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Archives for April 2022

Omnispace And Thales Alenia Space’s New Global Hybrid Network Was Delivered Aboard SpaceX’s Transporter-4

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“Omnispace is reinventing mobile communications by building a global hybrid network that will benefit users requiring true mobility, everywhere”…

Omnispace and Thales Alenia Space are proud to announce that Omnispace Spark-1™ was successfully delivered into orbit aboard the SpaceX Transporter-4. The Omnispace Spark™ program represents phase one in the development and delivery of the world’s first standards-based global hybrid network.

Thales Alenia Space designed and built the satellite, part of the initial two-satellite Omnispace Spark program. The new-generation NGSO satellite in low-Earth orbit (LEO) will operate in the 2 GHz S-band. Omnispace Spark will support the mobile industry 3GPP standard* in band n256, making connectivity possible direct to compatible devices. This program will serve to advance the development and implementation of Omnispace’s global hybrid non-terrestrial (NTN) network.

“Omnispace is reinventing mobile communications by building a global hybrid network that will benefit users requiring true mobility, everywhere,” said Ram Viswanathan, president and CEO of Omnispace LLC. “We are pleased with the work that Thales Alenia Space, together with its world-class team of innovators, have done to design and build Omnispace Spark. With their help we are making our vision of a single, ubiquitous, global hybrid network possible.”

“I’m very excited about the successful launch of Spark-1, a nanosatellite we built in conjunction with NanoAvionics, Syrlinks & ANYWAVES. This achievement reflects our ability to develop new space solutions in partnership with innovative SMEs to address market needs. We are convinced that merging flight proven expertise with agility is the key to successfully matching the evolving space demand,” added Hervé Derrey, CEO of Thales Alenia Space.

Spark-1 was delivered into orbit aboard a SpaceX Transporter. Exolaunch provided launch, mission management, integration and deployment services.

Led by prime contractor, Thales Alenia Space, the Omnispace Spark program includes industry partners, NanoAvionics providing the satellites buses, launch support and in-orbit operations,  ANYWAVES the payloads user antennas and Syrlinks the S-band instruments for the payloads.

“The successful launch of Omnispace Spark-1 also signifies a successful collaboration between the NewSpace and traditional space, resulting in our great technological exchange with Thales Alenia Space,” said Vytenis J. Buzas, founder and CEO of NanoAvionics. “It is fair to say that both companies had to adjust their processes and find mutual middle ground. From working with a traditional satellite prime contractor, we gained a valuable experience and were able to further improve our reliability assurance processes and our technical performance. At the other side, we hope that Thales Alenia Space was able to benefit from our modular technology and the agility levels we provide.”

“After demonstrating our capacity to provide COTS antennas, we are today very proud to show our capability regarding payload ones. Supporting major space projects, such as Omnispace Spark, alongside with Thales Alenia Space, is also another source of great pride for ANYWAVES,” added Nicolas CAPET, ANYWAVES CEO.

“We are very proud to have been involved in the development of the first phase of this Internet Of Things (IoT) satellite constellation. We would like to thank Thales Alenia Space for having relied on Syrlinks for the design of a specific New-Space Radio-Frequency Payload equipment with capability to receive, process and transmit IoT dedicated signals,” stated Eric Pinson, Director of Space activity at Syrlinks. 

5G capability from a single global network will transform industries and serve as the communications infrastructure to support economies of the 21st century. The network will empower mobile network operators and value added resellers to fuel innovation, power industries, and connect billions of users.

LatConnect 60 + Gilmour Space Now Engaged In Hyperspectral EO Smallsats Development

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LatConnect 60 (LC60) has signed an agreement to work with Gilmour Space Technologies in Queensland, Australia, to build and launch the first smallsat in a planned, high-resolution, hyperspectral imaging constellation. These smart smallsats will be placed in 30-degree inclined orbits for frequent revisit data capture over the Earth’s equatorial and mid-latitude regions.

