Oriental Consultants Global Co., Ltd. and Synspective Inc. have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for a Strategic Alliance to promote the use of satellite data in the field of transportation and traffic infrastructure in Southeast Asia, South Asia, and Africa.

Due to the coronavirus and the increasing frequency and intensity of natural disasters, the overseas infrastructure environment is changing and new countermeasures are required. In this strategic alliance, OC Global and Synspective will work jointly on the implementation of monitoring technology using Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellite¹ data in the fields of “disaster prevention and mitigation,” “construction management,” “inspection,” and “operation and maintenance (O&M)” as part of OC Global’s large-scale infrastructure projects. The aim is to contribute to the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by providing space-based technologies to address global challenges.

Synspective develops and operates its own small SAR satellites and also provides satellite data solutions. The core technology of SAR was developed by the ImPACT program, led by the Japanese Cabinet Office. Synspective aims to build a constellation² of 30 satellites by the late 2020s, making it possible to observe any disaster in any part of the world within two hours.

For OC Global, it is important to measure the land subsidence and displacement of surrounding structures during the construction and operation of transportation infrastructure projects we conduct around the world, such as roads, railroads, ports, and airports. If the land subsidence and displacement of surrounding structures can be measured and analyzed extensively and quickly using Synspective’s satellite data, it will be very beneficial in terms of safety and in reducing the initial and lifecycle costs of infrastructure development. It will also make it possible to realize the development of strong and sustainable urban infrastructure systems.

¹ Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellite: A satellite that uses microwaves to observe the shape of terrain and structures, allowing it to penetrate clouds and observe the earth day and night.

² Satellite constellation: A state in which a large number of satellites are operated in coordination and cooperation with each other.

Orbit Logic has partnered with ST Engineering Geo-Insights (STE-GI) to expand the offerings within the SpyMeSat app.

With the addition of the TeLEOS-1 imaging satellite, users can now send new tasking requests to TeLEOS-1 and browse the imagery archive within the SpyMeSat App marketplace. ST Engineering launched TeLEOS-1, Singapore’s first-ever commercial Earth Observation (EO) satellite, into Near Equatorial Orbit (NEqO) in 2015. thereby providing frequent imaging opportunities for low latitude regions. The satellite is equipped with electro-optical camera payload that is capable of performing imaging with resolution down to one meter.

SpyMeSat users will find TeLEOS-1 imagery when searching near the equator in the app’s marketplace. The equatorial region is an industrious area lively with an array of shipping, mining, and fishing activity. Additionally, this region receives the highest rainfall, and subsequent cloud cover, of anywhere on Earth. While limited in global coverage, the satellite compensates with a rapid revisit rate of 12 to 16 hours. This often leads to multiple visits per day of most locations it can access, appealing to users who need fast response times in the Tropics. TeLEOS-1 will also take the lead as SpyMeSat’s most affordable imagery option.

“We are excited for TeLEOS-1 to join the growing number of imaging satellites available in the SpyMeSat marketplace, and fill a needed role with additional coverage of the equatorial region,” said Alex Herz, creator of SpyMeSat and President of Orbit Logic.

mu Space Corp. has opened Factory 1 in Bangkok, Thailand, the company’s second and largest factory to date and Southeast Asia’s first-ever dedicated aerospace manufacturing facility.

Previously, in December of 2020, mu space opened its first small-sized factory, known as Factory 0 for the firm’s technology’s prototypes. Factory 1 marks the latest move by mu Space Corp to position Thailand as a hub for aerospace technology and development in Southeast Asia, as the region accelerates its participation in the new global space race.

Founded in 2017 by James Yenbamroong, mu Space has conducted orbital microgravity experiments as part of Blue Origin’s New Shephard rocket launches, and plans to work further alongside other commercial agencies, as well as conduct its own launches in the near future.

Measuring more than 2,200 square meters, Factory 1 is an upgraded version of its predecessor Factory 0 and has been built to develop, test, and manufacture satellite components and power systems for space and telecommunications applications (including low-earth orbit satellites), as well as in-house operations.

The launch of Factory 1 will see more than 300 high tech jobs created in Bangkok by the end of 2022, with 50 jobs already created early this year as the company accelerates its ambitious growth plans.

mu Space CEO and founder, James Yenbamroong, said: “Our team has worked tirelessly for Factory 1. It’s an initial step to continue on our mission and carry on our dream about space exploration for all of us here at mu Space. Factory 1 will be a significant breakthrough for Thailand’s and Southeast Asia’s aerospace industry.”

Factory 1 is divided into five areas: Satellites, Power Systems, Robotics, Workshop Area and Office.

