Archives for March 2022

Earlier this year, the first flight test of an innovative sounding rocket for access-to-space applications for smallsats was successfully performed.

The sounding rocket was launched from the Poligono Interforze of Salto di Quirra (PISQ) in Sardinia, Italy, within the project Aviolancio, coordinated by the Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR) and the Italian Airforce (AMI). The hybrid propulsion was developed from Technology for Propulsion and Innovation (T4i) in collaboration with the University of Padua, showcasing the excellence that can be achieved when institutions, academia and industry put their strengths together for a shared goal.

The aim of the project is to drastically improve the access to space for smallsat platforms through the development of a small launcher that could be released from an aircraft, resulting in frequent and affordable flight opportunities for New Space stakeholders. The core of the project is the innovative hybrid propulsion system. The technology derives from more than 15 years of research at University of Padua. The specific system has been under development since 2014 within an international cooperation program led by T4i.

This hybrid propulsion system is re-ignitable, flexible, and sustainable as it is fed with green propellants. Furthermore, the cost and safety features of this technology allow it to iterate quickly and economically during the development phase, to implement the newest production technologies, to ease the procedures and the safety constraints during the operations at launch site, and finally in the perspective of future micro-launcher to drastically reduce costs of accessing space.

The first test conducted in February was extremely successful and the measured performances exceeded the expected ones. The parabolic flight was only the first fundamental step of the project.

Link to the video of the launch: bit.ly/3iLkw6k

Technology for Propulsion and Innovation (T4i) was born in 2014 as a Spin-Off of the University of Padua. T4i’s aim is to revolutionize the in-space and access to space transportation, developing innovative engines able to open unexplored forms of mobility to small satellite platforms and unlimited windows to access space. T4i develops both customized propulsion solutions based on customer’s requirements and complete space products up to TRL9, focusing on electrical, chemical, and cold gas propulsion systems to cover different in-space applications (e.g., proximity maneuvers, orbit raising, decommissioning, station keeping, and relative satellite position maintenance) and chemical propulsion systems for launchers applications. T4i’s first product, REGULUS-50-I2, was launched in space for its IOD mission on March 22, 2021.

Pixxel has announced a $25 million Series A led by Radical Ventures, a Toronto-based firm known for investing in entrepreneurs that use artificial intelligence (AI) to transform massive industries.

Additional participation in Pixxel’s Series A comes from Jordan Noone, Seraphim Space Investment Trust Plc., Lightspeed Partners, Blume Ventures, and Sparta LLC. The new funding enables Pixxel to expedite production of the world’s highest resolution hyperspectral satellite constellation and to offer industry AI-powered insights that discover, solve, and predict climate issues at a fraction of traditional satellite costs.

Pixxel is launching the first of its hyperspectral satellites as part of SpaceX’s upcoming April Transporter-4 mission. These Earth-imaging smallsats have 50x higher resolution than existing multispectral counterparts and, unlike drone or land-based multispectral sensors, Pixxel will be able to capture data at global scale.

Traditional satellite images collect data in the visible light spectrum, limiting the end use cases; hyperspectral imaging collects data across 40x more wavelengths and can be used for a myriad of applications such as monitoring methane emissions, quantifying carbon sequestration, and monitoring disease outbreaks across cropland.

Pixxel’s platform unlocks a range of novel environment and sustainability use cases, offering advanced tools for agriculture, oil and gas, mining, and environmental agencies to analyze geospatial composites of the earth’s surface in real-time.

Pixxel also successfully retrieved its first hyperspectral satellite images from a camera that was launched last year with partners NanoAvionics and Dragonfly Aerospace. The photos capture the crop health of a Mexican farmland, showing previously indistinguishable soil nutrient content, early stress identifiers, water quality levels, and types of flora in the vegetation.

The wealth of information in these images validate Pixxel’s revolutionary approach to spectroscopy for earth observation – detecting, monitoring, and analyzing phenomena beyond what’s possible with existing remote sensing solutions.

“We’re excited to welcome these new investors as we work to address one of the most pressing issues facing our planet,” said Pixxel CEO and co-founder, Awais Ahmed. “We’re committed to providing a critical tool in the fight against climate change, helping researchers and on-the-ground responders detect and develop effective strategies to combat imminent environmental threats. This funding will not only assist us with this goal but will help us improve our software capabilities so that organizations of all sizes can access and understand this data.”

