, OMS is positioned to deliver innovation to many markets, including insurance, transportation, government, and agriculture. (Source: Satnews)

At the same time, China will seek to actively participate in the formulation of international rules on outer space under the framework of the United Nations, and work jointly with other countries to address the challenges in ensuring long-term sustainability of outer space activities.

“China will actively participate in discussions on international issues and the development of relevant mechanisms, such as those in the fields of space environment governance, near-earth objects monitoring and response, planet protection, space traffic management, and the development and utilisation of space resources,” according to the white paper.

Domestically, China will speed up the formulation of a national space law and establish a legal system with this law at the core, to promote law-based governance of the space industry. (Source: Reuters)

26 Jan 22. Space Systems Command Starts JMS SP-9 Decommissioning As SDA Capabilities Are Modernized. Space Systems Command (SSC)’s Space Command and Control (Space C2) program began the decommissioning of Joint Space Operations Center (JSpOC) Mission System (JMS) Service Pack 9 (SP-9) this month, marking a significant step toward the continued modernization of Space Domain Awareness (SDA) capabilities for the nation.

The operational acceptance of Warp Core on October 1, 2021, along with the transition of modernized capabilities, data feeds, and secure connections being delivered to warfighters, allowed for the physical decommissioning of JMS.

Warp Core is a commercially available capability used for data ingestion, retention, processing, and normalization to relay information to decision-makers effectively and efficiently across the U.S. Department of Defense and serves as a data layer for the Advanced Tracking and Launch Analysis System (ATLAS).

In addition to serving as the data layer for ATLAS, Warp Core has also been leveraged to support other current and ongoing missions, such as providing a secure, live collaboration environment for tactical, operational, and strategic planning for information dominance operations for NORAD-NORTHCOM’s (N-NC) situational awareness and decision-making.

N-NC leveraged Warp Core during the Global Information Dominance Experiment series to support accurate data sharing and real-time situational awareness for operational execution across multiple Combatant Commands. Additionally, Warp Core provides enterprise data management and operations software solutions for humanitarian relief efforts such as Operation Allies Refuge and Operations Allies Welcome supporting the evacuation and relocation of tens of thousands of Afghan allies, including those who worked alongside the U.S. in Afghanistan.

“The lessons learned from this legacy system have been central to the development strategy and planning of the Space C2 program,” said Colonel Wallace “Rhet” Turnbull, director, SSC Cross Mission Ground and Communications Enterprise. “The decommissioning of JMS SP-9 demonstrates the progress the program is making toward advancing the overall SDA mission to be modern, responsive, and resilient for the military space enterprise.”

He continued, “Space Domain Awareness capabilities are more important than ever given recent events such as Russia’s Anti-Satellite test that occurred this past November. The decommissioning of JMS demonstrates the progress we have made in this critical mission area and our commitment to improve the way we do business to ensure the safety and security of our nation’s space assets and astronauts.”

Space Systems Command is the U.S. Space Force field command responsible for rapidly identifying, prototyping and fielding resilient space capabilities for joint warfighters. SSC delivers sustainable joint space warfighting capabilities to defend the nation and its allies while disrupting adversaries in the contested space domain. SSC mission areas include launch acquisition and operations; space domain awareness; positioning, navigation and timing; missile warning; satellite communication; and cross-mission ground, command and control and data. (Source: Satnews)

24 Jan 22. Partnership Between Spire Global + Dragonfly Aerospace Will Support The Australian Office of National Intelligence. Spire Global, Inc. (NYSE: SPIR) is now engaged in a partnership with Dragonfly Aerospace to support the Australian Government’s Office of National Intelligence (ONI) with a second satellite as a part of its ongoing National Intelligence Community Satellite (NICSAT) program.

The follow-up program, NICSAT2, will witness Spire designing, building, and launching the company’s Low Earth Multi-Use Receiver (LEMUR), a 6U smallsat platform, with the capability of on-board computing and processing of machine learning and artificial intelligence across multi-modal data. Dragonfly Aerospace will provide a high-performance Gecko camera using its proprietary space-proven electronics and ruggedized optics for an easy-to-integrate imaging solution for the satellite.

The Australian National Intelligence Community (NIC) launched the NICSAT program to experiment with commercial satellite technologies, including the on-board application of advanced machine learning capabilities on smallsats, such as those manufactured by Spire. In keeping with its predecessor, NICSAT2 will be managed by ONI and focused on the application and use of miniaturized satellite systems, especially in regard to machine learning. Both programs are unclassified science and technology programs, focused on innovative engineering and research that aim to utilize commercial satellites to improve data collection and analysis.

With the large influx of data sent to Earth, corporations, governments, and other organizations increasingly need advanced systems and processes to efficiently understand the data received. Artificial Intelligence (AI)-assisted processing within satellites allows operators to unburden ground stations and other infrastructure and focus resources on analyzing mission-critical information in space. ONI recognizes the potential application of semi-supervised or unsupervised learning methods for in orbit autonomous machine learning to, amongst other things, enable autonomous sensor operations, speed analytics and data processing, reduce downlink requirements, and better enable human analysts.

Spire previously worked on the NICSAT program’s first satellite, Djara, last year. The mission focus of Djara is to conduct experiments with systems that enable the on-orbit collection and analysis of data including commercially available sensors and technologies such as Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) and Machine Learning (ML) systems on a chip. The satellite went from concept to launch in just six months and to full operation in just nine months. Djara collects and processes data on orbit and then leverages Spire’s cloud infrastructure to downlink, further process, and analyze data.

NICSAT2 was successfully launched aboard the SpaceX Transporter-3 mission on January 13th, 2022.

“The success of Djara and the NICSAT program show the significant value of small satellites for rapid deployment of leading-edge innovations and on-orbit data analysis,” said Theresa Condor, Chief Operating Officer at Spire Global. “With our continued work on NICSAT2, Spire and Dragonfly Aerospace reaffirm the importance of public-private partnerships for dual-use space technologies.”

“Dragonfly Aerospace’s Gecko camera will elevate the satellite’s imaging capabilities and improve the image quality sent back to the ONI,” said Bryan Dean, CEO of Dragonfly Aerospace. “Spire’s proven success with NICSAT made them an ideal partner to continue to support the Australian government and we look forward to working together.”

Spire (NYSE: SPIR) is a global provider of space-based data, analytics, and space services, offering access to unique datasets and powerful insights about Earth from the ultimate vantage point so that organizations can make decisions with confidence, accuracy, and speed. Spire uses one of the world’s largest multi-purpose satellite constellations to source hard to acquire, valuable data and enriches it with predictive solutions. Spire then provides this data as a subscription to organizations around the world so they can improve business operations, decrease their environmental footprint, deploy resources for growth and competitive advantage, and mitigate risk. Spire gives commercial and government organizations the competitive advantage they seek to innovate and solve some of the world’s toughest problems with insights from space. Spire has offices in San Francisco, Boulder, Washington DC, Ontario, Glasgow, Luxembourg, and Singapore.

Dragonfly Aerospace designs and builds compact high-performance imaging payloads and microsatellites which enable large imaging constellations that provide persistent views of the Earth in a wide range of spectrums giving unprecedented business intelligence and improving the lives of people around the world. Dragonfly Aerospace satellites and payloads are based on a 25-year heritage of components and design approach dating back to the first South African smallsat, SUNSAT, launched in 1999. Members of our team have worked on every microsatellite space mission since South Africa entered the space race more than 40 years ago. (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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03 Feb 22. Mitsubishi Electric joins Optus-led JP9102 team.
The global electronics juggernaut has been tapped to support the Optus-led push to deliver a next-generation defence SATCOM to the ADF.
Mitsubishi Electric has joined Team AUSSAT – an Optus-led cooperative vying for the Commonwealth government’s JP9102 Australia Defence Communication System contract.
The company has been tasked with leveraging its experience supplying satellites as a prime contractor and providing onboard equipment for spacecraft to customers around the world.
This has included the delivery of over 70 satellites and delivering equipment for more than 500 spacecraft.
The JP9102 collaboration builds on a longstanding partnership between Optus and Mitsubishi Electric, which has included the Optus C1 satellite program, currently providing critical mission capabilities to the ADF.
Optus chief executive Kelly Bayer Rosmarin welcomed the addition of Mitsubishi Electric to Team AUSSAT.
“As a leader in the Australian space sector, Optus is thrilled that we can once again work closely with Mitsubishi Electric, further building on our Optus C1 success, and ensuring the highest design, build and launch standards from Team AUSSAT,” Rosmarin said.
“Our JP9102 proposal draws on the best in breed partnerships with Raytheon Australia, Thales Australia and now Mitsubishi Electric to deliver the ADF’s future satellite communications requirements while growing critical skills in the local technology and space sector.
“With our combined track record of performance successes, our best-in-class collaboration will deliver an unrivalled satcom solution designed in Australia, by Australians, for Australians.”
Mitsubishi Electric Australia’s managing director, Jeremy Needham, reflected on the opportunity to bolster Australia’s relationship with Japan through the industry partnership. “We are particularly pleased to have the opportunity to extend this relationship at a time when Australia and Japan’s defence cooperation has never been stronger,” Needham said.
“Development of closer space and defence industry ties with Japan and the contribution of Mitsubishi Electric will transform the local industry capability and builds on the almost 50 years of experience that Mitsubishi Electric have, working in Australia, delivering projects here and upskilling our people and partners.”
Team AUSSAT is competing against a host of other major contractors, including Airbus, Boeing, Lockheed Martin Australia (LMA) and Northrop Grumman Australia. (Source: Defence Connect)