• Satellites: In Factory 1, mu Space has a comprehensive platform for the development and production of mechanical and electrical satellite components. This area houses a large clean room, and will allow for up to 10 satellites to be manufactured simultaneously, along with components such as structures, mechanisms, sensors, communications systems, solar panels and more. 
• Power Systems: In Factory 1, mu Space can develop in-depth power systems, perfecting each component individually before assembling into a battery pack. This area will perform research and manufacturing on these systems, along with developing the battery management system (BMS), the brain of the factory’s advanced electronics.
• Robotics: At Factory 1, mu Space can showcase their robots in action. Robots will deliver parts and tools from storage shelves to work areas, to assist the engineers in building products. Moreover, all of the robots in this factory will be controlled by a central artificial intelligence system, which acts as the brain of mu Space’s operations. They can also perform advanced research and development on future variants of their robot which will be utilized not only on earth but also on the Moon, Mars and beyond.
• Workshop area: The Workshop area consists of heavy machinery and storage room with the purpose for steel welding or lathing.
• Office: The majority of mu Space’s rapidly-expanding team will be in the engineering department, focusing on research and development, as well as in a range of other administrative areas. mu Space’s team is made up of young vibrant staff with high-powered energy and dreams beyond this world.

Launcher has announced that commercial space executive David Caponio has joined the company’s leadership team as the Head of Product and Business Development.

David brings two decades of both customer and provider experience in the commercial space launch sector, including at SpaceX, Virgin Orbit, and Tyvak and in the U.S. Government, as a military officer supporting launch and space development programs at the U.S. Space Force and the U.S. Air Force.

David’s announcement highlights the continuous strengthening of Launcher’s leadership team and follows Launcher’s finalization of $11.7 million in Series A funding last June. Launcher is unique in the smallsat launch services market for its high-performance, 3D printed, copper alloy staged, combustion liquid rocket engines. The company is on track to reach orbit in 2024 at the lowest total investment in history.

David has provided decades of service to the U.S. Government as an active and reserve military officer, as well as a government consultant for launch and small satellite development to the U.S. Air Force and Space Force. He obtained his MS in Systems Engineering from the Air Force Institute of Technology and BS in Aeronautical Engineering from the U.S. Air Force Academy.

“We are very excited to welcome David to the Launcher team. David’s experience as both a customer and provider of satellite launch services positions Launcher to better serve our customers and guide product development that is best in the industry,” said Max Haot, CEO of Launcher.

“I’m thrilled to join Launcher. Launcher’s high-performance design enables our launch services to be competitively priced and profitable — serving the needs of the exponentially growing small satellite market,” said David Caponio.

Spire Global, Inc. (“Spire” or “the Company”) is continuing their participation in NASA’s Commercial Smallsat Data Acquisition (CSDA) Program with a six-million-dollar contract extension.

The contract continuation, Task Order 6 (TO6), is a subscription data solution that includes radio occultation (RO) data, grazing angle GNSS-RO, total electron content (TEC) data, precise orbit determination (POD) data, soil moisture and ocean surface wind speed GNSS-Reflectometry data, and magnetometer data. This data will be available to all federal agencies, NASA-funded researchers and, more broadly, to all U.S. Government-funded researchers for scientific purposes.

The program includes end-user license agreements (EULAs) to enable broad levels of dissemination and shareability. All federal agencies and U.S. Government-funded researchers will have access to Spire’s data for scientific purposes under TO6 and will be able to request access to the data via the CSDA Program’s Commercial Datasets webpage.

NASA has used Spire data in its research regarding water and sea ice levels in the polar regions, the height of the Planetary Boundary Layer (PBL), and the day-to-day variability of thermospheric density at flight level. NASA also noted that Spire data has shown positive benefit to its GEOS Atmospheric Data Assimilation System, which uses space-based data to analyze the Earth’s atmosphere and assimilate the data into its Earth Observation (EO) systems. As one of the original vendors for the CSDA Program, Spire provides NASA yearly updates to the scope of work under this agreement to ensure alignment of data to the agency’s needs.

