Sponsored By Viasat
www.viasat.com/gov-uk
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16 Feb 23. UK space supply chain tool scheduled for Avalon launch. A new space and supply chain mapping tool will be launched to coincide with the 2023 Australian International Airshow in March. The space capability mapping tool is developed by the Satellite Applications Catapult, SmartSat Cooperative Research Centre, and the UK government. The system is built within the existing UK Space Capabilities Catalogue, which showcases United Kingdom and Australian space sector capabilities at a glance.
Australian organisations offering space-related products, goods or services are encouraged to upload their company profile for review online or at the Avalon launch at the UK Pavilion from 9:15am on 1 March. UK Space Agency chief executive officer Paul Bate said the mapping tool can identify areas for growth and opportunities for collaboration with their Australian colleagues.
“This mapping tool is another great example of the UK-Australia Space Bridge unlocking innovation, promoting the exchange of knowledge, and bolstering partnerships across the world,” he said.
“Together, we can catalyse investment and maximise the vast potential of our growing space sectors.”
UK High Commissioner to Australia, Vicki Treadell, said the mapping tool will produce new opportunities for work between industry and government.
“This is yet another clear example of the great shared focus and investment in scientific innovation facilitated by our Space Bridge,” she said.
“Just as space exploration carves a celestial path through the heavens, this new mapping tool will allow us to chart exciting new opportunities for collaboration between government and industry.”
More than 240 Australian organisations have already been catalogued in the system by Satellite Applications Catapult in the initial pilot period.
Satellite Applications Catapult international engagement director, Stuart Naylor, said the project begins the process of providing a quantitative evidence base for decision making to enable growth.
“We envisage this tool enabling stakeholders across the UK and Australia to see where there are opportunities for collaboration and to strengthen ties between our respective space industries, governments, and end users by identifying growth areas,” he said.
“Innovation and collaboration across nations are a vital part of future economic growth and a key element of our work at the Satellite Applications Catapult.”
The tool is enabled by the Space Bridge, an alliance between the UK and Australia that identifies opportunities for collaboration and growth.
SmartSat CRC chief executive officer Andy Koronios said the company is committed to working with Satellite Applications Catapult to help develop the new capability.
“It symbolises our strong commitment in delivering next-generation technologies and innovative projects that will contribute to and support the goal of both Australia and the UK in accelerating our space industries,” he said.
“This also embarks an exciting chapter for both nations in uncovering new, major growth opportunities for several key sectors including the supply chain, driving broader economic gains, as well as boosting our alliances that will be valuable in achieving our long-term objectives.”
The project was supported by the UK Space Agency, with matched funding for Supply Chain Tagging from the Satellite Applications Catapult and SmartSat CRC. (Source: Space Connect)
15 Feb 23. Babcock has been awarded a six-year contract to manage and operate Skynet, the MOD’s military satellite. £400m contract to operate military satellite communications system supports 400 UK jobs. As part of the £400m Skynet Service Delivery Wrap (SDW) contract, Babcock and their partners will operate and manage the UK MOD’s constellation of military satellites, ground stations and integrate new user terminals.
Skynet operations deliver information to UK and allied forces around the world, enabling a battlefield information advantage anywhere, anytime.
Delivering on the Prime Minister’s priority to grow the economy, creating better-paid jobs and opportunity right across the country, this contract is expected to support around 400 UK jobs in Corsham, Bristol and Plymouth. Those benefiting will include engineers, scientists, space technicians and administrative staff.
Their work will ensure that our deployed forces have a world-leading capability to communicate back to the UK, whether on the battlefield, onboard a ship or in the air. The SDW contract is part of the wider satellite communications SKYNET 6 programme which will provide space-based communications to 2041 and beyond, with an overall government investment of £6bn.
Defence Procurement Minister Alex Chalk KC said: “Space is increasingly important for maintaining battlefield advantage. The UK’s next generation military satellite communications system will keep us at the forefront of this critical domain and the work under this contract will bolster our resilience for years to come. Providing low risk, uninterrupted services necessary to support the current Skynet 5 infrastructure, the partnership will also support the successful transition of services for future Skynet operations.
David Lockwood, Chief Executive Officer for Babcock, said: “We are delighted to have been chosen to support this world-leading technological safeguard. Skynet enables vital communications to the UK Armed Forces wherever they are, helping to keep them safe.”
In addition to the SDW contract, the Skynet 6 programme will deliver:
- Skynet 6A, which comprises manufacturing and launch of the Skynet 6A satellite and is being delivered by Airbus Defence and Space UK;
- Skynet Enduring Capability, which will deliver new space-based technology from 2028 onwards;
- The provision of new ground and user terminal capabilities to ensure that UK war fighters have modern communications technology worldwide; and
- A longer-term innovative approach for delivering space-based communications capability to follow on from the SDW contract.
