Archives for May 2022

Xona Space Systems, the aerospace startup developing a precision navigation and timing (PNT) system in LEO, has announced that their first in-space demonstrator has been delivered to Spaceflight Inc. for final integration after successfully completing testing and is scheduled for launch on SpaceX’s Transporter 5 in May.

Xona is building the first ever, independent, high-performance satellite navigation and timing system designed to meet the needs of intelligent systems.

Historically, satellite navigation systems such as GPS and Galileo have been exclusively in the domain of major governments, with a price tag into the 10s of billions of dollars. The new space era has brought phenomenal new capabilities to market at orders of magnitude lower cost that has led to a wave of new commercial capabilities sprouting in satellite communications (SATCOM) and Earth Observation (EO). Xona is leveraging the new-space ecosystem to bring the benefits of the commercial space age to a different industry: satellite navigation and timing.

Xona Space is launching Huginn, the first of two missions, demonstrating the capability of their Pulsar constellation. Pulsar’s architecture uses small, but powerful, satellites in LEO, more than 20x closer to Earth than GPS, to deliver high-performance navigation and timing services. Pulsar combines modern security and signal designs with Xona’s patent-pending, distributed, atomic clock architecture to enable robust precision navigation services to be provided from low-cost satellites.

Huginn will transmit the first precision navigation signals from a LEO spacecraft, designed to test and validate the core software and hardware technology that Xona has developed for Pulsar. The mission will also demonstrate the functionality of the end user equipment on Earth and supporting ground systems. Huginn is now going through final integration with Spaceflight in preparation for launch on the scheduled Transporter 5 mission in May. This mission marks a huge step toward realizing a new generation of navigation systems.

Following the Launch of Huginn, the Xona team is shifting its focus to the second demonstration mission as well as the development of the Block I Pulsar system. The final Pulsar constellation will consist of several hundred satellites in LEO, delivering secure and robust precision PNT services designed to meet the needs of advanced applications such as self-driving cars, precision agriculture and construction, augmented reality, critical infrastructure, and many others.

“We’re thrilled that Huginn has successfully completed its very rigorous test campaign in preparation for launch and are incredibly proud of the Xona team for achieving such a critical milestone,” said Brian Manning, CEO of Xona. “Through this process we learned a massive amount and will be incorporating these lessons into our second demo mission as well as the production satellites. It is inspiring to see what this team has been able to achieve going from a blank slate to orbit in less than a year from the time we completed our ground based prototype testing. This is a huge step in the development and deployment of our Pulsar constellation, and we’re looking forward to a very exciting year here at Xona.”

Terran Orbital Corporation (NYSE: LLAP) has shipped their CAPSTONE satellite to a launch site on the Mahia Peninsula of New Zealand. CAPSTONE will launch on a Rocket Lab Electron rocket using a Lunar Photon satellite upper stage to send the spacecraft on its planned lunar transfer trajectory.

This historic pathfinding mission supports NASA’s Artemis program that includes landing the first woman and first person of color on the Moon.

Tyvak Nano-Satellite Systems, a Terran Orbital Corporation, built the spacecraft for the Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System Technology Operations and Navigation Experiment, otherwise known as CAPSTONE. The 12U cubesat includes a radio tower on top that extends its size from a traditional 12U form factor.

CAPSTONE will not go directly to the Moon but instead, follow a “ballistic lunar transfer” that will take it out as far as 1.5 million kilometers before returning into lunar orbit. That transfer, which will take about four months to complete, is designed to save propellant, making the mission feasible for such a small spacecraft. The CAPSTONE payload and its software are owned and operated by Advanced Space for NASA.

“Terran Orbital is thrilled to have designed, built, and now shipped the CAPSTONE spacecraft,” said Terran Orbital Co-Founder, Chairman, and Chief Executive Officer, Marc Bell. “The technological and social implications of the Artemis program are groundbreaking. We are delighted to contribute the spacecraft to such a monumental mission and look forward to continuing our partnerships with NASA, Rocket Lab, and Advanced Space.”

