Archives for February 2022

India’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle PSLV-C52 injected Earth Observation Satellite EOS-04 into an intended sun synchronous polar orbit of 529 km. altitude at 06:17 hours IST on February 14, 2022, from Satish Dhawan Space Centre, SHAR, Sriharikota.

PSLV lifted off at 05:59 hours IST from the first launch pad at SHAR. This was the 80th launch vehicle mission from SDSC SHAR, Sriharikota; 54th flight of PSLV; and the 23rd flight of PSLV in XL configuration (6 strap-on motors).

The satellite EOS-04 is realized at U R Rao Satellite Centre, Bengaluru. It is a Radar Imaging Satellite designed to provide high quality images under all weather conditions for applications such as Agriculture, Forestry & Plantations, Soil Moisture & Hydrology and Flood mapping.

Weighing about 1710 kg., it generates 2280 W power and has a mission life of 10 years. 

The vehicle also placed two smallsats into orbit — a student satellite (INSPIREsat-1) from Indian Institute of Space Science & Technology (IIST) in association with Laboratory of Atmospheric & Space Physics at University of Colorado, Boulder, and a technology demonstrator satellite (INS-2TD) from ISRO, which is a precursor to India-Bhutan Joint Satellite (INS-2B). Co-passenger satellites were successfully separated from the PSLV in a predetermined sequence.

Arianespace Flight VS27 marks the first flight of the year with OneWeb — this 13th mission on behalf of OneWeb placed 34 additional satellites into orbit, bringing the total OneWeb fleet to 428 satellites into a near-polar orbit at an altitude of 450 kilometers. After separation, the satellites will raise themselves to their operational orbit.

The satellites will deliver high-speed, low-latency enterprise grade connectivity services to a wide range of customer sectors including enterprise, government, maritime and aviation customers.

Central to its purpose, OneWeb seeks to bring connectivity to every unconnected area where fiber cannot reach, and thereby bridge the digital divide. Once deployed, the OneWeb constellation will enable user terminals that are capable of offering 3G, LTE, 5G and Wi-Fi coverage, providing high-speed access globally – by air, sea and land.

These OneWeb missions through 2022 will enable the start of OneWeb’s global services this year.

• Thanks to this mission, Arianespace exceeds the number of 100 satellites launched on Soyuz from the CSG, precisely 101 after the launch.
• The OneWeb satellites are the 1102^nd to 1135^th satellites launched by Arianespace.
• The OneWeb satellites are the 531^st to 564^th Airbus Defence and Space satellites to be orbited by Arianespace.

This launch kicks off a successful start to 2022 as demand for OneWeb’s broadband connectivity services has continued to grow across telecommunications providers, aviation and maritime markets, ISPs, and governments worldwide. Most recently, the Company has signed new distribution partnership agreements with several companies in the last month – including Hughes Network Systems, Marlink, and Field Solutions Holdings – to help ensure connectivity is delivered to the most hard-to-reach places globally.

Liftoff of the latest launch occurred on Thursday, 10^th of February 2022. OneWeb’s satellites separated from the rocket and were dispensed in nine batches over a period of 3 hours 33 minutes with signal acquisition on all 34 satellites confirmed.

Neil Masterson, OneWeb CEO, said, “Our first launch of the year marks our significant progress in completing a truly global LEO network later in 2022. We continue to see growing demand for OneWeb’s industry-leading services as we look forward to delivering on our ambition to build robust, secure, and global access to broadband services.”

OneWeb dedicated this latest launch to the Company’s commitment to Responsible Space – its belief that space is a shared natural resource and it is up to all of us to help safeguard it for use today and by future generations. OneWeb’s Responsible Space initiative is comprised of three core elements; committing to responsible design and operations, sustaining the space ecosystem to support new technologies to advance in this area and, lastly, engaging in advancing policy outcomes to balance growing the space economy while ensuring its protection.

C-CORE is continuing their long-standing partnership with Quebec-based company GHGSat, a firm involved in the high-resolution, remote sensing of greenhouse gas from space, providing unique emissions data and intelligence to businesses, governments, regulators, and investors worldwide.