Executives from the Australian companies announced the HyperSight 60 constellation agreement jointly at the 37th Space Symposium in Colorado Springs, Colorado, an annual meeting that brings together space leaders from around the world.

Under the agreement, Gilmour Space will develop the first 100-kilogram HyperSight 60 satellite on the company’s G-class satellite bus (G-Sat), which will be launched on Gilmour’s Eris rocket from the Bowen Orbital Spaceport in Queensland, Australia, which is ideally located to place satellites into equatorial and mid inclined orbits. The smallsats and subsequent constellation will be owned and operated by LC60.

Satellite artistic rendition courtesy of Gilmour Space.

The first HyperSight 60 smallsat is planned for launch in Q4 2024. Once the entire eight satellite constellation is operational, an hourly revisit rate will be possible at mid-latitude locations between 30 degrees north and south in Australia, Asia, South America, and Africa. This revisit, combined with the spectral bands collected in high- and medium-spatial resolution, will deliver timely information-rich insights for Agriculture, Forestry, Environmental, Mineral/Oil & Gas, Climate Change, Maritime, and Defence applications.

“HyperSight 60 will deliver geospatial insights for mid-latitude areas at a level of detail and frequency not possible with other commercial remote sensing systems,” said Venkat Pillay, LC60 CEO and Founder. “The addition of Gilmour Space to the LC60 team contributes significantly to the future success of our ambitious plans. For HyperSight 60 and other planned LC60 constellations, our unique approach to onboard AI sensors, combined with advanced data fusion on the ground, will fill gaps in the insights that can be gleaned from current remote sensing systems.”

“This agreement would be our second G-class satellite mission on Eris, and we’re excited to be working with the pioneering team at LC60 to bring this significant capability to market,” said Gilmour Space CEO, Adam Gilmour.

Pictured: Adam Gilmour(l) and Vankat Pilly (r) following the signing of the agreement between LatConnect 60 + Gilmour Space.

LatConnect 60 (LC60) is an Earth Observation (EO) company, established in 2019, that collects satellite imagery data and fuses it with other forms of data for vital insights. Insights are delivered as a service through customized platforms to empower government and commercial clients. LC60 provides Space-enabled solutions, consisting of software platforms, data analytics algorithms and systems to aggregate sensors and data both on-ground and in-orbit. Its business strategy is aligned with current and future space EO and IoT markets that are advancing at a rapid pace. LC60 has exclusive access to a high-resolution satellite and is developing its own tailored EO constellation with novel sensors related to hyperspectral and thermal infrared to meet growing market demands for greater insights in agriculture, defence and maritime strategic awareness. LC60 currently owns exclusive rights to 80-centimeter imagery captured over Australia, with global access from a high-resolution multispectral satellite. The Perth-based company has leveraged this imagery along with other geospatial data sets to develop advanced artificial intelligence and machine learning-based data fusion and analysis algorithms for a variety of applications. LC60 is now delivering insights to assist Southeast Asian palm and rubber plantations in improving productivity while enhancing environmental sustainability. LC60 is also focused on designing ‘smart’ satellites equipped with onboard AI-based computing technology. For the HyperSight 60 constellation, this will enable ‘tip-and-cue’ capabilities among satellites within the constellation and allow pre-processing of data, including radiometric and geometric correction, to occur on-orbit before the data is downlinked to the ground.

AAC Clyde Space’s ESA Funding Enables Development Of AI Capability

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Onboard AI can also improve satellites’ performance beyond Earth observation applications by optimizing data links and upgrading constellation control and navigation...

AAC Clyde Space’s subsidiary, AAC Hyperion, has acquired a contract to develop an onboard artificial intelligence (AI) capability for small satellites in collaboration with the Royal Netherlands Aerospace Centre (NLR). The European Space Agency (ESA) will fund the project with EUR 0.41 M (approx. SEK 4.2 M) sponsored by the Netherlands Space Office (NSO). The funding comes through ESA’s General Support Technology Program (GSTP). 

