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You are here: Home / 2023 / Archives for February 2023

Archives for February 2023

Kleos Space Vigilance Mission enters operational phase with monthly service delivery milestone achieved

February 21, 2023 by editorial

Kleos Space S.A. (ASX: KSS, Frankfurt: KS1) has confirmed that their Vigilance Mission (KSF1) satellites have entered into operations, following achievement of reliably delivering data products against a monthly service level to Government and Commercial customers.

Photo of a Kleos Space Vigilance Mission smallsat, courtesy of the company.

Bringing Vigilance mission into its operational phase is the key catalyst for commencing deferred revenue recognition this quarter, revenue growth and cash receipts.

Commenting on this milestone, Alan Khalili, the company’s CEO, said, “Reaching this critical milestone moves the Company into production mode, confirming the Vigilance mission satellites are now in commercial operation, delivering consistent and reliable data from a specific area of interest which is being processed through our proprietary signal processing platform and being sold to our early adopter customers as intelligence products. We now look forward to expanding our product offering through bringing additional already launched satellites online, including the Patrol Mission (KSF2) expected to commence data delivery in the coming months.”

Filed Under: News

Kleos Space Vigilance Mission enters operational phase with monthly service delivery milestone achieved

February 20, 2023 by editorial

Kleos Space S.A. (ASX: KSS, Frankfurt: KS1) has confirmed that their Vigilance Mission (KSF1) satellites have entered into operations, following achievement of reliably delivering data products against a monthly service level to Government and Commercial customers.

Photo of a Kleos Space Vigilance Mission smallsat, courtesy of the company.

Bringing Vigilance mission into its operational phase is the key catalyst for commencing deferred revenue recognition this quarter, revenue growth and cash receipts.

Commenting on this milestone, Alan Khalili, the company’s CEO, said, “Reaching this critical milestone moves the Company into production mode, confirming the Vigilance mission satellites are now in commercial operation, delivering consistent and reliable data from a specific area of interest which is being processed through our proprietary signal processing platform and being sold to our early adopter customers as intelligence products. We now look forward to expanding our product offering through bringing additional already launched satellites online, including the Patrol Mission (KSF2) expected to commence data delivery in the coming months.”

Filed Under: News

The Amazon Kuiper NGSO constellation application is approved by the FCC

February 19, 2023 by editorial

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has granted, subject to conditions, the application of Kuiper Systems LLC (Kuiper) for modification of its license for a non-geostationary orbit (NGSO) satellite constellation providing fixed-satellite service (FSS) and Mobile Satellite Service (MSS) using Ka-band radio frequencies.

Specifically, the FCC grants Kuiper’s request for approval of its updated orbital debris mitigation plan, thereby satisfying a condition of the agency’s action in 2020 conditionally granting Kuiper’s request to deploy and operate their NGSO system.

This action will allow Kuiper to start deployment of its constellation in order to bring high-speed broadband connectivity to customers around the world. In granting the Amazon Kuiper Systems modification, the FCC considered the issues raised by interested parties in the record.

These issues include, but are not limited to, collision risk, post-mission disposal reliability, completion of satellite design, and orbital separation.

To address these and other issues, the agency requires Kuiper to comply with a series of conditions — to learn more, access the downloaded FCC Order and Authorization document at this direct link.

Filed Under: Featured, News

Antaris™ JANUS-1 smallsat is successfully launched by the ISRO’s SSLV-D2 rocket

February 18, 2023 by editorial

The Antaris JANUS-1 smallsat has successfully reached orbit — JANUS-1 rode on the Indian Space Research Organization’s (ISRO) SSLV-D2 rocket, which was launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre of India under a commercial arrangement with New Space India Limited (NSIL). The satellite features five payloads from a range of global providers and those will be commissioned and begin nominal operations during the coming days.

Additional tech demonstration satellites from Antaris and manufacturing partners Ananth Technologies and XDLINX Labs are planned for 2023, including 6U, 12U and 27U satellite reference architectures.