Babcock awarded contract to operate Skynet – the UK Ministry of Defence’s military satellite communications system
Babcock International Group Plc (“Babcock”), the defence company, is pleased to announce it has been awarded the contract to manage and operate Skynet, the UK Ministry of Defence’s (MOD) military satellite communications system.
The six-year contract, commencing in March 2023, has an initial value of more than £400m and forms part of the MOD’s £6bn Skynet 6 programme, sustaining more than 400 jobs in the south-west of the UK.
Skynet Service Delivery Wrap (“Skynet SDW”) will encompass the operation of the UK’s constellation of military satellites and ground stations, including the integration of terminals into the MOD network, ensuring they are integrated and supported.
Babcock will partner with SES, GovSat and Intelsat on Skynet SDW.
David Lockwood, CEO for Babcock, said: “We are delighted to have been chosen to support this world-leading technological safeguard. Skynet enables vital communications to the UK Armed Forces wherever they are, helping to keep them safe.
“Babcock is a world leader in secure communications for the military. Together with our partners, we will provide a high-tech solution which combines the availability, affordability and capability that the UK needs.”
Alex Chalk, Defence Procurement Minister, said: “Space is increasingly important for maintaining battlefield advantage.
“The UK’s next generation military satellite communications system will keep us at the forefront of this critical domain and the work under this contract will bolster our resilience for years to come.”
The Skynet constellation has been in service since the 1960s – with the first sixth generation Skynet satellite, Skynet 6A, set to be launched in 2025. The contract includes the services necessary to support the current Skynet infrastructure, as well as the successful transition and continuous delivery of service for future Skynet operations.
Babcock and its partners bring the stability, knowledge, and pedigree of a proven service provider with the leading commercial and military satellite operators to utilise the best-in-class solutions the industry has to offer.
Backed by its unique, collective international experience across defence and satcom operations, the partnership will provide a low risk, uninterrupted service which brings an assured end-to-end approach for the MOD.
Its one-team ethos integrates the customer, partners, and supply chain to deliver an adaptable, agile and supportable service delivery solution.
Babcock is an international defence company, operating in our focus countries of the UK, Australasia, Canada, France and South Africa, with exports to additional markets. We support and enhance our customers’ defence capabilities and critical assets through a range of product and service solutions, providing increased availability, affordability and capability.
Intelsat
As the foundational architects of satellite technology, Intelsat operates the world’s most trusted satellite telecom network. We apply our unparalleled expertise and global scale to connect people, businesses, and communities, no matter how difficult the challenge. Intelsat is building the future of global communications with the world’s first hybrid, multi-orbit, software-defined 5G network designed for simple, seamless, and secure coverage precisely when and where our customers most need it. Follow the leader in global connectivity and “Imagine Here,” with us, at Intelsat.com.
GovSat
GovSat is a Luxembourg-based satellite operator, created out of a partnership between the Luxembourg government and SES, the world’s leader in global content connectivity solutions. Its mission is to provide secure, reliable and accessible governmental satellite communication services to address the demand resulting from defence and institutional security applications. The company’s first satellite, GovSat-1, is a multi-mission satellite that uses X-band and Military Ka-band frequencies on high-power and fully steerable mission beams to support multiple operations. It is equipped with anti-jamming features, encrypted telemetry and control, and uses assured frequencies. Due to its orbital position at 21.5° East, GovSat-1’s coverage reaches from 50°W to 90°E and 70°N to 70°S. Further information is available here: www.govsat.lu
SES
SES has a bold vision to deliver amazing experiences everywhere on earth by distributing the highest quality video content and providing seamless connectivity around the world. As the leader in global content connectivity solutions, SES operates the world’s only multi-orbit constellation of satellites with the unique combination of global coverage and high performance, including the commercially-proven, low-latency Medium Earth Orbit O3b system. By leveraging a vast and intelligent, cloud-enabled network, SES is able to deliver high-quality connectivity solutions anywhere on land, at sea or in the air, and is a trusted partner to the world’s leading telecommunications companies, mobile network operators, governments, connectivity and cloud service providers, broadcasters, video platform operators and content owners. SES’s video network carries around 8,000 channels and has an unparalleled reach of 366 million households, delivering managed media services for both linear and non-linear content. The company is listed on Paris and Luxembourg stock exchanges (Ticker: SESG). Further information is available at: www.ses.com
