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12 May 25. Terma enhances Terma Ground Segment Suite with new capabilities for satellite formations, mission planning automation, and LEON5 processor emulation. This customer-driven upgrade is shaped by direct customer feedback and real mission needs, ensuring Terma is ready to support the demands of future space missions. Terma is excited to announce a major upgrade to TGSS, a flexible and comprehensive set of tools designed to support satellite missions from early testing to full operations. The newest features help satellite operators improve precision, automate workflows, and prepare for next-generation space demands – reducing complexity and boosting mission efficiency.
New Features in TGSS
Satellite Formations in ORBIT
Terma’s Flight Dynamics System, ORBIT, now supports satellites formations, i.e. missions where multiple satellites are working together in close proximity to enhance and/or complement each other payloads’ capabilities. This new feature allows operators to define the complex maneuvering plan to acquire and maintain the desired relative positioning with respect to a reference satellite.
Automation in PLAN
Thanks to advanced algorithms and data-driven optimization, Terma’s Mission Planning System, PLAN, is able to automatically generate schedules, resolve conflicts, handle changes in resources, and ultimately to ensure that both on-ground and on-board tasks are executed efficiently. Users can focus on the mission’s objectives while leaving the complexities of mission planning to Terma’s automation tools.
LEON5 Support in TEMU
TEMU, Terma’s flight processor emulator, now includes support for the high-performance LEON5 processor. This update helps customers to simulate and validate their flight software with greater speed and accuracy, ultimately reducing costs and increasing time-to-market.
Terma is committed to meeting the evolving needs of our customers and the growing demands of future space missions. Several of the new features in TGSS are developed based on customer requests. By continually expanding and refining our products, Terma ensures that we are ready to support the next generation of space missions, whether it’s for Earth Observation or telecommunications.
“At Terma, we are dedicated to ensuring our clients can focus on achieving their mission goals while we take care of the tools that make it possible. Our innovative solutions are designed to future-proof space operations by providing efficient and reliable technologies. As the space industry evolves, Terma remains at the forefront of delivering solutions that meet the needs of today and the challenges of tomorrow,” Günther Lackner, Senior Vice President for Space at Terma.
13 May 25. UK RAF Tests Launch of FPV Drones from Helicopters. First Person View (FPV) drones have been trialled by deploying them from an RAF Chinook helicopter. UK defence is embracing FPV drones due to their proven effectiveness in recent conflicts, the tactical advantages they offer on the battlefield, their alignment with future military strategies, and the ability to rapidly train personnel in their use. FPV drones equipped with thermal imaging can provide a significant advantage in night-time operations, reducing the risks associated with crewed missions in low-visibility conditions. This technology is seen as a crucial element in maintaining a modern and adaptable fighting force. The tests were carried out as part of the Hornets Nest program, which involves launching FPV drones from platforms and exploring the potential use of helicopters as platforms for their mass deployment. It is worth noting that the United Kingdom is currently fast-tracking the integration of FPV drones into its armed forces’ weapons systems and is developing new approaches to their use. As part of this expansion, in April 2025, the country’s Ministry of Defence signed a contract with Viking Arms for the rapid delivery of 180 FPV drones, intended to be used by British troops for training purposes. The value of the contract amounted to £256,000 (approximately $336,805), with delivery scheduled to be completed within 19 days. The contract included 60 drones of each size: 5 inches (12 centimeters), 8 inches (20 centimeters), and 10 inches (25 centimeters). To date, the Ministry of Defence has supported an investment program for the development of drones for the British Army, Navy, and Air Force, allocating £4.5 bn for research, procurement, and scaling their deployment in the armed forces. (Source: UAS VISION/RAF)
13 May 25. BlackSky Technology Inc. (NYSE: BKSY) has signed Gen-3 early access agreements with multiple international defense sector customers for real-time, space-based monitoring capabilities. The customers will now be able to integrate very high-resolution, 35-centimeter imagery into daily intelligence operations, reducing the speed of analyses and opening a new, expansive set of mission solutions.
“These early access agreements demonstrate confidence in the quality and reliability of our imagery products and will give these customers transformative capabilities that BlackSky uniquely delivers through our proven end-to-end, next-generation AI-enabled commercial architecture,” said Brian O’Toole, BlackSky CEO.
The subscription-based contracts provide access to the BlackSky Spectra® tasking and analytics platform, through which customers will be able to order high-cadence, time-diverse dawn-to-dusk Gen-2 and Gen-3 imagery and AI-enabled analytics. These initial contracts are designed to scale in size and volume as the company increases available Gen-3 capacity over time.