JANUS-1 is a 6U satellite featuring payload and subsystem technologies from AICRAFT, Morpheus Space, Netra, SayariLabs Kenya, SpeQtral, Transcelestial and Zero-Error Systems (ZES) that will perform Internet of Things (IoT) communications, advanced experimental laser communications, radio communications and machine learning (ML) during orbit.

Antaris SatOS software manages core bus responsibilities while orchestrating multi-tenant payloads and onboard computing — in addition to showcasing secure TT&C (Telemetry, Tracking and Command) protocols with Amazon Web Services (AWS) and ATLAS Space Operations, who are providing ground communications services.

The project was completed in just 10 months from concept to launch readiness with a cost savings of 75% over comparable satellite missions. Based on data captured during the build, Antaris anticipates that future spacecraft missions can be ready for launch in as few as six months.

While the launch marks the start of JANUS-1’s on-orbit mission, the satellite has been ‘in flight’ for months via the company’s unique TrueTwin™ digital twinning technology that creates a digital version of the satellite at the start of the project and then integrates with hardware-in-the-loop as hardware becomes available.

“This is a very proud moment for our company and the global space ecosystem,” said Antaris Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer, Karthik Govindhasamy. “We did something that has never been done before—we designed, built and launched a complex satellite in just months, not years, at a fraction of traditional costs. Our cloud-based platform made this all possible, and we have proven that this software is the future of the satellite industry.”

“We’re so proud of the entire Antaris team and our incredible manufacturing partners,” noted Antaris Co-Founder and CEO, Tom Barton. “Together, we have broken down major barriers that have historically hampered satellite design and production. We hope JANUS-1 will serve as an inspiration to the entire space ecosystem and look forward to partnering with other New Space pioneers who are ready to go fast and work with us to make space easy. Antaris software dramatically simplifies the design, simulation and operation of satellites. We bring New Space thinking to an Old Space world, giving our customers maximum control and flexibility while improving time-to-orbit, reducing costs and optimizing engineering reuse.”

Filed Under: News

NASA awards Mars science mission launch to Blue Origin’s New Glenn

February 18, 2023 by editorial

NASA’s Launch Services Program (LSP) awarded Blue Origin’s New Glenn the Escape and Plasma Acceleration and Dynamics Explorers (ESCAPADE) contract.

ESCAPADE is part of the NASA Small Innovative Missions for Planetary Exploration (SIMPLEx) program; it is a dual spacecraft mission to study Mars’ magnetosphere.

ESCAPADE is a twin-spacecraft, Class D mission that will study solar wind energy transfer through Mars’ unique hybrid magnetosphere.

Providing launch service for ESCAPADE is a task order under NASA’s Venture-Class Acquisition of Dedicated and Rideshare (VADR) launch services contract.

Blue Origin was on-ramped to the NASA VADR launch services Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract on January 26, 2022, with a five-year period of performance.

“ESCAPADE follows a long tradition of NASA Mars science and exploration missions, and we’re thrilled NASA’s Launch Services Program has selected New Glenn to launch the instruments that will study Mars’ magnetosphere,” said Jarrett Jones, senior vice president, New Glenn, Blue Origin.

Blue Origin was founded with a vision of millions of people living and working in space for the benefit of Earth. Blue Origin envisions a time when people can tap into the limitless resources of space and enable the movement of damaging industries into space to preserve Earth, humanity’s blue origin. Blue Origin is working today to create that future by developing reusable launch vehicles and in-space systems that are safe, low cost, and serve the needs of all civil, commercial, and defense customers. Blue Origin’s efforts include flying astronauts to space on New Shepard, producing reusable liquid rocket engines, developing an orbital launch vehicle with New Glenn, building next-generation space habitats, and returning to the surface of the Moon. These endeavors will add new chapters to the history of spaceflight and move all of humanity closer to that founding vision.

Filed Under: Featured, News

NOAA awards JPSS EO ground station services contract

February 18, 2023 by editorial

NOAA has awarded the Low Earth Orbit (LEO) Ground Sustainment Services (LGSS) contract to Peraton, Inc. based in Herndon, Virginia.

