Archives for November 2019

Journalist
Chris Forrester.

Elon Musk’s SpaceX is preparing for as many as four of their Falcon 9 rockets for launch next month, reports journalist Chris Forrester, filing at Advanced Televison.

Already in the manifest is the launch of a condominium satellite (Japan’s JSAT-18/Kacific) joint mission that is slated for liftoff around December 15th.

Earlier than that will see SpaceX on December 4th launch a Dragon re-supply mission to the International Space Station (ISS), no doubt carrying a few Christmas goodies for the astronauts on board. This will be the 19th such launch to the ISS since October of 2012.

SpaceX is also planning a test flight for a high-altitude “abort test” of the company’s Dragon proposed crew spacecraft.

Then, before year-end, SpaceX will launch their latest batch of Starlink LEO broadband satellites. It’s likely that the Falcon rocket will carry around 60 of these smallish, 600 lb. craft to join the 120 already in orbit.

SpaceX is on record as stating their launch rate will increase in 2020 with up to 24 Starlink missions as well as its other commercial and NASA obligations.

With increase in the capabilities of space launch systems owing to various recent technological developments coupled with better understating of their increasing strategic utility, countries around the world are found taking renewed interest towards expanding their small satellite development programs.

All this is pushing various space agencies into developing an exclusive new generation of space launch vehicles. Realizing this, Amsterdam based Market Forecast has announced the release of their latest report titled – “Global Space Launch Systems – Market and Technology Forecast to 2027”. The report also focuses in on 50 of the most sought-after space companies in the world. This report is valuable for anyone who wants to understand the dynamics of space industry and the implementation and adoption of space launch vehicle services.

The Global Space Launch Systems industry is emerging as one of the most lucrative market globally. The Global Space Launch Systems industry, is valued at $7.50 billion in 2019 and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 21.71% by 2027. Demand for satellite launches is anticipated to be driven by the massive investment made by countries such as the U.S., China and the European Union in the development of next generation of launch vehicle technologies and the large-scale procurement of such systems by countries like Saudi Arabia, India, Qatar and China. The United States is the largest spender in the domain with China, European Union, Middle East anticipated accounting for the bulk of spending.
 
Key Topics Covered

• Snapshot of the various Global Space Launch Systems market during 2019-2027, including highlights of the demand drivers, trends and challenges. It also provides a snapshot of the spending with respect to regions as well as segments. It also sheds light on the emergence on new technologies
   
• Market Dynamics : Insights into the technological developments in this market and a detailed analysis of the changing preferences of governments around the world. It also analyzes changing industry structure trends and the challenges faced by the industry participants.
   
• Segment Analysis : Insights into the various systems market from a segmented perspective plus a detailed analysis of factors influencing the market for each segment.
   
• Regional Review : Insights into modernization patterns and budgetary allocation for top countries within a region.

Rocket Lab’s Onenui Station in New Zealand is where the upcoming launch of multiple microsatellites in a rideshare mission representing five different countries will take place.

Target Launch Timing:

• Date: 29 November UTC
• Time: Lift-off is scheduled between 07:56 – 09:22 UTC. 
• Launch Window Timezone Conversion: 
• UTC: 07:56 – 09:22 (29 Nov)
• NZDT: 20:56 – 22:22 (29 Nov)
• PST: 23:56 – 01:22 (28/29 Nov)
• EDT: 02:56 – 04:22 (29 Nov)

Onboard this rideshare mission are six spacecraft comprised of 5cm PocketQube microsatellites from satellite manufacturer and mission management provider Alba Orbital. The final payload on board was procured by satellite rideshare and mission management provider Spaceflight for ALE Co., Ltd (ALE), a Tokyo-based company creating microsatellites that simulate meteor particles. 