The AI product, consisting of hardware, software and a demonstration algorithm, will be developed jointly by Hyperion and NLR. Hyperion specializes in electronics and miniaturized subsystems for small satellites and NLR brings in its expertise in AI algorithms applied to Earth observation data.

Primarily, the use of AI onboard small satellites is expected to enable increased use of payloads particularly in Earth observation, as well as for weather and climate monitoring. The data volume of high-resolution images collected by these payloads is so high that not all can be downloaded given the download capacity of small satellites. Through smart processing of the sensor data by dedicated onboard AI hardware and algorithms only reduced data volumes need to be transmitted to Earth.

Onboard AI can also improve satellites’ performance beyond Earth observation applications by optimizing data links and upgrading constellation control and navigation. Shorter response times will enable improved decision making on Earth, when monitoring vehicles, ships, production sites, infrastructure, crops and natural disasters from space.

Potential customers have already expressed interest to stay involved in the project throughout the development phase.

“Our customers have expressed great interest in the project already, which doesn’t come as a surprise as the use of AI will increase and improve the capabilities of small satellites. By teaming up with NLR in the AI field, AAC Clyde Space will be able to leapfrog the development of small satellite technology and create many interesting opportunities for our space services.,” says AAC Clyde Space’s CEO Luis Gomes.

“NLR is pleased to support AAC Hyperion in its ambition to improve small satellite capabilities introducing AI onboard satellites as a tool to improve satellite efficiency for Earth observation to the benefit of society,” added NLR’s CEO Michel Peters.

Rocket Lab Planning The First Mid-Air Helicopter Capture Of The Electron Rocket During The Company’s Next Mission “There + Back Again”

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For the first time, Rocket Lab will attempt a mid-air helicopter capture of an Electron rocket as it returns to Earth from space, furthering the company’s program to make Electron the first reusable orbital small launch vehicle.

The arrival of the Sikorsky recovery helicopter. Photo is courtesy of Rocket Lab.

The “There and Back Again” mission, Rocket Lab’s 26th Electron launch, will lift off from Pad A at Launch Complex 1 on New Zealand’s Māhia Peninsula within a 14-day launch window scheduled to commence on April 19, 2022, UTC. Electron will deploy 34 payloads from commercial operators Alba Orbital, Astrix Astronautics, Aurora Propulsion Technologies, E-Space, Unseenlabs, and Swarm Technologies via global launch services provider, Spaceflight Inc. The launch is expected to bring the total number of satellites launched by Electron to 146.

For the first time, Rocket Lab will also attempt a mid-air capture of Electron’s first stage as it returns from space after launch, the next major step in the Company’s development program to make Electron a reusable rocket. Rocket Lab will be attempting the catch with a customized Sikorsky S-92, a large, twin engine helicopter that is typically used in offshore oil & gas transport and search and rescue operations.

Catching a returning rocket stage mid-air as it returns from space is a highly complex operation that demands extreme precision. Several critical milestones must align perfectly to ensure a successful capture.

Recovery Mission Profile:

  • Approximately an hour prior to lift-off, Rocket Lab’s Sikorsky S-92 will move into position in the capture zone, approximately 150 nautical miles off New Zealand’s coast, to await launch.
  • At T+2:30 minutes after lift-off, Electron’s first and second stages will separate per a standard mission profile. Electron’s second stage will continue on to orbit for payload deployment and Electron’s first stage will begin its descent back to Earth reaching speeds of almost 8,300 km (5,150 miles) per hour. The stage will reach temperatures of around 2,400 degrees C (4,352 F) during its descent.
  • After deploying a drogue parachute at 13 km (8.3 miles) altitude, the main parachute will be extracted at around 6 km (3.7 miles) altitude to dramatically slow the stage to 10 meters per second, or 36 km (22.3 miles) per hour.
  • As the stage enters the capture zone, Rocket Lab’s helicopter will attempt to rendezvous with the returning stage and capture the parachute line via a hook.
  • Once the stage is captured and secured, the helicopter will transport it back to land where Rocket Lab will conduct a thorough analysis of the stage and assess its suitability for reflight.