The value of the contract, which includes a base period of five years, with three 12-month option periods is $399,288,456. The period of performance begins on March 1st, 2023.

The purpose of the LGSS contract is for sustainment of the Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) Common Ground Services (CGS), while accommodating enhancements and additions to NOAA’s existing LEO satellite constellations and partner missions.

Work will occur at the contractors’ facilities in Greenbelt, Maryland; Clarksville, Virginia; and Bellevue, Nebraska; and at NOAA facilities located in Suitland, Maryland; Fairmont, West Virginia; and Fairbanks, Alaska.

JPSS is NOAA’s current operational LEO program that acquires and distributes global environmental data from multiple polar-orbiting satellites.

The agency’s LEO program includes the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (Suomi NPP) mission, NOAA-20, NOAA-21 and the JPSS-3/4 missions, as well other leveraged missions and partnerships.

The JPSS Ground System is responsible for implementing JPSS Program command, control, and communications and data processing requirements for JPSS CGS-serviced missions.

Future NOAA and partner LEO missions will be supported by the CGS throughout the life of the JPSS Program. The JPSS Program plays a critical role in NOAA’s mission to understand and predict changes in weather, climate, oceans, coasts, and space environments. It also supports the Nation’s economy and protects lives and property.

Filed Under: News

SIA-India congratulates “Successful Launch of JANUS-1 Satellite: A Milestone for Ananth Technologies, Antaris and XDLinx”

February 17, 2023 by editorial

The following is a congratulatory letter to ISRO from SIA-India, an association for space industry, regarding the completion of their JANUS-1 satellite.

Congratulations to ISRO on the successful completion of the SSLV-D2/EOS-07 mission! The mission is a testament to ISRO’s hard work and dedication. Placing EOS-07, Janus-1, and AzaadiSAT-2 into their intended orbits flawlessly showcases ISRO’s commitment to advancing the space industry and driving innovation. 

SIA-India extends felicitations to Ananth Technologies and Antaris on the successful launch of the JANUS-1 satellite aboard ISRO’s Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV-D2) on February 10, 2023. The satellite, which is a software-defined 6U technology demonstration model, was designed and constructed using the Antaris cloud software platform, SatOS™ software, and XDLinx’s modular Spacecraft Bus, with Ananth Technologies serving as its Master Systems Integrator. The complete Assembly, Integration, and Test process was carried out successfully at Ananth Technologies’ new facility in Bangalore’s Aerospace Park, where the high-efficiency Solar Panels of JANUS-1 were also fully indigenized.

Additionally, the Thiruvananthapuram unit of Ananth Technologies made significant contributions to the country’s space vehicle launch, SSLV, and also to the ISRO Satellite EOS. The Bangalore spacecraft team of Ananth made contributions to the EOS-7 satellite, the primary payload of the SSLV-D2 launch, by developing various avionics subsystems including IRU, BMU, LEMA, and DC-DC converter packages. The unit also provided test support for Azad Sat at its Bangalore facility.

International collaboration and partnerships have played a crucial role in the success of both the SSLV-D2/EOS-07 mission and the launch of Janus 1. These collaborations have allowed for the pooling of resources, expertise, and knowledge, leading to innovative and successful missions. The success of these collaborations showcases the importance of international cooperation in advancing the space industry and driving innovation.

Filed Under: News

Sidus Space awarded a contract for a smallsat to demo laser comms

February 16, 2023 by editorial

Sidus Space, Inc. (NASDAQ:SIDU) has been awarded a multi-million dollar agreement with The Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research (TNO) to deploy and test TNO’s laser communications technology aboard a Sidus’ LizzieSat™ satellite.

As part of the $2.5 million agreement, TNO will design and deliver HemiCAT, a high-efficiency, miniature, communications laser terminal, which Sidus will integrate into the firm’s hybrid, 3D printed satellite, LizzieSat™. Sidus will manage all aspects of integration, deployment, and operations, including procuring a launch and operating HemiCAT in orbit. The on-orbit demo mission for laser satellite communication is part of a study of Dutch defense technology.