Electron’s first stage will not be recovered from this mission, however the stage includes new hardware and sensors to inform future recovery efforts. As part of a first stage block upgrade, Electron’s booster will include guidance and navigation hardware, including S-band telemetry and onboard flight computer systems, to gather data during the first stage’s atmospheric re-entry. The stage is also equipped with a reaction control system to orient the booster during its re-entry descent.

Rocket Lab’s Founder and CEO, Peter Beck, says increasing launch frequency for small satellite operators is the key driver behind Rocket Lab’s reusability program. He said that reaching their tenth flight within only two years of commercial operations is an incredible achievement. Thanks to the continued dedication and passion of the teams at Rocket Lab, responsive and frequent access to space is the new normal for small satellites. As they move beyond once-a-month missions towards their goal of weekly launches, recovering and reusing Electron could play a significant role in increasing launch frequency.

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Thursday said the launch of its Earth imaging and mapping satellite Cartosat-3 along with 13 commercial nano satellites from the U.S., has been rescheduled to November 27.

The space agency had earlier announced that the launch is tentatively scheduled at 9:28 a.m. IST on November 25, subject to weather conditions.

“The launch of PSLV-C47 carrying Cartosat-3 scheduled on November 25, 2019 at 09:28 hrs is rescheduled to launch on November 27, 2019 at 09:28 hrs from second launch pad of Satish Dhawan Space Centre SHAR, Sriharikota,” ISRO has said in an update.

The satellites would be launched by India’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle, PSLV-C47 into Sun Synchronous Orbit from Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) SHAR at Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh.

The Cartosat-3 is a “third generation agile advanced satellite” having high resolution imaging capability, it said, adding the satellite would be placed in an orbit of 509 km at an inclination of 97.5 degree.

With an overall mass of 1,625 kg and mission life of five years, Cartosat-3 shall address the increased user’s demands for large scale urban planning, rural resource and infrastructure development, coastal land use and land cover etc.

PSLV-C47 is the 21st flight of PSLV in ‘XL’ configuration (with six solid strap-on motors).

PSLV-C47 would also carry 13 commercial nano satellites from the U.S. as part of a commercial arrangement with NewSpace India Limited (NSIL), Department of Space.

Among the 13 commercial nano satellites are FLOCK-4P, 12 in numbers, with mission objective of Earth observation, and one satellite named MESHBED, whose mission objective is communication test bed.

ISRO has said this would be the 74th launch vehicle mission from SDSC SHAR, Sriharikota.

From The Hindu

For all involved in the satellite and space industry and the various market segments that enhance these dynamic environments, the 2020 SmallSat Symposium is invaluable.

The 2020 SmallSat Symposium begins on February 3, 2020, with workshops on the first day. Then the Conference continues from February 4 to 6 at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, California, in the heart of Silicon Valley.

The SmallSat Symposium is hosted by Satnews Publishers which, since 1983, has been a provider of satellite news, media and events. This information packed forum enables you and your company to secure a larger portion of market share as well as to take a step into the next stage of your company’s, or organization’s, growth.

The personal connections at the SmallSat Symposium enable attendees to network with established organizations, subject-matter experts as well as ‘New Space’ entrants.

The SmallSat Symposium will focus on the daily changes in new technologies and the business environment that is shaping the implementation of SmallSat constellations, SmallSat launchers, the challenges facing the SmallSat developer and actors as well as the enormous benefits of these advanced technologies that will benefit our world.

This event attracts more than 100 diverse speakers, all of whom possess deep industry experience. Additionally, numerous opportunities exist to mingle and network with peers while enjoying exceptional, complimentary meals and refreshment breakfast.

Learn more at this direct link…

Lacuna Space and Miromico have signed a collaboration agreement for the development and easy provision of ‘space ready’ and off-the-shelf communications devices using ultra low-power and low-cost satellite links.

Following successful tests conducted this year the first commercial trials with Miromico devices and selected enterprise clients of the Swiss company in agriculture, environmental monitoring or asset tracking are starting in 2020. By using LoRa®¹ the de-facto standard for low power wireless IoT, the life-time of battery operated IoT devices can be increased by years, saving operation and maintenance cost. The mutual use of LoRa also allowed Miromico to easily and quickly adapt their hardware and connect directly to Lacuna Space’s satellite.