“Dawn-to-dusk, high-cadence monitoring has become a foundational element of many of our customers’ space-based intelligence operations,” said O’Toole. “Our customers rely on BlackSky as a trusted partner, delivering real-time decision-quality data at mission speed.”
BlackSky’s worldwide customer base tasks and receives thousands of high-resolution images and analytics over priority areas of interest every month, gaining visibility and insight into border crossings, nuclear and port facilities, and other critical national security and economic infrastructure at massive scale.
13 May 2025. Thales unveils its new multi-mission Primary Surveillance Radar, the TRAC SIGMA with simultaneous capacity for Approach and Long-Range Air surveillance for both civil and military Air Traffic Control. In an increasingly congested air traffic environment, the new TRAC SIGMA L-Band radar is the only radar of its class to discriminate small aircraft at an extended range (300KM), helping ensure the 3NM distance separation over the entire airspace and not just for final approach. Inheriting technology from the TRAC family, the TRAC SIGMA offers higher availability, resistance to jamming and radar interferences, extended coverage, improved discrimination and accuracy, as well as full 3D air picture ensuring smoother coordination between Civil and Military missions. With more than 1,200 Air Traffic Control radars installed in over 100 countries, Thales is a leader in this market and today unveils TRAC SIGMA, its new Primary Surveillance Radar, helping to ensure faster coordination between military and civil operations in an ever-congested airspace. With the increasing congestion of airspace due to the growing number of aircraft, military aircraft will need to fly at lower and higher altitudes, and the minimum distance between aircraft will become ever more crucial. In line with ICAO recommendations, it will become essential for both civil and military air traffic controllers to optimize the minimum horizontal separation between aircraft to three Nautical Miles (NM) across the entire airspace – not just during final approach. The TRAC SIGMA, the latest product from Thales’s worldwide field proven TRAC Primary Surveillance Radar family, leverages the latest in digital technologies; bringing to the market outstanding performances with enhanced detection capabilities at an extended coverage. It is the only radar of its class to discriminate small targets with precision at an extended range (300KM), helping ensure the 3NM distance separation over the entire airspace, while also ensuring approach surveillance. This radar inherits advanced 3D detection capabilities and unmatched discrimination of small aircraft wherever they are flying whether at high altitude, low altitude or long distance, a high availability/reliability due to full redundancy and hot swap component replacement, jamming/interference resistance, as well as compliance with international standards and regulations. The 2 in 1 radar also helps improve life-cycle costs with optimized infrastructure and resources.
Eric HUBER, Vice President Surface Radars, Thales, said, “With over 50 years’ experience in this field, Thales is continuously investing to lead the latest innovations in the Air Traffic Control radar market, helping ensure safer skies. TRAC SIGMA offers a single sensor for simultaneous approach and long-range surveillance supporting all air traffic control missions, and enables ATCOs to meet the challenges related to optimizing an increasingly congested airspace.”
12 May 25. Viasat, Inc. (NASDAQ: VSAT), a global leader in satellite communications, has confirmed the GX10A and GX10B satellite payloads are now available to deliver services for government customers, with commercial maritime and aviation services anticipated to follow throughout fiscal year 2026. Viasat successfully completed in-orbit testing of the payloads late last year and government services are now available. Launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base in August 2024, the GX10A and GX10B payloads are housed on Space Norway’s Arctic Satellite Broadband Mission spacecraft — ASBM-1 and ASBM-2. The satellites feature hosted payloads for the Norwegian Military and the U.S. Government, as well as a radiation monitoring capability for the European Commission. For Viasat, the GX10A and GX10B payloads are aimed to provide broadband satellite coverage over the Arctic region for government and commercial customers. The connectivity demands of governments, commercial mobility services and scientists over the Arctic region have been rapidly growing. These new payloads will expand the coverage area served by Viasat, further strengthening the company’s global coverage capabilities with this dedicated capacity for the Arctic region. These payloads also support Viasat’s roadmap of delivering multi-orbit services to support customers across markets. The satellites operate in a Highly Elliptical Orbit (HEO) and extend Viasat’s network for markets including aviation, maritime, and governments beyond geostationary orbit for the first time. For Government customers, Viasat’s Global Xpress (GX) network provides high-speed Ka-band services across land, sea, and air, with the Arctic coverage extension now offering uninterrupted connectivity across the polar region.
