Archives for 2020

Synspective Inc., a Japanese company providing satellite data and derived solutions using small-sized SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar) satellites, launches its SAR-based “Flood Damage Assessment Solution” service, which provides damage information when a flood occurs, using the highly reliable SAR-attributable data capabilities of all-weather, any time, high-frequency observation.

＊A Demo Image

The “Flood Damage Assessment Solution” is a service that evaluates inundation damage (inundation area, inundation depth, damaged roads, damaged buildings) as a measure during a disaster response. In the event of a disaster, especially when affecting large areas, early information and fast action are critical.

SAR satellites are capable of all-weather, anytime, ground observation, as such, when a flood occurs it is possible to quickly grasp the gravity of the situation and evaluate the damage without delays. Furthermore, by using cutting-edge AI methods, the tool can also identify the level of impact on facilities, such as roads and buildings, in a speedy manner.

In the event of a flood, insurance, financial, and government entities have a proven need to quickly assess damage based on early information. Synspective’s “Flood Damage Assessment Solution” provides stable, high-frequency data from SAR satellites, using cutting-edge AI methods to provide critical information. Synspective offers this solution on a subscription basis through a SaaS (solution as a service) format. User-friendly UI/UX enables users to intuitively understand the analyticsl results without any prior experience of satellite data needed.

At the UR2020 conference on risk management, SSTL partnered with the Southeast Asia Disaster Risk Insurance Facility (SEADRIF),  supported by The World Bank, to find a solution that will help to better analyze flood spread and the resulting damage.

Teams were challenged to develop a solution that uses satellite imagery, combined with flood depth information from other existing datasets and/or real time data sources. Synspective’s  “Flood Damage Assessment Solution” tool was selected as one of the four finalists.

Synspective plans to launch its own small SAR satellite “StriX-α” in 2020.  In the near future, the company can provide solutions with higher frequency and stable monitoring by use of data obtained from the firm’s own SAR satellite constellation.

Synspective Inc., a Japanese company providing satellite data and derived solutions using small-sized SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar) satellites, launches its SAR-based “Flood Damage Assessment Solution” service, which provides damage information when a flood occurs, using the highly reliable SAR-attributable data capabilities of all-weather, any time, high-frequency observation.

＊A Demo Image

The “Flood Damage Assessment Solution” is a service that evaluates inundation damage (inundation area, inundation depth, damaged roads, damaged buildings) as a measure during a disaster response. In the event of a disaster, especially when affecting large areas, early information and fast action are critical.

SAR satellites are capable of all-weather, anytime, ground observation, as such, when a flood occurs it is possible to quickly grasp the gravity of the situation and evaluate the damage without delays. Furthermore, by using cutting-edge AI methods, the tool can also identify the level of impact on facilities, such as roads and buildings, in a speedy manner.

In the event of a flood, insurance, financial, and government entities have a proven need to quickly assess damage based on early information. Synspective’s “Flood Damage Assessment Solution” provides stable, high-frequency data from SAR satellites, using cutting-edge AI methods to provide critical information. Synspective offers this solution on a subscription basis through a SaaS (solution as a service) format. User-friendly UI/UX enables users to intuitively understand the analyticsl results without any prior experience of satellite data needed.

At the UR2020 conference on risk management, SSTL partnered with the Southeast Asia Disaster Risk Insurance Facility (SEADRIF),  supported by The World Bank, to find a solution that will help to better analyze flood spread and the resulting damage.

Teams were challenged to develop a solution that uses satellite imagery, combined with flood depth information from other existing datasets and/or real time data sources. Synspective’s  “Flood Damage Assessment Solution” tool was selected as one of the four finalists.

Synspective plans to launch its own small SAR satellite “StriX-α” in 2020.  In the near future, the company can provide solutions with higher frequency and stable monitoring by use of data obtained from the firm’s own SAR satellite constellation.

SSC has invested in a new start-up, data analytics business, with offices in the UK and Sweden to address some of the most crucial environmental and social issues of the time.

GlobalTrust will focus on supporting public policy and corporate social responsibility imperatives that are aligned with societies’ expectations and working toward a better and more sustainable planet.

This initiative is being led by SSC and is supported by the UK’s Satellite Applications Catapult – a government established not-for-profit company with its core mandate focused on promoting and enabling industrial growth in the space sector.

