Villanova University College of Engineering is collaborating with Teachers in Space, Inc., a non-profit organization that developed the “Serenity” educational cubesat satellite, to launch the first, private, blockchain satellite to validate the technology for inter-satellite transactions. A flight has also been secured on Firefly Aerospace’s Alpha launch vehicle, which will lift off from the Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.

This project is led by Hasshi Sudler, an adjunct professor Villanova’s College of Engineering and CEO of the Internet Think Tank, and he also ran the school’s hackathon to address poverty through blockchain technology last year. 

This experiment will prove that blockchain can allow two satellites to reliably complete data transactions without communicating with a ground station to supervise these inter-satellite exchanges. The satellite will remain in LEO for approximately 30 days and controlled blockchain experiments will take place during the first 15 days the satellite is on-orbit.

Professor Sudler noted that the blockchain provides a trusted and immutable means of tracking these exchanges between satellites that may belong to different companies or even different countries.

Villanova researchers will grant 10 non-researchers with experience using  blockchains with access to the onboard blockchain for the remainder of the flight for measuring transaction performance under heavier traffic loads.  While the satellite is on-orbit, the latter half of the test period will be dedicated to open access from Villanova to perform test transactions between the ground station and the satellite.

The transaction data will be test files (text and images of various file sizes) that will create various loads on the blockchain. These transactions will also be allowed to interact with Ethereum smart contracts (programs that can automatically trigger a new transaction when a specific condition is met).  All transactions are permanently recorded on the blockchain ledger.

The satellite will remain in low Earth orbit for approximately 30 days, and controlled blockchain experiments will take place for the first 15 days.

Villanova researchers will grant select non-researchers access to the onboard blockchain for the remainder of the flight for measuring transaction performance under heavier traffic loads. These individuals will be limiting a group of up to 10 individuals who have experience using blockchains.

While the satellite is in orbit, the latter half of the test period will be dedicated to open access from Villanova to perform test transactions between the ground station and the satellite. The transaction data will be test files (text and images of various file sizes) that will create various loads on the blockchain. These transactions will also be allowed to interact with Ethereum smart contracts (programs that can automatically trigger a new transaction when a specific condition is met). All transactions are permanently recorded on the blockchain ledger.

Sudler and Gomez will measure the impact of high traffic on the blockchain network as well as any impacts on the transactions themselves as the satellite enters and leaves the Earth’s horizon to the ground station. “When we consider a full constellation of blockchain satellites transacting with one another and with a ground station, we need to monitor any performance impact on the blockchain as the satellites are traveling rapidly in different orbits. The momentary visibility between satellites as well as with a ground station may introduce challenges to fully synchronize and secure new transactions on the blockchain in a timely manner.”

Sudler notes that the blockchain provides a trusted and immutable means of tracking these exchanges between satellites that may belong to different companies or even different countries. “Benefits of inter-satellite transactions include lowering the need for numerous ground stations to maintain constant communication with orbiting satellites. It also allows one satellite to leverage unique data held by other satellites to complete its mission. And by leveraging data from satellites already in orbit, society can minimize excessive satellite deployments and reduce space debris, one of the highest risks to existing satellites,” says Sudler.

The experiment leverages an Ethereum Private Network using Proof of Authority as its consensus protocol. Proof of Authority is considered more robust than other consensus protocols because it uses a validator’s identity rather than assets held to ensure validators are working in the best interest of securing the blockchain. It also avoids using large amounts of energy associated with traditional blockchains.

The Ethereum Private blockchain is hosted on a Raspberry Pi (single board computer) and mounted in the ‘Serenity’ satellite, a 3U CubeSat weighing 2.6 kilograms.

The November 20 launch will be the first of several planned space flights in which future academic experiments aim to test several cubesats in LEO transacting on a private blockchain.

