Archives for April 2020

General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems (GA-EMS) has opened a new, modern spacecraft development, integration and test factory with state-of-the-art laboratories and secure facilities in Centennial, Colorado.

The 33,514 square foot facility triples GA-EMS’ capacity for satellite production, integration and testing for single to constellation-sized orders, and also houses an expanded mission operations center to support on-orbit satellite and customer payload commissioning and operations.

In particular, Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) Secondary Payload Adapter (ESPA) class satellites, such as GA-EMS’ Orbital Test Bed satellite launched in 2019, are large enough to viably perform a variety of missions including weather and environmental monitoring, and lunar and planetary exploration, while small enough to be developed swiftly and affordably in large quantities. 

Scott Forney, president of GA-EMS, said Colorado is home to the nation’s second largest space economy and the company is excited to continue to expand development, production and mission capabilities in the region to meet the growing needs of the military, intelligence community, civil and commercial satellite communities. Over the last several years, the firm’s space portfolio has expanded to provide cost-effective design-to-on-orbit solutions offering a high degree of modularity and payload flexibility to suit a variety of mission needs and customer requirements. With this new, contemporary facility, the company can readily produce the quantities needed to meet the critical demand for small satellites in the rapidly growing space industry.”

Nick Bucci, VP of Missile Defense and Space Systems, add that this facility provides the ability to enhance the company’s portfolio of cost-efficient, flexible small satellite platforms, payloads, and integrated systems. GA-EMS has a history of development, integration, test and flight operations that are key to meeting the upcoming challenges to deliver constellation-sized missions to Low Earth Orbit and beyond. The firm’s highly experienced spacecraft engineers in Centennial are excited take on these unique challenges and deliver the innovative solutions that customers need.

Alba Orbital has announced the end of the mission and re-entry of Unicorn-2C (NOOR 1B), Alba’s first Unicorn spacecraft to make orbit.

The spacecraft successfully deployed its quadruple deployable solar panel and the customer operator confirmed reception of spacecraft signal. This is a great first step in space, moving the system to TRL-9.

The Unicorn-2C smallsat. Photo is courtesy of Alba Orbital.

While this was an experimental mission, the company is proud to reach this milestone and looks forward to upgrading Unicorn-2.0 to our Unicorn-2.1 architecture for new customers.

Achievements of the mission

• First smallsat to successfully deploy quadruple deployable solar panels
• First PocketQube to deploy a solar panel
• First operational 3p PocketQube in history
• Validation of Unicorn subsystems: Structure, Thermal, Backplane (OBC/EPS), Alba Radio, Unicorn OS (Software),
• System moves from TRL-8 to TRL-9.
• First full spacecraft delivered in-orbit to a commercial customer
• FCC licensed, demonstrating route to license PocketQube in the US.
• Contract kickoff to in-orbit deployment in under 1 year

Missions stats

Time on Orbit: 123 days (4 months, 1 day)

TLEs: 288

Average TLEs per day: 2.34

TLEs average update rate: 10 hrs 15 minutes

Injection Orbit Albapod: 403 x 348km, 97 degrees incl.

Learn more about using Unicorn-2 at this direct infolink…

The U.S. Space Force’s Rocket Systems Launch Program (RSLP) Office at Kirtland Air Force Base, Albuquerque, New Mexico, part of the Space and Missile Systems Center’s Launch Enterprise, has awarded a $35 million task order to VOX Space, LLC, of El Segundo, California, for the Space Test Program-S28 (STP-S28) launch service — this is the first task order under the Orbital Services Program-4 (OSP-4) Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract.

STP-S28 is a complex mission that will deliver a number of technology demonstrations to orbit, such as Space Domain Awareness and communications advancement, and inform future space system development.

VOX Space, a U.S.-incorporated, wholly-owned subsidiary of Virgin Orbit, LLC, will use three launches of the LauncherOne rocket to deliver 44 smallsats to LEO. The first launch is tentatively planned for October 2021.