C-CORE has secured a contract to continue providing ground segment services for GHGSat’s rapidly expanding satellite constellation. The two organizations have been working together since 2013 from concept to world-leading satellite monitoring technology.

C-CORE owns and operates two Canadian Ground Stations that provide services for remote sensing satellites by communicating tasking information and downlinking the resulting data to Earth. The ground stations are located in the Arctic (Inuvik) and in Northeast Canada (Happy Valley-Goose Bay) and were developed with GHGSat’s requirements in mind.

With the highest resolution greenhouse gas monitoring satellites on the market today, GHGSat technology is capable of detecting and measuring sources of methane emissions down to the facility level. GHGSat recently announced the launch of its next three satellites scheduled to be in orbit in the summer of 2022. To meet the demand for GHGSat emission data, a robust ground station network is required.

“This contract is another example of how the two organizations continue to address this market sector and support its phenomenal growth opportunities,” said Paul Adlakha, Managing Director at C-CORE. “The ground segment contract will leverage C-CORE’s ground stations in Canada to provide cost-effective downlink and uplink services for the GHGSat constellation.”

“C-CORE has been a valued partner throughout GHGSat’s development,” said Stephane Germain, President and CEO of GHGSat. “As we are scaling our constellation and emission data services, efficient ground station services are essential. We are very pleased to be continuing our relationship with a leading Canadian company like C-CORE.”

Synspective Inc., a SAR satellite data and solutions provider, has revealed their official launch schedule for the company’s second SAR satellite, StriX-β.

The launch window is set during a 14-day launch window that opens on February 28, UTC. Exact lift-off target date and time will be confirmed soon. Please note that the launch may be postponed or canceled due to unforeseen weather conditions or complications.

The mission is scheduled for lift-off from Rocket Lab’s Electron launch vehicle at Rocket Lab Launch Complex on the Mahia Peninsula in New Zealand. The StriX-β will be the only payload with an SSO target orbit at an altitude of 561 km..

StriX-β is the company’s second demonstration satellite following the StriX-α. which was launched in December of 2020. The StriX-β will be launched into a one-day, recurrent, SSO, making it possible to capture particular spots on the Earth at the same time and under the same conditions daily. The company will be able to acquire high-quality data to understand changes and trends at specific locations in the Earth’s surface.

Synspective than plans to launch a commercial prototype satellite, StriX-1 (Strix One), later this year. By 2023, the firm will have six satellites in total, bringing us closer to a planned constellation of 30 satellites that enables wide-area, high-frequency, Earth Observation (EO).

Dr. Motoyuki Arai, Synspective founder and CEO, said, “It is a great honor to collaborate with Rocket Lab again, which is an experienced launch service provider with the successful StriX-α deployment to orbit. We very much appreciate their flexibility and speediness in accepting our requests on the satellite’s orbit and launch period. Synspective has already begun operating its first satellite and providing solution services, and the StriX-β is going to play an essential role in deepening satellite-operation know-how and enable us to expand our business operations. We will accomplish this mission and steadily achieve results to “Learning world” enhancing global efficiency and resilience.”

Rocket Lab USA, Inc. (Nasdaq: RKLB) is reporting that the the 14-day launch window opens February 28th UTC and will lift-off from Rocket Lab’s Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand. Originally slated to launch after Rocket Lab’s next mission for another customer, Rocket Lab has brought the Synspective mission forward in the manifest to accommodate shifts in customer timelines.

‘The Owl’s Night Continues’ is the first of three dedicated Electron missions for Synspective, with two scheduled to launch in 2022 and a third in 2023. Each mission will deploy a single StriX satellite, growing Synspective’s synthetic aperture radar (SAR) constellation developed to deliver imagery that can detect millimetre-level changes to the Earth’s surface from space, independent of weather conditions on Earth and at any time of the day or night.

‘The Owl’s Night Continues’ mission follows on from Rocket Lab’s first launch for Synspective in December 2020. That mission, named ‘The Owl’s Night Begins’, saw Rocket Lab’s Electron launch vehicle deploy the StriX-α satellite – the first spacecraft in Synspective’s planned constellation of more than 30 SAR satellites designed to collate data of metropolitan centers on a daily basis to support urban development planning, construction and infrastructure monitoring, and disaster response.