To launch the blockchain into space, Villanova University is collaborating with Teachers in Space, Inc., a non-profit organization that developed the “Serenity” educational CubeSat satellite and secured a flight on Firefly Aerospace’s Alpha launch vehicle. The two-stage rocket is tentatively scheduled to lift off from the Vandenberg AFB in California in November.

Teachers in Space, headed by Elizabeth Kennick, President, has previously guided academic institutions in developing and flying experiments suborbitally and at the International Space Station. This will be the first independent orbital satellite mission for Teachers in Space and a unique opportunity for Villanova University to conduct pioneering blockchain experiments on a satellite. Serenity will also carry a suite of data collection sensors, and will provide its data in response to requests by amateur radio operators.

Executive Comment

Satellite transactions over the blockchain will be a way to securely request, transfer and pay for data between satellites. “Similar to a postal delivery, the receiver signs for the package to confirm receipt. Blockchain transactions do the same but with the added security of making sure many people witness the fact that you signed for a package, received it, and paid for it. Because the group forms a consensus around this exchange, there is no need for a single trusted third party (TTP) to oversee the validity of the exchanges. The blockchain allows two satellites to reliably complete data transactions without communicating with a ground station to supervise these inter-satellite exchanges,” explained Sudler. “Recent growth and interest in satellite deployments have raised the need to limit excessive deployments by leveraging existing satellites in space, and one means of accomplishing this is with inter-satellite transactions. The challenge of transacting between satellites securely, however, centers around the constant motion of satellites themselves, where brief network connections between satellites can prevent replicating data across the blockchain and, thus, potentially delay timely verification of transactions.”

Elon Musk’s Starlink service will cost US rural subscribers $99 (84 euros) a month — the beta-test users will also have to pay $499 for the phased-array ground terminal, a tripod stand for the antenna as well as a WiFi router.

This price seems high, but for rural and frequently isolated potential users, it could prove invaluable.

The pricing strategy came in an email from Starlink to potential users that was leaked to business news channel CNBC. Users were warned that there could be brief periods of “no service at all” but generally they’d obtain speeds of between 50 Mb/s-150 Mb/s with latency of 20-40ms.

The email said that service and speed would improve over the next few months as the Starlink fleet expanded. The company stated that by next summer its typical latency would be in the 16-19ms range.

Potential users in Washington state, Wisconsin and Idaho seem to be the focus of the invitation.

While $99 per month might seem expensive when compared with bandwidth from cable and other ISPs in the US, if a client doesn’t have one of those suppliers then the service might be a lifesaver and, to quote SpaceX, “is better than nothing.”

The nearest direct comparison comes from California-based Viasat which offers rural users speeds of up to 50 Mb/s for about $170/month.

NorthStar Earth & Space (NorthStar) has contracted Thales Alenia Space (TAS) to build the first three satellites of its debut “Skylark” constellation for Space Situational Awareness (SSA) services, with LeoStella overseeing the final assembly — NorthStar Earth & Space’s satellite constellation is the first dedicated to space situational awareness services.

With commercial space en route to a forecast $2.7 trillion industry, new satellites and planned mega-constellations are launching into an environment dangerously congested with traffic and space debris. NorthStar’s Skylark constellation services are designed to revolutionize the safety of spaceflight.

NorthStar is the first commercial service to monitor space, from space, via a constellation of satellites with dedicated optical sensors. With a secure data-driven 3D catalogue of the entire space environment powered by advanced SSA analytics, NorthStar will deliver timely and precise Space Traffic Data, Collision Avoidance and Navigation Services to the global satellite community.

Starting in 2022, NorthStar will begin operation of Skylark to enable the delivery of near real-time high fidelity tracking services, elevating traditional SSA to the level of Space Information & Intelligence (SI2).

With a comprehensive view of the all near-Earth orbits, Skylark’s space-based sensors will deliver precise observations of more space objects than any current system with higher revisit frequency per object. The result is unprecedented coverage, custody and enhanced predictive capabilities.