“Programs like CSDA highlight the incredible potential of private-public partnerships in the federal government to drastically accelerate our ability to confront some of the greatest challenges of our time, such as climate change,” said Peter Platzer, CEO of Spire. “With the end-user license agreements, our data is now available to all federal agencies and the larger NASA scientific community to help support Earth observation research across fields.”Under CSDA Program TO6, Spire will deliver a comprehensive catalog of data, associated metadata, and ancillary information from its Earth-orbiting small-satellite constellation. The Company operates its constellation in low Earth and collects upwards of 10,000 radio occultations per day with consistent global coverage. For TO6, Spire will provide rolling access to 12 months of radio occultation data with a 30-day latency. This data will be archived and maintained by NASA under the CSDA Program’s SmallSat Data Explorer (SDX) database.“

“At NASA, the CSDA Program has continued to blossom as a valuable resource to our team for our Earth observation research and analysis. We are committed to growing the program as well as continuing the work we have started,” said Will McCarty, Project Scientist at the CSDA Program and Research Meteorologist at NASA Global Modeling and Assimilation Office. “Spire has been a valued partner through CSDA’s development since its inception, and with this additional task order, we are excited about the new insights and results that will come not only from within NASA but also through broader collaboration through the domestic government scientific community.”

About Spire Global
Spire is a global provider of space-based data and analytics that offers unique datasets and powerful insights about Earth from the ultimate vantage point so organizations can make decisions with confidence, accuracy, and speed. Spire uses one of the world’s largest multi-purpose satellite constellations to source hard to acquire, valuable data and enriches it with predictive solutions. Spire then provides this data as a subscription to organizations around the world so they can improve business operations, decrease their environmental footprint, deploy resources for growth and competitive advantage, and mitigate risk. Spire gives commercial and government organizations the competitive advantage they seek to innovate and solve some of the world’s toughest problems with insights from space. Spire has offices in San Francisco, CA, Boulder, CO, Washington DC, Glasgow, Luxembourg, and Singapore. On March 1, 2021 Spire announced plans to go public through an anticipated business combination with NavSight Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: NSH), to be traded on the NYSE under the ticker symbol “SPIR.”

Australia is one step closer to reaching the stars with Pad 1 at Southern Launch’s Whalers Way Orbital Launch Complex being approved by the Australian Space Agency.

Whalers Way will host satellite launches into orbit around the Earth’s poles and support the growing Internet of Things (IoT), Earth Observation (EO) and space communications industries that supports improved farming, water management and logistics operations worldwide, setting South Australia up to start capturing part of the $5.5 billion global space launch market.

The Complex, located on the tip of the Eyre Peninsula in South Australia, is set to transform Port Lincoln and South Australia into a vibrant space hub and will attract space industry related jobs and growth to the region.

The License was signed by the Hon Christian Porter MP Federal Minister for Industry, Science and Technology, after Southern Launch completed the licensing process through the Australian Space Agency. The approval of the launch facility license comes after the announcement from Minister Porter of the new measures to support the growth of Australia’s civil space sector, including the deferral of cost recovery on launch applications for another year.

Construction of Pad 1 has begun, with the first of up to three test launches from the Whalers Way Orbital Launch Complex scheduled in the coming months. Pad 1 is positioned on an already cleared site at Whalers Way and will allow rockets to safely launch southwards over the Great Australian Bight. The launch pad was designed by Southern Launch with the construction awarded to local Port Lincoln company, Owen Construct and Design.

Southern Launch CEO Lloyd Damp said, “This is a momentous occasion for our team, to have been granted Australia’s first fixed space launch facility license, enabling Southern Launch to host rocket launches into space from Australian shores. Our team is now on track to commence the testing of three rocket launches from Whalers Way before the end of 2021. These tests signify a very real opportunity for Australia – becoming once again a space fairing nation.”

Swedish public innovation agency, Vinnova, has awarded an SEK 4 million development grant to a Swedish project group aimed at boosting development of a next generation, low-cost, LEO (Low Earth Orbit) satellite terminal — the award is part of Vinnova’s Electronic components & systems — research and innovation projects 2021.

The project group, led by Satcube and including Chalmers University of Technology, Gapwaves and Forsway Scandinavia, have joined forces to develop a benchmark satellite terminal featuring dramatically lower cost, size and weight compared to existing LEO offerings.

As the most important cost driver for a highly cost-efficient terminal is the antenna, the collaborators will focus primarily on developing a benchmark planar Ka-band antenna array, assessing features such as electronic / mechanic beam steering, gap waveguide technology and receive-only architecture.

As a broad playing field of organizations and leading SATCOM providers are currently deploying LEO satellite constellations, many leading industry proponents believe these initiatives can be an important force in reducing current global digital divide, tapping the ubiquitous provision of satellite broadband coverage based on new cost-effective satellites.

Existing LEO end-user satellite terminals are expensive, hindering mass market adoption – particularly in economically less developed rural areas where incomes and resources are relatively low. Developing a robust, low-cost satellite terminal will be key to driving change.