BATTLESPACE Comment: For some time the fact that Airbus had lost out on the SDW contract was becoming clear. However, observers saw the Serco bid as having a degree of success given the incumbent workforce, Babcock was seen as an outsider, although it is believed to have won on a very competitive bid. Two weeks ago rumours abounded that Babcock had clinched the contract, the award of which comes hard on the heels of its renewal of the 5 year DSG land systems management contract. 11 Nov 22. Close call for Skynet 6 SDW award between the BT and Seco Teams. In November we said, Sources close to BATTLESPACE suggest that the recommendation for the Skynet 6 Service Delivery Wrap Award (SDW) is with the Minister and will be announced in January. The extension of the current Airbus contract appeared to put Airbus on notice that they would not be chosen for the new award. The award is believed to be a close-run contest between the Seco and BT led teams. (See: BATTLESPACE UPDATE Vol.24 ISSUE 46, 14 November 2022, SATELLITE SYSTEMS, SATCOM AND SPACE SYSTEMS UPDATE)
Serco is believed to have put in a very competitive bid and has the advantage that the company currently employs the existing workforce who easily transition to the new contract. The Serco led consortium comprises global defence and aerospace company Lockheed Martin, global IT specialist CGI and UK satellite operator Inmarsat, the world leader in global, mobile satellite communications, supported by a number of other highly skilled providers from across the domain, including South Wales based Spectra, the satcom communications specialist. Serco and Lockheed Martin have worked together on a number of UK defence programmes over many years, whilst Serco, CGI and Inmarsat have worked closely together on the current Skynet 5 service from the start of its delivery. All the partners have a strong UK presence and track record with the UK MOD and wider space sector. The strength of the BT Team should not be overlooked. BT employed formed MoD comms supremo John Cole to lead the bid so his presence on the team could be crucial. BT, NSSLGlobal and Viasat partnered to bid for the Service Delivery Wrap (SDW) contract for the UK’s Skynet 6 Satellite Communications (SATCOM) programme. The group said it can provide the Ministry of Defence (MOD) ‘fully managed best-in-class SATCOM solutions.’ The SDW competition was initiated by the UK in late 2019 in support of the wider Skynet 6 SATCOM programme. The programme will consist of a five-year contract to support Skynet 6 and will replace the existing Skynet 5 contract which will deliver SATCOM services to the MOD up until August 2022. Watch this space for the award in January!
13 Feb 23. South Australia-based AICRAFT announced that their edge computing module has successfully launched on board the JANUS-1 satellite from India, designed to classify Earth observation data while in orbit.
The launch, from India’s Satish Dhawan Space Centre as part of an agreement with the Indian Space Research Organisation’s commercial arm NewSpace India Limited, saw the AI-enabled device integrated into the JANUS-1 satellite for in orbit data processing.
Dubbed the Pulsar, the device is designed to employ artificial intelligence to curate data at scale while minimising power consumption.
According to the local company, ground tests have indicated that the module can classify some 1,250 Earth observation images in 10 seconds while in power saving mode.
The module’s restricted power consumption will enable the technology to process data around the clock, “compared to the 10 minutes a day with current market solutions”.
“Getting to this point was a phenomenal journey for us. The JANUS-1 mission gave us the focus to build an advanced and space-grade AI technology in a very short time (nine months) and provided a springboard for AICRAFT to enter the space ecosystem,” Dr Tony Scoleri, chief executive officer of AICRAFT, said. (Source: Space Connect)
14 Feb 23. Musk’s Starlink satellites accelerating development of drone warfare. The widespread use of Starlink, the constellation of internet satellites operated by Elon Musk’s SpaceX, by Ukrainian troops in defending against Russia’s invasion is accelerating development of drone warfare, according to experts interviewed by C4ISRNET.
Since receiving Starlink access terminals last year, the Ukrainian military has not shied away from making use of them. Officers from the Aerorozvidka aerial reconnaissance unit stated in past interviews that their drone pilots rely on Starlink to carry out missions, connecting the UAV team with the artillery one to generate target acquisition on Russian equipment and positions.
More recently, Ukraine officials disclosed that the country’s military was looking to establish strike forces that would be provided with Starlink equipment to create fleets of interoperable drones.
Musk made somewhat contradictory remarks during his appearance on a Russian state TV show last month, saying that his company banned Starlink from being used in long-range drone strikes by Ukrainian forces. Whether these restrictions are enforced or not, one thing is clear: since being unveiled in 2015, the prospects of Starlink have long expanded beyond the original intention of providing undersupplied regions with high-speed access to the internet.
“I do not think that SpaceX ever ruled out potential military use, but it was not a case they emphasized,” said David T. Burbach, professor of national security affairs at the U.S. Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island, in an interview. “Today, [there is] no question that Starlink’s prominence in the Ukraine war has militaries all over the world considering and looking to make greater use of it as well as similar mobile data constellations.”
Burbach said his views are his own do not necessarily reflect that of the U.S. Navy.