03 Feb 22. Search is on for young space entrepreneurs ahead of first UK rocket launches. Young people have the chance to a share of £50,000 and expert advice for their ideas on how satellites could improve life on Earth, in a competition run by the UK Space Agency.
With Britain’s first satellite launches set to take place this year, the SatelLife Competition is looking for the best new ideas for how to use data collected from space to benefit daily life, from supporting local communities and the NHS, to monitoring the environment and tackling climate change.
The competition is now in its fifth year, with previous winning ideas including drones carrying medical supplies, a pin badge to monitor air pollution and an app to track abandoned shopping trolleys.
This year will see the first satellite launches taking place from UK spaceports, with the first horizontal launch from a carrier aircraft expected from Spaceport Cornwall, followed by vertical launch from Shetland’s SaxaVord Spaceport and Space Hub Sutherland.
Satellites support the economy and everyday life, and this competition gives people aged 11-22 the chance to test their ideas with space experts and perhaps one day become part of one of the UK’s fastest growing industries which already employs 45,000 people.
Science Minister George Freeman said: “Britain is set to become the first nation in Europe to offer small satellite launch, building on our world-leading satellite manufacturing industry. Seeing satellites launch from the UK for the first time will be a huge moment for the UK space tech sector.”
The SatelLife Competition is deigned to inspire the next generation of British space scientists, engineers and entrepreneurs, by helping our young innovators unleash their imaginations and turn their ideas into real-life proposals that could eventually transform our lives – from supporting our transition to Net Zero, to improving local healthcare services.
The UK Space Agency is committed to championing the power of space to inspire people and to offer greener, smarter solutions for businesses, supporting a more sustainable future.
British ESA astronaut Tim Peake said: “It has been amazing to see so many people inspired by my mission to the International Space Station and I hope that when satellites launch from the UK, it will help to show young people that there are all sorts of jobs in the space sector, including developing new applications for the data we get from space. Satellites are playing a huge role in our daily lives, from monitoring climate change, to watching television and I know that young people will have some fantastic ideas for new ways they can improve our lives. I can’t wait to see what they come up with, the possibilities are endless!”
Previous winners include Lowena Hull, from Portsmouth, who, in 2019, had an idea to track abandoned supermarket trolleys using satellites.
Lowena Hull said: “The SatelLife competition was an amazing chance to research into all the different ways satellite data can be implemented to help tackle a whole host of problems in both the local community and nationwide. My advice for anyone looking to get involved with the SatelLife Competition is to take a good look around and think: are there any problems either locally or globally I would like to try and solve? How might I be able to use satellite data to come up with a solution? Take your time with research and consider both feasibility and how might you implement your solution. Good luck!”
There is a total of £50,000 prize money up for grabs which will be shared across three age groups; 11-14, 15-18 and 19-22.
The judging panel will be made up of experts including industry representatives and the UK Space Agency, Satellite Applications Catapult and European Space Agency (ESA). The UK is the leading investor in ESA’s business applications programme and hosts the European Centre for Space Applications and Telecommunications in Harwell, Oxfordshire.
All winners will go on to pitch their ideas to a panel of ‘dragons’ at the Harwell Space Cluster in June for the chance to win further prizes. Previous prizes have included further funding, patent advice and invitations to discuss job opportunities as well as introductions to the other relevant experts for further help. (Source: https://www.gov.uk/)

02 Feb 22. NRO launches first secretive satellite of 2022. The National Reconnaissance Office launched its first satellite of the year on Feb. 2., with plans to launch more than a dozen additional payloads later in 2022.
“The success of NROL-87 was the result of multiple partnerships and the innovation of our people,” said NRO Director Chris Scolese in a statement. “Technology is ever changing. The relationships we build enable us to recognize solutions faster to ensure we field the latest capabilities. Our people continue to prove they are our greatest asset, solving the most complex problems in new and innovative ways.”
The satellite took off on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launching from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. Following the launch, the first stage safely returned to Earth for a picture perfect landing on the launch pad.
The launch is the first time the NRO has used a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket procured under the National Security Space Launch program. The agency plans to reuse the booster in a future mission.
“Today was our first National Security Space Launch SpaceX Falcon 9 from Vandenberg Space Force Base and it was a true team effort,” said Col. Robert Bongiovi, director of the Space Systems Command’s Launch Enterprise, in a statement. “The Launch Enterprise teams’ relentless pursuit of innovation drives us to partner with industry to assure access to space, meet mission objectives, and lower costs. Each launch is unique and culminates a campaign of activity that ensures successful placement of the space vehicle into orbit.”
The rocket’s sole passenger was a payload designed and built by the NRO, the intelligence agency charged with developing and maintaining the nation’s spy satellites. The agency declined to provide any specific information on the payload’s mission or capability, saying that information is classified.
“NROL-87 enhances NRO’s overall mission of providing critical information to more than a half-million government users to include every member of the Intelligence Community, two dozen domestic agencies, our nation’s military, lawmakers, and decision makers,” an agency spokesperson said in a statement. The NRO expects to conduct more than six additional launches in 2022 to send more than a dozen payloads into orbit. (Source: C4ISR & Networks)

02 Feb 22. Boost for space clusters across the UK. Ten space clusters across the UK have been given a boost, thanks to new UK Space Agency funding. These regional hubs, known as space clusters, will support new and growing companies, building on local expertise and catalysing investment into the space sector. Over £600,000 will go towards supporting activities that create jobs and growth, including recruiting space cluster managers, to strengthen local space sector leadership groups and developing new business opportunities.
The funding comes as the Government is set to unveil its flagship Levelling Up White Paper later today (2 February 2022), setting out a plan to transform the UK by spreading opportunity and prosperity to all parts of it.
Space plays a pivotal role in our daily lives and is already a vital part of the UK economy, worth over £16bn per year. However, the balance of investment and jobs is skewed towards certain regions.
The government recently launched its National Space Strategy which outlines its long-term plans to grow and level up the space sector across the UK.
Dr Paul Bate, Chief Executive of the UK Space Agency, said: “The National Space Strategy sets out a vision for ensuring we have a thriving, resilient and well-connected space ecosystem across the whole of the UK. We are building on our strengths in space such as satellite manufacturing, while supporting emerging markets like in-orbit servicing, to unlock the growth in the UK space sector and help level up the economy.”
Will Whitehorn, President of the trade association UKspace, said: “Additional grants of this nature are hugely important in helping to communicate the potential for the growing ‘New Space’ economy. Monitoring and understanding our world from space has already become crucial to our survival. Now industrialisation in space will be driven by the need to get to Net Zero and mitigate climate change by shifting more and more carbon generating digital activities outside the atmosphere, and even producing solar power in space. The opportunities these activities will bring to the UK should not be underestimated, from space launch to digital services and even infinity and beyond!”
There is also an urgent need for continuing significant investment by government and the private sector if these goals are to be achieved and the UK is able to move into the top tier of nations leading the industrial revolution in space.
Funding has gone to the following organisations in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland:
Cornwall Development Company – £51,000
Cornwall space cluster will use grant funds to hold a series of workshops and events to showcase local business capabilities to academic and industry partners across the UK to stimulate new opportunities for research and innovation. The CDC will also use funds to create a new cluster website, undertake research for a local skills strategy and refine the local space proposition for the region.
West of England Combined Authority – £97,500
The West of England region will use grant funds to build and deliver on the recommendations from the West of England Space Strategy. Funding will support a range of activities to raise the profile of the region’s space sector, including attracting inward investment and hosting a regional showcase event.
Northern Ireland Space Office – £72,000
Northern Ireland will use grant funds to undertake a series of cluster development activities that build on the recommendations from the NI Space Market Insight Report. Activities include the formation of a NI Space Leadership Council, undertaking stakeholder engagement to further mature the cluster and define a business case for sustainable cluster development.
Aerospace Wales £34,000
Wales was funded to appoint a Space Wales Development Manager. The individual appointed will lead the implementation of the Wales space sector strategy as embodied in the document “Wales –a sustainable space nation” and development of the Space Wales network and cluster.
Midlands Aerospace Alliance £64,000
West Midlands region will use grant funds to promote the West Midlands cluster, identify business opportunities, connect businesses to academia and space suppliers including non-space companies that can pivot into both the upstream and downstream sectors. The MAA and the University of Birmingham will also use funds to hold workshops to showcase the expertise within the region.
Leeds University £73,000
Space Hub Yorkshire will use grant funds to appoint 2x Cluster Development Managers that will drive and take forward recommendations from Yorkshire’s regional space strategy. Funding will also be used to initiate and deliver a programme of events, which will be continued and sustained beyond the lifetime of this grant through in-kind support from regional universities.
Highlands and Islands Enterprise £38,000
Space Hub Sutherland will use grant funds to undertake cluster development activity around the proposed site of a spaceport and launch facilities at Sutherland.
Open University £43,500
As part of the Arc for Space Group, The Open University will use grant funds to support and coordinate regional space sector growth ambitions in the Oxford-Cambridge Arc. Work will be delivered in close collaboration with industry, academia and regional organisations. World-leading research programmes will be mapped to develop commercial and funding opportunities for the region to enable businesses to participate and commercialise R&D projects.
Scottish Space Group (Space Scotland) £64,500
Scotland will use grant funds to appoint a cluster development manager to build and deliver on recommendations from the Scottish Space Strategy. Other activities will include identifying opportunities in the downstream sectors, scaling of regional STEM activities and undertake a series of stakeholder engagement activities to promote the cluster.
Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC; part of UK Research and Innovation) Daresbury Laboratory £61,000
This grant funding is being used to establish a North West of England Space Cluster, that connects with and empowers the UK’s global space Ambitions. It brings together all five bodies of the North West (Cumbria, Cheshire and Warrington, Greater Manchester, Lancashire and Liverpool City Region) with local, regional and national stakeholder organisations. Through building the shared understanding of the regions sizable space-related research, innovation and business assets, the added value the space sector can bring to other industrial sectors and the opportunity for greater national and international connection, a vision and strategy for this cluster can be co-created. Hosted by STFC, a North West Space Cluster Leadership Group has been established, to enable and ready this cluster for launch later in 2022.
Each organisation will use the funding to support locally led space sector activities in their region. This will include business case development and evidence gathering for local authorities and economic development bodies.
The new funding for regional space clusters follows £500k awarded to seven space hubs across the UK in 2020 to bring together local authorities, expertise and businesses to create a strategy for how their area can take maximum advantage of the commercial space race.
The UK already boasts a thriving space sector employing over 45,000 people in highly skilled jobs – from space scientists and researchers to engineers and satellite manufacturers.
The National Space Strategy looks to harness these strengths and support British companies to seize future opportunities, with the global space economy projected to grow from an estimated £270bn in 2019 to £490bn by 2030.
The UK Space Agency is working with local partners, Devolved Administrations, universities and industry to encourage more space businesses to start, grow and connect with the UK’s wider UK space ecosystem. (Source: https://www.gov.uk/)