“The CAPSTONE mission is a truly monumental moment for small spacecraft exploration,” said Rocket Lab Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Peter Beck. “Only a short number of years ago, it wouldn’t have been feasible to conduct a dedicated launch for a cubesat to lunar orbit. Thanks to the Electron launch vehicle and Photon spacecraft, we’re bringing the Moon within reach for smallsats. We could not be more excited to partner with the teams at Advanced Space, Terran Orbital, and NASA to make this historic mission possible and pave the way for the Artemis program.”

“Getting to this point has been an exhilarating 2.5 years,” said Advanced Space Chief Executive Officer, Bradley Cheetham. “We are proud of what this combined industry and government team has accomplished. Through this process, we have already learned a tremendous amount. As we get closer to launch, we are reminded that CAPSTONE is just the beginning of laying the groundwork for the sustainable exploration and development of the Moon.”

“CAPSTONE is a great example of how NASA and industry working together makes ambitious exploration possible,” said NASA Space Technology Mission Directorate Associate Administrator, Jim Reuter. “It’s incredibly exciting to see this trailblazing small satellite start its journey to the Moon.”

Terran Orbital is a leading manufacturer of small satellites primarily serving the United States aerospace and defense industry. Terran Orbital provides end-to-end satellite solutions by combining satellite design, production, launch planning, mission operations, and in-orbit support to meet the needs of the most demanding military, civil, and commercial customers. In addition, Terran Orbital is developing one of the world’s largest, most advanced NextGen Earth Observation constellations to provide persistent, real-time earth imagery. Learn more at www.terranorbital.com

Terran Orbital Corporation (NYSE: LLAP) has shipped two, next-generation satellites from GeoOptics — Terran shipped the vehicles to Cape Canaveral for launch on SpaceX’s Transporter-5 mission.

The spacecraft are the first phase of GeoOptics’s CICERO-2 constellation, which will form a unified Earth observatory that will enable governments, industry and individual stakeholders to monitor and prepare for the many impacts of climate change.

GeoOptics’s first generation satellites were designed and developed by Tyvak Nano-Satellite Systems, a Terran Orbital Corporation. These new satellites have been fully developed by Terran Orbital’s international arm, Tyvak International. The spacecrafts are 6U XXL and based on the Phoenix Avionics, entirely designed and developed in Italy. GeoOptics’s payload is a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) Radio Occultation (RO) system, which is a miniaturized version of the NASA/JPL developed “TriG” payload, named Cion.

“Terran Orbital is delighted to provide the satellites enabling GeoOptics to observe the Earth’s atmosphere, surface, and subsurface,” said Terran Orbital Co-Founder, Chairman, and Chief Executive Officer, Marc Bell. “There is an increasingly urgent need for actionable information about the state of our planet and the impacts of human activity on our climate. Terran Orbital looks forward to working with GeoOptics to continue providing this data.”

“The CICERO-2 satellites will provide new accurate, sustainable Earth monitoring on a significantly faster cadence so that governments, companies, and individuals can prepare for the impact of climate change,” said GeoOptics Chief Executive Officer, Alex Saltman. “Our expanded partnership with Terran Orbital is critical in delivering these advanced capabilities to customers across the globe.”

Terran Orbital is a leading manufacturer of small satellites primarily serving the United States aerospace and defense industry. Terran Orbital provides end-to-end satellite solutions by combining satellite design, production, launch planning, mission operations, and in-orbit support to meet the needs of the most demanding military, civil, and commercial customers. In addition, Terran Orbital is developing one of the world’s largest, most advanced NextGen Earth Observation constellations to provide persistent, real-time earth imagery.

Officina Stellare S.p.A. (the “Company”), with headquarters in Sarcedo (Vicenza), listed on Euronext Growth Milan (“EGM”) of the Italian Stock Exchange, has signed an investment agreement with shareholders Virgilio Holding S.p.A., Astro Alliance S.r.l., MIRAK Enterprise S.r.l. and Gino Bucciol (the “Major Shareholders”), owners of a stake in the share capital of the Company consisting of 4,677,690 shares and equal to 82.44% of its capital, and Nettar Group Inc. (“Nettar” and, jointly with the Company and the Major Shareholders, the “Parties”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Satellogic Inc. (“Satellogic”) (NASDAQ: SATL), a geospatial company and a leader in sub-meter resolution, Earth Observation (EO) data collection (the “Investment Agreement”).