“We’re excited to enter this next phase of the Electron recovery program,” said Rocket Lab founder and CEO, Peter Beck. “We’ve conducted many successful helicopter captures with replica stages, carried out extensive parachute tests, and successfully recovered Electron’s first stage from the ocean during our 16th, 20th, and 22nd missions. Now it’s time to put it all together for the first time and pluck Electron from the skies. Trying to catch a rocket as it falls back to Earth is no easy feat, we’re absolutely threading the needle here, but pushing the limits with such complex operations is in our DNA. We expect to learn a tremendous amount from the mission as we work toward the ultimate goal of making Electron the first reusable orbital smallsat launcher and providing our customers with even more launch availability.”

Rocket Lab has previously conducted three successful ocean recovery missions where Electron returned to Earth under parachute and was recovered from the ocean. Analysis of those missions informed design modifications to Electron, enabling it to withstand the hard re-entry environment, and also helped to developed procedures for an eventual helicopter capture.

Payloads aboard the “There and Back Again” mission include:

  • Alba Orbital: A cluster of four pico-satellites will be deployed, including Alba Orbital’s own Unicorn-2 PocketQube satellites, as well as TRSI-2, TRSI-3, and MyRadar-1 satellites for Alba Orbital’s customers. Each smallsat carries a unique sensor designed to demonstrate innovative technologies on orbit. Unicorn-2 will be carrying an optical night-time imaging payload designed to monitor light pollution across the globe.
  • Astrix Astronautics: Astrix Astronautics is deploying the “Copia” system – a high-performance power generation system for CubeSats that aims to improve on power restraints typically seen in small satellites. The mission aims to demonstrate the high performance of Copia’s novel design via -on-orbit testing with 1U solar arrays able to capture up to 200W.
  • Aurora Propulsion Technologies: The AuroraSat-1 also known as The Flying Object will deploy to LEO a demonstration of the company’s proprietary propulsion devices and plasma brakes that provide efficient propulsion and deorbiting capabilities for small satellites. The cubesat will validate the water-based propellant and mobility control of its Resistojets that can assist cubesats with detumbling capabilities and propulsion-based attitude control. AuroraSat-1 will also test its deployable Plasma Brakes which combine a micro-tether with charged particles in space, or ionospheric plasma, to generate significant amounts of drag to deorbit the spacecraft safely at the end of its life.
  • E-Space: E-Space’s payload will consist of three demo satellites to validate the systems and technology for its sustainable satellite system. The satellites have small cross-sections to decrease the risk of collision from the millions of untrackable space objects and will automatically de-orbit if any systems malfunction. Eventually, the satellites will sacrificially capture and deorbit small debris to burn up on re-entry, setting a new standard in space environmental management.
  • Spaceflight Inc: Spaceflight Inc. has arranged for Rocket Lab to launch two stacks of SpaceBEEs for Internet-of-Things constellation operator, Swarm Technologies.
  • UNSEENLABS: BRO-6 is the sixth satellite of the Unseenlabs’ constellation, dedicated to the detection of RF signals. Thanks to its technology, the French company detects any vessel at sea, even those whose cooperative beacon is turned off. The launch of BRO-6 satellite will allow Unseenlabs to improve its revisit time and deliver more customers.

BlackSky Appoints Top Defense + Intelligence Experts To New Advisory Group

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Prominent leaders from the Intelligence Community and the Department of Defense: U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, and U.S. Space Force to provide strategic guidance to BlackSky

BlackSky (NYSE: BKSY) has formed a Strategic Advisory Group and has appointed three prominent U.S. leaders with diverse backgrounds from the national security, defense and intelligence communities. This new advisory group will provide deep insight and guidance to BlackSky’s leadership on business growth, technology investment and strategic partnership opportunities.