Girish Chandran, Chief Technology Officer and President, Global Space Networks, said: “We would like to thank Space Norway, our project partners, and our teams for their continued hard work to make this project a reality. Bringing these payloads into service for government will help our vision to deliver the flexibility, coverage, and connectivity our customers need – wherever they operate.”
Susan Miller, President, Viasat Government, said: “We’re excited to begin delivering services in the Arctic region to support scientific research and enable assured, resilient communications for tactical and strategic government missions. This is another step in Viasat’s ability to provide innovative, multi-orbit solutions and services to meet the changing connectivity requirements of government customers worldwide.”
Viasat is planning to further expand its high-speed broadband capacity and capabilities for government and commercial mobility customers with five new Ka-band satellites currently under construction, which are expected to enter service during the course of the next few years.
12 May 25. Quadsat has launched QS RF Locator, a new product to geolocate RF signals to a precise location. Using its existing testing and measurement technology to enable close inspection, this latest product will enable the commercial and military satellite communications industries to quickly and efficiently detect and locate sources of interference. QS RF Locator enables last mile geolocation. It can be used in conjunction with existing geolocation solutions that narrow down the interference to a wide area, often up to several hundred kilometers squared. Its interference hunting algorithms scan the radio spectrum with the Quadsat payload. As it takes more measurements, it is able to find the precise location of the signal. The feature is available as part of the Quadsat system, a compact antenna testing and calibration solution that can be used to test and verify antennas and radio frequency equipment in-situ.
Lars Bach, Chief Technology Officer, Quadsat, commented: “Interference can be extremely harmful, causing downtime and potential loss of revenue. Geolocation has been proven to be effective, however current methods are exceptionally time-consuming. By using the drone, we are able to precisely locate the source much quicker than existing alternatives, enabling our customers to resolve the issues in record time.”
08 May 25. Australia’s Gilmour Space Technologies ready to launch maiden Eris Test flight the nation’s first orbital launch in over 50 years. Gilmour Space Technologies is gearing up for their first Eris Test flight, no earlier than May 15. Gilmour Space’s Eris TestFlight1 will be the first Australian-made rocket. Weather forecast calls for a temperature of 77 °F, clear skies, 4% cloud cover and a wind speed of 5 mph.
Gilmour Space Technologies is the leading launch services company in Australia, located in Bowen Orbital Spaceport, North Queensland, providing valuable access to space to global Commercial and Defense customers. Backed by some of the country’s biggest investors, Gilmour Space is tracking to launch Eris orbital launch vehicles and ElaraSat bus/platforms to Low Earth Orbits (LEO) from 2025.
Bowen Orbital Spaceport hosts the Eris Pad which has witnessed the launch of 0 rockets, including 0 orbital launch attempts. While Bowen Orbital Spaceport, has been the site for 0 rocket launches. Private orbital launch facility owned and operated by Gilmour Space. Gilmour has said that they plan to have fifty of their personnel based in Bowen for the inaugural launch. Eris’ maiden flight will be the first orbital launch attempt of an Australian rocket from Australian soil, according to co-founder and CEO Adam Gilmour. (Source: Satnews)
04 May 25. IAF To Get Pseudo Satellites, Army Missile System. The Indian Air Force (IAF) is set to acquire advanced “pseudo satellites,” officially known as High-Altitude Platform Systems (HAPS), while the Indian Army will induct a new batch of Very Short Range Air Defence Systems (VSHORADS). These acquisitions come against the backdrop of heightened tensions between India and Pakistan, following recent border skirmishes and a major terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir. However, these procurements will not have an immediate impact on military readiness, as the acquisition and induction processes are expected to take several months. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has issued a Request for Information (RFI) for three HAPS platforms for the IAF. These solar-powered, long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are designed to operate at altitudes of around 16–20 km, well above commercial airliners and traditional drones but below low Earth orbit satellites. The primary roles of these platforms include:
Persistent Intelligence, Surveillance, And Reconnaissance (ISR): HAPS can provide continuous monitoring over sensitive areas, making them ideal for border surveillance and intelligence gathering.
Communication And Data Relay: They act as airborne relays, linking ground stations and aircraft, and supporting other unmanned platforms.
Electronic Signals Interception: The systems can intercept and relay adversary electronic signals, enhancing situational awareness.