01 Feb 22. Airbus and Partners Have Been Awarded 2 Laser-communication Projects Related to HydRON on Behalf of ESA. The past years have seen an unprecedented rise in the volume of data streams that circle the globe. Terrestrial communications infrastructure is quickly expanding worldwide to meet the ever-growing demand. However, terrestrial fibre-based networks depend on intrinsically point-to-point implementation of suitable infrastructure – often involving expensive earthworks and construction – and thus neglecting less populated/developed areas almost completely. Laser based satellite communication has the potential to help bridge this digital gap for a variety of applications such as television broadcasting, internet and phone services, virtual private networks over satellite and the like.
One response to this demand is the ESA HydRON (High Throughput Optical Network, SCYLIGHT SL.021) vision: an Optical Transport Network concept, based on the combination of space-based laser communication payloads in combination with extremely high throughput Optical Ground Space and Optical Inter-Satellite Links, complementing the existing terrestrial networks.
Airbus Defence and Space and partners Tesat, Fraunhofer HHI, Fraunhofer FOKUS, DLR-IKN, ADVA and COLT recently kicked-off two projects to A) develop a System Simulator Testbed and B) study the implementation of a HydRON Demonstration System. The Telecommunications and Integrated Applications Directorate [TIA] of the European Space Agency (ESA) is funding both.
The objective of the HydRON Demonstration System is to push the development and validation of the HydRON “Fibre in the Sky” technology integrated into terrestrial networks at terabit-per-second capacity to pave the way for a realisation of the HydRON system vision by demonstrating:
• the end-to-end system, including critical key technologies and a minimum viable service
• networking capabilities including seamless integration in high capacity terrestrial networks
• operational concept, reflecting an expandable HydRON concept
The demonstration system study (Phase A/B1) will last 18 months to propose an implementation concept for an end-to-end demonstrator of the HydRON vision, tentatively composed of two space-based laser communication payloads in LEO and GEO, interconnecting with each other, several optical ground stations and the terrestrial fibre optics network. Key objectives of the study will be to:
• consolidate mission and system requirements and define potential service scenarios
• define the system architecture, its main constituents and associated concept of operations
• demonstrate technical and programmatic feasibility
• prepare and plan the demonstrator implementation phase, incl. technical pre-developments
Study completion by mid-2023 shall serve as the technical and planning basis for the subsequent HydRON demonstration system implementation phase (Phase B2/C/D/E1) with a launch in 2026.
The consortium has been awarded a second contract to develop a HydRON System Simulator Testbed to:
• consolidate HydRON vision, system functionalities & end-to-end system architecture
• support HydRON Demonstration System trade-offs and baseline selection
• verify optical communications network solutions and technologies in a representative end-to-end network involving satellites and interfaces with high capacity terrestrial networks
• evaluate performance of optical satellite networks in scenarios with many degrees of freedom and under a large number of stochastic environment variables. (Source: ASD Network)

01 Feb 22. SpaceX successfully launches COSMO-SkyMed satellite for Italy. SpaceX successfully launched Italy’s new Earth observation satellite from Florida on Monday after days of delays due to bad weather.
The COSMO-SkyMed Second Generation (CSG) satellite launched onboard a Falcon 9 rocket at 6:11pm EST on 31 January from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
“Falcon 9 has successfully lifted off from pad 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, carrying the COSMO-SkyMed satellite to a polar sun-synchronous orbit” said Jessie Anderson in the live broadcast, a production engineering manager for the Falcon at SpaceX.
It blasted off immediately as the launch window opened, and in just under eight minutes, the rocket’s first stage returned to Landing Zone 1 back on Earth.
The next gen satellite will monitor the Earth for emergency prevention, strategy, scientific and commercial purposes according to the European Space Agency.
“Providing data on a global scale to support a variety of applications among which risk management, cartography, forest and environment protection, natural resources exploration, land management, defense and security, maritime surveillance, food and agriculture management,” the ESA said.
The prime contractor for the launch is Thales Alenia Space Italia, a global defence company providing services to both civil and military markets.
CEO Massimo Comparini said in an interview: “COSMO-SkyMed is a key program to monitor our planet, to sustain new services and applications, [and] to bring information about the evolution of our planet”.
Monday’s launch marked the third launch and landing of this particular booster, which previously supported the lift-off of Arabsat-6A and STP-2 in 2019.
The original launch was set for Thursday, but the forecast showed only 60 per cent chance of good weather conditions, mostly concerning high winds and rain.
It comes almost three years after the CSG-1 launched on board an Arianespace Soyuz rocket from French Guiana on 18 December in 2019.
It is the new and improved COSMO-SkyMed (CSK) which was a constellation of Earth imaging satellites launched between 2007 and 2010 for Italy.
According to the ESA, the CSG is “at the forefront of radar technology” and will ensure the continuity of the CSK satellites.
The program is funded by Agenzia Spaziale Italiana (ASI), the Italian Ministry of Defence and the Italian Ministry of Education, Universities and Scientific Research. (Source: Space Connect)