Gino Bucciol, Co-founder and Director of Business Development at Officina Stellare, said, “Officina Stellare and Satellogic have always had in their genetic code the innovative and disruptive approach imposed by the new challenges of the New Space Economy. Although operating in different domains, both companies have tried to seize the opportunities generated by the democratization of space. Therefore, there are the best conditions for this collaboration to be a starting point for new successful projects. The solid collaboration with a leading international group such as Satellogic will amplify the positive returns for the business, and it will attest Officina Stellare’s uniqueness as a primary Space Factory, appreciated worldwide for its in-house skillset and capabilities in the aerospace sector; a production facility where technology and versatility are at the highest levels. We are convinced that the synergies that will arise from this partnership will have positive impacts on the business of both companies, and will ensure a greater market penetration in those areas not yet conquered by our Group.”

Emiliano Kargieman, Co-founder and CEO of Satellogic Inc., said, “We are happy to support Officina Stellare in its growth trajectory with this investment that will strengthen our ongoing collaboration. They are a valued supplier and this agreement solidifies our shared commitment to continue to develop and improve Earth Observation technology through the use of advanced optical systems.”

For the in-depth details of this transaction, please email the company’s Investor Relations division at investor.relations@officinastellare.com.

“The GHGSat microsatellites are able to detect and measure methane emissions from sources on the Earth’s surface that are 100 times smaller than those identified by other satellites.”

Space Flight Laboratory (SFL) and GHGSat Inc. announced the successful completion of laboratory testing on the GHGSat-C3, C4, and C5 microsatellites at SFL’s facility in Toronto. Canadian based company GHGSat is expanding its constellation of methane monitoring satellites, expected to launch in spring/summer 2022.

“SFL is proud to play a role in the important work GHGSat is doing to provide greenhouse gas monitoring as a commercial service,” said SFL Director Dr. Robert E. Zee. “The GHGSat microsatellites are able to detect and measure methane emissions from sources on the Earth’s surface that are 100 times smaller than those identified by other satellites.”

The three new GHGSat commercial high-resolution satellites will join the company’s current constellation already in orbit — GHGSat-D (Claire), GHGSat-C1 (Iris) and GHGSat-C2 (Hugo) —  also built by SFL. Each microsatellite includes attitude control technology developed by SFL that enables the low-inertia platforms to point their onboard sensors precisely at emissions sources. All the GHGSat high-resolution satellites that have been, or are being, developed by SFL are built on the SFL 15-kilogram Next-generation Earth Monitoring and Observation (NEMO) microsatellite platform.

“We see emissions today. With a growing satellite constellation, GHGSat will be able to monitor even more methane emission sources around the world, offering more data and statistics on growing climate changes and trends. We have the data to make a difference,” says Stephane Germain, GHGSat CEO.

Testing of the GHGSat-C3, C4, and C5 satellites — named Luca, Penny, and Diako — began earlier this year following delivery of the methane-detecting sensors from ABB Measurement & Analytics Canada. SFL integrated the sensors into the NEMO buses and initiated a series of tests for each spacecraft and its subsystems, which included Long Form Functional Test, Electromagnetic Compatibility, Vibration, and Thermal Vacuum.

SFL also performed successful vibration testing of the XALT launch adapter which will mount the three microsatellites and their accompanying XPOD Delta deployer to a single 15-inch port on the launch vehicle. The XALT adapter and XPOD deployer are systems designed and developed by SFL to ensure the satellites separate safely from the launch vehicle.

“Throughout the testing, GHGSat-C3, C4, and C5 have met their design goals and are performing well above their baselines in all aspects,” said Dr. Benoit Larouche, SFL Mission Manager. “The satellites have been shipped to the launch site.”