Starting in 2024, NorthStar plans to augment the Skylark mission with dual mission satellites performing both SSA and Earth Observation (EO). Dual mission satellites will be equipped with Hyperspectral, Infrared and Optical sensors, which will operate continuously from space, imaging, digitizing, and analyzing the details of Earth’s ecosystems and surrounding orbits daily.

The NorthStar Platform used for Skylark will expand to include Earth data to deliver contextualized information solutions directly to end users in the private and public sectors, providing critical knowledge about Earth and its orbital environment.

NorthStar’s investors comprise a global coalition of strategic partners, including Telesystem Space (a co-enterprise of the Sirois family office, Telesystem and the Roger’s Family Trust of Canada), the Space Alliance (Thales Alenia Space and Telespazio) of Europe, KinetX (USA), the Government of Quebec and the Government of Canada.

Executive Comments

Stewart Bain, CEO and Co-Founder, NorthStar Earth & Space, said, “The New Space Economy depends on the safety and sustainability of space. NorthStar, the first commercial SSA system based in space, will deliver essential information to space operators, enabling safe navigation and supporting global space traffic management. We are here to make space safe for doing business, now and into the future.”

“The Space Alliance is proud to contribute to NorthStar success. Thales Alenia Space will bring its world class expertise in optical instruments associated to Leostella multi-mission platforms to support this important mission. Skylark materializes a first step in providing evergreen information to the satellite operators,” said Herve Derrey, CEO, Thales Alenia Space.

Thales Alenia Space signed the first phase of a contract with NorthStar Earth and Space Inc., the Canadian space-based information services company, to start the development and production of the first three smallsat satellites that are part of the world’s first and most advanced commercial space-based environmental and near-space monitoring system.

In November 2018, the Space Alliance, formed by Telespazio the joint venture between Thales (67 percent) and Leonardo (33 percent), and Thales Alenia Space announced to have taken a stake in NorthStar Earth and Space. Today, the industrial journey begins for the Skylark constellation, with Thales Alenia Space being responsible for the space system activities by providing the payloads alongside with LeoStella (a joint venture between BlackSky and Thales Alenia Space) providing the satellite platform and the assembly, integration and test facilities based in Tukwila for final assembly and delivery.

“Through the Space Alliance, Thales Alenia Space is proud to play a key role in the NorthStar’s success. NorthStar’s Skylark space-based system will generate unique and outstanding data to build value added services for Space Situational Awareness. Skylark signifies a first step in providing much needed timely and precise information to the satellite operators”, declared Herve Derrey, CEO of Thales Alenia Space.

The ability to view, understand and map the physical location of natural and man-made objects in orbit around the Earth (currently there are more than 600 thousand objects in low Earth orbit with billions of dollars of space assets at risk from collisions) is now becoming a real concern for all private or governmental satellite owners and operators. Tracking resident space objects from space with optical sensors will enhance and complement existing systems. By observing from multiple perspectives in space, Skylark satellites will significantly improve tracking of objects, the number of detected debris and the ability to predict potential collisions.

“NorthStar welcomes the world class expertise of Thales Alenia Space and LeoStella to our mission of delivering safe spaceflight operations in the New Space Economy. Together we look forward to achieving a future of peaceful and sustainable space for all”, added – Stewart Bain, CEO and co-founder, NorthStar Earth & Space.

The Skylark smallsats will be based on LeoStella’s LEO-100 Multi-Mission Bus and a compact optical instrument.

“The NorthStar space situational awareness constellation brings unique capabilities of free-flying Non-Earth Imaging satellites to the commercial sector. LeoStella is proud to be part of the team and to bring our multi- mission satellite platforms to support this important mission.” concluded Mike Hettich CEO of LeoStella.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is certainly the ‘flavor of the month’ and has become a part of our daily lives. However, there is one area that, until now, hasn’t been involved in AI…

As ubiquitous as artificial intelligence has become in modern life — from boosting the understanding of the cosmos to surfacing entertaining videos on a phone — AI hasn’t yet found its way into orbit.