Lacuna Space’s first satellite.

Photo is courtesy of the company.

In parallel to the field tests the two companies will develop a global distribution chain giving customers a simple way to buy modems, firmware, antennas and devices that will enable them to use the Lacuna Network. Semiconductor specialist Avnet Silica is working with Miromico to give easy access to IoT hardware. The first phase of the deployment of the Lacuna Network will be its constellation of 36 small satellites in LEO by the end of 2022. Orbiting at 500 km. above the Earth’s surface, the Lacuna Space Network will provide ubiquitous communication for billions of new wireless IoT devices everywhere in the world including areas of no connectivity.

The devices on the Lacuna Network will seamlessly integrate with any LoRaWAN® (long range wide area network) network on the ground within reach.

Miromico Lacuna devices.

Photo is courtesy of the company.

The LoRa-based space gateway on each satellite also uses the LoRaWAN communication protocol to receive short data messages from IoT sensors on the ground or at sea. This will provide the uninterrupted connectivity that is needed between terrestrial LPWAN (low power wide area networks).

Marcel Wappler, head of IoT & LPWAN at Miromico, said that a low-cost and low-power satellite link such as Lacuna Space’s technology built directly into every smart device will ignite a second IoT revolution. The company is facing a skyrocketing but yet unmet demand for smart devices with low power, affordable, and global connectivity. The lack of global connectivity is holding back endless applications, some of which will help to solve the most difficult challenges of our times such as enabling solar powered local grids in South America and elsewhere, improving agricultural yield, or tracking the global flow of goods or assets and monitor their carbon footprint. Together with Lacuna Space, the company can begin to meet that demand.

Rob Spurrett, CEO and co-founder of Lacuna Space, added that the company has been really impressed by Miromico and their depth of knowledge with LoRa devices was of great importance. The firm is being very selective in the choice of initial partners for the development of the company’s devices as these first steps are vital for Lacuna Spoace. Once the satellite constellation becomes operational, the demand will scale really quickly.

¹LoRa stands for Semtech Corporation’s long range wireless radio technology that allows a carrier signal containing information to be spread over the entire frequency spectrum reducing interference and interception while requiring ultra low power.

ThrustMe and Spacety have announced that the first propulsive operations have been conducted, and this milestone occurring just 15 days after the successful launch of the first ever, iodine-propelled smallsat.

After 10 days in orbit, Spacety managed to complete the on-orbit commissioning of the satellite and then it was time for the two companies to test the I2T5 cold gas thruster for the first time.

ThrustMe’s I2T5, pictured, is a non-pressurized cold gas propulsion system operating with solid iodine propellant.

Image is courtesy of the company.

This thruster is a one-of-its-kind propulsion system, invented and developed by ThrustMe and, if successful, will open up a completely new area for the space industry; smallsats will finally be able to do propulsive operations and larger satellites will gain considerably in both complexity and cost of the propulsion system.

Artistic renditions of Spacety’s TY I 6U smallsat (l) and the
TY II 27U platform on-orbit.

Image is courtesy of the company.

In the U.S., NASA together with established American companies and research institutions, have spent a decade together with millions of dollars trying to develop propulsion systems with iodine as propellant, as has ESA together with many of the larger European space corporates.

The first firing of the I2T5 was performed November 18, 2019, and had a duration of a few 10s of minutes. All subsystems reported correct operations and thus the commissioning of the thruster was successful. During the next firings, the thruster will perform exact orbital maneuvers.

Feng Yang, Founder and CEO at Spacety, said the company had planned to do the propulsive operations after all the other payloads had been fully tested, so in a two to three months’ time from now, but the firm didn’t have the patience to wait — it was just too exciting to test this historic system as soon as possible.