SFL is a unique microspace provider that offers a complete suite of nano-, micro- and small satellites – including high-performance, low-cost cubesats which satisfy the needs of a broad range of mission types from 3 to 500 kilograms. Dating from 1998, SFL’s heritage includes 55 operational successes and 37 currently under construction or awaiting launch. These missions relate to Earth observation, atmospheric monitoring, ship tracking, communication, radio frequency (RF) geolocation, technology demonstration, space astronomy, solar physics, space plasma, and other scientific research.

In its 24-year history, SFL has developed cubesats, nanosatellites, and microsatellites that have achieved more than 186 cumulative years of operation in orbit. These microspace missions have included SFL’s trusted attitude control and, in some cases, formation-flying capabilities. Other core SFL-developed components include modular (scalable) power systems, onboard radios, flight computers, and control software.

As the UK’s manufacturing industry rapidly evolves – partly to meet the demand generated by the increase in space and aerospace activity – opportunities to localize supply chains and develop vital infrastructure have never been so abundant.

Manufacturers across the UK are racing to capitalize on the opportunities, but there’s one standout location: Cornwall. With its strong manufacturing scene and historic ties to the industry, Cornwall’s Space Cluster (Cornwall Aerospace) is making big waves, by pushing the boundaries of engineering, technology and manufacturing.

One such company is advanced composite specialists Piran Composites, who have recently opened a new site at the Aerohub (Cornwall’s Enterprise Zone) next to Cornwall Airport Newquay. This expansion, which takes full advantage of the increased space activity in the area, has more than one benefit. Not only does it enable Piran Composites to increase their aerospace operations and it brings a huge investment into the infrastructure of the industry.

As one of two key suppliers of ultra-lightweight carbon fiber structures, Piran Composites has already created 30 new jobs in the last 12 months. Having manufactured key aerostructure sections of the PHASA-35 (an unmanned, solar powered pseudo-satellite) in Cornwall, they’ve started production on the complete aerostructure for the next stage in PHASA-35’s development. Although this low-cost, highly innovative, future tech (designed in partnership with BAE Systems) is not yet manufacturable in high volumes, the market for this sector is rapidly growing, bringing more opportunities to UK manufacturers.

Advanced composites aren’t the only products progressing the development of the country’s aerospace industry. There is a breadth of Cornwall based businesses, producing products and services which are positively contributing to the localization of the space supply chain within the UK.

• Exobotics: As a start-up company with offices in Cambridge and Cornwall, Exobotics use the latest advancements in robotics, materials, structures and AI to enable low-cost space flight for missions to the moon – and beyond. With their diverse and experienced team of experts in mechatronics, materials, software and machine learning, they develop and manufacture scalable and modular software and hardware that is tuned for the operational challenges of extra-orbital environments. Exobotics has created the world’s first low-cost, portable thermal vacuum (TVAC) testing system which is revolutionizing access to space by reducing the complexity and costs of space operations.

• Flann Microwave: Now that smallsats, cubesats and nanosatellites form the majority of payloads launching into space, it’s time to bridge the gap between the rapid development of this tech and the underdevelopment of current testing facilities. Flann can combat the resulting issues (higher costs and longer lead times) by localizing the supply chain – manufacturing satellite components and launching them from the UK. For more than 60 years, Flann’s specialist engineering team has been serving companies such as NASA and the Met Office, with solutions to waveguide problems for the space, telecoms, automotive, health and education sectors. Demand for high-speed data services, from individuals and businesses alike, is driving a revolution in satellite technology. Traditional large satellites weighing several tonnes and orbiting 22,236 miles above the equator are making way for nanosatellites and cubesats, which can be as small as 10cm cubed and weigh as little as 1.4 kg. They’re small enough to be launched as additional payloads on large missions or in clusters of up to 100 at a time, as well as from a single rocket and even the new class of vertical and horizontal space launch systems being developed in Cornwall and Scotland. This makes them very cost effective and more than 350 of these satellites were launched in 2018. In order to maximize the greater data capacity (bandwidth) offered by these systems, they require much higher frequency microwave switches to transmit data to ground antennas: a W-band switch, which has not yet been developed for aerospace use. However, in 1980 Flann first designed and manufactured a W-band switch for ground use, making them well placed to create a new smaller, lighter switch to enable faster and more accurate communication with satellites.