Col. Rob Bongiovi, director of SMC’s Launch Enterprise at Los Angeles Air Force Base, aid the competitive award of the STP-S28 task order is a prime example of the flexible and responsive contracting processes the Launch Enterprise is using to deliver resilient and affordable space capabilities to our Nation. In today’s contested space domain, contracts must be flexible and responsive to meet the challenges facing the warfighter. The Small Launch and Targets Division accomplished the awarding of the STP-S28 task order in only five months using the OSP-4 contract.

The STP-S28 mission will provide orbital launch services for the Department of Defense’s Space Test Program. The DoD Space Test Program furthers the maturation of space-based warfighter technologies across the DoD enterprise by providing space access solutions for all research and development-related DoD auxiliary payloads on DoD, civil and commercial launches, and for all non-DoD auxiliary payloads seeking launch opportunities on DoD missions.

STP will provide payloads for STP-S28 via the DoD Space Experiments Review Board (SERB), as well as provide a number of International and Rideshare experiments. One such payload is QUEYSSAT, the #10 ranked SERB experiment and a cooperative effort between the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory and the Canadian Department of National Defence. This experiment will demonstrate and quantify the potential to improve Earth-satellite quantum channel uplinks via adaptive optics, expand quantum network concepts and exploit this capability for defense applications.

QUEYSSAT is illustrative of the technology demonstrations capable via smallsats that will be launched with this mission, as well as demonstrates one of the nearly 20 different organizations STP will partner with. OSP-4 allows for the rapid acquisition of launch services to meet mission requirements enabling launch within 12-24 months from Task Order award on a competitive basis.

OSP-4 also allows for yearly on-ramps throughout the ordering period to ensure emerging, innovative launch providers who are nearing completion of development and are launch capable within one year are part of the vendor pool to preserve, stimulate or enhance the competition pool. The STP-S28 mission is the first of 20 missions projected over the OSP-4 nine-year ordering period.

Lt. Col. Ryan Rose, chief of the Small Launch and Targets Division at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico, added that the organization is excited to partner with VOX Space and believe the STP-S28 mission will showcase industry innovation, international partnering and provide a gateway to work with some of the newest, leading-edge entrants for emerging small launch service providers. With these small launch contracts, the organization is able to take more risks and move quickly to produce high rewards and tactically responsive launch capabilities for combatant commanders. This program provides the perfect opportunity to highlight SMC’s ability to streamline procurement and mission execution, foster innovation, and preserve the best chance for mission success.

STP-S29 is the next mission task order Rose’s team is working. They are currently in the requirements development phase and project an award by the end of 2020.

The Space and Missile Systems Center is the U.S. Space Force’s center of excellence for acquiring and developing military space systems. SMC’s portfolio includes space launch, global positioning, military space vehicle communications, defense meteorological space vehicles, range systems, space vehicle control networks, space-based infrared systems, and space situational awareness capabilities.

Chris Forrester

Journalist Chris Forrester has filed a story at the Advanced Television infosite regarding unconfirmed reports that have been sourced from financial analyst and data company Debtwire suggest that Intelsat might be exploring relocation cost financing and that the company’s unsecured bond-holders have hired a law firm.

The news prompted a 57 percent rise in Intelsat’s share price on April 8 to $1.65 (from $1.05) and, at one point during the day, hit $1.82 per share. Intelsat is heavily indebted with some $14 billion in debt and borrowings.

The news comes with a further batch of Class Actions launched against certain major shareholders in the satellite company. As we have reported, there has been little visibility over the past two months as to Intelsat’s intentions. It could receive some $5 billion as a result of a planned FCC auction of some of its C-band spectrum, but to qualify for that payment, it has to take part in the auction.

Intelsat’s last quarterly earnings report was issued on February 20 with the firm’s next report, for Q1, expected about mid-May.

The Advanced Television infosite is also hosting a story that notes the Swarm Technologies constellation of SpaceBee satellites that achieved notoriety back in September of 2018, when the company behind the system launched four of its craft into orbit aboard an Indian rocket, which then resulted in a problem because the company had not been licensed to launch, or operate, while in orbit. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) was not pleased and fined the business $900,000.