Dmytro Rafalskyi, CTO of ThrustMe, add that iodine has remarkable advantages compared to pressurized gases, but it has also new technical and quite difficult challenges. It is not straight forward — pressurized gas cannot simply be replaced with iodine and think that it will work. The company had to think outside the box and combined many fields of physics, chemistry and engineering to succeed.

Ane Aanesland, the CEO of ThrustMe, noted that the I2T5 is a cold gas propulsion system that the firm designed for cubesats; however, it is also a subsystem for the firm’s ion electric propulsion product. This technology demonstration with Spacety is a big step for us — two birds with one stone.

James Zheng, VP of International Business at Spacety, noted that this was such a big opportunity for the firm, the company wanted to collaborate with Europe and, if possible, also with the U.S. Spacety is proud of what has been accomplished in such a short period of time. It took the firm eight months from signing the contract to launching the satellites, and then only 15 days in space to obtain the first successful data. Speed is something ThrustMe and Spacety have in common and for both parties this does not mean low quality or high risk.

Javier Martinez Martinez, lead flow dynamics engineer responsible for the I2T5 product development at ThrustMe, remarked that from the telemetry continuously transmitted by the I2T5, the company has already obtained insightful knowledge about electrical, thermal and propulsive behavior of the system. ThrustMe is delighted to now be able to analyze the first flight data and to start optimizing the models to further improve the performances of the system. This is extremely encouraging for ThrustMe to continue working on iodine.

WORK Microwave has a new partnership with SAIT to provide downlinks for smallsat applications.

Recently, the companies completed a successful communication transmission test between WORK Microwave’s industry-leading AR-80 wideband demodulator and SAIT’s space qualified transceiver, which proved their combined solution is ready to power space, commercial, government, and science missions.

SAIT’s transmitter portfolio supports everything from small to large satellites as well as deep space spacecraft and offers up to 10 years of life. According to the firm, their downlink transmitters feature the industry’s highest throughput, state-of-the-art adaptive error correction coding and modulation, flexible interface options, and small size, weight, and power.

Seamless integration between SAIT’s space transceiver and WORK Microwave’s AR-80 wideband demodulator ensures that satellite downlink operations run smoothly. WORK Microwave’s AR-80 demodulator offers an unparalleled high performance at one of the industry’s lowest price points for specialized satellite downlink receivers.

Andrew Kuzmenko, CTO at SAIT, noted that performance is an important metric of satellite communications equipment, especially for space missions. Teaming with WORK Microwave, the company is able to provide an extremely powerful and reliable solution for space-born missions and satellite Earth Observation.

Joerg Rockstroh, Director of Digital Products at WORK Microwave stated that, from a technology perspective, SAIT and WORK Microwave are compatible, each bringing distinct expertise to the satellite communications domai. WORK’s AR-80 demodulator supports SAIT with efficient downlinks from their cubesat transmitters, featuring 1+Gbps throughput to address the needs of mission customers.

Image used for representational purpose.

BENGALURU; Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) would launch its Earth imaging and mapping satellite Cartosat-3 along with 13 commercial nanosatellites from the U.S., on November 25, the space agency said.

The satellites would be launched by India’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle, PSLV-C47into Sun Synchronous Orbit from Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) SHAR at Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh.

The launch is tentatively scheduled at 09:28 hrs IST on November 25, 2019 subject to weather conditions, ISRO said.

The Cartosat-3 is a “third-generation agile advanced satellite” having high-resolution imaging capability, it said, adding that the satellite would be placed in an orbit of 509 km at an inclination of 97.5 degree.

PSLV-C47 is the 21st flight of PSLV in ‘XL’ configuration (with 6 solid strap-on motors).

PSLV-C47 would also carry 13 commercial nanosatellites from the United States of America as part of a commercial arrangement with NewSpace India Limited (NSIL), Department of Space.