Rocket Lab founder and CEO Peter Beck said that the ability to bring a mission forward and adjust schedules at short notice to meet unique customer requirements is a rare capability only made possible by operating a private launch site. “We designed Electron and our launch complexes to provide satellite operators with a high level of flexibility, enabling our customers to launch on their schedule. With a production line of flight-ready rockets and multiple launch pads, we can run concurrent launch campaigns ensuring that if an individual customer needs to accelerate or delay missions, we can shuffle accordingly and keep our overall manifest on schedule. We are delighted to accommodate Synspective’s launch requirements and once again provide them with tailored access to orbit.”

SENER Aeroespacial, a company of the SENER engineering and technology group, and Australian launch services company Gilmour Space Technologies, are working together on an Autonomous Flight Termination System (AFTS) for the Eris launch vehicle, which is being developed for the small satellite market. 

The AFTS is a smart Hardware/Software unit with autonomous decision-making capacity responsible for aborting a flight if any anomalies are identified. This system is of the highest criticality and will be subjected to a strict certification process.

SENER Aeroespacial is currently working on the first phase, developing the software processing algorithms necessary to collect and analyze the flight/vehicle parameters, identify deviations from the nominal trajectory and/or the status of the vehicle, and send, if necessary, the command to terminate the mission. The goal is to have the first prototype ready, in collaboration with Gilmour Space, for testing and certification prior to Eris’ maiden launch later this year.

The project aim is to successfully develop and demonstrate equivalence to current land-based systems in terms of performance and reliability, providing launch service providers and government launch organizations the ability to replace legacy systems which rely on costly land facilities and require manual operator intervention to terminate the mission. SENER Aeroespacial believes the AFTS will bring about a new paradigm in launch vehicle operations by improving both their versatility, by enabling more launches from places other than traditional launch centers; and their efficiency, by lowering the cost of operations.

This development builds on SENER’s launch vehicle heritage with AVIO’s hybrid navigation NAVIGA unit, which will be first used on the VEGA-C European launch vehicle. NAVIGA is a mission-critical system that combines equally two key elements for future space transport systems: cost reduction, by allowing for mass production, and versatility, as a result of the modular and flexible design, which allows a complete and certified unit to be adapted with minor modifications and testing to other environments.

In the words of Augusto Caramagno, Director of Institutional Programs at SENER Aeroespacial, “This new contract reinforces our position as a leader in a growing market in Europe, that of medium-cost space systems that offer good performance and high reliability. The AFTS is also joining our portfolio of highly critical onboard systems within the PNT (Positioning, Navigation and Timing) strategic line, where SENER Aeroespacial has considerable experience and has achieved a competitive advantage.” 

For Gilmour Space, this international collaboration is another example of its growing focus on European markets. Said Adam Gilmour, CEO of Gilmour Space,“It’s great to be working with SENER Aeroespacial, an established space company with a strong track record for delivering high-performance systems. Given the progress, we’re confident that we will have a robust AFTS ready for our first Eris rocket launch in the second half of 2022.”

Orbex has submitted its application to the UK’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) for a launch license, the latest stage on its roadmap to beginning commercial space launches from the UK.

Orbex has already successfully completed pre-application meetings with the CAA, the UK’s new space regulator. It has now progressed to the application stage, becoming one of the first UK launch operators to do so. The license application process is another key milestone in the journey that will see Orbex begin rocket launches from Space Hub Sutherland in the North of Scotland.

The CAA launch license ensures that operators meet the regulatory requirements set by the UK’s Space Industry Act 2018 (SIA) and Space Industry Regulations 2021 (SIR). This legislation was recently introduced by the UK government to support its national space strategy.

Space Hub Sutherland is the world’s first, carbon neutral spaceport and the only spaceport in the UK to have received full planning permission. Construction of the spaceport is due to begin later this year.

Meanwhile, the Orbex ‘Prime’ rocket is soon to be tested on the Orbex LP1 launch platform at a facility in Kinloss, close to the Orbex headquarters in Forres, where full ‘dress rehearsals’ of launch procedures will take place.

