Archives for March 2022

AST SpaceMobile, Inc. (“AST SpaceMobile”) (NASDAQ: ASTS) has signed a multi-launch agreement with SpaceX. In addition to the planned summer launch of the BlueWalker 3 test satellite (BW3), the agreement covers the launch of the first BlueBird satellite and provides a framework for future launches.

“This agreement secures the availability for a reliable launch of our first production satellites out of the U.S.,” said AST SpaceMobile Founder, Chairman and CEO, Abel Avellan. “Our summer launch of BlueWalker 3 will complete the development phase for our company. We have also been industrializing our technology and preparing for the launch of the BlueBird satellites, with this agreement as a key step.”

The BW3 satellite is slated to launch from Cape Canaveral on a Falcon 9 vehicle. The satellite has an aperture of 693 square feet and is designed to communicate directly with cell phones via 3GPP standard frequencies.

The BlueBird satellites are designed to be compatible with the Falcon 9 vehicle, as well as other existing and planned industry launch vehicles. These production satellites are designed to provide broadband commercial service directly to cell phones, without any additional hardware or software on the phone. At full capacity, AST SpaceMobile expects to be able to assemble up to six BlueBird satellites per month at its Texas manufacturing facilities, which offer a combined 185,000 of square footage.

AST SpaceMobile’s mission is to eliminate the connectivity gaps faced by today’s five billion mobile subscribers moving in and out of coverage zones, and bring cellular broadband to approximately half of the world’s population who remain unconnected. Partners in this effort are leading global wireless infrastructure companies, including Rakuten Mobile, Vodafone and American Tower.

AST SpaceMobile is building the first and only global cellular broadband network in space to operate directly with standard, unmodified mobile devices based on our extensive IP and patent portfolio. Our engineers and space scientists are on a mission to eliminate the connectivity gaps faced by today’s five billion mobile subscribers and finally bring broadband to the billions who remain unconnected. For more information, follow AST SpaceMobile on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube. Watch this video for an overview of the SpaceMobile mission.

So far their goal has been reached of launching Starlink satellites every week, and today’s launch is the tenth launch in 10 weeks.

On Wednesday, March 9 at 8:45 a.m. EST, Falcon 9 launched 48 Starlink satellites to low Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

This was the fourth launch and landing of this Falcon 9 first stage booster, which previously launched Arabsat-6A, STP-2, and COSMO-SkyMed Second Generation FM2.

NeoPhotonics Corporation (NYSE: NPTN), has announced the company’s new Radiation Tolerant version of its industry leading, Nano, ultra-pure light, tunable laser that has been designed for use in LEO SATCOM applications has debuted.

NeoPhotonics’ current Nano-ITLA laser is in high volume production for terrestrial fiber optics applications and is used by many of the leading optical networking companies in their most advanced, coherent, pluggable modules and high-speed, embedded systems. This new radiation tolerant laser introduces enhancements including an adaptive approach to achieve extended lifetime operation of the proven Nano laser hardware in a radiation flux environment to enable reliable operation in space without compromise to performance and stability.

Multiple companies are now deploying or developing constellations of LEO satellites to bring high bandwidth communications to areas not currently served by wireless infrastructure. These constellations consist of thousands of satellites which must have high bandwidth connections between them to avoid service drop-outs. These satellite-to-satellite communications links are now shifting from micro-wave to coherent optical technology, taking advantage of the vast increase in transmission capacity developed for terrestrial fiber optic communications, where 800 Gbps is now regularly transmitted on a single wavelength.

While coherent communications technology is now highly advanced, space is a hostile environment for the electronics and related hardware used in telecommunications, largely due to radiation impacts from galactic cosmic rays, high-energy particles from the sun, and particles trapped by the earth’s magnetic field. Special ‘radiation hardened’ electronic devices, which are more robust than those typically used on the ground, are often used to mitigate these issues, but they can add significantly to cost. For the lasers used in coherent communication, the control electronics are often more vulnerable to these radiation effects than the laser itself.

One example of the laser control subsystem electronics that is particularly vulnerable to ionizing radiation is the memory (RAM and FLASH) that microprocessors rely on. While radiation effects on memory can be lessened by using special packaging or by more expensive hardware components, the effects of ionizing radiation on memory corruption can also be mitigated by incorporating radiation tolerant software enhancements, resulting in greatly improved reliability, recovery and resilience, as has been demonstrated during laboratory testing designed to simulate low earth orbit conditions

“NeoPhotonics has been a leader in the design, development and high-volume production of ultra-narrow linewidth tunable lasers for coherent communications over the last decade, and we are excited to offer our high performance to the exciting new application of satellite communications,” said Tim Jenks, Chairman and CEO of NeoPhotonics. “We have used our long experience and deep understanding of lasers technology to develop an innovative software-centric approach to radiation tolerance that speeds time to market, while maintaining performance and limiting costs.”