Recent developments in satellite delivered EO, including frequent revisits, ever higher resolution imagery and real-time analytics, have shown that remote sensing technologies can play a critical role in monitoring and assessing the impact of corporate activities almost anywhere in the world. GlobalTrust shall combine the latest technologies and build upon the excellent market-facing work conducted by the Satellite Applications Catapult in the UK, by creating and operationally providing services in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), investor-focused intelligence (i.e., ESG metrics) as well as assisting public sector organizations create and deliver better public policy.

GlobalTrust will begin trading in December 2020 from its UK office, with a Swedish office opening in 2021.

SSC’s CEO Stefan Gardefjord said, “GlobalTrust represents an exciting development for SSC, by providing a focus outside of its core space markets and into a wider range of sectors that have challenges that space technologies can help to solve. This venture therefore represents both the creation of a new business-line within the SSC group, but also supports and encourages growth in the need for high quality space capabilities in SSC’s traditional business activities.”

The Satellite Applications Catapult’s CEO Stuart Martin said, ”The Satellite Applications Catapult was created to stimulate and develop the space sector in the UK, and the formation of new businesses to achieve this goal is an important aspect of our work. GlobalTrust is the latest in a series of very high potential spin-outs from the Catapult, and its clear focus on tackling complex global issues and delivering lasting cultural change in the corporate world aligns strongly with our own vision. I look forward to seeing this new organization develop and deliver significant impact in our rapidly changing world.”

GlobalTrust’s CEO, Dr. Richard Hilton said, “We believe that GlobalTrust has emerged right at the critical point when technology, corporate need and societal expectations have collided, and there is now a strong appetite to make positive changes. Therefore, an opportunity for an independent and trusted entity to serve this demand exists. It starts not with just a good idea but builds upon many decades of experience in the space sector and with the Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) market. GlobalTrust is well placed to hit the ground running in both the UK and Sweden, and we look forward to launching this exciting business endeavor.”

SpaceX has won a portion of the US government’s scheme to provide satellite-based broadband access to rural users.

The pay-out, which totals $885.5 million, is part of the FCC’s Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF). SpaceX, and other non-terrestrial suppliers, had previously complained that they were being excluded from being considered.

In total the FCC has awarded $9.2 billion to 180 bidders and serving some 5.2 million homes and businesses. The FCC says this is less than it was planning to award, and its next phase would be larger with funding of some $11.2 billion available. SpaceX must supply broadband to 642,925 locations spread over 35 States. Hughes Network Systems is another successful bidder, but for a much smaller amount ($1.27 million and serving 3,678 locations in Rhode Island).

Both Hughes and rival Viasat of California, say they expect to benefit from the Phase 2 portion of the scheme.

Key to the payment for SpaceX is the cost of its Starlink send/receive broadband satellite antenna. There has been much speculation as to the real cost of each antenna, with some critics saying that the technology is priced at “thousands” of dollars. However, the RDOF fund allows SpaceX to start mass-production and  – hopefully – bring the cost down.

The other winners of the FCC’s RDOF cash come from the cable and telco community. Charter Communications gets $1.22 billion and must serve more than 1 million locations spread over 24 States. LTD Broadband was awarded $1.3 billion and must supply broadband to 528,000 locations across 15 States.

The FCC says that that almost all (99.7 percent) of the suppliers have agreed to supply service of at least 100/20 Mb/s and for 85 percent of suppliers it will be gigabit broadband.

Other winners include:

• Rural Electric Cooperative Consortium, which won $1.1 billion for 618,000 locations in 22 states
• Windstream, which won $522.9 million for 192,567 locations in 18 states
• Frontier, which won $370.9 million for 127,188 locations in eight states
• AMG Technology Investment Group, and which has been a bidding entity for Nextlink, which won $429.2 million for 206,136 locations in 12 states
• ReSound Networks, which won $310,681,00 for 219,239 locations in seven states
• CenturyLink, which won $262.3 million for 77,257 locations in 20 states

Also being reported by Advanced Television is the US Senate has confirmed President Trump’s nomination of Nathan Simington to a seat on the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

After working at the Washington, D.C. branch of Brightstar Corporation, Simington served in the Department of Commerce for five months.

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai said, “I congratulate Nathan on his confirmation by the US Senate and look forward to welcoming him to the Commission. It has been the greatest honour of my professional life to serve at the FCC, and I am confident that Nathan too will enjoy the challenges and rewards of the job. Nathan was raised in a rural community, and his confirmation ensures that this important perspective will continue to be represented on the Commission for years to come as the FCC continues its work on bridging the digital divide. And with his experience at NTIA and in the private sector, Nathan is well-positioned to hit the ground running. I wish him all the best going forward.”