Members of BlackSky’s inaugural Strategic Advisory Group include the following influential thought-leaders from key U.S. military agencies:

  • Former Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and retired Navy Vice Adm., the Hon. Joseph D. Kernan — He served as the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence, where he was the principal intelligence, counterintelligence and security advisor to the Secretary of Defense. In that capacity, he served simultaneously as the Director of Defense Intelligence in the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. Kernan graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1977 and served as a Surface Warfare Officer and Naval Special Warfare Officer until his military retirement. Over the course of his career, he commanded SEAL Team TWO, the Naval Special Warfare Development Group, the Naval Special Warfare Command, and U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command/U.S. Fourth Fleet. He also served as Senior Military Assistant to former Defense Secretary Robert Gates and as the Deputy Commander of the U.S. Southern Command.
  • Former Associate Director for Military Affairs at the CIA,retired Army Gen. John F. Mulholland, Jr. — He served as the CIA’s Associate Director of Military Affairs, where he served as the senior military advisor to the Director of Central Intelligence. The career Special Forces officer joined the First Special Forces Regiment in 1983 and led Army and joint special operations units from the time he was a captain until attaining the rank of lieutenant general. He served as Deputy Commanding General, Joint Special Operations Command; as the Commanding General, Army Special Operations Command; and as the fifteenth Deputy Commander, U.S. Special Operations Command. Mulholland led two notable joint special operations “Task Force Dagger” campaigns. He was commander of Joint Special Operations Task Force-North during the opening days of Operation Enduring Freedom immediately following 9/11 and commander of Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force-West during Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003.
  • Former Space Force Chief Architect, retired Air Force Col. Michael R. Dickey – He served a career in both public service and the private sector. His military assignments included research and development leadership positions in missile defense, aviation, and space operations with assignments across the Air Force, Joint Staff and National Reconnaissance Office with a special detail to NASA. In the private sector he focused on the development of space system solutions that leveraged the technology and economics of small spacecraft to meet mission needs. He returned to the Air Force as a civilian executive in 2016, serving as Chief Architect for the Air Force Space Command, and subsequently for the Space Force, where he oversaw, directed and coordinated efforts to implement a resilient, multi-domain compatible enterprise for DoD space mission areas. He continues to advance commercial and national security elements as an independent consultant.

The Strategic Advisory Group joins BlackSky Director Sue Gordon to expand BlackSky’s network of national security leaders that will inform the company’s long-term strategy for the U.S. and international defense and intelligence markets. The members of the non-governing Strategic Advisory Group will each serve a two-year commitment and assist BlackSky in developing and growing the company’s business in various government-related markets.

“It’s my pleasure to welcome aboard Mr. Kernan, Mr. Mulholland, and Mr. Dickey to the BlackSky team,” said Brian E. O’Toole, BlackSky CEO. “We look forward to their insights and extensive defense and intelligence expertise to help guide our strategy during this important time when commercial space capabilities have a growing and important role in our national security.”

Hyperspectral EO Smallsats Development Via LatConnect 60 + Gilmour Space Team Up

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LatConnect 60 (LC60) has signed an agreement to work with Gilmour Space Technologies in Queensland, Australia, to build and launch the first smallsat in a planned, high-resolution, hyperspectral imaging constellation. These smart smallsats will be placed in 30-degree inclined orbits for frequent revisit data capture over the Earth’s equatorial and mid-latitude regions.

Executives from the Australian companies announced the HyperSight 60 constellation agreement jointly at the 37th Space Symposium in Colorado Springs, Colorado, an annual meeting that brings together space leaders from around the world.

Under the agreement, Gilmour Space will develop the first 100-kilogram HyperSight 60 satellite on the company’s G-class satellite bus (G-Sat), which will be launched on Gilmour’s Eris rocket from the Bowen Orbital Spaceport in Queensland, Australia, which is ideally located to place satellites into equatorial and mid inclined orbits. The smallsats and subsequent constellation will be owned and operated by LC60.

