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31 May 22. Kleos and US Navy sign agreement. Kleos Space Inc. (US subsidiary of Kleos Space S.A), a space-powered Radio Frequency Reconnaissance Data-as-a-Service (DaaS) and Mission-as-a-Service (MaaS) provider, announces successful execution of a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with the Naval Surface Warfare Center Division, Crane (NSWC Crane) for joint data experimentation.
Under the CRADA agreement, Kleos will provide its radio frequency (RF) geolocation data in realistic test scenarios to improve maritime domain awareness for real-world challenges, including sanctions reporting, embargo, trans-shipment monitoring, search and rescue, resource management, fisheries control, smuggling, and border control.
The SCOUT Campaign aims at leveraging the Naval Research and Development Establishment enterprise, know-how, and execution tools in partnership with industry players, academia, and DoD technology partners, in a collaborative way to rapidly learn, innovative and integrate holistic solutions for military challenges. The exercise is comprised of fast sprint discovery events, which will contribute to the development and integration of technologies that allow for quicker leadership decision making.
Kleos’ Chief Revenue Officer, Eric von Eckartsberg said, “This is a great opportunity for Kleos to support the US Navy in their efforts to always innovate, learn and rapidly find solutions that will help warfighters in quickly making the right decisions in the field. Kleos’ data improves the ability to detect and monitor suspect vessels across wider areas and over longer detection intervals. Our RF data greatly expand the search range, access, and volume to reach the vast maritime domain for tipping and queuing of assets. Our clusters of four satellites can collect ms of square miles several times per day, far more efficiently than any aircraft.”
Kleos is uniquely positioned with a 4-satellites per cluster approach, flown in formation, to provide resilient and globally available RF data. The company currently has a constellation of 12 satellites with the launch of its fourth cluster planned for later this year. Each new cluster increases coverage and revisit rates as well as data collection capabilities.
31 May 22. Fleet Space launches Next-Generation Centauri 5 satellite on Space X Falcon 9. Adelaide-based Fleet Space Technologies has successfully launched its next-generation Centauri 5 satellite on the SpaceX Falcon 9 Transporter-5 mission. This was the company’s third launch with SpaceX and follows the successful deployment of Centauri 4 on the Transporter-2 mission in June 2021.
The Centauri family’s digital beamforming antenna provides extra gain, increasing the data rate, and also allowing the S-Band frequency channels to be reused on the different beams. This combination increases the satellite’s data capacity by 2.6 times. In a world first, the all-metal patch antennas are all entirely 3D printed.
“We’ve built our business and reputation by consistently delivering on our stated goals and developing technologies that address real human and commercial needs reliably and cost-effectively,” said Flavia Tata Nardini, CEO and co-founder of Fleet Space Technologies.
“Centauri 5 will bring important new capabilities to our existing constellation. It also supports the development of our forthcoming Alpha constellation, which enables our pioneering ExoSphere mineral exploration tool with transformational benefits for the exploration of critical energy transition materials.”
Centauri 5 will be located in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at an expected altitude of 530km. A 6U sized microsat with a total weight of 12kg, it will add capacity, reduce latency and provide additional network redundancy in the existing six-strong Centauri constellation, which Fleet operates in collaboration with Tyvak International.
Upgrades to the Centauri 4 payload include enhancements that mitigate the effects of radiation in Low Earth Orbit (LEO), direct communication links to Fleet’s ground station, and an extended S-Band range, allowing uplink at standard ground station frequencies.
The advances in 3D printing technology used in the construction of the Centauri 5’s patch antennal also feed into the development of the forthcoming fully 3D printed micro Alpha constellation, scheduled for launch during 2023. Together, the two systems will provide continuous coverage, data rates up to 520 kbps and tailored frequency bands servicing current and future generations of IoT devices.
The combined constellation also enables Fleet Space’s ExoSphere system. This is transforming mineral exploration by using ambient noise tomography to locate critical resources up to 100 times faster and with far less environmental impact than conventional methods such as explosives, vibroseis machines and drilling.
The Centauri 5 launch further strengthens Fleet Space’s position in the vanguard of the burgeoning Australian space technology industry, which the federal government predicts will be worth $12 bn and create an additional 20,000 jobs by 2030. (Source: Rumour Control)
31 May 22. Quad leaders announce space-based situational awareness push.
In their joint communique at the end of the Quad Leaders’ Summit in Japan the Prime Ministers of Japan, India and Australia and the US President committed to an enhanced earth observation satellite system and to enhanced maritime situational awareness to combat illegal fishing.