Alba Orbital has successfully contacted Unicorn-2D, the first of the company’s, flagship, Earth Observation (EO) pico-satellites dedicated to monitoring artificial light at night (ALAN) across the globe.

The Unicorn-2D pico-satellite was put into orbit on a Falcon 9 rocket in January of 2022, on board SpaceX’s Transporter-3 mission that launched a total of 105 customer satellites. Unicorn-2D serves as a technology demonstration mission for a larger constellation of night time imaging satellites that are expected to launch later this year.

Alba’s growing EO constellation of ‘Unicorn’ satellites are designed to provide high resolution imagery of the Earth at night, tracking things such as light pollution, urbanization, greenhouse gas emissions and energy usage from space.

The team have successfully decoded more than 1,000 packets of telemetry from the spacecraft so far, informing the team on the ground of the satellite’s health, temperature, and rotation rate during its time on-orbit. Once the spacecraft passes the commissioning phase, Alba will attempt to downlink imagery over the coming months, servicing early commercial adopters and governmental customers via the ‘Night Lights Early Access’ program.

One of Alba’s ‘Night lights’ data users, an insurance tech firm called McKenzie Intelligence Services, stated that “Alba Orbital’s high-resolution night-time imagery will support us in providing even more high-fidelity analysis of global perils. For example, during future incidents similar to the Texas freeze which caused $15bn in insured losses, we will be able to rapidly identify those properties without power and therefore most susceptible to internal damage.”

“This is a dream come true to finally get our first Earth Observation Unicorn spacecraft operational in orbit,” said Tom Walkinshaw, Founder and Chief Executive of Alba Orbital. “It demonstrates Alba’s technical abilities to design, build, test, launch, deploy and operate a commercial PocketQube in orbit for data customers, opening a new era of space opportunities for Pico-satellites. We can’t wait to get more Unicorns up there!“

Alba Orbital’s next mission, ‘Alba Cluster X’, is due to launch from New Zealand via Rocket Lab’s Electron launch vehicle in NET Q2 2022. Four satellites are currently manifested on board the Alba Cluster X flight including Unicorn-2F and three 1p PocketQubes on behalf of Alba Orbital’s rideshare client, ACME AtronOmatic / MyRadar, who plan to launch a 250-satellite weather data constellation. You can follow along Unicorn-2d’s journey through space at this direct link…

Kymeta and IP Access International have signed a partnership agreement to co-develop and distribute optimized solutions using Kymeta terminals, broadband and LTE services to first responders across North America.

IP Access operates the nation’s largest public safety satellite network, which includes more than 1,000 agency customers encompassing 1,700 unique endpoints. This agreement to deliver optimized solutions will combine Kymeta’s resilient and cost-effective electronically-steered flat panel technology with IP Access’ experience building public safety networks for mobility and remote connectivity where it has not previously existed. It will use coverage and bandwidth on a jointly developed, multi layered broadband network optimized specifically for public safety customers. The Kymeta enabled solution allows communication and interoperability among devices, further extending the reach of the IP Access RedPHONE service even if there is an internet outage due to malware or denial-of-service attacks.

The Kymeta u8 product family for mobile broadband communications are low-maintenance and low-profile for resilient Communications-On-The-Move (COTM) and Communications-On-The-Pause (COTP). The u8 product family also offers a pathway to Low Earth Orbit (LEO) networks as they come online over the next several years. The new partnership will allow IP Access to provide solutions that perform on today’s satellites and are enabled to work on future LEO satellite networks.

The partnership illustrates the commitment from both companies to enable critical mobile connectivity solutions for public safety and for disaster response that are more robust than ever before. Kymeta and IP Access have committed to a significant volume of equipment and satellite bandwidth to quickly fulfill the needs of public safety and first responders and grow the product suite and coverage in support of this important market.

“Kymeta is dedicated to bringing access to always-on, reliable, and mission-critical communications while on the move to the public safety and first responder market,” said Bill Marks, EVP and Chief Development Officer of Kymeta. “Our u8 products have been deployed around the world and provide a real-world solution for the defense, government, public safety, and commercial industries by enabling connectivity that is ubiquitous and more robust than ever before. We are pleased to partner with a well-established leader like IP Access who has earned the continued trust and loyalty of first responders for over two decades through the delivery of consistent, reliable products and services.”

