Archives for January 2020

The Space Development Agency (SDA) is responsible for defining and monitoring the Department’s future threat-driven space architecture and accelerating the development and fielding of new military space capabilities necessary to ensure U.S. technological and military advantage in space for national defense. The SDA is now soliciting proposals for the technologies that are necessary to build and launch multiple smallsats (from 50 to 500 kg.) that will form the national defense constellations.

The SDA is responsible for unifying and integrating next-generation space capabilities to deliver the National Defense Space Architecture (NDSA), a resilient, military sensing and data transport capability via a proliferated space architecture in LEO. SDA will not necessarily develop and field all capabilities of the NDSA but rather orchestrate those efforts across the Department of Defense (DoD) and fill in gaps in capabilities while providing the integrated architecture.

There are eight essential capabilities described in the SDA’s August 2018 Report on Organizational and Management Structure for the National Security Space Components of the Department of Defense. These capabilities include:

1. Persistent global surveillance for advanced missile targeting,

2. Indications, warning, targeting, and tracking for defense against advanced missile threats,

3. Alternate positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) for a GPS-denied environment,

4. Global and near-real time space situational awareness,

5. Development of deterrent capability,

6. Responsive, resilient, common ground-based space support infrastructure (e.g., ground stations and launch capability),

7. Cross-domain, networked, node-independent battle management command, control, and communications (BMC3), including nuclear command, control, and communications (NC3),

8. Highly-scaled, low-latency, persistent, artificial-intelligence-enabled global surveillance.

Initially, the National Defense Space Architecture is comprised of the following layers to address the critical priorities for space identified within the DoD Space Vision:

• Transport Layer, to provide assured, resilient, low-latency military data and communications connectivity worldwide to the full range of warfighter platforms
   
• Battle Management Layer, to provide architecture tasking, mission command and control, and data dissemination to support time-sensitive kill chain closure at campaign scales
   
• Tracking Layer, to provide global indications, warning, tracking, and targeting of advanced missile threats, including hypersonic missile systems
   
• Custody Layer, to provide 24×7, all-weather custody of time-sensitive, left-of-launch surface mobile targets (e.g., to support targeting for advanced missiles)
   
• Navigation Layer, to provide alternate positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) for Global Positioning System (GPS)-denied environments
   
• Deterrence Layer, to deter hostile action in deep space (beyond Geosynchronous Earth Orbit (GEO) up to lunar distances)
   
• Support Layer, to enable ground and launch segments to support a responsive space architecture

Multiple awards are anticipated. The amount of resources made available under this BAA  will depend on the quality of the proposals received and the availability of funds.

SDA’s mission starts and ends with the warfighter. SDA recognizes that “good enough” capabilities in the hands of warfighter sooner may be better than delivering the perfect solution too late. SDA will deliver capabilities to the nation’s joint warfighting forces in two-year tranches, starting as early as Fiscal Year (FY) 2022.

SDA anticipates issuing separate solicitations for the capability layers outlined above, seeking systems and technologies that can be developed and fielded on the SDA tranche timelines to address timely warfighter needs. SDA also recognizes the need to establish an “intellectual pipeline” to access ideas from across the community to inform the future of the NDSA.

Through this BAA, SDA specifically seeks novel architecture concepts, systems, technologies, and capabilities that:

• Enable leap-ahead improvements for future tranches of currently planned NDSA capability layers
   
• Enable new capability layers to address other emerging or evolving warfighters needs

To this end, SDA is soliciting executive summaries, white papers/proposal abstracts as well as full proposals.

Please access this direct link to download a 32-page PDF that contains the details, focus areas and submission instructions.

Capella Space has unveiled their evolved satellite design to enable on-demand observations of any location on Earth.

Capella Space SAR smallsat to Deliver high resolution, on-demand EO data.

Artistic rendition is courtesy of the company.

Informed by extensive customer feedback and findings from the launch of Denali, Capella’s testbed satellite, the re-engineered design features a suite of technological innovations to deliver timely, flexible and frequent sub-0.5 meter very high quality images to the market. According to the company, the enhanced technology package will deliver the most advanced offering for small satellite SAR imagery on the market. The satellite evolution is a direct result of customer feedback, extensive on-orbit testing with Capella’s first testbed satellite Denali, as well as ground-based testing.