NeoPhotonics is a leading developer and manufacturer of lasers and optoelectronic solutions that transmit, receive and switch high-speed digital optical signals for Cloud and hyper-scale data center internet content provider and telecom networks. The Company’s products enable cost-effective, high-speed over distance data transmission and efficient allocation of bandwidth in optical networks. NeoPhotonics maintains headquarters in San Jose, California and ISO 9001:2015 certified engineering and manufacturing facilities in Silicon Valley (USA), Japan and China. For additional information visit www.neophotonics.com.

Aitech Systems is now offering the space industry’s first standalone small form factor (SFF) Ethernet switch designed and tested for Near Earth Orbit (NEO) Low Earth Orbit (LEO) missions.

The new S-A6640 is a managed Ethernet Switch/Router with 12x1GE copper ports and uses IP and Ethernet protocols to help significantly improve communication speeds, while lowering costs and significantly improving time-to-market for small satellite constellations as well as manned missions.

Communication Hub of the Space Digital Backbone (DBB)
Designed with major components with a radiation pedigree, the S-A6640 can be easily installed in any NEO or LEO space mission with any target platform size and significantly lowers the risk of communication-related failures in space.

In addition to serving as the centerpiece of the Aitech Space Digital Backbone (DBB) architecture for LEO/NEO applications, the new switch operates as the main connectivity hub for any smallsat or human rated space mission, operating as a scalable network architecture for all on board computing and communication equipment.

Adaptable for any platform size; Space-rated for NEO/LEO missions Specific uses of the new S-A6640 include connectivity for GPGPU, edge computing and storage as well as network protection, resiliency and scalability in NEO/LEO space applications, especially in applications with two redundant S-A6640s installed.

The switch offers several advantages to ensure reliable communication. Fast Boot means operation is restored immediately in the event of power spike/outage. In addition, the IPv4/IPv6 dual stack routing enables the S-A6640 to be used in any type of IP network and the secure SSH & HTTPS interfaces facilitates easy remote management access.

Alex Trigoub, space product line manager for Aitech, said, “Compared to other protocols, such as 1553B, Serial and SpaceWire, Ethernet provides a much higher bandwidth and far more flexibility in a wide variety of applications. It also provides its own mechanisms for protection and redundancy, including xSTP & VRRP, which are both supported by the S-A6640 to eliminate the chance of communications failure.”

With 40 years of experience, Aitech is a global digital electronics manufacturer with expertise in providing reliable, rugged embedded systems for the harshest, most unforgiving environments in military, aerospace and space applications. We enable the world’s leading companies to expand their most revolutionary explorations and push the boundaries of innovation across sea, land, air, and space. We provide COTS products based on multiple open standard architectures, including SOSA, FACE, VPX, CompactPCI, etc., such as single board computers, I/O, memory and graphics boards, PMC/XMCs and sub-system enclosures, with over 100,000 boards and custom integrated systems delivered to take on the most challenging projects in the harshest environments and succeed. As a pioneer in space applications, Aitech offers proven space pedigree with trillions of miles flown in a variety of space missions without a single failure. At Aitech, we stand behind our product and our customer to secure a better tomorrow.

Satellogic Inc. (NASDAQ:SATL), in collaboration with Astraea, will distribute critical Earth Observation (EO) data directly to the Ukrainian government, allied governments and humanitarian organizations on the ground.

Satellogic is providing its Daily Collection Access service to the Ukrainian government and allied nations. This service delivers a direct stream of high-resolution satellite imagery collections over Ukraine’s sovereign territory as well as neighboring areas of interest.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has spread across the country, targeting multiple cities and critical infrastructure. High-resolution satellite imagery offers detailed visibility at scale to monitor military movement, assess post-event damage, plan civilian evacuation routes, and evaluate effective distribution of resources.

“Satellogic is working directly with the government of Ukraine and allied nations to protect the innocent lives of Ukrainian citizens and residents. This collaboration will enable us to distribute time-critical information quickly and securely to those actively involved in ground operations and refugee missions,” said Emiliano Kargieman, CEO of Satellogic.

This data will also be made available to approved humanitarian and non-governmental organizations via a simplified and secure interface provided by Astraea. Request an account here: https://ukraineobserver.earth

“We are honored to be working with Satellogic on this critical effort. A good portion of our Engineering team is Ukrainian and is on the ground in Kyiv and other places in the country. Hence, this is deeply personal for us. We are focused day and night to help those we work with and care deeply about – and to leverage the power of EO data to save lives, protect innocent civilians and undo the damage caused by conflict,” said Brendan Richardson, Co-Founder and CEO of Astraea.

