Archives for April 2023

Apogeo Space announces a collaboration agreement with INSIGHIO P.C. (INSIGHIO), a company based in Athens, Greece, to test Apogeo Space’s satellite connection services on several INSIGHIO’s existing products and projects ranging from smart agriculture, precision apiculture (beekeeping), environmental and infrastructure monitoring to waste management. 

The aim of the partnership between the two Companies is to test Apogeo Space’s technology, to explore business models in the IoT field and create a way of monetization based on sales of IoT connectivity services and of any end-product or solution relying on the specific IoT connectivity technology. 

Apogeo Space aims to build a constellation of miniature satellites (pico-satellites) capable of providing connectivity to Internet of Things (IoT) devices globally. The constellation is scheduled to enter service by the second half of 2023, with the first block of satellites being put into orbit. 

By the end of 2023, nine satellites will be operational from space. Already with this first deployment, data can be retrieved from IoT devices anywhere on the globe with an average 30-minute wait time. Continuous coverage will be achieved by 2027 with almost 100 satellites.   

INSIGHIO is a technology startup aiming at accelerating IoT adoption.   With insigh.io there is an end-to-end service that interconnects heterogeneous IoT devices, collects and analyzes data and aids on decision making processes. It brings into play new IoT hardware and software, aiming at lowering the barrier for new users to enter the IoT market and existing users to maintain and expand their fleet. 

Guido Parissenti, CEO and co-founder of Apogeo Space, says, “We are excited to start this collaboration with INSIGHIO, which will allow us to field test some applications that our service can address, accelerating our go to market.” 

Antonis Gotsis, Managing Director and Co-Founder of INSIGHIO, adds, “By integrating Apogeo Space Satellite IoT connectivity technology with our insigh.io portfolio we expect to create a unique global IoT service, applicable to a wide range of industry sectors, revolutionizing our commercial offering.” 

Thales Alenia Space has won a contract from the Italian Space Agency (ASI) to conduct the development of the Space Factory 4.0 program in the frame of the Italian National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) (As part of the implementation of the Operational Plan for the sub-investment M1C2.I4.3 Space Factory 4.0 Program).

Thales Alenia Space is leading a consortium that includes Argotec, CIRA and Sitael, to develop an interconnected system with facilities located across Italy, set to start operations by 2026.

As the lead company, Thales Alenia Space will consolidate the country’s expertise in the design, production and testing of satellite components. The consortium will call on advanced automation and digitalization to build advanced satellites in particular in the micro and smallsat segment, including the Platino and NIMBUS families.

One of the keys to this interconnected project is a full-digital facility dedicated to the design, production and testing of satellites. A true digital production hub, using advanced technologies throughout all stages of design, assembly, integration and testing, including digital twins, virtual and augmented reality, simulators integrated with the supply chain, robots and cobots, etc. The facility will feature highly versatile clean rooms to support the integration and testing of a wide range of different-sized constellations and satellites for Earth Observation (EO), space exploration and other applications.

This contract capitalizes on Thales Alenia Space’s proven strengths as a European leader in government and commercial space projects – as the Galileo second-generation constellation, new satellites for Copernicus program, ROSE-L and CIMR, and the IRIDE constellation – as well as the best knowledge in the aerospace and industrial disciplines from academic centers such as Polytechnic of Milan, University of Rome “La Sapienza” and world class global organization like Accenture, leader in the digital and process innovation in support the aerospace sector.

The “Space Factory” will offer the specific means and tools to produce advanced satellites in a wide range from large infrastructures weighting hundreds kilograms to satellites down to a few dozen kilograms to be produced in the large quantities implied by new constellation configurations.

Space Factory 4.0 facilities will be located in the Piedmont (Argotec), Lazio (Thales Alenia Space), Campania (CIRA), Apulia and Tuscany (Sitael) regions of Italy, and will be interconnected with the entire supply chain – including startups and research centers – creating an advanced production hub for domestic, European and international space programs.

“I would like to warmly thank the Italian government and the Italian space agency for their unwavering support in the development of this advanced space production system based on latest digital technologies, capable of boosting Italian and European space competitiveness. Italy is one of the few countries in the world to offer capabilities in all the segments of the space domain. In recent years, the country has undertaken growing investments to further boost innovation potential and its industrial power as shown by the Space Factory initiative. It will deploy state-of-art digital and automated processes to support the high production rates needed for today’s and future’s constellations and mega-constellations, while reducing time to market.” — Massimo Claudio Comparini, Thales Alenia Space Deputy CEO and Thales Alenia Space Italia CEO

The European Space Agency (ESA) challenged cybersecurity experts in the space industry ecosystem to disrupt the operation of the agency’s OPS-SAT demonstration nanosatellite. Participants used a variety of ethical hacking techniques to take control of the system used to manage the payload’s global positioning system, attitude control system¹ and onboard camera. Unauthorized access to these systems can cause serious damage to the satellite or lead to a loss of control over its mission. Thales‘s offensive cybersecurity team worked with the Group’s Information Technology Security Evaluation Facility (ITSEF²) for this unique exercise, which demonstrates the need for a high level of cyber resilience in the very specific operating environment of space.