Prime is a micro-launcher designed to transport small satellites weighing around 150kg to low Earth orbit. Is it poised to become the world’s most environmentally friendly space rocket with a carbon footprint up to 96 percent lower than comparable space launch programs.

Chris Larmour, CEO of Orbex, said, “This license application is another big step forward for Orbex, and is one of several tracks running in parallel that will enable commercial launch operations to commence from Sutherland. The application process is rigorous and detailed, with a strong focus on safety. It has taken a large team more than two years to complete the investigations and analysis required to submit the license application today. We are looking forward to working with the Civil Aviation Authority over the coming months as they assess our application.”

Orbex is a UK-based spaceflight company with headquarters, production and testing facilities in Scotland, and design and testing facilities in Denmark. Orbex staff members have professional backgrounds with NASA, ESA, Ariane and several commercial spaceflight organisations. The company is now funded by two of the UK’s largest and most active venture capital funds, BGF and Octopus Ventures, who join two of Europe’s largest venture capital funds, Heartcore Capital and the High-Tech Gründerfonds, as well as strategic investor Elecnor, parent company of Deimos Space, the UK Space Agency (UKSA), the European Space Agency (ESA) and the European Commission Horizon 2020 program.

Spaceport Cornwall is set to deliver the first ever launch from the UK soil this summer, creating a service for small satellites in the UK. In the lead up to this historic moment, they are set to release their ‘Sustainability Impact Report and Action Plan’ — the first of its kind to be published by a spaceport, that transparently shares the impacts of launch activity from Cornwall — opening the conversation with peers and the public to pave the road to responsible launch. 

Small satellites will play a crucial role in the fight against climate change with increased Earth Observation leading to deeper Environmental Intelligence — this provides the data needed to inform policy both locally and globally and ultimately safeguard the planet. 

While the benefits of small satellite launches are increasingly evident there are also detrimental impacts that cannot be ignored. The report has been created to share those impacts, both offering and seeking opportunities to reduce them through open collaboration.

The report focuses on five key areas where launch from Cornwall could have a negative effect. It details the current expected impact, the target to be achieved in order to mitigate this impact, and how this will be reached. The five areas of impact are: Carbon Emissions, Biodiversity, Marine Environment, On-Site Facilities and Space Debris.

Satellites are fighting climate change, but their launch has a carbon impact. Historically, not much has been done about the impact of launch and this is what Spaceport Cornwall, along with launch partners Virgin Orbit, are seeking to change. With the emissions from the horizontal launch technology already being significantly less than vertical launch, the commitment for negating this impact is to reach Carbon Neutrality by 2030 — with Virgin Orbit committed to offsetting launch emissions in the short term through the purchase of UK Domestic Woodland Carbon Units.

The targets for tackling the impacts in the four other areas will be reached through R&D and engagement. The Centre for Space Technologies, Spaceport Cornwall will conduct world-leading research into developing cleaner fuels, finding more sustainable satellite materials and launch methods, and supporting debris collection on Earth and in space. To ensure they will not add to current debris issues in Low Earth Orbit, all satellites and spacecraft will be licensed by the CAA and they will work to progress an ethical launch framework. 

Research will also be conducted into the impact of debris on the marine environment, with the focus on setting a new industry standard for analysis of this impact. While spaceport activities have been found to have no adverse effect on biodiversity within the existing airport masterplan, Spaceport Cornwall has committed to a 10% biodiversity gain with the Spaceport Development Zone. 

The launch of Kernow Sat-1, the G7 legacy funded community satellite, will be key to increasing biodiversity monitoring within the region and the data collected will support seagrass restoration and kelp forest installation around the coast of Cornwall. 

Before the report is released to the public, to further inform and help create world-leading solutions to the impacts outlined in its first iteration, Spaceport Cornwall have launched a Sustainability Steering Group of environmental experts and stakeholders from across Cornwall which commenced at an Environmental Intelligence event held at the Eden Project on Friday the 4th of February. They will now work with spokespeople from each sector related to their areas of focus, asking them to review and consult on the findings and progress the action plan to its next stages, helping to manage impacts and drive positive benefits. 