“IP Access looks forward to a strong partner relationship with Kymeta in our joint efforts to provide resilient communications to response teams who protect and save lives,” said Bryan Hill, CEO of IP Access International. “Our customers are indifferent to what network they are on so long as it is reliable. Our goal at IP Access is to provide them with the connectivity they need on every possible network. That means 4G, 5G, GEO, MEO and LEO. Customers have capital constraints, and it is our responsibility to deliver solutions that are future proof and that is why we are partnering with Kymeta.”

Additionally, Kymeta and OneWeb now have in place a distribution partner agreement to offer broadband connectivity services across the globe. The OneWeb LEO satellite network will give Kymeta customers access to high-speed, low-latency broadband connectivity while on the move or while stationary, anywhere in the world. 

Kymeta offers the world’s only high-bandwidth, low power, fully integrated family of high throughput mobile terminals and has been widely adopted by military, government, enterprise, and maritime customers. The connectivity from OneWeb will complement Kymeta’s existing broadband geostationary orbit (GEO) and 4G cellular service offering.  

Kymeta’s distribution agreement with OneWeb will enable the company to resell OneWeb services in conjunction with fixed and mobility hardware solutions to government and commercial customers globally. 

The new Kymeta service, supported by OneWeb’s network of satellites, will distribute standalone OneWeb LEO service on the u8 or package together broadband services to offer GEO/LEO while also enabling military users access to a multi-constellation platform while on the move for the first time. The collaboration between the two leading companies in their respective fields provides a unique and comprehensive solution that expands connectivity and applications across all verticals and meets the needs of customers around the world.

“Whether connectivity is needed on land, at sea, or in the air, Kymeta continues to deliver through innovation and strong partner relationships,” said Walter Berger, President and Co-CEO, Kymeta. “Our distinctive technology can switch between linear and circular polarization in software, allowing support for both LEO and GEO Ku-band constellations without any physical changes to the hardware required. We look forward to working with OneWeb as the addition of capacity from their leading LEO satellite network will give customers, including the U.S. government and military, unprecedented access to connectivity in areas where existing networks don’t reach. Kymeta’s expansion into managed satellite services allows us to package our hardware solutions for connectivity as a service, a capability the US DoD and other end users are increasingly seeking.”

Commenting on OneWeb’s agreement, OneWeb CEO Neil Masterson added, “We believe that space is the future for communications on Earth. This agreement with Kymeta is another example of OneWeb’s dedication to enabling resilient and secure connectivity for all with fast, high-bandwidth, and low-latency communications services that enhances lives and can be accessed through revolutionary technology like Kymeta’s flat panel u8.”

Synspective Inc., a SAR satellite data and solutions provider, has raised $100 million (11.9 billion yen, including a Series B funding round. The latest funding was led by Sompo Japan Insurance Inc. (Tokyo, Japan), Nomura SPARX Investment, Inc. (Tokyo, Japan), and Pavilion Capital Pte. Ltd. (Singapore) among others, as well as bank loans, and it is supposed to be ranked within the top ten largest startups in Japan. This puts our total funding value at $200 million (22.8 billion yen) since the founding of the company.

Synspective Inc. develops and operates high-frequency, high-resolution SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar) satellites to provide data analytics and solution services. We aim to establish a constellation of 30 SAR satellites around 2026, that enable wide-area, high-frequency earth observation.

Synspective will use the new capital for the development, manufacturing, launch and operation of our SAR satellites, preparation of mass production facilities, development of satellite data solutions, and global expansion with the aim of further business growth. * Compared to the 2021 total funding ranking in the [2021 Complete Edition] Domestic Startup Investment Trend Report by For Startups Inc., it is supposed to be ranked within the top ten largest startups in Japan.

Dr. Motoyuki Arai, Synspective founder and CEO, said, “We are very grateful for the opportunity to welcome new investors and collaborative partners to expand our business more strongly and globally. Taking the fact that we were able to raise funds beyond the series A funding round as a great expectation and trust from our investors, partners as well as the public, we will further accelerate the expansion of a thirty SAR satellite constellation and enhance our data analysis technology to realize a “learning world” for a sustainable future.”

Rivada Space Networks GmbH, a disruptive new company that is planning to launch a constellation of 600 LEO communications satellites, has been established by U.S. wireless communications company, Rivada Networks.

Recognizing that the business world is increasingly data-driven, cloud-based and cybersecurity conscious, and that existing systems do not and cannot meet these needs, wireless technology entrepreneur Declan Ganley formed Rivada Space Networks to deliver a unique solution for secure, global, end-to-end enterprise and government connectivity — responding to specific customer needs that are not being met by today’s technology.

