Scottish PocketQube satellite manufacturer, Alba Orbital, has signed a rideshare agreement with Rocket Lab in which Rocket Lab will launch Alba Orbital’s cluster of small satellites designed to demonstrate innovative radio and night-time Earth observation technologies.

The four pico-satellites in Alba Orbital’s cluster will fly as part of a rideshare mission on Rocket Lab’s Electron launch vehicle, lifting-off from Launch Complex 1 on New Zealand’s Mahia Peninsula in Q2, 2022. The cluster includes Alba Orbital’s own Unicorn-2 PocketQube satellites, as well as the TRSI-2, TRSI-3, and MyRadar-1 satellites for Alba Orbital’s customers. Each small satellite 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. Night-time satellite imagery, otherwise known as ‘Night Lights’ data, provides crucial insights into human activities. This data enables a host of applications such as tracking urbanization and socioeconomic dynamics, evaluating armed conflicts and disasters, investigating fisheries, assessing greenhouse gas emissions and energy use, and analyzing light pollution and health effects.

All four PocketQubes will be deployed to a 500 km circular orbit by Electron’s Kick Stage, a nimble spacecraft that provides in-space propulsion and maneuvering capability to ensure each satellite is deployed to a precise and unique orbit defined by the customer.   

“We’re delighted to be Alba Orbital’s mission partner once again,” said Rocket Lab Founder and Chief Executive, Peter Beck. “The Alba Orbital team have proven that incredibly small satellites can be highly capable and deliver tangible insights and services back down to Earth at a fraction of traditional satellite costs. Making it faster, easier and more affordable to access space is a mission we share, so we’re excited to make it possible with Electron.”  

“It’s a pleasure to be working with Rocket Lab again on this exciting mission,” said Tom Walkinshaw, CEO and Founder of Alba Orbital. “We successfully flew six satellites on board Rocket Lab’s ‘Running out of fingers’ flight, and we are thrilled to launch the first of our imaging constellation dedicated to imaging the Earth at night on board the Electron rocket. From day one, Alba Orbital’s mission has always been to democratize access to space, and Rocket Lab has demonstrated that they are whole-heartedly committed to the same vision.”

The Alba cluster joins this mission alongside AuroraSat-1 from Aurora Propulsion Technologies, a Finnish company dedicated to the sustainable use of space. The mission is one of many scheduled to lift off on Electron from Launch Complex 1 this year, including three back-to-back dedicated launches for BlackSky Global, and the CAPSTONE mission to the Moon in support of NASA’s Artemis program.   

Virgin Orbit (Nasdaq: VORB) and European in-space manufacturing tech start-up Space Forge have signed an agreement to launch the first satellite developed in Wales in the summer of 2022.

In a historic moment for UK space, the satellite will be launched as part of a broader joint UK-US mission to open the country’s first domestic space port in summer 2022 out of Spaceport Cornwall in Newquay, Cornwall.

With shared values of democratizing space and pioneering responsive and responsible launch technologies, the synergy between Virgin Orbit and Cardiff-based Space Forge’s ethos makes this the ideal marriage for initial launch from the UK. This, coupled with Spaceport Cornwall’s ambitions to become a world leader in responsible launch will offer a real-world example of a global shift in environmental space practice – from sustainable on the ground operations, to horizontal, lower impact, launch technologies, to on-orbit services minimizing the environmental impacts of manufacturing.

Space Forge recently announced that, along with partners, it is developing a world-first service incorporating both launch and return of a new small class of vehicle – the ForgeStar – that can be deployed from conventional launchers to provide rapid, reliable and reusable in-space infrastructure. This inaugural mission will see Space Forge’s ForgeStar-0 platform launched for the first time and will test future return from space technology.

Aiming to unlock the next steps on the path to market expansion, dedicated in-space manufacturing, coupled with proof of reliable return, will allow Space Forge to leverage the benefits of the space environment, namely: microgravity, vacuum, and temperature, to create products impossible to manufacture on Earth. Their focus is on producing materials and products which offer game-changing levels of performance and efficiency in power hungry infrastructure and systems – reducing the environmental impact of production on earth to unlock new value and innovation. Research suggests that manufacturing certain materials in space could reduce CO2 emissions by 75% – the equivalent to removing all petrol cars from the UK.