“We are honored to be selected by TNO as its mission partner for the HemiCAT technology,” said Carol Craig, Sidus Space Founder and CEO. “This partnership will allow us to demonstrate further versatility of our LizzieSat™ platform and advance our mission of ‘Bringing Space Down to Earth’ while continuing to expand our reach into the international satellite market.”

“This HemiCAT is an important new technology and we look forward to working with Sidus to launch and test HemiCAT as a pathfinder for future laser satellite communication systems,” Michiel Ringers, TNO Business Development Manager, stated. “The Sidus team offered the best turnkey solution, designing, building, and deploying flight heritage hardware for demanding applications — the perfect combination of expertise and capabilities we look for in a partner.”

Sidus Space (NASDAQ: SIDU), 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 broad range of Space-As-a-Service offerings including space-rated hardware manufacturing, design engineering, satellite manufacturing and platform development, launch and support services, data analytics services and satellite constellation management.

The Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (TNO) is an independent research and innovation organisation. We connect people and knowledge to create innovations and evidence-based insights hat boost the sustainable competitive strength of industry and well-being of society. Now and in the future. Together with our partners, we focus in particular on the societal challenges of a safe, a healthy, a sustainable and a digital society. This is our mission and it is what drives us, the over 4,000 professionals at TNO, in our work every day. TNO Space stimulates economic growth in the Netherlands and Europe by enabling companies to realise new products, generate new business and improve their competitive position.

Filed Under: News

Australia’s AICRAFT launches its AI innovative edge computing module into orbit

February 14, 2023 by editorial

South Australian artificial intelligence (AI) company AICRAFT has successfully launched its edge computing module to set a record for Big Data processing on orbit.

The device was launched on Friday 10 February 2023 on board the JANUS-1 satellite of Antaris Space from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre of India under a commercial arrangement with NewSpace India Limited (NSIL), the commercial arm of the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO). As a key sub-system of the JANUS-1 satellite, AICRAFT’s edge computing module, named Pulsar, will perform ultra-fast processing of space data using artificial intelligence at lowest power consumption. In its preliminary tests on the ground, the company has demonstrated the ability to classify 1,250 images of Earth Observation data in about 10 seconds! This was achieved using the device in low-power mode which the company expects to enable 24/7 computation, even on ‘shoe- box-size’ nanosatellites compared to the 10 minutes a day with current market solutions.

Pulsar can seamlessly toggle between low-power and high-performance modes which can give a further four times speedup of its low-power processing. Its power/performance ratio is currently unmatched in this size of devices – Pulsar is 95mm x 90mm x 25mm.

The module offers the advantage of being highly customizable depending on the host satellite, mission duration and orbit, making it resilient but also affordable for a variety of customers and New Space entrants. From a software perspective, the module supports over 20 of the most popular machine learning frameworks with users able to develop algorithms for Pulsar in the same way they are developing on desktops and leveraging from open-source software.

The CEO of AICRAFT Dr Tony Scoleri said, “Getting to this point was a phenomenal journey for us. The JANUS-1 mission gave us the focus to build an advanced and space-grade AI technology in a very short time (9 months) and provided a springboard for AICRAFT to enter the space ecosystem. The collaboration with the US-based Antaris Space commenced through their Australian subsidiary company which is also a member of the Aurora Space Cluster, an initiative of SmartSat CRC for startups, and enabled to combine forces.”

Antaris, the software platform provider for space, fully conceived, designed and manufactured a satellite using the company’s own software end-to-end in a world’s first cloud-based environment. Creation of the satellite JANUS-1 involved eight organisations spanning seven countries collaborating virtually through Antaris’ cloud-based platform, which features open APIs and core open-source elements.