For the first time, Rivada Space Networks will offer access to secure satellite networks with pole-to-pole reach, offering end-to-end latencies similar or better than terrestrial fiber. The Rivada network will operate like an optical backbone in space using lasers to interconnect satellites to deliver an ultra-secure and highly reliable global data network for business operations in the telecom, enterprise, maritime, energy and government services markets.

The constellation’s unique architecture, high speed and low latency, combined with Rivada’s dynamic pricing and open access technology, will also make it possible to bring internet access to remote and underserved areas where no backhaul is currently available.

Rivada Space Networks will leverage the unique terrestrial wireless technologies of parent company Rivada Networks Inc. to optimize network utilization and facilitate the buying and selling of broadband capacity. The company’s patented technologies including Dynamic Spectrum Arbitrage and Open Access platform will enable efficient use of spectrum and provide customers with ultimate flexibility.

Rivada Space Networks Founder Declan Ganley said, “Our goal is to leverage the unique strengths of low-latency satellite communication to provide an enterprise-grade on demand experience anywhere in the world from any platform. Rivada Space Networks will not only provide a competitive advantage, it will help to expand these markets by enabling new opportunities through previously unavailable levels of performance combined with global reach. When wireless technologies converge with satellite over a single, highly secure network – you are going to get the best of both worlds.”

Based in Germany, Rivada Space Networks is rapidly moving forward with procurement of a low-earth-orbit network of 600 Ka-band communications satellites. The company is currently undertaking an RFI with major satellite manufacturers to finalize the system design and manufacturing plan, paving the way for the production and deployment of the entire constellation.

Tailwind Two Acquisition Corp. (NYSE: TWNT) (“Tailwind Two”) has completed their business combination with Terran Orbital Corporation (“Terran Orbital”).

In connection with the completion of the business combination, Tailwind Two has been renamed Terran Orbital Corporation (the “Company”) and its common stock and warrants are expected to commence trading on the New York Stock Exchange on March 28, 2022 under the ticker symbols “LLAP” and “LLAP WS,” respectively.

“We are pleased to have completed our business combination with Terran Orbital as they bring their market leading, innovative small satellites and earth observation solutions to scale,” said Phillip Krim, Chairman of Tailwind Two. “Marc Bell and his team have a significant technological moat, supported by expected build rates of over 1,000 satellites and space vehicles annually as data demands from governments and corporations accelerate over the next decade. We look forward to continuing to work with the entire Terran Orbital team in the years ahead.”

“We are well-positioned to accelerate our growth strategy as a result of this business combination,” said Marc Bell, Co-Founder, Chairman and CEO of Terran Orbital. “The capital raised through this transaction along with our new access to the public markets will enable us to continue to expand upon our manufacturing capabilities and launch one of the most advanced earth observation constellations of small satellites on the planet.”

Rocket Lab USA, Inc. (Nasdaq: RKLB) (“Rocket Lab”) has announced the launch window for the company’s next Electron mission. This is a dedicated mission for BlackSky (NYSE: BKSY) through global launch services provider Spaceflight Inc., starting April 1, 2022 UTC.

This launch window opening in April rather than March is weather related and will result in this mission and its related revenue being recognized in Rocket Lab’s fiscal Q2 2022, versus in fiscal Q1 2022 as was previously anticipated at the time Rocket Lab provided Q1 2022 financial guidance in conjunction with its Q4 2021 preliminary earnings release on February 28, 2022. As a result, Rocket Lab is updating its expected Q1 2022 revenue outlook from the range of $42 million to $47 million that was previously provided on February 28, 2022, to approximately $40 million.

The “Without Mission A Beat” launch is scheduled to lift off from Launch Complex 1 Pad A carrying a pair of BlackSky rapid-revisit, high-resolution, Earth-imaging satellites to LEO, expanding BlackSky’s constellation to 14 satellites. Rocket Lab has delivered the majority of BlackSky’s constellation to orbit on Electron missions since 2019.

“Without Mission A Beat” will be Rocket Lab’s 25th Electron launch and will bring the total number of satellites launched by the company to 112. Rocket Lab will not be attempting to recover Electron for this mission.

Rocket Lab CEO Peter Beck said, “We’re looking forward to again providing BlackSky and Spaceflight with another dedicated Electron mission that delivers the flexibility they need to meet the unique requirements of BlackSky’s capacity-on-demand constellation. We’re proud to continue our partnership with them and look forward to helping them grow their constellation with this next mission.”