The first HyperSight 60 smallsat is planned for launch in Q4 2024. Once the entire eight satellite constellation is operational, an hourly revisit rate will be possible at mid-latitude locations between 30 degrees north and south in Australia, Asia, South America, and Africa. This revisit, combined with the spectral bands collected in high- and medium-spatial resolution, will deliver timely information-rich insights for Agriculture, Forestry, Environmental, Mineral/Oil & Gas, Climate Change, Maritime, and Defence applications.

“HyperSight 60 will deliver geospatial insights for mid-latitude areas at a level of detail and frequency not possible with other commercial remote sensing systems,” said Venkat Pillay, LC60 CEO and Founder. “The addition of Gilmour Space to the LC60 team contributes significantly to the future success of our ambitious plans. For HyperSight 60 and other planned LC60 constellations, our unique approach to onboard AI sensors, combined with advanced data fusion on the ground, will fill gaps in the insights that can be gleaned from current remote sensing systems.”

“This agreement would be our second G-class satellite mission on Eris, and we’re excited to be working with the pioneering team at LC60 to bring this significant capability to market,” said Gilmour Space CEO, Adam Gilmour.

Pictured: Adam Gilmour(l) and Vankat Pilly (r) following the signing of the agreement between LatConnect 60 + Gilmour Space.

LatConnect 60 (LC60) is an Earth Observation (EO) company, established in 2019, that collects satellite imagery data and fuses it with other forms of data for vital insights. Insights are delivered as a service through customized platforms to empower government and commercial clients. LC60 provides Space-enabled solutions, consisting of software platforms, data analytics algorithms and systems to aggregate sensors and data both on-ground and in-orbit. Its business strategy is aligned with current and future space EO and IoT markets that are advancing at a rapid pace. LC60 has exclusive access to a high-resolution satellite and is developing its own tailored EO constellation with novel sensors related to hyperspectral and thermal infrared to meet growing market demands for greater insights in agriculture, defence and maritime strategic awareness. LC60 currently owns exclusive rights to 80-centimeter imagery captured over Australia, with global access from a high-resolution multispectral satellite. The Perth-based company has leveraged this imagery along with other geospatial data sets to develop advanced artificial intelligence and machine learning-based data fusion and analysis algorithms for a variety of applications. LC60 is now delivering insights to assist Southeast Asian palm and rubber plantations in improving productivity while enhancing environmental sustainability. LC60 is also focused on designing ‘smart’ satellites equipped with onboard AI-based computing technology. For the HyperSight 60 constellation, this will enable ‘tip-and-cue’ capabilities among satellites within the constellation and allow pre-processing of data, including radiometric and geometric correction, to occur on-orbit before the data is downlinked to the ground.

United Launch Alliance To Place 38 Amazon Project Kuiper Satellites Into LEO

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United Launch Alliance (ULA) has announced that Amazon has selected their next-generation Vulcan rocket for 38 launches to support the deployment for its ambitious Project Kuiper, Amazon’s initiative to increase global broadband access through a constellation of 3,236 advanced satellites in LEO. ULA will be responsible for the launch of the majority of these satellites.

The Vulcan missions will launch from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

Amazon’s goal for Project Kuiper is to make high-speed, low-latency broadband more affordable and accessible for unserved and underserved communities around the world. The initiative is designed to serve individual households, as well as schools, hospitals, businesses, government agencies, and other organizations operating in places without reliable broadband services.

Leveraging a legacy of 100 percent mission success launching over 145 missions to explore, protect and enhance our world, ULA is the nation’s most experienced and reliable launch service provider with world-leading reliability, schedule confidence, and mission optimization. The technologies we launch protect our country and troops in the battlefield, enable search and rescue, aid meteorologists in tracking severe weather, deliver cutting-edge commercial services, and expand our understanding of the Earth. We deliver value unmatched by any launch services company in the industry, a tireless drive to improve, and commitment to the extraordinary.