The Thales team of four cybersecurity researchers accessed the satellite’s onboard system, used standard access rights to gain control of its application environment, and then exploited several vulnerabilities to introduce malicious code into the satellite’s systems. This made it possible to compromise the data sent back to Earth, in particular by modifying the images captured by the satellite’s camera, and to achieve other objectives such as masking selected geographic areas in the satellite imagery while concealing their activities to avoid detection by ESA. The results of the ethical satellite hacking exercise, the first of its kind in the world, will be used to tighten security for the satellite and its onboard applications, helping to improve the cyber resilience of space systems, protect sensitive data and support the long-term success of space programs.

The demonstration was organized specifically for CYSAT to help assess the potential impact of a real cyberattack and the consequences for civilian systems. The European Space Agency (ESA) set up a satellite test bench to simulate attempts to seize control of OPS-SAT, a nanosatellite operated by the agency for demonstration purposes.

Throughout the exercise, ESA had access to the satellite’s systems to retain control and ensure a return to normal operation.

“Thales is grateful to ESA and the CYSAT organizers for providing this unique opportunity to demonstrate the ability of our experts to identify vulnerabilities in a satellite system. With the growing number of military as well as civil applications that are reliant on satellite systems today, the space industry needs to take cybersecurity into account at every stage in the satellite’s life cycle, from initial design to systems development and maintenance. This unprecedented exercise was a chance to raise awareness of potential flaws and vulnerabilities so that they can be remediated more effectively, and to adapt current and future solutions to improve the cyber resilience of satellites and space programs in general, including both ground segments and orbital systems.” Pierre-Yves Jolivet, VP Cyber Solutions, Thales.

In a presentation on 27 April by Thales experts and members of the ESA team, CYSAT participants can find out more about the attack scenario used in this first demonstration of offensive cybersecurity techniques, tactics and procedures.

Thales’s cybersecurity capabilities for the space industry

Drawing on more than 40 years of experience in cybersecurity and space activities, Thales applies the principles of “cybersecurity by design” to the products it develops for satellite operators and space agencies. Its joint venture with Leonardo, Thales Alenia Space, designs and delivers innovative solutions for telecommunications, navigation, Earth observation, environmental monitoring, space exploration, scientific research and orbital infrastructures. With more than 3,500 cybersecurity specialists, Thales helps to ensure the security of satellite systems for national and European space programs — in particular Europe’s Galileo satellite navigation program — and at the international level. With its combined expertise in cutting-edge satellite systems and cybersecurity solutions relying on the latest military technologies, Thales offers governments, institutions and enterprise customers a comprehensive range of cybersecurity solutions to guarantee robust protection of all the elements of a space system. The offensive cybersecurity capabilities demonstrated by Thales at CYSAT enable customers to better anticipate and respond to current and future threats. The Group’s cybersecurity solutions for the space industry encompass everything from risk and threat evaluation to data protection and network security, incident detection and response, and security maintenance throughout the system life cycle.

¹ The attitude of a satellite refers to its orientation or position relative to a reference frame, which is usually the Earth. Specifically, it describes the satellite’s three-dimensional orientation with respect to three perpendicular axes: roll, pitch, and yaw.

² An Information Technology Security Evaluation Facility (ITSEF) is a trusted, independent third-party product security testing facility accredited by a national certification body (ANSSI in France).

Space technology company ALE has announced the firm’s plans to launch the next SKY CANVAS satellite into orbit, a major step forward in the world’s first, human-made, shooting star project.

This is the first step toward ALE realizing the company’s ambition to usher in a new era of sustainable space entertainment over the next decade, boosting the global space business as well as advancing essential climate science research and education.

The new ALE-3 satellite — scheduled to launch in 2024 — will gather climate information in the mesosphere, the layer of the Earth’s atmosphere directly above the stratosphere and below the thermosphere. Atmospheric data gathered in the mesosphere has the potential to provide valuable new insights into Earth’s climate and weather.

The latest news about ALE-3 follows the launch of ALE’s SKY CANVAS Community Club, a dynamic platform dedicated to fostering the exchange of knowledge and actively sharing ideas around space, astronomy, and science. The SKY CANVAS Community Club will provide a place for members to be kept informed about exciting developments at ALE, including the human-made shooting star experience, with lots more exciting benefits to be announced, in due course.