Starlink offers considerable advantages over other satellite communications networks, likely contributing to its attractiveness for equipping everything from infantry squads to armored vehicles to being integrated directly in drones as that becomes more feasible, he said.
Currently, Starlink antennas are too large and too heavy for small drones. However, there has been momentum from the defense industry to experiment. In November, Canadian company RDARS, announced that it had successfully integrated Starlink equipment to its Eagle Nest ground station, which was able to transmit data to the firm’s Eagle Eye military drone in-flight.
Via Starlink, the ground station communicates with a control center, allowing the operator to control and receive imagery from the drone. While RDARS solely integrated the dish to the drone’s ground station, the company has emphasized the potential of installing it on the drone itself.
Vice Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command in the Middle East, has stated that Starlink was used to connect unmanned aircraft, vessels and underwater vehicles operated by allied forces in a NATO exercise in Portugal. In December 2021, Australia-based Unleash Live teamed up with Starlink to facilitate remote drone flights. Through access to Starlink’s low-orbiting satellites, the company was said to have successfully managed the system’s flight from 200 kilometers (124 miles) away.
Advantages and Risks
Among the primary factors that set apart Starlink constellations from older satellite systems is its ability to operate in low-Earth orbit, at less than 2,000 kilometers above the earth, in contrast to competitors who orbit at altitudes up to 36,000 kilometers. Burbach explained that this allows the signal from Starlink satellites to be much stronger, offering higher transmission speed and requiring less power to operate.
This strong connection also makes them more resistant to jamming.
“The ground antennas of Starlink form a highly directional beam at the satellite it is using– the signal is then difficult to interfere except along the line between terminal and satellite,” he said.
Another benefit it has over geostationary systems is that its very large number of satellites are interchangeable, where if one is put out of service another one is able to take over. With respect to drones, Burbach states that if high bandwidth commercial satellite links can be installed inside of one or more while functioning in flight, then this would make it possible for the operating country to control it far outside of its borders.
For any country or military to rely on Starlink does entail a number of security risks as well. Perhaps the most important one being that it is possible to geolocate the terminals, possibly giving away the physical positions of forces.
Davide Scaramuzza, associate professor of robotics and perception at the University of Zurich, said that as a base station or flying drone emits radio signals, it can be intercepted by enemy forces using high power antennas across a wide array of commonly used bands.
Achieving this might be harder in practice than is let on for several reasons. On the one hand, as Todd E. Humphreys, professor of aerospace engineering at the University of Texas points out that beams a Starlink terminal produces “are narrow (less than 5 degrees and they hop around in frequency, which make it hard to get an actual lock on a terminal.”
This can in part be seen in Russia’s large inability to locate satellites one year into the war, at least on a significant scale.
On the other hand, Humphreys says that SpaceX applies geofences on user terminals to prevent their operation outside approved areas. The company also holds the power of revoking one’s access to the network if it finds this one being used in violation of the user agreement or permitted instances. One implication of this, is the possibility for a country depending on Starlink to lose access to these services in the middle of a war if the commercial operator decided so. For a military force, this would imply that it could no longer rely on or use these connections for weapons attacking the affected areas.
Burbach of the Naval War College said a more subtle risk is that the system operator, SpaceX, has an extensive access to information about clients, and by extension Ukraine.
‘If I were the Russians, I would be very interested in trying to get into Starlink by compromising an employee or even getting an agent on staff,” he said. “We know several foreign intelligence services have done so with other social media firms.”
Global expansion
SpaceX has undergone an important expansion recently, opening a representative office in Azerbaijan in late 2022, and announcing it had applied to establish a Starlink branch in South Korea. In addition, a new satellite constellation should be up later this year to provide coverage in the Middle East. While its services are currently active in 45 countries, mostly NATO members or allies of the U.S.
Experts say that it is not a far remote possibility that the company could begin supplying customers in countries unfriendly to the West, who could also be interested in using Starlink for military applications.
While, as the University of Zurich’s Scaramuzza argues, it is false to assume that Starlink can be associated with a country, there are still important concerns to be raised regarding the development of its integration on unmanned platforms and overall uses. In January, footage from a pro-Russian paramilitary group on a telegram channel claimed that they had captured and disassembled a Ukrainian drone, finding a Starlink dish modified to fit onto the system. While these reports remain unconfirmed, such events could likely happen on a more frequent basis, as the demand for the internet services continues to rise and further integration with drone systems persists.
“Generally, it is very hard to operate a drone that you obtained from another country, especially when the security protocols such as encryption are designed well. Just like if your laptop got stolen and you had not saved all your passwords for online-banking on the device itself, your account would still be secure,” he said.