This new era of space exploration, with its focus on making space more accessible and launches more sustainable, has given rise to the frequent use of small satellites, reusable rockets and commercial subsystems. It’s great to see Cornwall based businesses spearheading the research, development and production of this innovative tech within the UK.

To find out more about space manufacturing in Cornwall, contact james@aerospacecornwall.co.uk

As the UK’s manufacturing industry rapidly evolves – partly to meet the demand generated by the increase in space and aerospace activity – opportunities to localize supply chains and develop vital infrastructure have never been so abundant.

Manufacturers across the UK are racing to capitalize on the opportunities, but there’s one standout location: Cornwall. With its strong manufacturing scene and historic ties to the industry, Cornwall’s Space Cluster (Cornwall Aerospace) is making big waves, by pushing the boundaries of engineering, technology and manufacturing.

One such company is advanced composite specialists Piran Composites, who have recently opened a new site at the Aerohub (Cornwall’s Enterprise Zone) next to Cornwall Airport Newquay. This expansion, which takes full advantage of the increased space activity in the area, has more than one benefit. Not only does it enable Piran Composites to increase their aerospace operations and it brings a huge investment into the infrastructure of the industry.

As one of two key suppliers of ultra-lightweight carbon fiber structures, Piran Composites has already created 30 new jobs in the last 12 months. Having manufactured key aerostructure sections of the PHASA-35 (an unmanned, solar powered pseudo-satellite) in Cornwall, they’ve started production on the complete aerostructure for the next stage in PHASA-35’s development. Although this low-cost, highly innovative, future tech (designed in partnership with BAE Systems) is not yet manufacturable in high volumes, the market for this sector is rapidly growing, bringing more opportunities to UK manufacturers.

Advanced composites aren’t the only products progressing the development of the country’s aerospace industry. There is a breadth of Cornwall based businesses, producing products and services which are positively contributing to the localization of the space supply chain within the UK.

• Exobotics: As a start-up company with offices in Cambridge and Cornwall, Exobotics use the latest advancements in robotics, materials, structures and AI to enable low-cost space flight for missions to the moon – and beyond. With their diverse and experienced team of experts in mechatronics, materials, software and machine learning, they develop and manufacture scalable and modular software and hardware that is tuned for the operational challenges of extra-orbital environments. Exobotics has created the world’s first low-cost, portable thermal vacuum (TVAC) testing system which is revolutionizing access to space by reducing the complexity and costs of space operations.

• Flann Microwave: Now that smallsats, cubesats and nanosatellites form the majority of payloads launching into space, it’s time to bridge the gap between the rapid development of this tech and the underdevelopment of current testing facilities. Flann can combat the resulting issues (higher costs and longer lead times) by localizing the supply chain – manufacturing satellite components and launching them from the UK. For more than 60 years, Flann’s specialist engineering team has been serving companies such as NASA and the Met Office, with solutions to waveguide problems for the space, telecoms, automotive, health and education sectors. Demand for high-speed data services, from individuals and businesses alike, is driving a revolution in satellite technology. Traditional large satellites weighing several tonnes and orbiting 22,236 miles above the equator are making way for nanosatellites and cubesats, which can be as small as 10cm cubed and weigh as little as 1.4 kg. They’re small enough to be launched as additional payloads on large missions or in clusters of up to 100 at a time, as well as from a single rocket and even the new class of vertical and horizontal space launch systems being developed in Cornwall and Scotland. This makes them very cost effective and more than 350 of these satellites were launched in 2018. In order to maximize the greater data capacity (bandwidth) offered by these systems, they require much higher frequency microwave switches to transmit data to ground antennas: a W-band switch, which has not yet been developed for aerospace use. However, in 1980 Flann first designed and manufactured a W-band switch for ground use, making them well placed to create a new smaller, lighter switch to enable faster and more accurate communication with satellites.