01 Feb 22. Rocket Factory Augsburg (RFA) is the first aerospace company in the world to put the naming of its rocket engine in the hands of the public. Starting today, anyone can submit their name suggestions online at www.rfa.space/nameourengine as part of the #NameOurEngine campaign. After an internal vote, RFA will put the top ten suggestions to a public vote on Twitter and Linkedin, where the final name will be determined. RFA hopes to receive numerous suggestions from individuals, but also from school classes, institutions, companies or other groups.
Submitting a name can be done online at www.rfa.space/nameourengine without registration. The submission is secret and, if desired, anonymous. There are no limits to the imagination, the name just has to be serious, free of copyrights, and be able to be briefly explained and justified. All submitted names will be presented to RFA and the top ten will then be put to a public vote on Twitter and Linkedin. Two rounds will be held to determine the final name: From the initial ten names, the top three are chosen and put to a public vote again, where the final name is chosen. The votes on both platforms are added together to determine the three finalists and the winning name.
The campaign will run for four weeks. Deadline for submitting names is February 20, the first round of voting will take place on February 23, the second and final round on February 28. The final name will be officially announced on March 3. The engine’s name giver will receive an official RFA certificate, engine hardware and a package of gifts from RFA.
About the engine
The RFA engine with staged combustion is one of the most advanced engine types in the world. Unlike engines with an open combustion cycle, in RFA´s staged combustion engine the exhaust gases from an oxygen-rich preburner are fed into the main combustion chamber after driving the turbopump. The fuel is thus burned more completely, increasing the engine’s efficiency by 7%, which translates into 30% more payload capacity of the RFA ONE micro launcher. Staged combustion is also more environmentally friendly, as significantly fewer highly sooty exhaust gases are released into the atmosphere.
The RFA engine is operated with RP-1 as propellant and liquid oxygen as oxidizer, has a thrust of 100kN and an Isp of 325s (SL) / 350s (Vac). Nine engines are used in the first stage, and one vacuum-optimized engine in the second stage.
Dr. Stefan Tweraser, Chief Executive Officer of RFA, says: “Part of our vision at RFA is to democratize access to space. However, this does not only refer to payloads. We want to be as transparent and open as possible and let everyone participate in our journey and development. Today, we want to go one step further and let the public play an active role in shaping it. The final name, perhaps suggested by a young boy or girl, will shape European spaceflight for years to come. And everyone who voted for that name will know they had a hand in it.”
Dr. Stefan Brieschenk, Chief Operating Officer at RFA, adds: “The RFA staged combustion engine is leading-edge technology combining performance and efficiency with modern, cost-effective manufacturing. Our staged combustion engine is the first of its kind in the European Union and will launch numerous satellites into low Earth orbit, as well as into higher orbits and even to the Moon, to better understand and protect our Earth. We are eagerly looking forward to a name that carries and reflects that spirit. Naming this engine is a truly unique opportunity and the name will become part of many articles, stories and conversations.”
About Rocket Factory
Rocket Factory Augsburg was founded in 2018 with the mission to significantly reduce launch costs in the space industry. The company’s goal is to develop a launch vehicle prototype by the end of 2022 which can launch satellites into low Earth orbits on a weekly basis at unmatched prices. The RFA ONE launch vehicle combines three key competitive advantages: a highly cost-efficient architecture using industrial automation and lowest-possible development costs, precise in-orbit delivery by its orbital stage, and superior propulsion systems using staged-combustion.

01 Feb 22. UK Launches Defence Space Strategy. The UK will invest £1.4bn to bolster our national interests in space, as part of the first Defence Space Strategy published today.
• UK’s first Defence Space Strategy published today to address growing threats
• £1.4bn invested in cutting-edge technology to protect UK interests in space
• UK will strengthen partnerships with key allies and NATO to build stability and resilience
Following publication of the National Space Strategy in September last year, the Defence Space Strategy (DSS) outlines how Defence will protect the UK’s national interests in space in an era of ever-growing threats, stimulating growth across the sector and supporting highly skilled jobs across the UK.
As part of the new £1.4bn investment, over the next ten years £968m will be committed to deliver a multi-satellite system to support greater global surveillance and intelligence for military operations – known as the ISTARI Programme. A further £61m will explore cutting-edge laser communications technology to deliver data from space to Earth at a speed equivalent to superfast broadband.
This substantial investment in space defence is on top of the existing £5bn already upgrading the UK’s Skynet satellite communications capability – providing strategic communication services to the UK Armed Forces and allies.
Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said: “It’s crucial we continue to push the frontiers of our defence space ambitions, enhancing our military resilience and strengthening our nation’s security.
This significant investment will help to ensure the UK remains at the forefront of space innovation and one step ahead of our competitors.
Through close international collaboration with our allies and NATO, the DSS outlines how the UK will protect our space interests, build stability, increase resilience and prevent conflicts from extending into space.”
In addition to projects funded by £1.4bn, a series of supporting programmes funded through existing investment will launch as part of the DSS to provide cutting-edge technologies for intelligence, surveillance, situational awareness, and Command and Control.
These include:
MINERVA
An additional £127m invested over the next four years will develop a network of satellites designed to integrate space with land, air, sea and cyber. An operational concept demonstrator, the new programme “MINERVA”, will present the UK’s ability to autonomously collect, process and disseminate data from UK and allied space assets to support frontline military decision-making. Work has already commenced on the programme and MINERVA will present a developed and tested system in due course, which will be brought together under the established UK Space Command and underpin the £968m ISTARI Programme.
PROMETHEUS 2
Designed and assembled by In-Space Missions Ltd in Alton, two tiny satellites (30cm x 20cm x 10cm), comparable to the size of a shoebox, will provide a test platform for monitoring through GPS, radio signals and sophisticated imaging, paving the way for a more collaborative and connected space communication system with our combat allies.
These satellites will support MOD’s science and technology activities both in orbit and on the ground through the development of ground systems focussed at the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory site near Portsmouth.
Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Sir Mike Wigston said: “With this strategy, the Ministry of Defence will protect and promote the United Kingdom’s interests in space, and take a leading role in the coalition of like-minded nations and organisations who have come together to ensure space is there for the benefit of all.
In a separate development, Oxford Space Systems has today announced an investment round of £4m which, subject to final completion, will accelerate the build of their innovative Wrapped Rib Antenna. Working in collaboration with the Ministry of Defence and backed by UK venture capital investors and the National Security Strategic Investment Fund, the project will create up to 50 new jobs. The technology will enable high resolution imaging from small satellite earth observation missions, irrespective of weather conditions or daylight.”
The UK has been operating in space continuously since 1988 and boasts a world-leading sovereign satellite communications capability. UK Space Command, established in July 2021, will lead our Defence space approach, harnessing the energy and adaptability of the country’s space sector, while driving integration, innovation and conducting day-to-day space operations, all under a single command.
The DSS reinforces objectives outlined in the 2021 Integrated Review: to build resilience, shape the international order of the future; sustain strategic advantage through science and technology; and strengthen security and defence at home and overseas.
Viasat comments on the launch of the UK Space Strategy
John Reeves, Managing Director, Viasat UK: “We applaud the UK Ministry of Defence for its Defence Space Strategy and share its commitment to developing sovereign UK space capabilities to protect national interests, while also collaborating with the commercial sector, allies and NATO to bring stability to space. The space domain is essential to the defence and security of the nation. The DSS is an enormous step towards enhancing UK military operations and building the resilient capabilities needed to operate in highly contested and congested environments. As a global defence communications provider, we are fully aligned with the UK Government in its commitment to integrate satellite networks to enhance Multi-Domain Integration and assure autonomous data-sharing for greater situational awareness, delivering an information advantage over adversaries.”
Airbus comments on the launch of the UK Space Strategy. Richard Franklin, Managing Director of Airbus Defence and Space UK, said: “We welcome the UK’s new Defence Space Strategy, which rightly reinforces the importance of the space domain for defence and security, and of military satellite communications for command and control and information advantage. As the operator and manufacturer of the UK’s Skynet military satellite communications fleet, which successfully supported the recent Carrier Strike Group deployment, we are at the heart of maintaining Britain’s space capability and Space Domain Awareness, and committed to the development of the UK’s space industrial ecosystem. As a world leader in commercial and military telecommunications satellites, as well as synthetic aperture radar satellites, we are committed to the provision of assured information, using space assets that are cyber secure by design. We are ready to support the Government’s ambition to be a meaningful actor in the space domain and create a mesh of both commercial and military to provide truly resilient networks and information for the demanding national user requirements.”
Detail of Space Strategy here:
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1051456/20220120-UK_Defence_Space_Strategy_Feb_22.pdf