Arianespace CEO Stéphane Israël and Philippe Pham, Senior Vice President – Head of Earth Observation, Navigation and Science, at Airbus, have announced that the two companies have signed the launch contract for the CO3D constellation of Earth Observation (EO) smallsats developed with the French CNES space agency.

Weighing approximately 300 kg. each, these satellites will be launched together as co-passengers on a single flight and deployed into polar orbit at an altitude of 500 km. The mission is scheduled for 2023 from the Guiana Space Center, Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana, using a Vega C launch vehicle.

The CO3D constellation is comprised of four identical satellites, built on an all-electric platform developed by Airbus. As a result of the CNES and Airbus partnership, CO3D will deliver stereoscopic images of the Earth at a resolution of 50 cm, with a high revisit rate. This data will be fed into an Airbus digital processing system, which will integrate advanced algorithms from CNES to quickly produce ultra-precise 3D maps of our planet’s surface.

Vega is the new-generation, highly versatile member of Arianespace’s launcher family, alongside the heavy-lift Ariane 5 and medium-lift Soyuz, deployed from the Guiana Space Center. Vega is a European Space Agency (ESA) program, with Colleferro, Italy-based, Avio as the industrial prime contractor.

The performance and versatility of Vega allows Arianespace to provide the best possible launch solutions in LEO for small- and medium-size payloads, spanning a wide range of applications (EO, science, education, defense).

With Vega C, Arianespace will offer increased performance and volume under the payload fairing for its passengers. The inaugural launch of Vega C is scheduled for 2021.

Following the signature of this contract, Stéphane Israël said, “With several months to go before the first Vega C launch, this new-generation European light-lift launcher has reaffirmed its ability to meet users’ innovative needs in low orbit, especially with the ability to carry multiple payloads – benefitting from the improved performance. For Arianespace, this is a further sign of the renewed confidence in the Vega system by our long-time partners of Airbus and CNES.”

In November, two Millennium Space Systems-built smallsats were successfully launched into LEO and the company’s engineers, as well as the world’s amateur satellite tracking community, are watching them as they race back to Earth.

The DRAGRACER satellites were launched November 19 atop a Rocket Lab Electron launch vehicle in New Zealand.

One satellite, called ALCHEMY, is equipped with a 70-meter, Tethers Unlimited Terminator Tape that was unfurled in LEO. The tether increases the surface area of the spacecraft and it is expected to sink and burn up as it falls from Earth’s upper atmosphere in approximately 45 days.

The other satellite, AUGURY, the control for the scientific experiment, is expected to follow a natural decay trajectory of between five and seven-and-a-half years.

Millennium Space Systems engineers are monitoring the telemetry of both satellites as they return to Earth and comparing flight data with predictive de-orbit models. The amateur satellite tracking community can follow DRAGRACER’s progress and provide data and images via a web portal.

The DRAGRACER mission is a collaborative effort of Millennium Space Systems, a Boeing subsidiary; Tethers Unlimited; mission launch service provider TriSept; and Rocket Lab.

TriSept brokered the rideshare slot for the DRAGRACER mission spacecraft and led the integration of the payload aboard the launch vehicle. DRAGRACER marks TriSept’s 71st space mission, as the firm has now enabled the launch of over 200 satellites aboard 20 different launch vehicles from 13 launch sites across the globe.

Executive Comment

“We all are striving to be good stewards of the space environment,” said Tom Russell, interim CEO of Millennium Space Systems. “DRAGRACER is part of our proactive support to being those good stewards. This experiment adds to the body of knowledge on a unique, yet credible, alternative solution to mitigate the orbital debris problem and it is applicable to all sizes and classes of LEO satellites.”

“The population of space debris is already growing exponentially and, with numerous companies and government programs launching constellations of hundreds or thousands of satellites into low-Earth orbit, responsible stewardship of the orbital environment is crucial to ongoing use of space for commerce and defense,” said Robert Hoyt, Founder and President of Tethers Unlimited. “We are very excited and grateful for the opportunity to demonstrate our Terminator Tape as a cost-effective and low-mass solution for safe disposal of satellites at the end of their missions.”

“The TriSept team is thrilled to have led the integration effort for this historic DRAGRACER mission,” said Rob Spicer, TriSept CEO. “TriSept is committed to working with spacecraft manufacturers, technology partners, and government and commercial programs across the space industry in driving access to space for what are often game-changing missions such as DRAGRACER.”

When the first edition of NASA’s Small Spacecraft Technology State-of-the-art report was published in 2013, 247 cubesats and 105 other non-cubesat small spacecraft under 50 kilograms (kg) had been launched, and these represented less than 2% of launched mass into orbit.