Despite this, it remains very easy to dismantle an enemy aircraft to learn more about the technologies used inside it and extract information. This has been seen extensively in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, where each side has attempted to destroy enemy capabilities and improve its own.
The proliferation of Starlink, less regulated than Starshield, for military purposes remains in its very early days.
Samuel Bendett, research analyst at the Center for Naval Analyses’ Russian Studies Program concludes, “whatever happens in Ukraine is going to serve as a blueprint for future Starlink applications in drone warfare.”
A legitimate military target?
Last September, a Russian delegation to a UN working group on space security, insinuated that under international humanitarian law, Starlink could be designated as a legitimate military target. In a similar fashion, it has been reported that China is working on developing counter-systems to Starlink and that in the event of a conflict with the US, the satellites would be treated as an active target.
Heiko Borchert and Torben Schutz at the Defense Artificial Intelligence Observatory in Hamburg said that this is one of many complexities and sets of questions that will have to be answered as Starlink is further militarized.
“If it is to be considered a proper military target, the question then becomes how would Western governments respond in the event of an attack on a single satellite or constellation,” they said in a post.
Such matters are also challenging considering that SpaceX has not only received significant subsidies from the U.S. government, but that the U.S. Agency for International Development reportedly also paid the company to send over 1,000 Starlink terminals to Ukraine.
Borchert says that this is an important space to watch, concerning whether Washington would be willing to provide the same level of support to make Starlink available in the event of other conflicts to friendly governments. (Source: C4ISR & Networks)
13 Feb 23. NATO initiative to bolster alliance’s space-based data collection. The national flags of NATO member countries fly outside the organization headquarters in Brussels on Jan. 10, 2023. Alliance members want to streamline their handling of space surveillance data for use by all of NATO. (Photo by John Thys/AFP via Getty Images)
BRUSSELS — NATO plans to launch a new effort this week to streamline the process of gathering, disseminating, and distributing the reams of data collected in space for use by the alliance command structure.
The “Alliance Persistent Surveillance from Space” (APSS) initiative will allow NATO to better support operations and improve intelligence sharing among its commanders by more quickly receiving and transmitting data gathered from a variety of space-based sensors operated by its member-nations, as well as from commercial data and imagery.
The initiative comes as the space domain has increasingly become “more crowded and competitive,” Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said during a Feb. 13 press conference at NATO headquarters in Brussels.
“This week, I expect our allies will agree to establish a new virtual network of national and commercial satellites,” Stoltenberg said. “It will allow our allies to increase the sharing of space-based data with the NATO command structure, facilitating better navigation, communication, and early warning of missile launches.”
The alliance will formally launch the initiative during its annual defense ministerial, which will be held at NATO headquarters Feb. 14-15. A letter of intent (LOI) is expected to be signed on Wednesday, with a memorandum of understanding to be signed in the future, NATO officials told reporters Monday during a separate briefing.
Together, the “virtual constellation” of associated space-based systems, sensors, and data collected from those systems will be known as Aquila. The name, which is Latin for “eagle,” is meant to symbolize sharp vision, foresight, and the ability to survey large areas from great heights, reflecting the capabilities of satellite systems providing persistent surveillance from space, according to NATO.
The members participating in APSS will decide their own level of involvement in the project, said Wendy Gilmour, NATO assistant secretary-general for defense investment. For now, participation is open to all 30 member nations, as well as NATO member-invitees Finland and Sweden, she said.
Some members may choose to support the initiative with access to their own space-based sensors and systems, while nations that don’t have their own constellations might contribute with data collection and analysis capabilities, or simply with funding to help NATO purchase data or imagery collected by commercial satellites, Gilmour added.
Space-based intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) data collection is vital to NATO’s intelligence enterprise, said David Cattler, assistant secretary-general for joint intelligence and security. Observers expect over 24,000 satellite launches to take place between 2022 and 2031, up from about 5,500 launches taking place in the prior decade, Cattler said, quoting data released by the Satellite Industry Association.
The ongoing Russian offensive in Ukraine – fast approaching the one-year mark – has also demonstrated “the real need and the decisive role of intelligence derived from space data, products, and services,” not only for military requirements, but also to support humanitarian efforts, track and aid internally displaced populations, and to reinforce critical infrastructure, he noted.
From a collection management viewpoint, APSS will be “sensor-agnostic and solution-agnostic” to ensure greater flexibility and speed of data collection, Cattler noted. The specific systems, capabilities, and companies that may contribute to greater space-based data collection via APSS have yet to be determined, officials said.
NATO already collects such space-based ISR data, but the APSS construct will allow it to be better organized and integrated, said Ludwig Decamps, general manager of NATO’s Communication and Information Agency (NCIA), which will be the implementing body for the new initiative
“We are taking a data-centric approach,” he told reporters on Monday. “This is not so much about connecting systems with each other. It’s really bringing data into the alliance, and making that data available in usable formats across the alliance.”