The Quad leaders’ meeting began on Monday 23 May, soon after the election of Australia’s new Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, and the appointment of Australia’s new Foreign Minister, Ms Penny Wong, both of whom attended the meeting.
The communique announced that the four nations “will work together to create an Earth observation-based monitoring and sustainable development framework. We will endeavor [sic] to share space-based civil Earth observation data, along with providing a “Quad Satellite Data Portal” that aggregates links to our respective national satellite data resources.
“We will work together to develop space applications, including in the area of Earth observations, and provide capacity building support to countries in the region, including with regards to partnering on using space capabilities to respond to extreme precipitation events. We will also consult on rules, norms, guidelines and principles for the sustainable use of space, and extend support to countries in the region through joint workshops including in relation to the UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS) Guidelines for the Long-Term Sustainability of Outer Space Activities.”
Exactly how this will be achieved hasn’t yet been disclosed.
The four heads of government also announced “a new maritime domain awareness initiative, the Indo-Pacific Partnership for Maritime Domain Awareness (IPMDA), designed to work with regional partners to respond to humanitarian and natural disasters, and combat illegal fishing.”
The IPMDA will support and work in consultation with Indo-Pacific nations and regional information fusion centers in the Indian Ocean, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific Islands by providing technology and training to support enhanced, shared maritime domain awareness to promote stability and prosperity in their seas and oceans, the communique says.
The Australian Defence Force – principally the RAN and RAAF – already works closely with Pacific Island Nations to maintain a surveillance effort and shared situational awareness over maritime natural resource areas under OP Solania.
The Quad members also announced the establishment of the “Quad Partnership on Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) in the Indo-Pacific”. This Partnership will further strengthen the four countries’ collaboration to effectively respond to disasters in the region.
“IPMDA embodies what the Quad stands for: catalyzing our joint efforts towards concrete results that help to make the region more stable and prosperous,” it concludes.
The next meeting of the Quad’s four heads of government will be in 2023 in Australia. (Source: Rumour Control)
23 May 22. Rivada Space Networks Works Toward The Launch Of Their LEO Constellation. Rivada Space Networks GmbH continues to work toward their launch of a constellation of 600 LEO communications satellites for enterprise data communications.
Rivada Space Networks was established by U.S.-based Rivada Networks, with wireless technology entrepreneur Declan Ganley forming the company to deliver a unique solution for secure, global, end-to-end enterprise and government connectivity that will respond directly to specific customer needs that are not being met by today’s technology.
The company will offer access to secure satellite networks with pole-to-pole reach, offering end-to-end latencies similar or better than terrestrial fiber. The Rivada network will operate like an optical backbone in space, using lasers to interconnect satellites to deliver an ultra-secure and highly reliable global data network for business operations in the telecom, enterprise, maritime, energy and government services markets. The constellation’s unique architecture, high speed and low latency, combined with Rivada’s dynamic pricing and open access technology, will also make it possible to bring internet access to remote and underserved areas where no backhaul is currently available.
Rivada Space Networks will leverage the terrestrial wireless technologies of parent company Rivada Networks Inc. to optimize network utilization and facilitate the buying and selling of broadband capacity. The company’s patented technologies including Dynamic Spectrum Arbitrage and Open Access platform will enable efficient use of spectrum and provide customers with ultimate flexibility.
Based in Germany, Rivada Space Networks is rapidly moving forward with procurement of an LEO network of 600 Ka-band communications satellites. The company is currently undertaking an RFI with major satellite manufacturers to finalize the system design and manufacturing plan, paving the way for the production and deployment of the entire constellation.
Rivada Space Networks Founder Declan Ganley said, “Our goal is to leverage the unique strengths of low-latency satellite communication to provide an enterprise-grade on demand experience anywhere in the world from any platform. Rivada Space Networks will not only provide a competitive advantage, it will help to expand these markets by enabling new opportunities through previously unavailable levels of performance combined with global reach. When wireless technologies converge with satellite over a single, highly secure network – you are going to get the best of both worlds.”
Rivada Space Networks GmbH is a disruptive new company set to establish and operate the first truly global low latency point-to-point connectivity network of LEO satellites. By connecting its satellites with lasers, Rivada Space Networks will provide resellers and B2B customers with the ability to securely connect any two points on the globe with low latency and high bandwidth. The constellation of 600 low-earth-orbit communications satellites will represent a fundamental change in the availability of secure, global, end-to-end enterprise-grade connectivity for Telecom, Enterprise, Maritime, Energy and Government Services markets. Founded by Declan Ganley, Rivada Networks, Inc. is active across North and South America as well as Europe. Rivada holds a multitude of patents relating to spectrum sharing, digital spectrum arbitrage, prioritized messaging, open access services and other wireless communications technologies. For more information: (Source: Satnews)
23 May 22. Enhanced Australian Operations Announced By Satellogic To Serve The APAC Region. Satellogic Inc. (NASDAQ: SATL) is enhancing the company’s operations in the Australian market to strengthen regional customer relationships and provide local support for a growing APAC space economy — the regional presence will be overseen by Ken Fritschel, Vice President, International Sales, Satellogic.