By 2019, small spacecraft with mass less than 180 kg made up almost 7% of all mass launched into orbit. Additionally, 63% of spacecraft under 600 kg had mass less than 180 kg and of those 47% were cubesats (1). Since 2013, flight heritage for small spacecraft, primarily cubesats, has nearly doubled and with dedicated smallsat launch capabilities readily available and expanding, opportunities to demonstrate new technologies and systems are expected to increase.

The 2020 edition of this report captures and distills the wealth of new information available on small spacecraft systems from NASA and other publicly available sources. Overall, this report is a survey of small spacecraft technologies sourced from open literature; it does not endeavor to be an original source, and only considers literature in the public domain to identify and classify devices. This report includes many dedicated hours of desk research performed by subject matter experts reviewing resources noted above.

The organizational approach for each chapter is relatively consistent with previous editions with the introduction of the technology, current development status of the technology’s procurable systems, and a summary of surveyed technologies. For each edition, chapters are updated with new and maturating technologies and reference missions.

Tables in each section provide a convenient summary of the technologies discussed, with explanations and references in the body text. We have attempted to isolate trends in the small spacecraft industry to point out which technologies have been adopted as a result of successful demonstration missions.

The report’s original layout has changed to reflect the adaptation to the growth in the small spacecraft market and information has been added and removed. An added chapter on Flight Software lists resources on the programs that make a spacecraft function; the inclusion of Identification and Tracking Systems chapter details the current development status of technologies used to track smallsats in orbit; additionally, Space Situation Awareness (SSA) will provide information on the expanding need for space traffic control systems. Several chapters underwent a complete rewrite to better display useful information.

The Launch, Integration, and Deployment chapter focus is now on the different launch integration roles, paradigms, deployment methods, and ISS services, and no longer lists the various launch vehicles and deployers. In order to reduce confusion surrounding the true readiness of propulsive technologies for mission infusion, the Propulsion chapter follows a more detailed definition of NASA Technology Readiness Level (TRL) scale based on propulsion devices and now includes prevailing technology types for each propulsive category.

Lastly, the Ground Data Systems and Mission Operations chapter is an elaborate breakdown of the process spacecraft designers are faced with for obtaining data from the spacecraft and several new factors involving ground segment designs.

A central element of the report is to list state-of-the-art technologies by NASA Standard TRL as defined by the 2020 NASA Engineering Handbook, found in NASA NPR 7123.1C. The authors of this report have endeavored to independently verify the TRL value of each technology by citing published test results or publicly available data to the best of their capability and committed time. Where test results and data disagree with vendors’ own advertised TRL, the authors have attempted to engage the vendors to discuss the discrepancy.

Readers are strongly encouraged to follow the references cited to the literature describing full performance range and capabilities of each technology. Further, readers may reach out to individual companies for further information. It is important to note that this report takes a broad system-level view. To attain a high TRL, the subsystem must be in a flight-ready configuration with all supporting infrastructure—such as mounting points, power conversion, and control algorithms—in an integrated unit.

The TRL is based purely on NASA TRL guidelines unless otherwise noted, regardless of specific mission requirements. The TRL value could vary depending on the design factors for a specific technology. For the purposes of this document, a technology simply having functioned in the relevant environment is sufficient to achieve a given TRL. Furthermore, if a technology has flown on a mission without success, or without providing valid confirmation to the operator, that “flight heritage” is discounted.

An accurate TRL assessment requires a high degree of technical knowledge on a subject device as well as an understanding of intended spacecraft bus and target environment. Although the authors strongly encourage a TMA well-supported with technical data prior to infusing new technologies into programs, the authors believe TRLs are most accurately determined when assessed by a program within the context of the program’s unique requirements.

While the overall capability of small spacecraft has matured since the 2018 edition of this report, technologies are still being developed to make deep space smallsat missions more routine. This has led to intense scrutiny over the radiation protection in small spacecraft, especially given their tendency to use low-cost, commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) components. Consequently, this report also includes radiation mitigation strategies for small spacecraft missions.

Future editions of this report may include content dedicated to the rapidly growing fields of assembly integration and testing services, and mission modeling and simulation–all of which are now extensively represented at small spacecraft conferences. These fields are still in their infancy, and as these subsystems and services evolve and reliable conventions and standards emerge, the next iteration of this report may also evolve to include additional chapters.