To date, 17 nations have been tied to the initiative – although more members may join prior to the memorandum of understanding being signed, Gilmour noted. The nations who have already expressed interest in signing the LOI include: Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, United Kingdom, and the United States, according to NATO.
Luxembourg is providing €16.5m ($17.7m) in seed money, which will allow NATO to set up an “expert team” and begin work on the integration of systems and data, per the alliance. For now, officials would not comment on how much annual funding the initiative may receive.
There may be opportunities to work with other nascent NATO initiatives, such as the Defense Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic (DIANA) and the NATO Innovation Fund, Gilmour added.
The APSS initiative keeps in line with the role NATO outlined for itself for the space domain, as described in the 2019 space policy, publicly released in early 2022. In the document, the alliance describes itself as a point of contact between its members when it comes to coordinating functions or discussing policy issues, but refuses to become an “autonomous space actor” itself.
The discovery, and subsequent Feb. 4 shoot-down, of a Chinese balloon that entered U.S. airspace, highlights the need for NATO to ramp up its information-sharing, particularly from space-based capabilities, Stoltenberg said.
“What we saw over … the United States last week, is part of a pattern where China, but also Russia, are increasing their intelligence and surveillance activities against these allies with many different platforms. We see it in cyber, and we see it with satellites, more and more satellites, and we see them with balloons,” he said. (Source: Defense News)
08 Feb 23. Contracts awarded for UK ground mission control system. The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) has awarded contracts to six separate suppliers as part of Project Beroe, which seeks a ground segment software solution for controlling space-based assets.
A total of GBP300,000 (USD360,663) was awarded to UK subsidiaries CGI, Lockheed Martin, Telespazio, and Terma as well as Raytheon Systems and Rheatech, the MoD announced on 2 February.
Project Beroe is intended to be a ground segment mission control system (MCS) that will enable the US Space Command to control, monitor, and in-orbit task the UK’s future space-based intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) constellation. It is expected to be an important component of the UK MoD ground segment, which will act as the primary MCS for the ‘Customer Satellite Operations Centre’, the MoD said.
The 36-month project is worth GBP20 million in total and seeks a provider to create a technology road map, and assist with the maturation of system requirements and the development of a software architecture, through demonstration and prototyping. (Source: Janes)
13 Feb 23. Satcom Direct, the business aviation solutions provider, is adding Dual Dissimilar terminal capabilities to its expanding hardware portfolio. The Dual Dissimilar technology equips an aircraft with the Plane Simple® Ku- and Ka-band tail mount antennas (Dual) to support two different satellite constellations (Dissimilar), enabling Satcom Direct customers to leverage the best aspects of each network to deliver full redundancy and ensure uninterrupted consistent global connectivity.
Successful validation of the Dual Dissimilar service has been taking place on the Satcom Direct Gulfstream G550 during daily operations. Building on initial positive results, the G550 completed a transatlantic route from Rotterdam Airport (EHRD), The Netherlands, to Melbourne, FL. (KMLB), in January. During the nearly ten-hour flight, 40 devices optimized constant coverage for video streaming, avionics, onboard entertainment, and multiple applications for airframe and personal devices.
The doubling of antennas also increases the amount of data that can be transmitted to and from the aircraft and, consequently, the bandwidth available. This enhances digital communications, aircraft performance monitoring, and crew operations support for both the avionics and cabin WiFi. Data can also be prioritized to chosen passenger devices, ensuring principals and key stakeholders always maintain the required connection, even when data demand in the cabin is high.
“We know that aircraft owners are already installing more than one connectivity solution on their aircraft to satisfy the growing requirement for consistent data for passengers and crew,” says Jim Jensen, CEO and Founder of Satcom Direct. “As Satcom Direct’s Plane Simple antenna series is the industry’s first network-agnostic connectivity solution, we can add real value for our customers choosing the Dual Dissimilar option. We purpose-built the technology on modular, scalable open architecture, which means that in the future, customers will have access to the best available network services to meet their mission requirements. When integrated with our hardware, software, airtime services and infrastructure, customers can acquire, manage, upgrade, and troubleshoot all their connectivity services with just one phone call. Our cohesive offering futureproofs the aircraft for software and satellite advancements, making staying connected much more convenient, cost-effective, and simple.”
The Dual Dissimilar technology will be integrated with each satellite partner’s network infrastructure and Network Operations Center (NOC). This gives the SD NOC clear visibility into network and data behaviour, which enables the expert team to predict any potential service interruption, communicate it to the network partner, and resolve it, ensuring the aircraft connection is unaffected. The option is anticipated to be available for purchase when the Plane Simple Ka-band tail-mount antenna is commercially introduced in Q4 2023. Large jets, or any business jet airframe that can support two Plane Simple terminals, will be able to optimize the new technology.