ISRO has said, this would be the 74th launch vehicle mission from SDSC SHAR, Sriharikota.

The Hindu Business Line

For all involved in the satellite and space industry and the various market segments that enhance these dynamic environments, the 2020 SmallSat Symposium is invaluable.

The 2020 SmallSat Symposium begins on February 3, 2020, with workshops on the first day. Then the Conference continues from February 4 to 6 at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, California, in the heart of Silicon Valley.

The SmallSat Symposium is hosted by Satnews Publishers which, since 1983, has been a provider of satellite news, media and events. This information packed forum enables you and your company to secure a larger portion of market share as well as to take a step into the next stage of your company’s, or organization’s, growth.

The personal connections at the SmallSat Symposium enable attendees to network with established organizations, subject-matter experts as well as ‘New Space’ entrants.

The SmallSat Symposium will focus on the daily changes in new technologies and the business environment that is shaping the implementation of SmallSat constellations, SmallSat launchers, the challenges facing the SmallSat developer and actors as well as the enormous benefits of these advanced technologies that will benefit our world.

This event attracts more than 100 diverse speakers, all of whom possess deep industry experience. Additionally, numerous opportunities exist to mingle and network with peers while enjoying exceptional, complimentary meals and refreshment breakfast.

Learn more at this direct link…

A Conversation with Jeanne Medvedeva,
Commercial Director, Exolaunch

Jeanne Medvedeva

Jeanne Medvedeva has been involved as a Launch Manager in the launch of more than 150 multi-national smallsats over multiple missions. At Exolaunch, she has enabled a global client base that includes universities, government entities and new space startups to reach space. Jeanne holds a degree in Economics and International Affairs and is fluent in Mandarin.

What services and products does your company provide to the industry?

Jeanne Medvedeva (JM)
Exolaunch is a leading European premium launch services and separation system provider for smallsats.
     As of this writing, Exolaunch has integrated and launched 85 smallsats over multiple missions, enabling the visions of some of the world’s most ambitious and innovative companies.

What do you believe are the most significant challenges that need to be addressed within the satellite and related industries?

JM
Regular and affordable access to space is still a significant challenge facing the industry. This challenge especially affects small satellite manufacturers and large satellite clusters. Our approach to tackling this challenge is to ensure that we interact closely with a wide network of launch vehicles, ensuring innovative pricing and back-up launch options for customers.

What is your company presenting at this major event?

JM
We are showcasing our deployment systems for microsatellites and cubesats, as well as our deployer sequencer for cluster launches.
     Smallsat customers looking for deployment solutions will be encouraged to have a look at the cutting edge deployment system, CarboNIX. CarboNIX is a revolutionary, shock-free, smallsat separation system (that was space-qualified earlier this year) which leads the market in shock reduction, lead time and cost and is able to deploy microsatellites up to 200 kg.
     Cubesat customers can also see the most advanced cubesat deployer system on the market, EXOpod. What makes EXOpod unique is that it allows cubesat manufacturers to expand the limits of the Cubesat Design Specification (CDS). At the event, we will be showcasing our 12U EXOpod deployer. The EXOpod also comes in 16U size and is the only 16U cubesat deployer on the market that has flight heritage.

What may we expect your company to reveal over the next few months?

JM
Certainly, we’ll discuss the customers that we’re working with as well as new rideshare launches on an ever-increasing network of available launch vehicles. Alongside the new design of our deployers, we will also be announcing over the coming months new technical improvements to these systems, making them lighter and stronger and more easily adapted to any existing launch vehicles.

How will Exolaunch continue to solidify its position as the best-in-class global launch service and separation system provider?