That is until September 2, when an experimental satellite about the size of a cereal box was ejected from a rocket’s dispenser along with 45 other similarly small satellites. The satellite, named PhiSat-1, is now soaring at over 17,000 mph (27,500 kmh) in sun-synchronous orbit about 329 miles (530 km) overhead.

PhiSat-1 contains a new hyperspectral-thermal camera and onboard AI processing from an Intel® Movidius Myriad 2 Vision Processing Unit (VPU) — the same chip inside many smart cameras and even a $99 selfie taken by a drone on Earth. PhiSat-1 is one of a pair of satellites on a mission to monitor polar ice and soil moisture, while also testing intersatellite communication systems in order to create a future network of federated satellites.

The first challenge that the Myriad 2 is helping to solve is, how to handle the large amount of data generated by high-fidelity cameras like, similar to the one on PhiSat-1. “The capability that sensors have to produce data increases by a factor of 100 every generation, while our capabilities to download data are increasing, but only by a factor of three, four, five per generation,” says Gianluca Furano, data systems and onboard computing lead at the European Space Agency, which led the collaborative effort behind PhiSat-1.

At the same time, about two-thirds of the planet’s surface is covered in clouds at any given time. That means a whole lot of useless images of clouds are typically captured, saved, sent over precious down-link bandwidth to Earth, saved again, reviewed by a scientist (or an algorithm) on a computer hours or days later — only to be deleted.

“And artificial intelligence at the edge came to rescue us, the cavalry in the Western movie,” says Furano. The idea the team rallied around was to use onboard processing to identify and discard cloudy images — thus saving about 30 percent of bandwidth.

“Space is the ultimate edge,” says Aubrey Dunne, chief technology officer of Ubotica. The Irish startup built and tested PhiSat-1’s AI technology, working in close partnership with cosine, maker of the camera, in addition to the University of Pisa and Sinergise to develop the complete solution. “The Myriad was absolutely designed from the ground up to have an impressive compute capability but in a very low power envelope, and that really suits space applications.”

The Myriad 2, however, was not intended for orbit. Spacecraft computers typically use very specialized “radiation-hardened” chips that can be “up to two decades behind state-of-the-art commercial technology,” explains Dunne. And AI has not been on the menu.

Dunne and the Ubotica team performed “radiation characterization,” putting the Myriad chip through a series of tests to determine how to handle any resulting errors or wear-and-tear.

ESA “had never tested a chip of this complexity for radiation,” says Furano. “We were doubtful we could test it properly … we had to write the handbook on how to perform a comprehensive test and characterization for this chip from scratch.”

The first test, 36 straight hours of radiation-beam blasting at CERN in late 2018, “was a very high pressure situation,” Dunne says. But that test and two follow-ups “luckily turned out well for us.” The Myriad 2 passed in off-the-shelf form, no modifications needed.

This low-power, high-performance computer vision chip was ready to venture beyond Earth’s atmosphere, however, then there was another challenge.

Typically, AI algorithms are built, or “trained,” using large quantities of data to “learn” — in this case, what’s a cloud and not a cloud. But given the camera was so new, “we didn’t have any data,” says Furano. “We had to train our application on synthetic data extracted from existing missions.”

All this system and software integration and testing, with involvement of a half-dozen different organizations across Europe, took four months to complete. “We were very proud to be able to be so quick and so efficiently flexible, to put everything on board in such a short time,” says Max Pastena, PhiSat officer at ESA. As far as spacecraft development goes, the timeline “is a miracle,” adds Furano.

“Intel has given us background support on the Myriad device when we’ve needed it, to enable PhiSat-1’s AI using our CVAI Technology,” says Dunne. “That’s very much appreciated.”

Unfortunately, a series of unrelated events — delays with the rocket, the coronavirus pandemic and unfriendly summer winds — meant the teams had to wait more than a year to find out if PhiSat-1 would function in orbit as planned.