01 Feb 22. Defence Procurement Minister launches Defence Space Strategy
Defence Procurement Minister Jeremy Quin announces the Defence Space Strategy.
It’s a huge pleasure to be here today on the next step in our execution of the Integrated Review, the Defence Command Paper and Defence and Security Industrial Strategy.
A lot has happened in Defence in the last year. From assisting in homeland resilience in issues as varied at vaccine delivery to Heavy Goods Vehicle support to the largest Royal Navy deployment in decades making our positive presence felt on the far side of the world.
Above all, as I speak, the Defence Secretary is meeting NATO partners, discussing the truly concerning situation on Ukraine’s borders – the most serious threat of a major war on our continent since the fall of the Berlin Wall.
However the British people know that what they can always expect from UK Defence is calm, determined, delivery.
We are continuing to progress the positive future for Defence to ensure we can meet the threats of the future with the most modern, integrated, technologically advanced forces reaching out through every domain.
For hundreds of years we have faced down threats from land and sea. Over the last century we rose to the challenge of air warfare.
One of the threats of the future. A threat that has the ability to fundamentally threaten so many of our key interests in and from Space.
Building on our National approach published last year, we promised a Defence Space Strategy which I am proud to announce today.
We know the opportunities that space delivers from effective global communications through to ISR. We also know of the threat. Several states are pursuing hostile capabilities that can disrupt and deny others’ use of space.
A few months ago, Russia recklessly destroyed an inactive satellite – sending debris spinning around the Earth and endangering the International Space station.
Just consider a simple fleck of paint travelling in space at five miles per second in Low Earth Orbit can cause huge damage to critical space assets.
But what we’re talking about here with Russia’s actions is at least 1,500 pieces of debris that we can track, its probably, ten times that amount, travelling at that speed through space, with potential to cause disastrous results to any space equipment with which it collides.
Such irresponsible actions underline the dangers in a domain on which we place ever increasing reliance.
Satellite constellations in orbit link up almost every aspect of our daily lives, from mobile phones, the internet and television to transport networks, and the world’s financial trading systems. Our allies and we rely on space to deliver secure global communications, provide surveillance intelligence and missile warning, as well as support our deployed forces globally.
So our new Defence Space Strategy sets out a plan for us to become more resilient, more robust and a more significant space player on the global stage. We’ve begun laying the groundwork. Last April we established a single joint UK Space Command that will conduct day-to-day space operations, deliver leading-edge capabilities and generate the Force structure we need. And last September, we published our first integrated National Space Strategy. It set out our ambition to strengthen the UK’s status as a world-class space nation and become one of the most innovative and attractive space economies in the world.
Defence is integral to this ambition. So we’ve been investing to deliver. In addition to the £5bn over 10 years already allocated to our future Skynet Satellite communications, a further £1.4bn has been allocated to support defence operations over the next decade.
Our priorities are set out within today’s strategy.
£970m will go into our new ISTARI programme. This puts in place the foundations of a next-generation constellation of ISR in Low Earth Orbit. They will be fitted with a variety of sensors which can ‘see’ across multiple aspects of the spectrum – allowing for 24/7 observation capabilities whatever the weather.
Related to this, we are investing £61m in a programme called TITANIA, which will experiment with optical laser communication technology. This will enable the transfer of data in, to and from Space at an equivalent capacity to high-speed broadband.
£85m is destined to develop our Space Domain Awareness capabilities. Enhancing our ability to properly understand activity in space stretching as far as geostationary orbit and beyond – more than 36,000km from Earth. Our Space Domain Awareness activity also includes close collaboration with our US and Australian partners on the Deep Space Advanced Radar Capability programme announced last July by the Defence Secretary.
And £135m has been allocated to boost our Command and Control capabilities over the decade. Besides underpinning our new Space Command, this cash will deliver our AURORA programme. Developing the architecture on which we’ll build game-changing apps so our commanders can make rapid decisions in real time.
Finally, we are investing £145 m on Space Control to explore capabilities that deliver carefully calibrated effects to protect our access to space and our operational independence.
Our ambitions don’t end there and are not capped at £1.4bn. So today I am delighted to announce we’re going to invest a further £127m over the next four years in Minerva. This project emerged from a Dragon’s Den style process. Testing the great ideas that come through from the Defence Innovation Unit (DIU).
Minerva is about the best means to deliver the digital backbone upon which our space enterprise will depend. It is focussed on the processing power, the radio frequencies, the imaging capabilities, and the data streams to deliver space-based intelligence.
Not only will it make us fully interoperable – enabling us to tap into our key Space allies. But it will allow us to share what space-derived data we discover across every domain in a timely manner. We’ll share what we know. They’ll share what they know …to our mutual benefit. Best of all we are working closely with UK companies to deliver it.
Together, MINERVA and ISTAR will form the building blocks of our Defence space ISR capability. Collectively they will help us learn lessons about how to spirally develop our capabilities in an agile manner – outpacing both the rapidity of technological advancement and potential adversaries.
As I hope I’ve begun to show, this strategy is about more than capabilities. It is about partnerships. Government working as one with industry and international allies. With this in mind, I am delighted to announce another really exciting innovation. Our Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) is manufacturing a tiny shoe-box-sized satellite – otherwise known as Prometheus 2. Manufactured in the UK, it is operated by the company In-Space Missions, with ground station support from Dstl’s international partners and Airbus Defence & Space UK.
Despite its tiny size, Prometheus’s payload will include a Hyperspectral Imager from Cosine Measurement Systems, Global-Positioning receivers from the University of New South Wales, a wide field-of-view imager from Canadensys, and multiple Software-Defined-Radios from Airbus UK. This exciting project is hugely innovative. We’re testing the concept, experimenting, pushing the boundaries. Investing to stay on the cutting edge.
And, on top of this huge pipeline of space investment coming down the track, we’ve got our SKYNET 6A satellite, being built by Airbus Defence and Space. It remains on track for launch in 2025.
These investments are about security. But they are also about prosperity. Government has already helped create a thriving UK space sector worth over £16.4bn per year, with a strong talent pipeline employing over 45,000 people in fields from satellite manufacturing to research. This makes the UK an excellent location for space businesses.
The funding I’ve announced today represents a significant boost for the UK space industry and will play a key part in stimulating wider innovation, commercialisation, and growth.
Rest assured, we will continue working ever more closely with industry to develop the space technologies needed to maintain our advantage and amplify our competitive edge. Knowing that, as we do, our innovative space research and development will inspire a new generation and enhance the expertise of an entire sector.
So, today we’re boldly pushing back the frontiers of our Defence space ambitions. Not just enhancing our military resilience, strengthening our security, and furthering our prosperity. We are applying rocket boosters to the UK’s innovative instincts and helping our space sector surge ahead of the threats we’ll face in the future. (Source: https://www.gov.uk/)

01 Feb 22. UK Defence Space Strategy – Athena statement. Speaking in response to the launch of the UK Defence Space Strategy on behalf of Athena, Paul McCarter, Managing Director, Serco Defence, said: “As the UK’s national champion in Space, Athena welcomes the launch of the UK’s first Defence Space Strategy. The Strategy is an opportunity to underpin our national security, enhance alliances, and grow, diversify, and increase the resilience of industrial capability in support of Global Britain. The scale of the task to protect and project interests in space means that alliances will be key. The UK will need to work collaboratively with like-minded allies, and their industries, to access vital space-based technologies, improve understanding of the domain, achieve resilience, and shape the norms and behaviours in space.
Defence Space will also have an importance role in supporting government broader priorities, including the National Space Strategy and Levelling Up, by encouraging further investment in and growth of the space sector.”

01 Feb 22. US and NATO Forces to Benefit From Groundbreaking Satellite Technology Following Breakthrough Antenna Trials with Isotropic Systems.
– Isotropic Systems’ multi-link terminal successfully connects to GEO and MEO satellites simultaneously during landmark trials ensuring enhanced resilience and security for defense systems
Isotropic Systems, the leading developer of transformational multi-link satellite technology, today announced the successful completion of advanced multi-orbit antenna trials which will enable a new age of resilience for worldwide government communications increasingly reliant on satellite connectivity on the ground, at sea and in the air.
The tests were conducted with SES Government Solutions, the leading provider of government satcom solutions, at the U.S. Army proving grounds in Aberdeen, Maryland, and successfully demonstrated a range of capabilities that will support military and government missions across the globe. During the milestone multi-orbit trials, separate satellites in different orbits were simultaneously linked with a single Isotropic Systems multi-link antenna, demonstrating the terminal’s capabilities tailored to meet the rigorous conditions and challenging connectivity demands across the battlespace.
With this breakthrough from Isotropic Systems, U.S. and NATO forces will for the first time be able to access every bit of satellite capacity across military and commercial satellites from a single antenna, which offers greatly enhanced defense and security capabilities:
• Unmanned Aircraft or UAVs will be able to connect to the optimal satellites for a variety of surveillance and armed missions
• Military pilots can link to optimal satellites for ground communications, while aircraft crew can connect to entirely separate satellites at the same time to access superfast broadband for real-time communications with warfighters and central command
• A broad range of ships and vessels at sea will be able to communicate and connect with troops in the air and on the ground for a seamless mission campaign
• Should a satellite be disrupted or denied during a conflict, U.S. and NATO forces on the ground will benefit for complete mission assurance with multiple connections to multiple satellites running at the time
As part of the Isotropic Systems multi-link antenna trials, the U.S. Army demonstrated a simultaneous connection in operational conditions as part of the U.S. Air Force’s innovative Defense Experimentation Using Commercial Space Internet (DEUCSI) program. The terminal established two live simultaneous, full-performance connections with SES satellites in GEO and MEO, and seamless satellite-to-satellite transitions, providing a game-changing leap in wartime communications.
“Our terminal is the first and only U.S. Army tested antenna capable of multiple simultaneous satellite links, which provides the US military and NATO with the communications capabilities they need for today’s threat environment with disrupted satellites becoming more common,” said John Finney, founder and CEO of Isotropic Systems. “We have proven our optical multi-link antenna technology is fully capable of providing mission-critical, resilient space-based connectivity for the military and across a broad range of vertical markets – from government and enterprise to aero and maritime – as we remain on track for our commercial launch in 2022.”
“These back-to-back breakthrough antenna trials demonstrate how a new generation of terminals, led by Isotropic System’s optical multi-link platform, will unleash the full potential of existing and next-gen satellites for mission-critical government and defense missions anywhere,” said Pete Hoene, President and CEO of SES Government Solutions. “The timing of the commercial availability of this new antenna is ideal with the recent launch of our SES-17 GEO satellite and the launch of our new O3b mPOWER MEO system in 2022.”
About Isotropic Systems
With offices in the UK and U.S., Isotropic Systems is developing the world’s first multi-service, high-bandwidth, low power, fully integrated high throughput terminals designed to support the satellite industry to ‘reach beyond’ traditional markets and acquire new customers with a full suite of high throughput services. The company’s team of industry experts and scientists has pioneered several firsts in satellite terminal design resulting in a line of terminals that are customizable to meet the performance, cost and power requirements of countless applications – from the most complex government defence systems and mobile backhaul solutions capable of extending 5G, to next-gen connected experiences aboard commercial airliners, cruise ships, offshore rigs, and even small fishing boats at sea.
Investors in Isotropic Systems include Boeing HorizonX Global Ventures, SES and Promus Ventures through its Luxembourg based space investment fund, Orbital Ventures, Seraphim Capital, Firmament Ventures, Space Angels and family office investors such as Waterlow Management Limited. Further information is available at www.isotropicsystems.com.
About SES Government Solutions
SES Government Solutions (SES GS) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of global satellite operator SES. SES GS operates under a proxy board allowing them to provide services through contracts with the U.S. Government, including classified work. SES GS is exclusively focused on meeting the satellite communications needs of the U.S. Government. Leveraging more than four decades of experience in the government SATCOM market, SES Government Solutions offers robust and secure end-to-end satellite communications solutions. Further information can be found at www.ses-gs.com (Source: PR Newswire)