“We strongly believe in the mission of Project Kuiper. We are honored to be entrusted with the majority of Amazon’s launches with a total of 47 missions, including the nine Atlas launches already on contract,” said Tory Bruno, ULA’s president and CEO. “At ULA we are focused on serving our customers and partnering with them to provide unmatched flight capabilities and mission operations and assurance, to provide the lowest risk and best-value launch solution.”

“ULA has decades of experience and a proven track record across dozens of successful commercial and government missions, and we’re proud to have them on our team,” said Rajeev Badyal, Vice President of Technology for Project Kuiper at Amazon. “Our work together to enhance launch operations at Cape Canaveral stands to benefit the broader space industry and contribute to greater resilience in space operations.”

“Vulcan Centaur’s unique, single-core, heavy lift design, coupled with its industry-leading large payload fairing, makes it an excellent fit for Amazon’s deployment of the majority of its Project Kuiper constellation,” said Chris Ellerhorst, ULA director of Strategy, Business Development and Sales. “In addition to the launches, this partnership includes substantial investments made by both companies in high-rate production, launch vehicle improvements, and launch infrastructure, to support Amazon’s long-term launch needs, which is great for the U.S. aerospace industry and supply chain.”

Skycraft Names A New CEO To Lead Smallsat ATM Constellation Builds

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Skykraft has appointed Michael Frater as the company’s new CEO— Michael brings a wealth of experience in contracting, government and infrastructure to Skykraft’s leadership team, most recently through his work with UNSW’s Canberra City Campus and the Canberra Cyber Hub. 

Skykraft is currently focused on the development and deployment of a space-based Air Traffic Management (ATM) service, manufacturing the 200+ satellites that will make up the constellation in the firm’s new manufacturing facility in Canberra.

Michael Frater

Michael will play a crucial role in the implementation of the satellite constellation, overseeing a substantial ramp-up in Skykraft’s satellite manufacturing. Skykraft will complete five satellites by June 20, 2022, with a further 14 satellites produced before mid 2023. Manufacturing will then increase to build 210 satellites, providing global coverage in Skykraft’s first constellation. 

The first satellites will be launched later this year by SpaceX from Florida. This launch of a 300 kg. payload will be the largest ever Australian manufactured space payload, a proud achievement by Skykraft and an indication of the growing maturity of the Australian space industry.

Fortunately, Skykraft and Michael are already well-known to each other as Michael was previously a Skykraft board member. This strong relationship among the leadership team will keep Skykraft’s culture strong and enable the rapid build up in our capabilities. Michael has already been onboard for a couple of weeks with Skykraft and was on hand for the recent opening of the company’s manufacturing facility.

Company Co-Founder Joins Start-Up Reflex Space

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Christian Lindener

Christian Lindener, formerly responsible for Innovation and Company Building at Airbus, has left the company to become an entrepreneur and bring satellites to market in record time with Reflex Space.

Christian joined Reflex Aerospace as co-founder at the start of April. Reflex Aerospace is a Berlin and Munich-based, new space start-up that aims to transform the market with high-performance satellites tailored to individual requirements. Through software-based operations and service-oriented offers, the company meets the needs of its customers at a significantly lower cost and more flexibly than established manufacturers today. New methods, such as 3D printing, shorten the production time of satellites to less than a year.

At Reflex Aerospace, Lindener joins highly experienced fellow campaigners from the space industry. Co-founder and CEO, Walter Ballheimer, had previously founded German Orbital Systems and was CTO at Exolaunch. Further high-profile additions from the aerospace and defence industry will be announced in the coming weeks.

Together with partner companies Mynaric and Isar Aerospace, Reflex Aerospace also leads the UN:IO consortium, which is currently assessing the establishment of a constellation of 400 satellites for broadband internet on behalf of the European Commission.