“We at Virgin Orbit are delighted to have been chosen to move Space Forge forward in their space journey as we look forward to our inaugural Cornwall launch. Space Forge is joining the growing community of space innovators advancing space technologies for the betterment of our world,” said Virgin Orbit CEO, Dan Hart. “Their commitment to sustainability builds a foundation for future growth in the industry that we at Virgin Orbit are proud to be part of.”

Joshua Western, CEO, Space Forge, said, “We’re thrilled to be making UK history with our first launch. We will demonstrate the use of space for good through in-space manufacturing and reliable return and it’s brilliant that both Virgin Orbit and Spaceport Cornwall share our ambitions. This is the start of a great collaboration and we are so excited to see where it goes.”

Melissa Thorpe, Head of Spaceport Cornwall, said, “Launch from Cornwall is the chance to set the bar for the global space industry. Leading with companies like Space Forge, who are innovating in the responsible use of space, is key to this next iteration of space exploration. It’s amazing to see our partners Virgin Orbit select customers who share our ambitions in this area and we can’t wait to show the world how this can be done.”

Dr. Paul Bate, CEO of the UK Space Agency, said, “The UK is set to become the first nation in Europe to offer small satellite launch, as we become one of the most attractive space economies in the world. Space Forge is an innovative, fast-growing company and their agreement with Virgin Orbit demonstrates how all regions of the UK are playing a key role in our ambition to create a thriving small satellite launch market. In-space manufacturing harnesses the benefits of the space environment to create materials far superior to those we can produce on Earth, which can be used to speed up electric car charging or improve the lifetime of aircraft engines. This is a huge moment for Space Forge to be part of the first satellite launch from the UK and I wish them all the best, along with Spaceport Cornwall and Virgin Orbit.”

Space Forge Ltd is a UK start-up on a mission to lead the clean industrial revolution by harnessing space. The company is developing fully returnable satellites that are designed for manufacturing next generation super materials in-space. In creating a reliable return, Space Forge will advance the expansion of the microgravity market for premium research and development applications by lowering the barriers to entry. The company is focused on R&D initiatives where dedicated return from the space environment can add a significant benefit, or overcome obstacles found terrestrially, to unlock new value and innovation

ACME AtronOmatic, LLC. has secured an FCC license for the upcoming launch of the firm’s first batch of prototype satellites out of New Zealand on a Rocket Lab Electron rocket — the launches are expected to start in April.

The prototype launch will validate some of the company’s key hardware components for its upcoming HORIS (Hyperspectral Orbital Remote Imaging Spectrometer) commercial constellation expected later this year. The license is part of a streamlined, experimental license program available from the FCC geared towards expediting and simplifying the application process in order to nurture domestic innovation.

The lessons learned from the prototypes will be incorporated into the company’s upcoming commercial constellation, otherwise known as HORIS. The constellation, when deployed, will provide AI and machine learning-enhanced data fusion products to the company’s federal, military and commercial customers. The satellites will also enable the company to integrate new and unique services into the company’s popular MyRadar weather app that’s in use by tens of millions of consumers today.

“We’re excited,” said Andy Green, CEO of ACME. “The team has been hard at work for over a year, and we’re looking forward to validating our efforts in April. The new FCC streamlined process has definitely helped us accelerate our plans.”

MyRadar is a free weather and environmental information app for iOS, Android, Windows and Xbox. First launched on the app store in 2008, the app has been downloaded over 50 million times, and has over 13 million monthly active users. MyRadar has been keeping the world informed of severe weather, tropical storms, earthquakes, wildfires and more for over 13 years. ACME AtronOmatic, LLC, the makers of MyRadar, has development offices in Portland, Oregon, Boulder, Colorado, and in Orlando, Florida. The app is available on the iOS App Store, Google Play, and the Windows Store. MyRadar is available online at youtube.com/myradar, twitter.com/myradarwx, facebook.com/myradar, and instagram.com/myradar

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).