The September 2 launch from French Guiana — a first-of-its-kind satellite ride-share run by Arianespace — went fast and flawlessly. For the initial verification, the satellite saved all images and recorded its AI cloud detection decision for each, so the team on the ground could verify that its implanted brain was behaving as expected.

After a three-week deep breath, Pastena was able to proclaim,“We have just entered the history of space.”

ESA announced the joint team was “happy to reveal the first-ever hardware-accelerated AI inference of Earth observation images on an in-orbit satellite.”

By only sending useful pixels, the satellite will now “improve bandwidth utilization and significantly reduce aggregated downlink costs” — not to mention saving scientists’ time on the ground.

Looking forward, the usages for low-cost, AI-enhanced very small satellites are innumerable — particularly when you add the ability to run multiple applications.

“Rather than having dedicated hardware in a satellite that does one thing, it’s possible to switch networks in and out,” says Jonathan Byrne, head of the Intel Movidius technology office. Dunne calls this “satellite-as-a-service.”

Consider, that when flying over areas prone to wildfire, a satellite can spot fires and notify local responders in minutes rather than hours. Over oceans, which are typically ignored, a satellite can spot rogue ships or environmental accidents. Over forests and farms, a satellite can track soil moisture and the growth of crops. Over ice, it can track thickness and melting ponds to help monitor climate change.

Many of these possibilities will soon be tested. ESA and Ubotica are working together on PhiSat-2, which will carry another Myriad 2 into orbit. PhiSat-2 will be “capable of running AI apps that can be developed, easily installed, validated and operated on the spacecraft during their flight using a simple user interface.”

For Intel, the potential impact is unquestionable. As Pastena puts it, we can eventually understand “the pulse of our planet.”

https://smallsatnews.com/2020/10/28/3560/

Momentus Inc. and Gran Systems have signed a service agreement for Gran System’s 2U CubeSat NUTSAT to fly on Momentus’ December 2020 Vigoride demo mission.

The 2U NUTSAT was designed by the National Formosa University with the backing of the National Space Organization (NSPO) in Taiwan. One of the three NSPO cubesats launching this year, NUTSAT is a systems engineering training education program integrating an ADS-B receiver onto the cubesat to demonstrate and enhance commercial aviation safety technology. NUTSAT is the first of the three cubesats to go for the launch integration.

Executive Comments

“We are pleased that Momentus will accommodate NUTSAT,” said Kaung-Han Ke, CEO of Gran Systems. “NUTSAT was shipped and delivered to Momentus the same hour that Momentus made a big announcement which upped their profile in investor relations, and we are very happy to be onboard.”

“This is the first NSPO cubesat mission that Momentus will support,” said Mikhail Kokorich, CEO of Momentus. “We are thrilled to be expanding business opportunities and growing with the Taiwanese new space sector where our technology is uniquely positioned.”

A launch delay on Thursday due to a small technical issue was corrected enabling today’s successful launch on Saturday, October 24, at 11:31 a.m. EDT, 11:31 UTC launch of SpaceX’s 60 Starlink satellites. The launch to orbit took place from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The rocket launched at 11:31 a.m. during the instantaneous window, in which SpaceX did not have a longer timeframe to wait out possible weather violations. This mission also marked the 100th successful flight of a Falcon rocket since Falcon 1 first flew to orbit in 2008.

Falcon 9’s first stage previously supported the GPS III Space Vehicle 03 mission in June 2020 and a Starlink mission in September 2020. Following stage separation, SpaceX landed Falcon 9’s first stage on the “Just Read the Instructions” droneship, which was stationed in the Atlantic Ocean. The Starlink satellites deployed approximately 1 hour and 3 minutes after liftoff.

On Thursday, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk said in a tweet that the team reported “a small-seeming issue with loss of upper stage camera,” referring to the rocket’s second stage. “Probably nothing serious, but standing down to re-examine (the) whole vehicle just in case.”