10 Feb 23. Space Software Pioneer Antaris™ Announces Successful Launch of JANUS-1, World’s First Cloud-Built Demonstration Satellite.. Antaris, creator of the most advanced software platform for space, announced today that the world’s first satellite fully conceived, designed and manufactured using the company’s end-to-end cloud platform has successfully reached orbit. JANUS-1 rode on the Indian Space Research Organization’s (ISRO) SSLV-D2 rocket, which was launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre of India under a commercial arrangement with New Space India Limited (NSIL). The satellite features five payloads from a range of global providers, which will be commissioned and begin nominal operations in the coming days.
“This is a very proud moment for our company and the global space ecosystem,” said Antaris Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer Karthik Govindhasamy. “We did something that has never been done before—we designed, built and launched a complex satellite in just months, not years, at a fraction of traditional costs. Our cloud-based platform made this all possible, and we have proven that this software is the future of the satellite industry.”
Additional tech demonstration satellites from Antaris and manufacturing partners Ananth Technologies and XDLINX Labs are planned for 2023, including 6U, 12U and 27U satellite reference architectures. Interested parties are encouraged to contact Antaris via www.antaris.space/orbitwithus to learn more about participation.
JANUS-1 is a 6U satellite featuring payload and subsystem technologies from AICRAFT, Morpheus Space, Netra, SayariLabs Kenya, SpeQtral, Transcelestial and Zero-Error Systems (ZES) that will perform internet of things (IoT) communications, advanced experimental laser communications, radio communications and machine learning (ML) during orbit. Antaris SatOS software manages core bus responsibilities while orchestrating multitenant payloads and onboard computing—in addition to showcasing secure TT&C protocols with Amazon Web Services (AWS) and ATLAS Space Operations, who are providing ground communications services.
The project was completed in just 10 months from concept to launch readiness with a cost savings of 75% over comparable satellite missions. Based on data captured during the build, Antaris anticipates that future spacecraft missions can be ready for launch in as few as six months. While the launch marks the start of JANUS-1’s on-orbit mission, the satellite has been ‘in flight’ for months via the company’s unique TrueTwin™ digital twinning technology which creates a digital version of the satellite at the start of the project and then integrates with hardware-in-the-loop as hardware becomes available.
“We’re so proud of the entire Antaris team and our incredible manufacturing partners,” noted Antaris Co-Founder and CEO Tom Barton. “Together, we have broken down major barriers that have historically hampered satellite design and production. We hope JANUS-1 will serve as an inspiration to the entire space ecosystem and look forward to partnering with other New Space pioneers who are ready to go fast and work with us to make space easy.”
About Antaris™
Antaris software dramatically simplifies the design, simulation and operation of satellites. We bring New Space thinking to an Old Space world, giving our customers maximum control and flexibility while improving time-to-orbit, reducing costs and optimizing engineering reuse. With investors including Lockheed Martin Ventures, Acequia, HCVC and E2MC, Antaris is revolutionizing Software for Space™. Learn more at www.antaris.space (Source: PR Newswire)
07 Feb 23. Kleos Space achieves a daily data delivery milestone.
Recently, Kleos Space S.A. (ASX: KSS, Frankfurt: KS1) reached the milestone of daily product delivery collected from a strategically critical area of interest to its early adopter customers.
RF data is collected by the Vigilance Mission (KSF1) satellites and is then processed through Kleos systems to generate intelligence products. The Vigilance Mission RF data collection satellites are in SSO, enabling them to collect data daily from the target area of interest.
Kleos intelligence products provide valuable intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capability to governments and commercial entities. This complements other intelligence sources to improve the detection of illegal and/or hidden activity such as piracy, drug and people smuggling, illegal fishing, pollution, and border challenges.
Kleos’ CEO, Alan Khalili, said, “Following our announcement at the end of last year confirming that our intelligence product was made available to initial customers, we have now achieved yet another milestone in delivering product daily. We also want to thank our satellite builder partner ISISpace for their ongoing support and service; they have recently brought online a capability in Australia that has been transformational to progress.” (Source: Satnews)
03 Feb 23. Spacemind launches three Italian smallsats to orbit from ISS. Spacemind, the space division of Italian company NPC, has accomplished a series of three smallsat launches. DanteSat, Futura-SM1 and Futura-SM3 have been successfully launched into orbit from the International Space Station (ISS).