Download entire State of the Art Small Spacecraft Technology at this direct link…

(1) C. B. Bok, A. Comeau, A. Dolgopolov, T. Halt, C. Juang, P. Smith, “SmallSats by the Numbers.” 2020. Bryce and Space Technology (https://brycetech.com/downloads/Bryce_Smallsats_2020.pdf).

Gerry O’Sullivan, Eutelsat’s EVP/Global TV & Video, has left the satellite operator to take on new opportunities nearer his UK home. He has been in the post at Eutelsat since 2017, commuting to and from its Paris office from his London home — Eutelsat staff have been informed of his departure via an internal announcement.

O’Sullivan was instrumental in launching a range of new innovations for Eutelsat’s Video Business Unit, including the highly innovative Cirrus, and Eutelsat’s recently launched SAT.TV EPG which has now been extended from its Middle East service to HotBird. He was also responsible for the Fransat platform and that service’s now 2 million user base.

O’Sullivan’s broadcasting career included spells at the BBC, Fox News and ABC and importantly at BSkyB (2000-2010) as Director/Strategic Product Management, and responsible for a team that introduced Sky+HD and Sky’s VoD and Catch-Up services. From 2011 to 2013 he was SVP/Global TV and Entertainment at Deutsche Telekom and responsible for developing its global media business. At Digicel Group, he devised strategies on cloud-based multi-screen consumer propositions and steered the launch of IPTV across the Caribbean. He also served on the board of Piksel, an innovative cloud-based video services company.

However, his departure — and that of Markus Fritz (EVP/Commercial Development/Strategic Partnership) a few weeks ago — might be seen as a worrying trend. While Eutelsat’s arch-rival SES has been trimming headcount and closing offices, Eutelsat can ill-afford to lose talented staff from its executive tier. Sullivan had frequently spoke of the satellite industry’s need for video innovation to transform what is – at best – a stagnant video segment.

Also being reported is that Bharti Global’s MD, Shravin Mittal, son of Bharti Enterprises Chairman Sunil Mittal, speaking to India’s Economic Times, stated that Bharti is now planning how it will enter the giant Indian market.

Mittal says that OneWeb is on track to secure the regulatory approvals and permissions to launch a service in India. However, what is not yet settled is whether Bharti will launch its own OneWeb service direct to users (probably via Bharti’s Airtel business) or tap commercial partners. The options could include creating a joint-venture.

Sunil Mittal is on record as saying that OneWeb will start offering broadband services by May/June 2022 and would initially focus on remote areas and those parts of India that remain unconnected.

The next batch of OneWeb satellites will launch in mid-December and take the number of satellites in orbit to more than 100.

The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has given Sateliot the green light to start coordinating the frequencies of its smallsat constellation with telecoms operators.

Sateliot is thereby taking a further step toward their goal of democratizing the Internet of Things (IOT) with 5G coverage through a constellation of as many as 100 nanosatellites; devices that will function as telecommunication towers from space providing an extension of coverage to telecommunication companies where terrestrial networks cannot reach.

Once this first procedure with the body in charge of defining the use of the terrestrial and satellite spectrum has been completed, the company will start a round of talks with the space operators and the relevant public administrations to ensure the compatibility of their frequencies so that telecommunications companies can access the roaming service provided by the smallsats.

The ITU is not the only body that has endorsed Sateliot, as the 3GPP (3rd Generation Partnership Project) working group for non-terrestrial IoT networks — which brings together leading representatives of the telecommunications industry and other non-governmental organizations for the definition of the new 5G standard — has recently agreed to take Sateliot’s proposal up for discussion for final decision at the next meeting scheduled for January. In particular, the company proposes to include in the definition of the standard a scenario for LEO nanosatellite networks providing IOT services.

The space sector is experiencing a new paradigm in which the size of electronics, costs and times are being reduced, giving rise to a real “democratization of space,” with more competitive innovation cycles and more possibilities of deploying not one but tens or hundreds of satellites progressively to provide services on a global scale.

In defining the standards, it is important to take into account that, if previously only large geostationary devices the size of a bus, developed over decades and priced between 100 and 500 million, it is now possible to offer connectivity through satellites the size of a microwave, developed in a matter of months and priced between 1 and 5 million.

This means that New Space is configured as one of the great motors of the economy, due to its high added value, its capacity to generate employment and large investments in the coming years, which will be called upon to drive the recovery. In fact, in Spain alone in 2019, this sector moved nearly one billion euros and contributed 0.5% to the national GDP. Moreover, Spain is in the top five European countries by number of employees in this industry, according to TEDAE figures.