31 Jan 22. Space Sustainability – It’s Time for Action. His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales visited Astroscale’s ELSA-d Mission Control Centre this afternoon, to learn more from the first private company to demonstrate a vision for the safe and sustainable development of space for the benefit of future generations. His Royal Highness gathered with leading industry representatives from OneWeb and the Satellite Applications Catapult, together with Minister for Science, George Freeman MP, and Paul Bate, CEO of the UK Space Agency. The group toured the ELSA-d Mission Control Centre and met with a group of young engineers from Astroscale who are breaking new ground to provide a solution to the growing problem of space debris, an issue that puts critical satellite infrastructure and astronauts based on the International Space Station (ISS) at serious risk.
“We were delighted to meet with HRH Prince of Wales, industry and government leaders to discuss how we might envision the space environment as an extension of Earth’s environment – an essential asset that all space actors must utilise safely to ensure we maintain critical space-based national infrastructure and satellite services including monitoring climate change,” said John Auburn, Managing Director of Astroscale Ltd. “We need to act now to protect the space environment for governments, global industry, society and for future generations.”
His Royal Highness, Prince of Wales, commented during the visit, “While we’re making rather a mess of this planet, it might be useful to have an environmental management agreement for space.”
Astroscale launched the first end-to-end demonstration mission to remove debris from space in March 2021. The ELSA-d mission, designed to test the technology and capabilities needed to remove a defunct satellite from space, is operated in the UK from the National In-Orbit Servicing Control Centre, a specialist facility developed by Astroscale, in partnership with the Satellite Applications Catapult, and funded by UK Research & Innovation.
“This sounds like science fiction, but it’s really happening up in space right now.” said Auburn. “His Royal Highness met our team of expert engineers who, as part of the ELSA-d mission, are in the middle of commanding two spacecraft, a servicer and a client satellite that they’re preparing to capture in the coming weeks.
The European Space Agency (ESA) estimates there are more than 9800 tons of space junk, including an estimate 2840 defunct satellites, that risk collision with 5000 active satellites, or worse still the International Space Station (ISS).
“I’ll never forget listening to a talk by Astronaut Tim Peake – he said he was only ever really frightened by one major thing during his time in space: space debris colliding with the space station,” said Auburn. “Tim was not alone. We recently witnessed seven astronauts and cosmonauts who prepared for an emergency evacuation of the ISS after a Russian anti-missile test caused more debris in space.”
Others share Auburn’s sentiments. Neil Masterson, CEO of OneWeb talked of his enthusiasm for space sustainability stating. “We are honoured to have attended the HRH High Level Meeting on Space Sustainability,” said Masterson. “Space is a shared natural resource that can transform the way we live, work and connect.
With the increased global demand for launches of satellites that can provide data to support the environment, the economy and society, there are concerns around ensuring access to space can be provided in a sustainable way without risking in-orbit collisions. The UK’s National Space Strategy, unveiled last September, highlighted the importance of the sector addressing the issue of space sustainability as a strategic priority.
Earlier in the year, industry-led group Space Scotland had acted as the catalyst for a major sectoral drive towards net zero ambitions through the Sustainable Space Challenges initiative, which called for environmental groups, schools and the local public to highlight environmental issues for space to solve. Outcomes and ideas were shared by international partners including ESA, the University of Texas at Austin, UK Space Agency, Astroscale and First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, calling for the industry to collaborate across all key stakeholders internally, and to forge closer partnerships with other sectors, to ensure the UK’s burgeoning space industry develops in a sustainable fashion.
Advancing the technology to remove space debris creates other commercial opportunities that will strengthen the UK’s global position in the space sector, provide further opportunities to lead on space sustainability, and could over time contribute towards Net Zero Space. The sector is known as in-orbit servicing and manufacturing, and it is driven in the UK by a group which convenes regularly via the UKspace Trade Association. The UK’s space economy has a tremendous opportunity for growth in this sub-sector, highlighted in a report commissioned by the UK Space agency. It’s estimated the fast-growing in-orbit servicing sector will be worth $4bn globally by 2030, with UK industry aiming to capture first-leader advantage and a $1bn share of the total market.
“We’re at a tipping point for in-orbit servicing and manufacturing in the UK,” said Stuart Martin, CEO of Satellite Applications Catapult. “We already have many capabilities developing at pace within Airbus, SSTL, Astroscale, D-Orbit, ClearSpace and many more. For us to accelerate capability and commercial growth, we need strong partnerships between industry, academia and government, and effective international alliances will be critical.”

31 Jan 22. Satcom Direct Plane Simple™ Antenna System qualified on Intelsat FlexExec Network. Satcom Direct, the business aviation solutions provider, is celebrating the qualification of the Satcom Direct Plane Simple™ Antenna System on the Intelsat FlexExec network. Together, Intelsat’s high throughput satellite network, combined with the Plane Simple Ku-band tail-mounted antenna system, simplifies high-speed data access for more business aviation owners globally through ease of installation, flexible plans and advanced antenna technology.
The verification follows months of diligent testing and optimization by both companies, confirming that the first network integrated SD Plane Simple terminal, designed exclusively for business aviation, is fully compatible with the world’s first dedicated network capacity for business aviation, the Intelsat FlexExec service.
“Until now high-speed capabilities have remained the domain of the large jet market, this qualification opens up the possibilities for more jet sizes to benefit from the advantages of high-speed broadband,” explains Chris Moore, President Satcom Direct Business Aviation. “Our operators are going to be delighted with the level of performance, cost effectiveness and convenience of the powerful system. We are excited to introduce this advanced technology as it will better support more inflight productivity, enhance leisure time, and enable improved operational management for more customers.”
The singular design of the SD Plane Simple Antenna System, which has been built in partnership with QEST, Quantenelektronische Systeme GmbH, a worldwide market leader in innovative aeronautical antennas, consists of just two-Line Replaceable Units, the Satcom Direct modem and tail mount antenna. This minimizes invasive installation, reduces maintenance fees, and provides an easy transition pathway to upgrade connectivity services. The qualification confirms that together, SD and Intelsat have successfully enabled more seamless communication options, while enabling high-speed data connectivity through, flexible, managed services, from a single resource, SD. Customers from the private, corporate, government and military sectors will all have access to the benefits of the Intelsat FlexExec network and the SD Plane Simple hardware.
“SD and Intelsat are advancing the in-flight experience for business aviation with a future-proof, hassle-free, end-to-end managed solution. Our successful partnership and collaboration are based on our shared focus for innovation, commercial simplicity and flexibility in business aviation communications,” says Mark Rasmussen, Intelsat Senior Vice President, Mobility. “FlexExec is the only broadband solution fully integrated with the SD Plane Simple Antenna Solution which is a huge testimony to the power and adaptivity of the Intelsat network.” FlexExec is a global, multi-layered, redundant high-throughput satellite network. It is a dedicated solution designed exclusively for business aviation with ubiquitous, always-available access and features speeds up to 15×2 Mbps globally.
SD used its own Dassault Falcon 2000LX aircraft to gather the flight data during the qualification process. Testing spanned more than 115 flight hours over 62 individual legs. Some 250GB of data were transmitted to deliver consistent data streaming across multiple devices during the series of international test flights.