Satellite enhancements include:

• Advanced design delivering high contrast, low-noise, sub-0.5 meter imagery: A 3.5 meter deployed mesh-based reflector antenna combined with a high power RADAR enable key performance improvements including quality advances.
   
• Extended duty cycle: A deployed 400 W solar array increases on-orbit duty cycle to 10 minutes per orbit.
   
• Continuous imaging over long distance: Advanced thermal management systems allow continuous imaging of up to 4000 km long strip images.
   
• Highly agile platform: Enabled by large reaction wheels, the new satellite quickly adjusts pointing to collect images from diverse targets.
   
• Staring spotlight image mode: New mode further enhances image quality with the ability to collect the highest commercially available multi-look data.
   
• Enhanced data downlink rate: A high average data rate downlink of 1.2 Gbps supports the massive image collection rate and extended duty cycle, providing more data per orbit than any other commercial SAR system in its class.
   
• Real-time tasking: A highly secure encrypted two-way link with Inmarsat through an exclusive partnership with Addvalue provides real time tasking capability for the entire Capella constellation.

The new satellite design cemented major deals with multiple divisions of the U.S. government, including a contract with the U.S. Air Force and National Reconnaissance Office (NRO). The technological enhancements will be embedded in Capella’s next six commercial satellites, named the “Whitney” constellation, starting with the launch of Sequoia slated for March of 2020. The Sequoia satellite is currently completing system level tests and will arrive at the launch site in early March.

Capella is also licensed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) for its 36 small satellite constellation, along with approval to sell the highest resolution legally allowed SAR commercial imagery to customers globally.

Christian Lenz, VP of Engineering at Capella Space, said the firm’s customers have spoken: today’s industry standard of waiting eight hours to receive data is woefully outdated. They want access to imagery that is reliable, timely and, most importantly, high-quality. The innovations packed into Capella’s small satellite make Capella the first and only SAR provider to provide real-time tasking and capture of sub-0.5 meter, very high-quality imagery anywhere on Earth at any time. This is a game-changer for a variety of industries—from monitoring military threats to assessing crop yields in agriculture to coordinating disaster response.

Firefly Aerospace, Inc. (Firefly) has executed a Launch Services Agreement with Innovative Space Logistics BV (ISILAUNCH), a launch services subsidiary of Netherlands based ISIS – Innovative Solutions in Space B.V. (ISISPACE).

Under the agreement, ISILAUNCH will offer to its customers multiple dedicated and rideshare launch opportunities on the Firefly’s Alpha launch vehicle, on missions beginning in 2020.

Firefly CEO Dr. Tom Markusic stated the company is very pleased to have ISILAUNCH as a customer for the firm’s Alpha launch vehicle.

He noted that with Firefly’s anticipated flight rate and the growth of the demand for launch services, the company will leverage the experience and market presence of ISILAUNCH to provide customers with economical, convenient and reliable flight opportunities.

ISILAUNCH Director Abe Bonnema said the firm is very keen to work with Firefly and their Alpha launch vehicle. Based on the company’s extensive experience with cluster launches, having launched hundreds of small satellites in that manner over the past ten years, ISILAUNCH believes the Alpha launch vehicle has a very interesting capacity to cost ratio, enabling the launch configuration flexibility the company needs to serve a broad customer base.

ISIS specializes in realizing innovative turn-key small satellite missions. Through our unique and proven approach of full vertical integration which combines design, development, production, testing, launch services, and satellite operations into a single organization, we can offer you the right solution, from subsystem to full mission and constellation building.

He added that Alpha is also interesting for the firm’s ambitions to bring swarms of small satellites to lunar orbit. Moreover, the company is pleased to conclude that the firm’s business philosophy and market approach align very well with those of Firefly.

Alona Kolisnyk, Firefly Director of International Business Development, added that the company’s team is preparing to quickly ramp flight cadence following the maiden launch of the firm’s Alpha vehicle. This will allow Firefly to deliver customer payloads to their preferred orbits in a responsive and affordable way. The rideshare missions Firefly will execute with ISILAUNCH will further enable the global small satellite industry and provide flight heritage to disruptive cislunar technologies being developed by commercial space startups.

Kleos Space S.A. (ASX:KSS, Frankfurt:KS1) has entered into a channel partner and data integrator agreement with UK geospatial intelligence and analysis company Geollect.