HAPS are powered by extremely thin solar films, allowing them to remain airborne for extended durations without refuelling. They offer significant operational advantages over satellites, including lower deployment and maintenance costs, easier repair, and the ability to be launched from various locations. The platforms are required to maintain line-of-sight communication up to 150 km and satellite communication up to 400 km.
This move follows a similar acquisition by the Indian Navy, which has partnered with Bengaluru-based NewSpace Research & Technologies to develop indigenous HAPS under the Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) initiative.
Indian Army: Very Short Range Air Defence System (VSHORADS)
Alongside the IAF’s upgrades, the Indian Army will receive 48 launchers of the next-generation VSHORADS, 85 missiles, and 48 night-vision sights. The VSHORADS is a man-portable, infrared homing missile system designed to counter low-flying aircraft, helicopters, and unmanned aerial systems (UAS).
Key features include:
Operational Flexibility: The system can be deployed on land, at sea, and in high-altitude, desert, and coastal environments.
Day And Night Capability: Equipped with night vision, VSHORADS can operate in all weather conditions, including snow-bound areas.
Range And Speed: The missile can engage targets up to 6,000 meters away and at speeds of up to 400 meters per second.
Portability: The system can be shoulder-launched or mounted on a tripod, enhancing its versatility and rapid deployment potential.
Advanced Warhead: It features a 2 kg warhead with an adaptive proximity fuse, increasing the likelihood of destroying fast-moving or small aerial targets.
VSHORADS will serve as the last line of air defence, protecting forward field formations and critical assets from aerial threats.
Strategic Context And Impact
These acquisitions are part of India’s broader strategy to modernize its military capabilities and reduce reliance on foreign technology, in line with the Atmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India) initiative. The timing coincides with renewed tensions along the India-Pakistan border, but the MoD has clarified that these procurements are not expected to alter immediate military readiness due to the time required for tendering, manufacturing, and induction. The induction of HAPS and VSHORADS will significantly enhance India’s persistent surveillance, communication, and air defence capabilities over the medium to long term, supporting both conventional and asymmetric security challenges. (Source: Satnews/Indian Defence News Tribune)
09 May 25. SpaceX’s Friday at the beach and a launch of Starlink Group 15-3 smallsats. It was a beautiful sunny Friday at a California beach that hosted a launch from Vandenberg of a much delayed Starlink Group 15-3 smallsats to add to the SpaceX constellation. This was the 14th flight for the first stage booster tail number 1081, supporting this mission, which previously launched Crew-7, CRS-29, PACE, Transporter-10, EarthCARE, NROL-186, Transporter-13, and now seven Starlink missions. Approximately eight minutes after liftoff, B1081 landed on the SpaceX droneship, ‘Of Course I Still Love You.’ This marked the 128th booster landing on that vessel and the 441st booster landing to date. News has indicated that there will be more Falcon 9 rocket launches this year compared to years past on the Southwest part of the United States. In March, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) accepted the Final Environmental Assessment (EA) from the Department of the Air Force to allow SpaceX to increase the number of launches from SLC-4E from 36 up to 50. (Source: Satnews)
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Founded in 2017, MatrixSpace is creating the next generation of artificial intelligence enabled sensing solutions to digitize the outdoors beyond the limits of human perception.
The company combines novel artificial intelligence and radar technologies to identify movement and provide context in real-time. MatrixSpace sensors are the smallest, lightest and most portable high-performance systems on the market powered by AI. They deliver actionable insights that empower a broad range of public and private enterprises to protect assets and maintain safety with superior situational awareness.
For the modern, mobile battlespace, MatrixSpace provides both high performance 4D radar and jam-resistant mesh networked communications engineered to perform in the harshest conditions—day or night, in any weather, and in remote, rugged locations. Designed for flexibility, our radar systems can be integrated with tactical vehicles or mounted on structures like buildings, TOCs, or stanchions. Offering 360° coverage, they provide unmatched field-of-view advantages, while low energy consumption allows for solar/battery-powered operation in off-grid environments at twice the duration and a fraction the cost of alternatives. The MatrixSpace AI platform removes clutter and classifies objects, so operators can act confidently without specialized radar expertise.
The MatrixSpace expeditionary radar kit fits in a standard daypack and contains everything needed to deliver actionable detections to an ATAK mobile device in less than 5 mins.
MatrixSpace solutions are designed and developed in the United States, without ITAR export restrictions, manufactured under the highest ISO and IATF standards and rigorously tested for quality, reliability and compliance.
Visit maxtrixspace.com
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