“Whether communication, navigation or climate observation: space technologies shape our lives on Earth,” said Christian Lindener. “The potential of the global space market will triple to over one trillion dollars per year by 2040. If you want to be part of this, you need one thing above all: speed, speed, speed. By joining the Reflex Aerospace team, I’m at the very first address.”

CEO Walter Ballheimer said, “The classic space industry is centralized, national and bureaucratic. Next Space, on the other hand, is open, global and entrepreneurial. This is exactly where we build on Chris’ strengths: He is already a legend in the international start-up world. At Reflex Aerospace, he will expand our partner network and drive strategy and upcoming funding rounds.”

Christian Lindener is one of Europe’s most distinguished experts in growing innovative tech start-ups with private venture capital. Born in Brazil, he grew up in Mexico and studied in the US, Spain and Austria. He successfully established funding programs and brought to market more than 50 tech startups from Switzerland, Austria and Germany. As CEO of the venture capital firm Wayra Germany, he also prepared young tech companies for integration into Telefonica‘s corporate portfolio. He joined Airbus in 2019 and most recently led the internal Innovation Management and external Company Building of all Group Divisions as Head of Airbus Scale.

Kleos Space’s Third Cluster Satellite Launch By SpaceX Is Successful

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Kleos Space S.A., (ASX: KSS, Frankfurt: KS1) successfully launched their third satellite cluster, the Patrol Mission, on April 1, 2022, onboard the SpaceX Transporter-4 mission.

The D-Orbit Orbital Transfer Vehicle carrying the four Patrol Mission satellites has been successfully deployed into a 500 km. SSO after being launched from Cape Canaveral in Florida.

After the deployment of the Kleos satellites from the Orbital Transfer Vehicle, the satellite builder, Innovative Solutions In Space (ISISPACE), will assist with Launch and Early Operation Phase (LEOP) support, including on-orbit system commissioning and final maneuvering of the satellites into their operational formation.

The Patrol Mission satellites increase Kleos’ global data collection capacity by 119 million km² per day and incorporate additional frequency spectrum collection capabilities, enabling the geolocation of X-band radar transmissions in the 8500-9600 MHz range. X-Band maritime radar is commonly used for collision avoidance on board ships even when tracking systems, such as Automatic Identification System (AIS), are turned off.

The additional X-Band geolocation capability will provide greater consistency and accuracy for customers, enabling them to locate ships that are emitting X-band radar signals such as those that might be involved in illicit activities and evading AIS.

The successful launch and deployment will grow Kleos’ LEO constellation to 12 satellites and improve average daily revisits over key areas of interest for the customer base, e.g., over the area between 15 degrees latitude north and south of the equator, to around five times a day.

Artistic rendition of a Kleos Space Scouting Mission satellite on-orbit. Image is courtesy of the company.

While Kleos Space’s initial Scouting Mission satellites were focused on mid-latitude collections, including the South China Sea, the Vigilance and Patrol satellites increase the firm’s capabilities and provide global coverage.

Artistic rendition of the launch of the Kleos Space Vigilance Mission. Image is courtesy of the company.

Additional clusters increase the volume of geolocation data available for our customers to purchase as well as its value in establishing baseline patterns of life and improving the detection of illegal activity, such as drug and people smuggling, border security challenges and piracy.

The Kleos Space Patrol Mission launch aboard the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket Transporter-4 mission. Images courtesy of Kleos Space and SpaceX.

The company’s next launch is being arranged for mid-2022 and is the Observer Mission (KSF3).

Kleos CTO, Vincent Furia, said, “Each of our new clusters feature greater data collection and geolocation capability. In a little over a year, we have launched three satellite clusters with our fourth coming middle of this year. The pace at which we are building our constellation is a testament to the quality of our team and supplier partnerships. Kleos’ accessible and cost-effective GEOINT dataset complements and integrates with existing commercial data, providing our customers with a more complete view of what’s happening on the ground.”