Geollect will procure and integrate data from Kleos’ satellites as it becomes a global leader in dark vessel tracking capability whereas Kleos data will be used by Geollect to generate analytical intelligence output and may be resold to third parties. The agreement is the result of Kleos’ and Kleos’ UK subsidiary efforts to assist the UK Industry and Government to access commercial data from satellites to provide information as needed.

Artistic rendition of a Kleos Space smallsat on-orbit.

Kleos’ Scouting Mission satellites detect and geolocate maritime radio frequency transmissions, and when compared with other data sources such as Automatic Identification System (AIS) the data can be used to highlight ‘dark’ maritime activity. Geollect provides near real-time geospatial maritime intelligence collection and analytics for the defence, security, global cruise line and insurance sectors that is used by leading maritime organisations. Comprehensive real-time vessel tracking is central to its extensive contracts with the UK’s Royal Navy and within the Global P&I Maritime insurance sector, using its intelligence capabilities to support global maritime operations.

This agreement with an international leader in geospatial intelligence supports Kleos’ long-term strategy within the UK defence and security markets, where its commercial satellites improve and verify intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) data to support maritime operations.

Kleos’ Scouting Mission satellites are awaiting launch from Chennai, India, and after commissioning will commence data delivery.

Kleos Space Chairman, Air Commodore (retired) Peter Round said that this is a great example of implementation of a key business strategy for Kleos. The company can provide defence, security and commercial users with access to cost-effective geolocation intelligence data to provide a value added tipping and cueing capability to their current capability. Kleos’ independent maritime intelligence data complements and enhances Geollect’s existing datasets. Using the firm’s satellites flown in clusters of four, Kleos technology geolocates all RF transmissions without relying on them actively broadcasting their locations. Thus, Kleos can offer unprecedented situational awareness at sea with optimized revisit rates over key regions of maritime interest for the UK, including the Straits of Hormuz, the South China Sea and the coast of Africa.

Geollect co-founder and COO Richard Gwilliam added that the company’s maritime defence and security customers, such as the Royal Navy, are increasingly requesting tracking of dark activity, facilitating improved detection and interdiction of illegal activity such as piracy and drug smuggling. Kleos’ data will improve our location of dark vessels, enabling us to identify anomalous activity and corroborate reports from disparate sources in near real- time. The geospatial intelligence data and analysis allows customers to understand regional threats as they occur and use that information to mitigate risks.”

Rocket Lab has been selected by the U.S.’  National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) to assist with their mission, ‘Birds of a Feather’, sending a small satellite off from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1. The window of the launch begins to open on January 31, NZDT (New Zealand).  Rocket Lab has facilities in both the U.S. and New Zealand.

The NRO competitively awarded the contract under the Rapid Acquisition of a Small Rocket (RASR) contract vehicle. RASR allows the NRO to explore new launch opportunities that can provide a streamlined, commercial approach for getting small satellites into space. 

Rocket Lab’s Senior Vice President – Global Launch Services, Lars Hoffman, commented that the Electron vehicle is uniquely placed to deliver the kind of frequent, rapidly-acquired launch opportunities required by the NRO and other government agencies to ensure resiliency in space. 

Rocket Lab has been launching to orbit since January 2018, and remains the only launch provider capable of meeting the rapid-acquisition and launch requirements of dedicated small satellite missions for the U.S. government. Rocket Lab has delivered 47 satellites to orbit on the Electron launch vehicle, enabling operations in space debris mitigation, Earth observation, ship and airplane tracking, and radio communications

Hoffman continued that they are honored the NRO has selected Rocket Lab as the launch provider for this dedicated mission. The Electron launch vehicle is perfectly positioned to provide the kind of rapid and responsive access to space that puts the NRO in complete control over their own launch schedule and orbital requirements. As the industry shifts toward the disaggregation of large, geostationary spacecraft, Electron enables unprecedented access to space to support a resilient layer of government small satellite infrastructure. 

Egypt is set to launch a program for the manufacturing of small satellites in universities across the country in a collaborative effort led the Egyptian Space Agency (EgSA), the Academy for Scientific Research and Technology (ASR) and the Supreme Council of Universities. 