JM
Through an ever-increasing customer base of ambitious smallsat developers from the USA, Canada, UK, Sweden, Finland, Germany, France, Czech Republic, Israel, UAE, Japan and many more.
     Our introduction of the CarboNIX shock-free microsat separation system to the market has garnered huge interest and a large number of orders from single and constellation smallsat providers as well as launch vehicle manufacturers.
     Based on feedback being received from different launch providers, Exolaunch will be introducing EXOpod Light, a new system for cost savings in the launch market, shortly.

www.exolaunch.com

David Henri

A conversation with David Henri, the Co-Founder and Chief Executive Office at Exotrail, a company that develops electric propulsion systems and software
for the smallsat market.

Mr. Henri, what services and products does your company provide to
the industry?

David Henri (DH)

Our core product is a miniaturized propulsion solution for smallsats. Using Hall Effect Technology, we are able to provide a dramatically higher thrust than competing products, whilst maintaining a high fuel efficiency. Our range of thrusters and our propulsion operation and design software solutions will help build the space missions of tomorrow.

What services and products does your company provide to the industry?

DH
Exotrail is a highly innovative SME dedicated to providing agility solutions for small satellites’ constellations. The company’s mission is to carry smallsats from one orbit to another using electric propulsion systems and mission optimization software. This allows operators to use less precise but significantly more economical rockets while still being able to quickly reach their destination thanks to our technology.
     We currently provide two products : ExoMG™, a family of fully integrated propulsion systems using Hall Effect Technology for 10-200kg satellites, and ExoOPS™, a cloud-based mission design, optimization and operation software.

What do you believe are the most significant challenges that need to be addressed within the satellite and related industries?

DH
There are two main challenges for me, on the constellation market and on the launch market… and they are correlated.
     On the constellation side, people will stop launching demonstrators and will start launching constellations. And with these comes an evolution of requirements. When launching a demonstrator, what matters is how fast you can get it into orbit. You are ready to trade launch cost and launch precision if you can launch quicker.
     When you deploy a constellation, you can’t really trade on precision and cost – you need to maintain your constellation geometry, and you need to minimize your capital expenditure, so launch costs.
     Will all these business cases be sustainable ? A demonstrator and a constellation have two different kind of objectives – do they need the same type of hardware in the satellites? I think this needs to be addressed.
     On the launcher side, now you see a drop in launch costs from large rideshare launchers — we have all seen the announcement made by SpaceX of a $5k/kg. launch cost. This means constellation operators will be able to launch constellation at an acceptable cost.
     But what about precision? You don’t necessarily go where you want with these kind of launchers. You need deployment capabilities. And we believe this where we come in! Electric propulsion is the way to launch precisely and cheaply small satellites on orbit – potentially dividing launch costs by a factor of 10. If this is done in an automated way —– with our ExoOPS software, for instance.

What is your company presenting at this major event?

DH
We usually showcase our propulsion system in a very small vacuum chamber, which tends to attract many, many people in front of our booth! We can’t do it this time as our small vacuum chamber we use is under maintenance. But we will certainly showcase our mission software. I also was involved in a panel on Wednesday at the show on how to select the correct propulsion system for a constellation — five people from Exotrail were at the event.

What may we expect your company to reveal over the next few months?

DH
Quite a bit. Our mission design software will be fully available in January, and we will communicate quite a lot on that. Business development has been accelerated a lot in the past few months – we like to remain a bit quiet, and we can’t always disclosed customers’ names, but perhaps we’ll reveal things beginning of next year. Our first demonstrator will also fly in space, for a launch in February probably. Altogether quite a lot will happen in the coming months!

What will Space Tech Expo be in five years?

DH
I’ll be honest — I don’t have an answer and I think no one does. However, perhaps some leads will come to light. I am excepting a consolidation of constellation projects. I am excepting that only a few dedicated launchers will be there,and that the bulk of constellation launches will happen through rideshares and large rockets, with prices going down.
    I think nearly all the constellations will use on-board propulsion – they certainly will be deployed through third-party propulsion-equipped vehicles. I think the consolidation will also happen in the rest of the value chain. Perhaps : fewer booths, but much bigger booths? We will see — and I am looking forward to it!

exotrail.com