The criticism was not helped insofar as the FCC had earlier specifically forbidden Swarm to launch satellites. California-based Swarm wants its fleet of satellites to serve Internet of Things (IoT) applications and it has established ground stations in the US, UK, Antarctica, Sweden, New Zealand and the Azores islands.

The company has now received all the necessary FCC permissions to continue its business plan. “Having received all regulatory approvals to operate commercially in the US, in several other countries, and over international waters, we are one step closer to providing affordable satellite connectivity to the world,” Swarm stated in a blog statement.

Swarm Technologies smallsat.

The company added that it would start services later this year with 30 ground stations ready to relay the constellations data. The plan calls for 150 low orbiting satellites, although the FCC permissions extend to 600 SpaceBees, should the company want to expand their orbital portfolio.

Omnispace has selected Thales Alenia Space to develop the initial component of the company’s satellite-based Internet of Things (IoT) infrastructure — this will advance Omnispace’s vision to deliver a global hybrid communications network based on 3GPP standards.

Thales Alenia Space will design and build an initial set of two satellites for operation in non-geostationary orbit (NGSO).

These initial satellites will support 3GPP-defined (the 3rd Generation Partnership Project telecommunications specifications that unite standard development organizations) Narrow-Band IoT radio interface and will serve to advance the development and implementation of Omnispace’s global hybrid network.

This announcement marks a key milestone as Omnispace initiates the development of its new generation NGSO satellite constellation that will operate in the S-band.

Artistic rendition of Omnispace’s satellites.

The development of this initial set of satellites will begin immediately and they are scheduled for launch in 2021. Omnispace and Thales Alenia Space, along-side other industry stakeholders, will contribute to the development of the 3GPP NTN friendly standard for global implementation.

Ram Viswanathan, President and CEO of Omnispace LLC, stated that Thales Alenia Space has a successful track record of developing NGSO satellite constellations and is well-qualified to support the company’s vision of delivering the world’s first global 5G non terrestrial network (NTN). This investment in the firm’s next-generation satellite infrastructure allows Omnispace to progress the development of the firm’s technology and demonstrate the company’s unique capabilities as the firm continues to work towards launching the company’s broader vision of a global hybrid network.

Hervé Derrey, CEO of Thales Alenia Space, added that the company is pleased to be working with Omnispace, which is taking a holistic approach to the design, development and deployment of their next-generation, IoT-based satellite network infrastructure. Omnispace’s selection of Thales Alenia Space reinforces the firm’s leadership position as a major industrial partner and the company’s expertise in space-based IoT communications and Thales Alenia Space looks forward to collaborating with Omnispace in delivering this innovative project.

South Australian satellite connectivity company Myriota has raised A$28 million in Series B funding to bolster its satellite network and increase its workforce by 2022.

Myriota co-founders David Haley and Alex Grant at Lot Fourteen in Adelaide. Picture: Rosina Possingham.

Myriota will use the latest round of funding to increase its constellation of satellites to 25 and further its global expansion as a leader in low-cost and low-power Internet of Things (IoT) satellite connectivity.

Myriota’s technology involves tiny satellite transmitters that send low powered messages directly to a constellation of LEO smallsats. These satellites relay the messages to Earth where they are decoded and sent to the end user. The technology is particularly effective in remote areas on land or at sea that do not have access to internet or cellular networks.

The company will also use the Series B funding to grow its workforce by 50 percent in the next two years, allowing it to connect billions of devices to power energy-efficient technology and serve demand in key international markets.

Myriota raised A$15 million in Series A funding in 2018 and said all of those participants returned to take part in Series B.

Artistic rendition of a Myriota smallsat on-orbit.

The latest funding round brings Mryriota’s total funding to A$50 million, including investments from Hostplus, Main Sequence Ventures, In-Q-Tel and former Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.