Currently, Satellogic operates 22 high resolution satellites and expects to grow its constellation to 34 satellites by Q1 2023. By 2025, the Company expects to have more than 200 satellites on-orbit to provide daily remaps of the entire surface of the Earth and up to 40 revisits of points of interest per day.
Satellogic recently announced a Multiple Launch Agreement (“MLA”) with SpaceX, reserving launch capacity for the firm’s next 68 satellites. This new MLA, which follows the current MLA covering 2022 launches, confirms that SpaceX continues to be Satellogic’s preferred vendor for rideshare missions, meeting the capacity demands of the Company’s constellation roadmap and providing shorter periods between satellite development and deployment. Satellogic’s rapid and consistent launch cadence enables the company to continually test new technology, refresh and augment its constellation and differentiate from competition.
The announcement is made in tandem with Satellogic’s participation at a key Australian event: Locate 2022, taking place May 24-26 in Canberra. Thomas VanMatre, VP of Global Business Development at Satellogic, will be delivering a presentation on “Multi-Sensor Constellations” at 3:45 p.m., AEST, on Tuesday, May 24th.
Satellogic is also planning to attend Asia Satellite Business Week in Singapore, June 1-3. Brian Lantier, EVP of Global Revenue at Satellogic, will participate on the “Revolutionizing Earth Observation: From Data to AI and Analytics” panel at 3:30 p.m., SGT, on Thursday, June 2nd.
“Our growing presence in Australia, overseen by one of our key executives, will provide a direct connection to the APAC region so we can more easily work with our commercial customers and close public sector allies across Oceania and Asia,” said Emiliano Kargieman, CEO and Co-Founder of Satellogic. “Australia is committed to keeping supply chains open and believes in the democratization of space, which is the core of our mission. We look forward to continuing to collaborate with organizations in the country and across the region as we further expand access to Earth Observation data worldwide, in order to help solve the biggest global challenges that we are facing.”
“We are focused on developing our partnerships with the public sector throughout APAC, in particular Australia, with its strong security alliances across the Indo-Pacific region,” said Matt Tirman, EVP and GM, Global Public Sector, at Satellogic. “Thi’s announcement is an important step forward in this area and we expect that our operations will accelerate the new space industry across APAC and further support our key Oceanic, European, and North American partners.” (Source: Satnews)
27 May 22. OneWeb, Astroscale, and the UK and European Space Agencies partner to launch space junk servicer ELSA-M with €14.8m investment. The ELSA-M servicer will launch towards the end of 2024. The partnership is taking an important step to create a more sustainable space environment. OneWeb together with Astroscale Ltd.* will seek to safeguard the satellite economy with ground-breaking new spacecraft technology, thanks in part to a new investment of €14.8m. The mission to demonstrate Astroscale’s ELSA-M servicer will launch towards the end of 2024, with ambitious plans to deliver a debris removal service to satellite operators thereafter.
The announcement builds upon Sunrise, a Partnership Programme launched in 2019 between the European Space Agency (ESA) and OneWeb to support the advancement of next generation technologies ranging from artificial intelligence for flying the satellites to new payload and user terminal technology to supporting research in active debris removal. This latest funding agreement, will be in support of Astroscale Ltd. and their UK partners, and will complete the design of the ELSA-M servicer, progressing through manufacturing up to the satellite pre-integration phase. Once complete, the servicer will be capable of capturing and removing multiple satellites in a single mission, once they reach the end of their operational life in low Earth orbit.
Satellites provide society with vital services including weather forecasting, disaster management, GPS, data for banking systems and broadband. If our orbital environment becomes too congested, we risk losing connectivity at work and in communities. That is why the Sunrise Programme Partners are working together to find solutions for responsible management of space debris.
Massimiliano Ladovaz, Chief Technology Officer at OneWeb, said: “Responsible space is central to our mission at OneWeb and we are committed to sustainable practices in all the environments in which we operate. The development of the ELSA-M servicer prototype is another significant milestone towards a responsible approach to space, ensuring that our satellites can be deorbited and that the low Earth orbit environment is protected as a natural and shared resource.”