31 Jan 22. New funding to support sustainable future of space.
Government announces new funding for space sustainability projects.
• Space debris is a major threat to the satellite services we rely on
• 13 projects involve industry and academia across the UK
The UK Space Agency is providing £1.7m for new projects to support sustainable space operations, Science Minister George Freeman announced today.
The 13 new projects will help track and remove dangerous debris in space. They include an AI-based tool which can take autonomous action to avoid a collision and another which will see multiple small spacecraft fired at debris before taking it into the atmosphere to dispose of it.
The Science Minister, UK Space Agency CEO Paul Bate and representatives from the UK space sector met at the Harwell Space Cluster in Oxfordshire to discuss the sustainable future of the space environment today (Monday 31 January).
Orbital congestion created by space debris is one of the biggest global challenges facing the space sector. There are currently an estimated 330 million pieces of space debris, including 36,500 objects bigger than 10cm, such as old satellites, spent rocket bodies and even tools dropped by astronauts orbiting Earth.
Space debris can stay in orbit for hundreds of years and present a real danger to the rapidly increasing number of new satellites being launched each year which provide vital services, including communications and climate change monitoring.
Science Minister George Freeman said: “Like debris on Everest, the first generation of space exploration and satellite launch has left millions of pieces of dangerous satellite fragments and 4,000 redundant satellites in orbit. As our reliance on satellites for everyday activity grows, and the UK becomes a leading hub of small satellite design, manufacturing and launch this year via Virgin Orbit in Cornwall, this debris now poses a serious threat to our £16bn space sector.”
That’s why we have made debris mitigation and removal – and the long-term importance of space sustainability – key elements of our National Space Strategy.
These projects will help put the UK at the forefront of both protecting the space environment for future activity, and accelerating UK technology leadership.
The UK’s National Space Strategy set out a bold vision for the sector and recognises the need for the UK to lead in making space safe and sustainable. The new funding supports the development of underlying technology or data processing capabilities for space surveillance and tracking to support the removal of orbital debris.
In the past two years the UK Space Agency has provided £2.7m for UK industry and academia to develop new technology for Space Surveillance and Tracking (SST) and debris removal, as well as investing around £16m on space sustainability through the European Space Agency in 2019.
The UK is the largest contributor to ESA’s Space Safety Programme. This new funding comes from a joint call from the UK Space Agency’s Space Surveillance and Tracking and National Space Technology Programme.
Managing Director, Astroscale Ltd and Co-Chair of the IOSM Working Group, UKspace, John Auburn said: “We need to act now to build the UK’s capability with the right level of UK investment; enhanced UK regulation and policy; supply chain development, and international partnerships. The In-orbit Servicing and Manufacturing (IOSM) working group, part of UKspace, is comprised of more than 65 members.”
This rapidly expanding group is driving forward a shared vision to gain first leader commercial advantage in the in-orbit servicing and manufacturing sector. We must accelerate our efforts to secure a safe and sustainable space environment and see it as a natural extension of the Earth’s environment. This will help to protect vital services, including those monitoring climate change, weather forecasting, disaster management and digital services for citizens and ensure we can provide them for generations to come.
In 2021 the UK Space Agency worked with the UN Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) to support the next stage of international efforts to promote space sustainability and provided funding to research a UK-led mission to remove junk from space. (Source: https://www.gov.uk/)

31 Jan 22. Europe launches fund to invest in space startups. The European Commission is rolling out a new program to offer investment for European startups to keep those companies on the continent. Officials from the European Commission, European Investment Bank and European Investment Fund announced Jan. 25 they were committing at least €1bn ($1.12bn) over five years to Cassini, a program that will provide early-stage funding for European space companies.
The intent of Cassini is to provide European support for those startups to keep them from looking elsewhere, particularly the United States, for funding, which might lead those companies to leave Europe.
“European space entrepreneurs feel that there is a lack of private financing sources. They, therefore, tend to keep an eye on private capital outside of the E.U., especially the United States,” said Kris Peeters, vice president of the European Investment Bank, during a speech at the 14th European Space Conference where he and other officials announced the fund. “European public financial instruments play an essential role in unlocking private capital for the space sector.”
Thierry Breton, the European Union commissioner responsible for space policy, offered similar sentiments at the conference. “Many of our startups cannot get the equity investment they need in Europe. They have no choice but to turn to non-E.U. investors. Of course, this is a loss of opportunity and also a major risk for Europe.”
Breton, Peeters and Alain Godard, chief executive of the European Investment Fund, signed a joint statement at the conference formalizing their partnership on Cassini. That was followed later in the day by another joint statement by officials with the E.U., European Space Agency and European Investment Fund.
“Europe is lacking access to funding in order to allow industry to flourish,” said Josef Aschbacher, director general of ESA, at the signing of the second joint statement regarding Cassini. “Europe is full of ideas, it’s full of energy, but they need the means to transform these ideas into projects, into program and into activities.”
Those officials, though, offered few details about how Cassini will invest in European startups. During a later panel session at the conference, Guillaume de La Brosse, head of the innovations, startups and economics unit at the European Commission directorate responsible for space, said the European Investment Fund will partner with venture capital funds in Europe for Cassini. Those funds will make their initial investments in the second half of the year.
“It’s exactly what we need because what we’re facing today is that you need equity to scale up, but private investors are not willing to invest because they perceive this sector as too risky,” he said. “So we need to un-risk that sector.”
Executives with European space companies on the panel welcomed Cassini while also noting that the environment for space investment in Europe was already improving. “Five years ago, the situation was completely different,” said Nicolas Capet, chief executive of Anywaves, a French antenna manufacturer. At that time, he said, space was still considered in Europe to be the realm of governments and large companies only.
“In five years, the number of possibilities that have been developed and implemented by institutions is just incredible,” he said, including support from ESA and national governments. “I think there are a lot of huge things that are already implemented.”
“We’re living in a moment where the mindset is changing, and it’s very exciting for us,” said Clément Galic, chief executive of Unseenlabs, which is developing a constellation of maritime intelligence satellites. Cassini, he said, “will push the private investors to follow.”
“We are European. Why should we have to move?” he said. “But, to be honest, we will not put the company into danger. If we need to raise money out of Europe, we will do so.” (Source: glstrade.com/Space News)
28 Jan 22. Collins Aerospace Granted Developmental Licenses for Iridium Certus SATCOM Solutions. Iridium recently awarded Collins Aerospace an Iridium Certus Developmental Over the Air License for Collins’ new Active Low Gain Antenna (ALGA) and a High Gain Antenna (HGA). The license is the latest milestone in Collins’ development of its new higher bandwidth Iridium Certus® airborne satellite communications (SATCOM) solution — expected to be available in 2022. Collins is the first Iridium Certus Aviation Partner to have been awarded this license for both an ALGA and an HGA-based solution.
Iridium awarded the licenses after Collins completed multiple tests in 2020 and 2021 where its ALGA and HGA successfully connected and transmitted data to an orbiting Iridium® satellite. In addition, the HGA System recently performed a three-hour flight test, conducting a series of voice and data transfers in various flight phases and profiles on an experimental aircraft in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
When complete, Collins Aerospace’s new Iridium SATCOM solution will provide business aviation and air transport customers with faster speeds, lower weight and smaller antenna footprint than legacy SATCOM systems allowing for minimum drag and lower power usage. This will provide operators with additional options for use in both the cockpit for safety services and in the cabin for passenger entertainment.
Collins Aerospace’s solutions will include all airborne hardware for the new systems, including the Satcom Data Unit (SDU), SDU Configuration Module and the antennas — either ALGA or HGA — depending on the operator’s bandwidth requirements. (Source: ASD Network)