AICRAFT and Antaris signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) at the Australian Space Forum in Adelaide, South Australia in March 2022. The satellite JANUS-1 was completed in just 10 months from concept to launch readiness, with a cost saving of 75% over comparable satellite missions. It features AICRAFT’s edge computing module Pulsar that was designed and manufactured in Australia and the only Australian payload in this mission.

Commenting on how the future looks for AICRAFT after the landmark JANUS-1 mission, Dr Scoleri said, “This is an exciting flight for us, and we are already in conversations with potential customers for our next mission.”

Filed Under: News

AccelerComm + TTP to deliver cell service from space with 5G NTN LEO

February 12, 2023 by editorial

AccelerComm and TTP are jointly formulating a high-performance, 5G, LEO Regenerative base station for deployment on LEO satellites. The project combines expertise and IP from the two companies and additional technology from partners to propose a dedicated 5G regenerative gNodeB1 solution tailored to support high-performance 5G services in the challenging environment of a Non-Terrestrial Network (NTN).

In a typical LEO deployment, one satellite covers a wide geographical area, using a large number of beams to cover a multitude of subscribers. Terrestrial gNodeB products of similar scale are not designed to deal with this unique LEO deployment challenge. Also, any gNodeB platform for space applications will be highly constrained in size, weight, and power and must be able to work in the hostile space environment.

The joint AccelerComm TTP LEO Regenerative base station solution will be designed to meet the growing demand for satellite-based eMBB (enhanced Mobile Broadband) and IoT (Internet of Things) services. This makes it an ideal solution for businesses and organizations that need to connect people and devices in remote locations, or for governments looking to provide internet access to all citizens.

The solution will support a large number of beams and high subscriber density and will be delivered on a space-hardened platform optimized for low-power and size. It includes a range of advanced developments in beam-to-cell mapping, beam forming and NTN beam-management.

The O-RAN compliant gNodeB leverages AccelerComm’s LEOphy, a Layer 1 modem that delivers enhanced performance for low-earth orbit satellite communications. LEOphy boasts the lowest error rates, with dedicated features to overcome the specific challenges of NTN channels, such as high path losses, differential delays, doppler shift, long propagation delays, and rapid fluctuations in signal amplitude and phase caused by atmospheric effects. As a result, it ensures a high-reliability link without resorting to lower coding rates and low-order modulation schemes, thereby maximizing spectral efficiency.

“For satellite 5G to be truly successful, there are a number of performance and efficiency challenges which have to be overcome. Solving these requires building on the existing 3GPP technologies to create a tailored solution built to deal with the unique challenges,” said Rob Barnes, Chief Marketing Officer at AccelerComm. “There has been an explosion in interest around combining satellite and traditional mobile communications systems with the iPhone 14 launch and the T-Mobile Starlink announcement. “However, for satellite 5G to be truly successful, there are a number of performance and efficiency challenges which have to be overcome. Solving these requires building on the existing 3GPP technologies to create a tailored solution built to deal with the unique challenges of operating around a thousand kilometres from earth, at speeds of over 7km per second, all while dealing with power and resource constraints. We are delighted to be working with our partner TTP to develop this high-performance solution which will open up a whole new market for delivering 5G services from space.”

“TTP is pleased to partner with AccelerComm to define a highly scalable and low power gNodeB solution, that will enable LEO operators to efficiently deliver 5G NTN services,” said Adrian Hillier, TTP’s Head of Next G. “A 5G NTN LEO regenerative gNodeB deployment presents unique challenges when compared to Terrestrial gNodeB. In order to serve the number of beams and support the density of subscribers required, the gNodeB will have to be heavily optimized and tightly integrated with the overall payload functionality.”

1A 5G Base Station uses New Radio (NR) technology and is referred to as a gNodeB (gNb). gNodeB radios features Software Defined Radio (SDR) with various MIMO options including 2×2, 4×4, 8×8 and Massive MIMO options for higher capacities. Options for 5G deployment in Sub-6GHz bands as well as Millimeter Wave (mmWave) bands are available. — https://www.5gradio.com

Filed Under: Featured, News

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