This service is intended for peaceful use only and must align with Satellogic’s Terms of Use and commitment to supporting humanitarian purposes.

Horizon Technologies has been issued a patent by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) titled “Techniques for Determining Geolocations.”

The patent pertains to a system for using a single LEO cubesat to determine geolocations of Earth-based, Radio Frequency (RF) emitters. A corresponding patent was also recently issued by the European Patent Office (EPO).

The patented invention is part of Horizon Technologies’ growing patent portfolio relating to its Amber technology, which enables more accurate, and efficient, geolocation without necessitating clusters of cubesats.

Amber data will be used worldwide for protecting the world’s oceans via “dark target detection.” Amber data, when available later this year, will help companies and governments combat such problems as illegal fishing, pollution, transshipment, piracy, GNSS spoofing, and smuggling. Horizon Technologies is developing a portfolio of patents and patent applications to protect our key product technologies and thus increase shareholder value.

“We are pleased that the US Patent Office has yet again recognized Horizon Technologies’ unique technology by granting this patent concerning the Amber system,” said John Beckner, CEO of Horizon Technologies. “Today’s real-world events clearly show the need for innovation in space-based, multi-domain ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance). This patented invention is especially important for our government and commercial customers addressing their maritime domain awareness requirements. Due to our unique technology, Horizon Technologies will not provide ‘RF Mapping on command,’ but rather a unique commercial RF intelligence data collected 24/7 and provided to our end-users.”

Select this direct link to access the Amber information video…

Horizon Technologies offers innovative SIGINT and Space-Based, Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) intelligence solutions. The company is a world leader in airborne Sat Phone monitoring systems for Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) applications, equipping governments worldwide by enhancing their SIGINT capabilities. Horizon Technologies is the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) for the FlyingFish and BlackFish SIGINT systems which are in operation on numerous platforms worldwide and the firm participate daily in ISR and SAR missions via NATO and FRONTEX in Europe as well as being heavily involved in international operations around the globe. Horizon Space Technologies is the prime contractor for the UK Government’s Amber program. The Amber Program will consist of Amber CubeSats in multiple orbital planes providing global Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) data to the UK JMSC (led by Royal Navy).

Spire Global, Inc. (NYSE: SPIR) has engaged in a partnership with Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) on a space services program to address a growing market need for radio frequency (RF) collection and analysis. Spire’s cluster of four 6U smallsats will enhance SNC technology that detects and geolocates certain objects based on targeted RF emissions. The program will provide valuable insight into how military and government organizations can better manage RF emissions and safeguard against RF and GPS interference.

SNC is a global aerospace and national security leader, delivering tailored solutions to government and commercial customers with technological applications in satellites and space exploration, aircraft integration, navigation and guidance systems, security and threat detection, scientific research, and infrastructure protection. A pioneer in artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML), SNC brings more than 12 years of experience developing advanced algorithms, analytics, process automation and leading laboratories to the project.

Spire has offices in San Francisco, Boulder, Washington DC, Glasgow, Luxembourg, Cambridge, Ontario, Oxfordshire, and Singapore.

“This is an exciting and important strategic partnership for Spire, and we thank SNC for their confidence in our team and our space-as-a-service offering,” Director Intelligence Community Sales, Spire Federal’s Mark Carhart said. “Spire’s secure, scalable and space-proven satellite platform will enable SNC to advance its RF collection capabilities in an efficient, low-risk and cost-effective manner.”

“We are excited to partner with Spire and further extend our geospatial intelligence capabilities,” said SNC Executive Vice President, Tim Owings. “We’re looking forward to bringing this new commercial data stream and enhanced RF awareness to our customers in the national security and defense areas.”

Spire is a leading global provider of space-based data, analytics, and space services, offering access to unique datasets and powerful insights about Earth from the ultimate vantage point so that 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.

Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) is a trusted leader in innovative, advanced technology solutions and open architecture integrations in aerospace and national security. Best known for its unique mission applications, SNC creates customized solutions for the world’s most pressing technology challenges in the fields of aviation, national security space, electronic warfare, command and control, mission systems and inline cybersecurity. SNC is owned by Chairwoman and President Eren Ozmen and CEO Fatih Ozmen, and is once again recognized as a US Best Managed Company by Deloitte Private. In spring 2021, SNC announced the transition of its Space Systems business area to an independent commercial space company, Sierra Space.

General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems (GA-EMS) has announced that the U.S. Space Force (USSF) Space Systems Command has elected to exercise a follow-on option that will ultimately provide a prototype weather satellite that can produce operational data as part of the Electro-Optical Infrared (EO/IR) Weather System (EWS) satellite program.