24 Jan 22. Orbital Micro Systems Selected For Elite U.S. Defense Exportability Features Program. Orbital Micro Systems’ (OMS) Global Earth Monitoring System (GEMS), WeatherRecord, WeatherLock, and International Center for Earth Data (ICED) capabilities, have been competitively selected across the entire Department of Defense (DoD) after nomination by the U.S. Space Force (USSF) to the Office of the Secretary of Defense’s Defense Exportability Features (DEF) program. The DEF program is designed to develop and incorporate technology protection features into designated systems during their research and development phases with the goals of enhancing coalition interoperability, decreasing costs to the DoD and partner nations, and improving the international competitiveness of U.S. defense systems.
Through this initiative, OMS will perform market research for the DoD regarding the potential to export its technology portfolio to countries who have signed defense cooperation treaties or agreements with the United States, including the Combined Maritime Forces, Organization of American States, North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), Five Eyes, Five Power Defense Arrangement, ANZUS treaty, Compact of Free Association, U.S.-Israel Strategic Partnership, Japanese Security Alliance, South Korea Mutual Defense Agreement, India Major Defense Partner, and Rio treaty. In addition, OMS will outline a plan to incorporate the necessary program protection and security features to enable future export of its capabilities.
In its nomination for the DEF program, the USSF noted that the OMS technology portfolio has a high degree of potential for export to international government customers who lack in-country Meteorological Satellite (MetSat) and Meteorological Data (MetData) capabilities.
“OMS is truly humbled to be selected for the highly competitive DEF program and is working quickly to engage with 20 U.S. government stakeholder organizations to coordinate this complex effort, including the Space Force, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Navy, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),” said Michael Hurowitz, OMS chief executive officer. “Our unique passive microwave satellites (GEMS), data platform (ICED), WeatherRecord nowcasting, and WeatherLock forecasting systems enable continuous monitoring of and rapid access to environmental data to inform mission critical decisions. Our suite of technologies can cost-effectively deliver MetSat and MetData capabilities to countries without their own space-based weather observation infrastructure.”
Orbital Micro Systems (OMS) specializes in the development and delivery of remote sensing technologies for space, air, sea, and land applications. With broad expertise in applied science, weather science and Earth observation, instrumentation development, data science, space operations, and program delivery, OMS is positioned to deliver innovation to many markets, including insurance, transportation, government, and agriculture. (Source: Satnews)

28 Jan 22. China to strengthen space governance over next five years – white paper. China said it will strengthen its governance in space over the next five years to better protect its assets and interests, including the study of plans to build a near-earth object defence system and cooperation with other nations.
China will also strengthen space traffic control, improve its space debris monitoring system, and build an integrated space-ground space climate monitoring system, according to a white paper published by the Chinese government on Friday.
At the same time, China will seek to actively participate in the formulation of international rules on outer space under the framework of the United Nations, and work jointly with other countries to address the challenges in ensuring long-term sustainability of outer space activities.
“China will actively participate in discussions on international issues and the development of relevant mechanisms, such as those in the fields of space environment governance, near-earth objects monitoring and response, planet protection, space traffic management, and the development and utilisation of space resources,” according to the white paper.
Domestically, China will speed up the formulation of a national space law and establish a legal system with this law at the core, to promote law-based governance of the space industry. (Source: Reuters)

26 Jan 22. Space Systems Command Starts JMS SP-9 Decommissioning As SDA Capabilities Are Modernized. Space Systems Command (SSC)’s Space Command and Control (Space C2) program began the decommissioning of Joint Space Operations Center (JSpOC) Mission System (JMS) Service Pack 9 (SP-9) this month, marking a significant step toward the continued modernization of Space Domain Awareness (SDA) capabilities for the nation.
The operational acceptance of Warp Core on October 1, 2021, along with the transition of modernized capabilities, data feeds, and secure connections being delivered to warfighters, allowed for the physical decommissioning of JMS.
Warp Core is a commercially available capability used for data ingestion, retention, processing, and normalization to relay information to decision-makers effectively and efficiently across the U.S. Department of Defense and serves as a data layer for the Advanced Tracking and Launch Analysis System (ATLAS).
In addition to serving as the data layer for ATLAS, Warp Core has also been leveraged to support other current and ongoing missions, such as providing a secure, live collaboration environment for tactical, operational, and strategic planning for information dominance operations for NORAD-NORTHCOM’s (N-NC) situational awareness and decision-making.
N-NC leveraged Warp Core during the Global Information Dominance Experiment series to support accurate data sharing and real-time situational awareness for operational execution across multiple Combatant Commands. Additionally, Warp Core provides enterprise data management and operations software solutions for humanitarian relief efforts such as Operation Allies Refuge and Operations Allies Welcome supporting the evacuation and relocation of tens of thousands of Afghan allies, including those who worked alongside the U.S. in Afghanistan.
“The lessons learned from this legacy system have been central to the development strategy and planning of the Space C2 program,” said Colonel Wallace “Rhet” Turnbull, director, SSC Cross Mission Ground and Communications Enterprise. “The decommissioning of JMS SP-9 demonstrates the progress the program is making toward advancing the overall SDA mission to be modern, responsive, and resilient for the military space enterprise.”
He continued, “Space Domain Awareness capabilities are more important than ever given recent events such as Russia’s Anti-Satellite test that occurred this past November. The decommissioning of JMS demonstrates the progress we have made in this critical mission area and our commitment to improve the way we do business to ensure the safety and security of our nation’s space assets and astronauts.”
Space Systems Command is the U.S. Space Force field command responsible for rapidly identifying, prototyping and fielding resilient space capabilities for joint warfighters. SSC delivers sustainable joint space warfighting capabilities to defend the nation and its allies while disrupting adversaries in the contested space domain. SSC mission areas include launch acquisition and operations; space domain awareness; positioning, navigation and timing; missile warning; satellite communication; and cross-mission ground, command and control and data.
(Source: Satnews)

24 Jan 22. Partnership Between Spire Global + Dragonfly Aerospace Will Support The Australian Office of National Intelligence. Spire Global, Inc. (NYSE: SPIR) is now engaged in a partnership with Dragonfly Aerospace to support the Australian Government’s Office of National Intelligence (ONI) with a second satellite as a part of its ongoing National Intelligence Community Satellite (NICSAT) program.
The follow-up program, NICSAT2, will witness Spire designing, building, and launching the company’s Low Earth Multi-Use Receiver (LEMUR), a 6U smallsat platform, with the capability of on-board computing and processing of machine learning and artificial intelligence across multi-modal data. Dragonfly Aerospace will provide a high-performance Gecko camera using its proprietary space-proven electronics and ruggedized optics for an easy-to-integrate imaging solution for the satellite.
The Australian National Intelligence Community (NIC) launched the NICSAT program to experiment with commercial satellite technologies, including the on-board application of advanced machine learning capabilities on smallsats, such as those manufactured by Spire. In keeping with its predecessor, NICSAT2 will be managed by ONI and focused on the application and use of miniaturized satellite systems, especially in regard to machine learning. Both programs are unclassified science and technology programs, focused on innovative engineering and research that aim to utilize commercial satellites to improve data collection and analysis.
With the large influx of data sent to Earth, corporations, governments, and other organizations increasingly need advanced systems and processes to efficiently understand the data received. Artificial Intelligence (AI)-assisted processing within satellites allows operators to unburden ground stations and other infrastructure and focus resources on analyzing mission-critical information in space. ONI recognizes the potential application of semi-supervised or unsupervised learning methods for in orbit autonomous machine learning to, amongst other things, enable autonomous sensor operations, speed analytics and data processing, reduce downlink requirements, and better enable human analysts.
Spire previously worked on the NICSAT program’s first satellite, Djara, last year. The mission focus of Djara is to conduct experiments with systems that enable the on-orbit collection and analysis of data including commercially available sensors and technologies such as Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) and Machine Learning (ML) systems on a chip. The satellite went from concept to launch in just six months and to full operation in just nine months. Djara collects and processes data on orbit and then leverages Spire’s cloud infrastructure to downlink, further process, and analyze data.
NICSAT2 was successfully launched aboard the SpaceX Transporter-3 mission on January 13th, 2022.
“The success of Djara and the NICSAT program show the significant value of small satellites for rapid deployment of leading-edge innovations and on-orbit data analysis,” said Theresa Condor, Chief Operating Officer at Spire Global. “With our continued work on NICSAT2, Spire and Dragonfly Aerospace reaffirm the importance of public-private partnerships for dual-use space technologies.”
“Dragonfly Aerospace’s Gecko camera will elevate the satellite’s imaging capabilities and improve the image quality sent back to the ONI,” said Bryan Dean, CEO of Dragonfly Aerospace. “Spire’s proven success with NICSAT made them an ideal partner to continue to support the Australian government and we look forward to working together.”
Spire (NYSE: SPIR) is a global provider of space-based data, analytics, and space services, offering access to unique datasets and powerful insights about Earth from the ultimate vantage point so that organizations can make decisions with confidence, accuracy, and speed. Spire uses one of the world’s largest multi-purpose satellite constellations to source hard to acquire, valuable data and enriches it with predictive solutions. Spire then provides this data as a subscription to organizations around the world so they can improve business operations, decrease their environmental footprint, deploy resources for growth and competitive advantage, and mitigate risk. Spire gives commercial and government organizations the competitive advantage they seek to innovate and solve some of the world’s toughest problems with insights from space. Spire has offices in San Francisco, Boulder, Washington DC, Ontario, Glasgow, Luxembourg, and Singapore.
Dragonfly Aerospace designs and builds compact high-performance imaging payloads and microsatellites which enable large imaging constellations that provide persistent views of the Earth in a wide range of spectrums giving unprecedented business intelligence and improving the lives of people around the world. Dragonfly Aerospace satellites and payloads are based on a 25-year heritage of components and design approach dating back to the first South African smallsat, SUNSAT, launched in 1999. Members of our team have worked on every microsatellite space mission since South Africa entered the space race more than 40 years ago. (Source: Satnews)
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