This has also validated the operation of the new SMPod cubesat deployer, on-board equipment as well as a larger version of the Artica deorbiting sail. The DanteSat nanosatellite is a 3U cubesat that is shaped like a small parallelepiped (with a square base measuring 10 cm on a side and a height of 30 cm) and is an original project promoted by Human Space Services for the Italian publishing house Scripta Maneant to celebrate the 700th anniversary of Dante Alighieri‘s death: its metal structure is, in fact, engraved with the Divine Comedy, while the on-board radio transmits the first verses of the work to Earth.
In November of last year, the satellite was transported to ISS by a Dragon capsule that was launched by a SpaceX Falcon 9. DanteSat was then released into orbit in late December of 2022 via Nanoracks Europe’s external deployer. Subsequently, the satellite opened the Artica sail and will soon burn up on re-entry into the Earth’s atmosphere.
The two Futuras were launched at the start of January and transferred into the planned orbit by an autonomous ION Satellite Carrier platform, manufactured by the space logistics company D-Orbit, and then finally released into space via the new SMPod deployer from Spacemind.
The Futura-SM1 is a 3U cubesat and is intended to test new on-board equipment (power generation system, deployable antennas, space sail and OBC on-board computer developed by partner Apogeo Space). The Futura-SM3, on the other hand, is a 6U cubesat (equal to two 3U cubesats, side-by-side) and is equipped with a new, larger Artica space sail for deorbiting the satellite at the end of the mission.
Nicolò Benini, Marketing Manager of NPC Spacemind, said, “We are thrilled with the initial results of these in-orbit missions, which confirm our company’s position as a turnkey service provider for the production of cubesats for commercial and scientific projects. Our recent launches have solidified relationships with important Italian and foreign customers, paving the way for future space missions. All systems on board the three cubesats are working perfectly and they are receiving signals and telemetry data. The SMPod deployer also released the two Futuras into orbit, successfully meeting all mission objectives. These excellent results position Spacemind to offer reliable and innovative services on the expanding nanosatellite market.” (Source: Satnews)
03 Feb 23. Ovzon reschedules Ovzon 3 satellite launch — SpaceX is now the provider — additional financing is secured. To accommodate an updated launch window, Ovzon has also shifted launch provider to SpaceX, with liftoff on a Falcon 9 rocket and a target date between July and September of 2023.
Due to the delays in the production of the Ovzon 3 satellite, the company has been engaged with the current launch provider Arianespace to find a new launch opportunity, which Arianespace ultimately could not accommodate. Accordingly, Ovzon has finalized an agreement with SpaceX to ensure flexibility and the most optimal timing to launch the satellite when it is ready for liftoff. Ovzon 3 will be launched by a flight-proven Falcon 9 rocket later this year from Cape Canaveral, Florida.
The delay of Ovzon 3 is expected to increase the total cost of the satellite project with approximately $25 million. The delay will have no effect on Ovzon’s current business commitments. The company has secured access to strategic satellite capacity that ensures ongoing service delivery and future sales of Ovzon’s industry leading SATCOM-as-a-Service. In addition, Ovzon has secured additional financing (read below).
“While we are clearly disappointed in the continued delays in production of the satellite, we remain perfectly confident with the market demand of Ovzon 3, evidenced by the increasing demand from current and new customers around the world. The underlying capability and technology will be the catalyst for a paradigm shift in mobility, performance, and resiliency in delivering Ovzon’s SATCOM-as-a-Service. We are working relentlessly with Maxar, SpaceX and other stakeholders to finalize the satellite and launch Ovzon 3 into orbit at first available opportunity,” said Per Norén, CEO of Ovzon.
Ovzon AB has secured additional financing, to finalize and launch the Ovzon 3 satellite, by increasing the current loan facility with P Capital Partners from $60 to $65m and through confirmed interest from several major shareholders, including Öresund, Bure, Handelsbanken Fonder, Fourth AP-fund and AFA Försäkring, to subscribe for SEK 200 million in an equity issue.
Due to the delay in the Ovzon 3 satellite build, the company estimates an increased cost of the project with approximately $25 million. The company expects to provide more information on the new share issue in the near term and has appointed Carnegie Investment Bank as financial advisor.
The loan from P Capital Partners is denominated in USD, the remaining tenor for the facility is approximately three years (expires December 31, 2025) with an interest rate of $3M LIBOR (London Inter-Bank Offered Rate) + 10%. The loan terms include regular covenants and undertakings with one explicit condition for the facility being that Ovzon conducts a capital raise through equity before the end of May 2023. With $45 million already being drawn from the facility, the amended agreement means that an additional $20m may be drawn, if needed.
“We are proud to have strong commitment and long-term support by our shareholders and pleased to continue our excellent collaboration with P Capital Partners, to enable the company to deliver on the promise of finalizing and launching Ovzon’s unique first own satellite – Ovzon 3“, said Per Norén, CEO of Ovzon. (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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