Egypt’s indigenously developed Cubesats NARSSCube 1 & 2 Flight Models. Photo Credit: NARSS

The program is one of the pillars contained in the National Strategy for Science, Technology and Innovation 2030 which was released in December by Egypt’s Higher Education and Scientific Research aimed at improving the country’s competitiveness in science research and development of indigenous technologies. 

The strategy document, obtained by Space in Africa, outlined the Ministry’s intention to “establish a laboratory for educational satellites, electronic tests and space photographs processing.”

Egypt’s Higher Education and Scientific Research Minister Khaled Abdel-Ghafar yesterday confirmed plans for the launch of the program while chairing the maiden meeting of the Egyptian Space Agency board alongside Mohamed El-Qosi, EgSA Chief Executive Officer.

Abdel-Ghafar further disclosed that the ministry will welcome a delegation from the French Space Agency to discuss space cooperation between both countries. Both parties will be looking to sign a memorandum of understanding on space cooperation.

The program for the manufacturing of small satellites in universities across Egypt is a reflection of the country’s recent drive to revitalize its space sector and its ambition to become a space power in the Middle East and Africa. 

Last year, Egypt launched four satellites into space, of which two were developed locally by Egyptian engineers at the National Authority for Remote Sensing and Space Sciences (now the Egyptian Space Agency). With a record nine satellites launched into space from 1998 to 2019 by Egypt’s Nilesat and the Egyptian government, Egypt currently tops the chart for the highest number of satellites launched by an African nation.

The North African country is also investing in other space infrastructure including a satellite assembly, integration and testing (AIT) centre, ground station facilities and the China-funded MisrSat II Earth observation satellite in collaboration with the Chinese government. Located in the iconic Egyptian Space City near the New Administrative Capital in Cairo, the space facilities, when completed, will boost Egypt’s competitiveness in space science research and technology development.

By Joseph Ibeh,  AfricaNewsSpace

HawkEye 360 Inc. has formed a strategic partnership with Airbus and, through this partnership, the companies will deliver high-impact, geospatial intelligence solutions not currently available — both companies can leverage the platforms and services of the other partner to address client mission needs.

This partnership enables HawkEye 360 and Airbus to fuse complementary data sets to maximize value to customers. Airbus will distribute HawkEye 360’s RF data and analytics across Europe to augment its maritime, defense, and intelligence products. HawkEye 360 will offer Airbus’ earth observation optical and synthetic aperture radar (SAR) products jointly with its RF solutions to serve defense and intelligence customers.

Artistic rendition of HawkEye 360’s constellation is
courtesy of the company.

Airbus was among the investors who participated in HawkEye 360’s $70 million Series B funding in August 2019. The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) provided approval for Airbus to close its investment transaction Jan. 8. The Series B funding enables HawkEye 360 to build and launch the full commercial satellite constellation and develop a full line of RF analytic products.

John Serafini, CEO, HawkEye 360, said Airbus is an exceptional partner and investor as the company develops and delivers the firm’s vision for the future of space-based RF data and analytics. Together with Airbus, HawkEye 360 will be able to build sophisticated products and services that intelligently leverage a more comprehensive range of data than previously commercially available.

François Lombard, Director of the Intelligence Business for Airbus Defence and Space, noted that HawkEye 360 is a pioneer in space-based RF data and analytics and an ideal partner in the company’s  mission to improve global situational awareness for our defense, security, and civil customers.

Alex Fox, EVP of Business Development, Sales and Marketing, HawkEye 360, added that the world’s first EO, SAR, and RF commercial constellation offers unique capabilities, such as a tip-and-cueing Multi-INT system for unprecedented global situational awareness. Integrating these analytics will provide customers valuable insights to execute more informed decisions.

In-Space Missions Limited (In-Space) and ESA have signed a Public Private Partnership (PPP) program worth 10 million euros to develop the Faraday 2nd generation capabilities to become a Service Mission Provider (SMP) and fly two smallsat validation missions in LEO — the PPP program is co-funded under the ESA ARTES Pioneer program and is part of the Partners Projects.

In-Space has had commercial success with the Faraday 1st Generation (F1G) service that has attracted large space primes, start-ups and academia as customers.

This turnkey service enables multiple 3rd party payloads to ‘rideshare’ on a single satellite platform and take advantage of the economies provided by sharing the infrastructure.