John Auburn, Managing Director at Astroscale Ltd., adds, “We’re putting our telecommunications services at risk unless we start cleaning up space. Astroscale’s ELSA-M servicer is designed to build on our ELSA-d demonstration mission to clean up orbital debris. This spacecraft will demonstrate our innovative rendezvous, capture and de-orbit capabilities with a full-size constellation client.
“We plan to launch our commercial service for satellite operators, such as OneWeb and others, soon after the in-orbit demonstration, with a vision to make debris removal part of routine operations by 2030. We are very grateful to the UK and European Space Agencies for their continued support to develop this innovative technology, leading to our commercial services that will contribute to a sustainable economy in space.”
Elodie Viau, Director of Telecommunications and Integrated Applications at ESA, said: “It is vital to ensure the responsible use of space to protect today’s interconnected world, because our digital economy and society rely on the ability to communicate. I am proud of ESA’s track record in fostering innovation in the space industry in Europe, bringing to fruition new ways of ensuring the sustainable use of space, and of the role that ESA’s Partnership Projects play as a trusted partner for investors, operators and industry.”
The U.K’s Science Minister George Freeman said: “With thousands of satellites already in orbit and thousands more being launched every year, addressing the issue of space debris and finding new ways to remove defunct spacecraft and other types of space junk is of ever-increasing importance – to both reduce the cost of debris damage for satellite operators and ensure space is safe and sustainable.
“That’s why, the UK government has made space sustainability a key theme of our National Space Strategy and it is fantastic to see leading roles for UK companies Astroscale and OneWeb in this European Space Agency project, helping us continue to show UK technology leadership in this important area.”
Paul Bate, Chief Executive of the UK Space Agency, said: “Space debris threatens the satellites we depend on every day for vital services, such as navigation, banking and communications.
“That’s why the UK is taking action, by funding new commercial technologies to remove debris from space and working with international partners to lead efforts to promote sustainability. This latest phase of the Sunrise programme partnership between the European Space Agency, Astroscale Ltd. and OneWeb will develop an innovative spacecraft Servicer to remove multiple defunct satellites, putting the UK at the forefront of efforts to clear up space.”
27 May 22. Five Seraphim portfolio companies were onboard the Falcon 9 rocket which lifted off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on a mission called Transporter 5. Minutes after stage separation, the Falcon 9’s reusable first-stage booster made a rare land-based touchdown at SpaceX’s Landing Zone 1, not far from the launch site.
Falcon 9 is a reusable, two-stage rocket designed and manufactured by SpaceX for the reliable and safe transport of people and payloads into Earth orbit and beyond. Falcon 9 is the world’s first orbital class reusable rocket. Reusability allows SpaceX to repeatedly fly the Falcon 9 first stage, which in turn drives down the cost of space access.
As its name suggests, Transporter 5 is SpaceX’s fifth dedicated small satellite rideshare mission. The first, Transporter 1, launched 143 satellites to orbit in January 2021 — a record for the most payloads lofted on a single mission.
- HawkEye: Launched Cluster 5. The constellation provides enhanced antenna functions for greater flexibility in detecting across a materially expanded range, which will double the constellation’s capacity for data collection, dramatically increasing the amount of data available to users.
- D-Orbit: Launched ION SCV006, as part of their ‘Infinite Blue‘ mission.
- Spire: Launched 5 Global sats. The company’s Space-as-a-Service (SPaaS) business had satellites and hardware onboard.
- ICEYE: Sent 5 new SAR satellites into orbit via Exolaunch, this will be their 21st mission into orbit. The largest in ICEYE’s history.
- Xona Space Systems: Launched their first in-space demo mission. Once in orbit, Xona will use this mission to validate their software & hardware for transmitting navigation signals from LEO.
Portfolio company Leo Labs once again activated Launch & Early Orbit tracking service to provide rapid location and identification support for satellite operators and their newly deployed payloads.
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At Viasat, we’re driven to connect every warfighter, platform, and node on the battlefield. As a global communications company, we power ms of fast, resilient connections for military forces around the world – connections that have the capacity to revolutionize the mission – in the air, on the ground, and at sea. Our customers depend on us for connectivity that brings greater operational capabilities, whether we’re securing the U.S. Government’s networks, delivering satellite and wireless communications to the remote edges of the battlefield, or providing senior leaders with the ability to perform mission-critical communications while in flight. We’re a team of fearless innovators, driven to redefine what’s possible. And we’re not done – we’re just beginning.
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