Spaceport Cornwall is on a mission to become the World’s most responsible and ethical gateway to space and this report will be the first key step on that journey. More on the release and the steering committee can be found here.

Melissa Thorpe, Head of Spaceport Cornwall, “We believe transparency and openness need to be a priority in our industry, because the impacts and outcomes affect us all. That’s why we are calling for a steering group to help us further this report — we’re committing to do things differently — to show the world that space launch can be transparent and to change things for the better. Our aim is to report on our commitments and impacts every year in a way that is accessible and meaningful for everyone. This is just the beginning and we are looking forward to leading the way.”  

Ian Annett, Deputy CEO UK Space Agency said, “For many years, satellites have been on the front line of our efforts to monitor climate change and inform effective global action. But as the space industry continues to grow and we look ahead to the first UK launches this year, it’s vital that we work together to minimise environmental impacts wherever possible.

“We have put in place a modern regulatory regime to support safe and sustainable launch, and I look forward to continuing work with Spaceport Cornwall and other UK spaceports to promote a vibrant and responsible sector that provides real benefits to local communities, businesses and the environment.”

Patrick McCall, Virgin Group, “We’re proud to be a part of Spaceport Cornwall’s call to action for global transformation within the space sector. Virgin Orbit is committed to launching responsibly and for the betterment of our planet. The upcoming launch this summer from Cornwall offers a unique opportunity for us to set the bar — creating a world leading launch site through transparent practices and collaborative solutions.”

Councillor Richard Pears, Portfolio Holder for Customers, Cornwall Council, “Space tech is critical for the future of this country and our planet as a whole. We will build the UK’s first horizontal launch spaceport, we will launch Cornwall’s first community satellite – Kernow Sat-1, we will create a thriving technology sector to support this, and we will put Cornwall at the cutting edge of science and technology.”

Dawn Aerospace is providing satellite propulsion to hyperspectral imaging company Pixxel, who is building a health monitor for the planet through a constellation of hyperspectral imaging small satellites.

Pixxel’s constellation will serve industries like agriculture, resources, energy, and sustainability, providing valuable insights into productivity and environmental management. Compared to standard multispectral imaging, Pixxel’s hyperspectral technology can obtain 50 times more information by capturing exact chemical signatures, offering more accurate solutions to previously unsolvable issues, and is available at a lower cost than existing technology. As a result, Pixxel’s hyperspectral imaging has the power to help with pressing issues, such as flagging pest infestations and crop diseases, tackling air and water pollution levels, and detecting oil spills and gas leaks. 

Pixxel recently announced an early adoption partnership with global mining company Rio Tinto to leverage the highest resolution hyperspectral satellite imagery in Rio Tinto’s exploration activities. The global mining company plans to use this technology to reduce the disturbance footprint of exploration activities, monitor the operational and environmental performance of active mining operations, and monitor biodiversity and vegetation health around closed sites. Other Pixxel customers cover the mining, oil & gas and agriculture industries. 

In the coming months, Pixxel’s first two satellites will launch, with plans to have a fully operational, hyperspectral constellation in space by December of 2023. 

Dawn propulsion modules will enable Pixxel satellites to maneuver into their desired orbit post a rideshare-launch, allow for in-space management of the satellites and for deorbiting the satellites responsibly and the end of their life.

In the last 12 months, Dawn has had several propulsion systems launched to space, with a total of 21 thrusters, powering a variety of satellites, including cubesats and OTV’s. At the end of 2021, the company announced it had over one hundred of its 1N and 20N “green” thrusters in production, with this projected to triple over the next twelve months.

“We’re proud to use Dawn’s propulsion system on our mission to provide the world’s best hyperspectral Earth-imaging satellites,” said Awais Ahmed, co-founder and CEO of Pixxel. “Our goal is to launch a constellation that acts as a global health monitor for the planet. With Dawn’s help, we’re one step closer to achieving that to build a healthier planet.”

“Given the passion both Dawn and Pixxel share for using space for the greater good, we couldn’t be prouder to support this talented team,” said Stefan Powell, Dawn Co-founder & CEO. “We see low-cost, reliable propulsion systems as key in enabling the unprecedented insights space can offer us by looking back at Earth.”