As satellite design, build, regulatory, launch and operations costs are shared across the customers, the typical price of flying with Faraday is around a third of the cost of buying a stand-alone satellite. The first Faraday 1st Generation satellite, incorporating seven distinct customers on a 6U cubesat, is now built and awaiting launch.

The ESA Pioneer program for Faraday 2nd Generation will significantly improve on F1G through an enhanced user-service development and the design and test of a new satellite platform, CubeScale, that enables dramatic performance improvements and cost reductions.

The service design and CubeScale approach will enable In-Space to offer flights on the Faraday service to LEO, including launch, regulatory and six months of operations, at market disrupting prices.  With a proposed flight every 3 to 6 months from 2022, the service will provide a ‘responsive space’ solution for a number of customers needing rapid in space technology and service validation.

The CubeScale platform takes the avionics or ‘brains’ of a low-cost cubesat and incorporates a scalable thermo-mechanical, power and precision AOCS solutions to deliver a high performance, low cost microsatellite platform with a payload carrying capability up to 80 kg. The novel flexible hardware and software interface design enables payload providers to contract with In-Space as late as three months prior to launch.

CubeScale is designed to be agnostic to the avionics solution and as such can incorporate the best in class of Europe’s cubesat capabilities.  While the ESA Pioneer validation missions will take place in low Earth orbit, the CubeScale architecture is readily extendable to medium Earth orbit, geostationary orbit and beyond.

While In-Space is leading the service development and delivery, the CubeScale platform is being developed by a world-class team of British companies. Magna Parva Ltd. is taking the lead on the novel flexible structure and extremely low shock launch adapter.  Bright Ascension Ltd. will drive on the space and ground software interfaces and design tools. In-Space will provide systems leadership to the CubeScale team and develop the AOCS solution.

Tony Holt, In-Space CTO, said this is a fantastic opportunity to bring together three great British SMEs with the goal of enabling many more organizations to demonstrate, prove and start to deliver new space based services.

Doug Liddle, the CEO of In-Space, said Faraday has proven to be a game-changer for the firm’s customers to date and this ESA Artes Pioneer program will give Europe a World beating capability in the rapid demonstration and early roll-out of new and advanced technologies, systems, services and applications. The CubeScale design allows us to fly large payloads alongside cubesat-sized payloads at a transformational price and performance not currently available to small missions. With this project, In-Space aims to further stretch its capabilities as a Space Mission Provider. In-Space will build and perform a flight demonstration with innovative satellite based on its novel and modular platform. A great achievement by the ESA and In-Space led team that kicked off this project.

Jonathan Yaney, Founder and CEO of SpinLaunch, Inc., has announced that the company has received an additional investment of $35 million for continued development of the world’s first kinetic launch system, designed to provide the lowest-cost, environmentally responsible orbital launch system to serve the rapidly growing smallsat industry.

The responsive launch system uses a large mass accelerator to provide on demand launches of smallsats in virtually any weather at an order of magnitude lower cost and higher frequency than any existing or proposed launch system.

SpinLaunch Headquarters, Long Beach, California, USA.

Photo is courtesy of the company.

In January 2019, SpinLaunch relocated to a new 140,000 square foot facility in Long Beach, California, and funds will be used for the buildout of this corporate headquarters and investing in equipment and machinery to be a world-class R&D manufacturing facility. In addition, the company is hiring additional talent for both its Long Beach headquarters and Spaceport test facility. the first flight test is expected later this year.

SpinLaunch is re-imagining space launch by revisiting fundamental physics and leveraging proven industrial technologies to create a system that accelerates the launch vehicle to hypersonic speeds using ground-based electricity. Applying the initial performance boost from a terrestrial-based launch platform will enable the company to provide a substantially lower cost launch to orbit, multiple times per day.

Investors include Airbus Ventures, GV, KPCB, Catapult Ventures, Lauder Partners, John Doerr and Byers Family. The funds from this investment will be used to scale the SpinLaunch team and technology, and continue to build out SpinLaunch’s new corporate headquarters in Long Beach, California, and complete the flight test facility at Spaceport America in New Mexico.

CEO Yaney said the company’s team at SpinLaunch greatly appreciates the continued support of this formidable syndicate of investors, who share the firm’s vision of enabling low-cost and frequent launch of imaging and communications constellations that will protect the planet and humanity. Later this year, SpinLaunch aims to change the history of space launch with the completion of the first flight test mass accelerator at Spaceport America.