This new era of space exploration, with its focus on making space more accessible and launches more sustainable, has given rise to the frequent use of small satellites, reusable rockets and commercial subsystems. It’s great to see Cornwall based businesses spearheading the research, development and production of this innovative tech within the UK.

To find out more about space manufacturing in Cornwall, contact james@aerospacecornwall.co.uk

As the UK’s manufacturing industry rapidly evolves – partly to meet the demand generated by the increase in space and aerospace activity – opportunities to localize supply chains and develop vital infrastructure have never been so abundant.

Manufacturers across the UK are racing to capitalize on the opportunities, but there’s one standout location: Cornwall. With its strong manufacturing scene and historic ties to the industry, Cornwall’s Space Cluster (Cornwall Aerospace) is making big waves, by pushing the boundaries of engineering, technology and manufacturing.

One such company is advanced composite specialists Piran Composites, who have recently opened a new site at the Aerohub (Cornwall’s Enterprise Zone) next to Cornwall Airport Newquay. This expansion, which takes full advantage of the increased space activity in the area, has more than one benefit. Not only does it enable Piran Composites to increase their aerospace operations and it brings a huge investment into the infrastructure of the industry.

As one of two key suppliers of ultra-lightweight carbon fiber structures, Piran Composites has already created 30 new jobs in the last 12 months. Having manufactured key aerostructure sections of the PHASA-35 (an unmanned, solar powered pseudo-satellite) in Cornwall, they’ve started production on the complete aerostructure for the next stage in PHASA-35’s development. Although this low-cost, highly innovative, future tech (designed in partnership with BAE Systems) is not yet manufacturable in high volumes, the market for this sector is rapidly growing, bringing more opportunities to UK manufacturers.

Advanced composites aren’t the only products progressing the development of the country’s aerospace industry. There is a breadth of Cornwall based businesses, producing products and services which are positively contributing to the localization of the space supply chain within the UK.

• Exobotics: As a start-up company with offices in Cambridge and Cornwall, Exobotics use the latest advancements in robotics, materials, structures and AI to enable low-cost space flight for missions to the moon – and beyond. With their diverse and experienced team of experts in mechatronics, materials, software and machine learning, they develop and manufacture scalable and modular software and hardware that is tuned for the operational challenges of extra-orbital environments. Exobotics has created the world’s first low-cost, portable thermal vacuum (TVAC) testing system which is revolutionizing access to space by reducing the complexity and costs of space operations.

• Flann Microwave: Now that smallsats, cubesats and nanosatellites form the majority of payloads launching into space, it’s time to bridge the gap between the rapid development of this tech and the underdevelopment of current testing facilities. Flann can combat the resulting issues (higher costs and longer lead times) by localizing the supply chain – manufacturing satellite components and launching them from the UK. For more than 60 years, Flann’s specialist engineering team has been serving companies such as NASA and the Met Office, with solutions to waveguide problems for the space, telecoms, automotive, health and education sectors. Demand for high-speed data services, from individuals and businesses alike, is driving a revolution in satellite technology. Traditional large satellites weighing several tonnes and orbiting 22,236 miles above the equator are making way for nanosatellites and cubesats, which can be as small as 10cm cubed and weigh as little as 1.4 kg. They’re small enough to be launched as additional payloads on large missions or in clusters of up to 100 at a time, as well as from a single rocket and even the new class of vertical and horizontal space launch systems being developed in Cornwall and Scotland. This makes them very cost effective and more than 350 of these satellites were launched in 2018. In order to maximize the greater data capacity (bandwidth) offered by these systems, they require much higher frequency microwave switches to transmit data to ground antennas: a W-band switch, which has not yet been developed for aerospace use. However, in 1980 Flann first designed and manufactured a W-band switch for ground use, making them well placed to create a new smaller, lighter switch to enable faster and more accurate communication with satellites.

This new era of space exploration, with its focus on making space more accessible and launches more sustainable, has given rise to the frequent use of small satellites, reusable rockets and commercial subsystems. It’s great to see Cornwall based businesses spearheading the research, development and production of this innovative tech within the UK.

To find out more about space manufacturing in Cornwall, contact james@aerospacecornwall.co.uk