Leading up to Saturday’s launch, SpaceX lead manufacturing engineer Jessica Anderson said the issue was resolved and the rocket was healthy.

SpaceX landed the booster about eight minutes after launch on the droneship called Just Read the Instruction already waiting in the Atlantic Ocean, marking the third flight for this rocket first-stage. SpaceX wasn’t attempting to catch the fairings for this launch but will retrieve them after they land in the water.

NanoAvionics has revealed the remaining three payloads of the firm’s ‘D-2/AtlaCom-1’ rideshare mission hosted on board their M6P 6U smallsat bus.

The additional payloads, a camera for hyperspectral remote sensing, a new high-gain X-band antenna and an upgraded X-Band downlink transmitter, are all part of an international collaboration by an international consortium and its partners called “HyperActive”.

The consortium partners for this international collaboration comprise Dragonfly Aerospace (South Africa), Space JLTZ (Mexico) and NanoAvionics US as a supplier to the consortium, as well as mission contributors Polytechnical University of Atlacomulco (Mexico), and CubeCom (South Africa).

Expected to launch in mid-2021, the primary aim of the HyperActive program is a flight demonstration of the hyperspectral imaging and communication payloads. The secondary aim is to evaluate market interest for hyperspectral imaging data captured and processed as part of the program.

Within this collaboration, NanoAvionics will act as the supplier to the HyperActive consortium, taking care of all aspects related to the satellite mission including among others payload integration, performance testing, spacecraft registration and logistics, frequency allocation and payload on-orbit operations.

Responsible for processing the collected hyperspectral data and distributing it to interested parties around the world is Space JLTZ, a space company from Puebla, Mexico. The generated data can be used to develop innovation solutions and optimize various industries such as agriculture yield, mining, livestock, detection of changes in vegetation, pollutants and urban changes including monitoring of vehicles.

For example, a hyperspectral sensor can ‘see’ the spectral signature of an invasive disease threatening an entire harvest, allowing farmers to take preventive steps. Initially, the data will be openly available to all interested parties worldwide, including the Polytechnical University of Atlacomulco, which will allow its students to explore and discover possible applications.

Executive Comments

“This program shows how important international collaboration can be to the NewSpace sector and how it enables low barrier entry for space data businesses,” said F. Brent Abbott, CEO of NanoAvionics US. “I’m very proud that NanoAvionics is part of this effort as well as stimulating education development and contributing to global social benefits such as ocean and agricultural monitoring. NanoAvionics also values its role as a strategic ally for space development in Mexico. Mexico’s participation in the AtlaCom-1 project is possible thanks to the support of Space JLTZ, its extraordinary team and its visionary CEO and president, José Luis Terreros Corrales, The long-term vision and the efforts around AtlaCom-1 by the Mexican Space Agency, and especially the exemplary support of the Municipality of Atlacomulco of Mexico and its space enthusiastic Mayor and engineer, Roberto Tellez Monroy, this team is making history and have laid the ground work to establish a nanosatellite infrastructure for future space missions in Mexico.”

“The team at Dragonfly Aerospace is excited to be working with these great partners on this mission,” said Bryan Dean, CEO of Dragonfly Aerospace. “It fits very well with our plans to team up with leading satellite bus and image processing partners to provide compelling solutions to end users. The Mantis imager is the latest addition to our range of cost-effective hyperspectral imagers which also includes the Chameleon imager that we delivered for flight earlier this year.”

José Luis Terreros Corrales, CEO and President of Space JLTZ, said, “It is a well-known truth that space exploration is the next step for humankind. Speaking as president of Space JLTZ but mostly as a Mexican I couldn’t be more excited and prouder of launching this project and sending Mexico onto a space path. We know this alliance with two giants, NanoAvionics and Dragonfly, is only the beginning of a great partnership that will change the course of the space industry in Mexico.”