CEO and co-founder Alex Grant said the latest round of funding would break down cost-prohibitive barriers and assist in maximizing efficiency and added that this is a critical time for IoT. Presently 90 per cent of the earth’s surface lacks connectivity. Myriota has been focused on filling that gap and overcoming constraints in existing infrastructure. With this new round of funding, the company will continue to grow the firm’s network of satellites to deliver an affordable, environmentally friendly and powerful solution to make data accessible for our global customer base.

The announcement is the latest in a string of expansions for Myriota, which has become a global leader in smallsat IoT connectivity and is based at Lot Fourteen – an innovation precinct in Adelaide, South Australia, which is also home of the Australian Space Agency.

Myriota was spun out of the University of South Australia in 2015 with funding from Canada-based data services company exactEarth.

Last month, the South Australian start-up announced it had furthered its partnership with exactEarth to acquire satellite communications assets.

The acquisition, which is subject to Canadian regulatory approval, signified the creation of Myriota’s first North American office, in Ontario, Canada. It provides Myriota with four exactEarth experts in satellite operations, satellite engineering and spectrum management. The CA$600,000 deal also increases Myriota’s capacity to deliver low-cost, low-power, secure direct-to-orbit satellite connectivity for IoT through four satellites and a global network of ground states assets.

Dr. Grant said that despite challenging global business conditions, the company was in a fortunate position to continue its international expansion plans and allow multiple industries to access its technology. He noted that this acquisition is a huge opportunity for Myriota business to grow its North American footprint. It will add industry-leading capabilities in key areas, such as satellite operations, engineering and spectrum management from an experienced team, and will fast-track the firn’s development with established ground facilities and ground stations.”

South Australia has been a significant player in the nation’s space industry and is home to major Tier 1 defence companies, the SmartSat CRC and several other emerging space start-ups, including Fleet Space Technologies and Inovor Technologies.

In 2018, Adelaide was announced as the home of the Australian Space Agency, to which a $6 million Mission Control Centre for smallsat missions and an educational Discovery Centre was added in 2019.

Story by Jessica Bassano, The Lead

Virgin Orbit has announced a new partnership with Oita Prefecture to bring horizontal launch to Japan.

With the support of regional partners ANA Holdings Inc. and the Space Port Japan Association, Virgin Orbit has identified Oita Airport as its preferred pilot launch site — yet another addition to the company’s growing global network of horizontal launch sites — in pursuit of a mission to space from Japan as early as 2022.

Virgin Orbit and Oita Prefecture have agreed to commence a joint technical study to facilitate development of the future spaceport.

Photo of Oita Airport, Japan.

LauncherOne, Virgin Orbit’s uniquely mobile launch system, will leverage sites around the world like Oita to provide flexible and responsive flights to space for a broad variety of customers. Most recently, the UK Space Agency announced a multi-million dollar grant to facilitate horizontal launches from Spaceport Cornwall. In April of 2019, Virgin Orbit revealed that it would also conduct launches from Andersen Air Force Base on the Pacific island of Guam — Virgin Orbit is also working closely with multiple governments and international organizations interested in establishing launch capabilities closer to home.

After successfully demonstrating all major vehicle assemblies and completing an extensive flight test program, the Virgin Orbit team is in the midst of final preparations for an orbital launch demonstration expected soon.

Katsusada Hirose, Governor for the Oita Prefectural Government, said, “We are eager to host the first horizontal takeoff and landing spaceport in Japan. We are also honored to be able to collaborate with brave technology companies solving global-level problems through their small satellites. We hope to foster a cluster of space industry in our prefecture, starting with our collaboration with Virgin Orbit.”

Dan Hart, the CEO for Virgin Orbit, said the global use of smaller satellites and related launch activities are expected to ramp up rapidly in the coming years, a flexible domestic launch capability becomes a crucial factor. It’s a key element in ensuring the availability and responsiveness of launch — a core enabler for the growing space economy. As Japan looks to establish a regional launch hub for Asia,
Virgin Orbit is excited to work alongside Oita to enable launch operations for space ventures, stimulate the local economy, and facilitate the growth of Japan’s broader space ecosystem.