GA-EMS will deliver the EWS spacecraft with an integrated EO/IR payload along with on-orbit mission control and data collection services to support the mission. EWS will support the transition from the Defense Meteorological Support Program (DMSP) on-orbit systems to a new generation of affordable, high performance, small weather satellites.The satellite launch is anticipated to occur in 2024.

As the prime contractor, GA-EMS has assembled a highly experienced, best-in-class team to successfully deliver the EWS satellites. The team includes EO Vista, LLC. to provide the EO/IR weather sensor payload, Atmospheric and Environmental Research (AER) Inc. for weather product expertise and Parsons Corporation (NYSE:PSN) to provide Enterprise Ground Station command and control and operations support.

“We have been under contract since late 2020 to develop an integrated EWS satellite system design that will provide the USSF with increased capabilities to collect critical global weather imagery and data to support the warfighter,” said Scott Forney, president of GA-EMS. “Today’s announcement is testament to our entire team’s dedication to completing a high-fidelity design in a very short time. EWS is more than a demonstrator. The system will provide three-to-five years of on-orbit operational capabilities to help the USSF fill EO/IR data gaps as the legacy DMSP satellites are retired.”

“This award is a tremendous win for us and comes right on the heels of our successfully completing the Final Design Review milestone,” said Gregg Burgess, vice president of GA-EMS Space Systems. “We now look forward to completing the work already underway to deliver the next generation of on-orbit weather data collection technologies and high-resolution imagery, data products and services to support EWS Program mission requirements. Our goal is to be a USSF mission partner for the long haul, providing capabilities critical to ensuring that reliable and timely weather prediction data is available to support military decision makers worldwide. The team we have assembled is well positioned to manufacture the EWS satellites at the production rates sufficient to meet the USSF weather information refresh requirements.”

General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems (GA-EMS) Group is a global leader in the research, design, and manufacture of first-of-a-kind electromagnetic and electric power generation systems. GA-EMS’ history of research, development, and technology innovation has led to an expanding portfolio of specialized products and integrated system solutions supporting aviation, space systems and satellites, missile defense, power and energy, and processing and monitoring applications for critical defense, industrial, and commercial customers worldwide.

Yet another successful liftoff for SpaceX’s Starlinks on a beautiful day in Florida. SpaceX released the following announcement.

On Thursday, March 3 at 9:25 a.m. EST, SpaceX launched 47 Starlink satellites from Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

This was the 11th flight for the Falcon 9 first stage booster supporting this mission, which previously launched GPS III-3, Turksat-5A, Transporter 2, and now eight Starlink missions.

Sidus Space, Inc. (NASDAQ:SIDU) has engaged in a strategic partnership with Aitech Systems to support the LizzieSat constellation.

Through this partnership, Aitech Systems is developing and delivering custom LizzieSat Command and Data Handling (C&DH) flight computers and peripherals.

LizzieSats (LS) are 3D manufactured, LEO smallsats focused on rapid, cost-effective development and testing of upcoming innovative spacecraft technologies for multiple customers. LS is a 100 kg. (220-pound) satellite with space to rapidly integrate customer sensors and technologies.

“We have recently received initial components of our core C&DH system development environment from Aitech Systems to support LizzieSat,” said Jamie Adams, Chief Technology Officer for Sidus Space. “The C&DH flight computers are a vital component of LizzieSat as they essentially function as the ‘brain’ of the system.”

With 40 years of experience, Aitech Systems is the oldest and largest independent global high-tech manufacturer providing reliable, rugged embedded systems for the harshest, most unforgiving environments in military, defense, aerospace and space applications. Aitech Systems, based in Chatsworth, CA, offers custom integrated systems to take on the most challenging projects in the harshest environment and succeed. As a pioneer in space applications, Aitech Systems offers an unparalleled space pedigree with trillion of miles flown in a variety of space missions without a single failure.

Sidus Space, located in Cape Canaveral, Florida, operates from a 35,000-square-foot manufacturing, assembly, integration, and testing facility focused on commercial satellite design, manufacture, launch, and data collection. The company’s rich heritage includes the design and manufacture of many flight and ground component parts and systems for various space related customers and programs. Sidus Space has a mission of Bringing Space Down to Earth and a vision of enabling space flight heritage status for new technologies while delivering data and predictive analytics to domestic and global customers. Any corporation, industry, or vertical can start their journey off-planet with Sidus Space’s rapidly scalable, low-cost satellite services, space-based solutions, and testing alternatives. More than just a “Satellite-as-a-Service” provider, Sidus Space is a trusted Mission Partner–from concept to LEO and beyond. Sidus is ISO 9001:2015, AS9100 Rev. D certified, and ITAR registered.