ALE has already completed two successful SKY CANVAS satellite launches (ALE-1 and ALE-2), putting two satellites into orbit in January and December of 2019. The next SKY CANVAS satellite launch (ALE-3) will take place in 2024, and the first commercial service of SKY CANVAS is scheduled to take place in 2025, when ALE hopes to inspire a new generation of space and science enthusiasts across the world by giving them the opportunity to view the world’s first live human-made meteor shower.

The SKY CANVAS Community Club is an edutainment project where space enthusiasts can:

• Meet like-minded space fanatics in ALE’s online Discord community
• Get access to interesting educational content in the form of interviews, presentations, and AMAs with space industry experts and thought leaders
• Follow the journey of SKY CANVAS as ALE prepares to deliver the first ever human-made shooting star experience
• Find out about other exciting space related news and events
• Obtain lots of member-only benefits as VIP Pass holders

“The mesosphere represents a critical part of Earth’s climate system. Indeed, the mesosphere is where the ozone protecting us from harmful ultraviolet radiations is produced and where atmospheric tides occur shaping the large scale atmospheric movement. Investigating the mesosphere is of utter importance to combat climate change and SKY CANVAS is uniquely capable to bring very valuable large multi-point measurements with its human-made meteor shower. SKY CANVAS represents an amazing outreach opportunity to inspire the next generation of STEM students and bring a novel and mesmerising experience for people on Earth, allowing ’space entertainment’ to be fully intwined with high level space and Earth’s climate science.” — Dr. Gilles Bailet, Research Associate in Emerging Space Technologies at University of Glasgow.

“Our purpose and our strategic goal at ALE is to create a space entertainment market by the 2030s that supports fundamental science, and to become a pioneer in this market. Fundamental science is a source of innovation and contributes to social and economic development through the accumulation and sustained creation of new knowledge, findings, inventions, and other research results. ALE’s values are the fundamental sciences themselves, and we believe that their promotion is extremely important. ALE embodies the power of fundamental science in our three core values: curiosity, pathfinder and evolution.” — Dr. Lena Okajima, founder and CEO of ALE

Southern Launch has signed an MoU with UK based Space Forge to explore possibilities of satellite return to Southern Launch’s Koonibba Test Range. 

UK based Space Forge is on a mission to make space work for humanity by harnessing the power of microgravity and offers an on-demand service to advance the expansion of the in-space manufacturing market for the research and production of new super materials that aim to tackle some of the biggest problems faced by modern society. 

To enable this service, they are developing a world-first service that incorporates 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. Space Forge will launch their ForgeStar-1A satellite later this year, where they will prove their re-entry capabilities.

At over 10,000 square kilometers (half the size of Space Forge’s home country Wales), the Koonibba Test Range is one of the world’s largest commercial rocket testing facilities. The size and geographical location in line with SSO makes it an ideal location for Space Forge to target as their re-entry point for the ForgeStar satellite.

Space Forge and Southern Launch will collaborate on the MoU over the coming months and hope to announce a joint mission before the end of the year. 

“This agreement with Space Forge heralds a new era in the Australian space industry. It’s a definitive step forward in showcasing to the world the expertise and natural advantages we have right here in South Australia. Space Forge will be looking to refurbish and launch their satellites as close as possible to the re-entry point. Our Whalers Way Orbital Launch Complex is the natural solution for a launch site, and we will be exploring this option with Space Forge throughout the MoU process. Our hope is to provide a complete solution for Space Forge which creates further opportunities for the wider industry.” — Southern Launch CEO, Lloyd Damp

“This partnership is a fantastic example of international collaboration – working together for the benefit of the global space industry. The size and location of the Koonibba Test Range as a Southern Hemisphere re-entry point for our ForgeStar satellite make it an ideal option for our business model and this partnership has great potential to bring economic growth and cutting-edge technologies to both the UK and Australia. We are delighted to be announcing our collaboration and excited to grow our relationship with Lloyd and the team at Southern Launch.” — Joshua Western, CEO and Co-Founder of Space Forge

Recently, Quantum Space (Quantum) reported that their Ranger multi-operations vehicle (MOV), a modular orbital transfer vehicle (OTV), will host and precisely deliver payloads directly to GEO, cislunar space and beyond.

The Ranger MOV will extend customer’s spacecraft life, reduce program costs and enable earlier operational status by directly deploying spacecraft in their final orbit of choice. With Ranger’s final mile delivery service, spacecraft propellant can be reserved for operational use and longer mission life compared to traditional launch opportunities.

The vehicle incorporates reliable high-thrust and high-performance propulsion, modern avionics, and the necessary support systems to provide fast and routine travel to hard-to-reach orbits.

Ranger will also deploy Quantum’s Scout vehicles, which are key to the development of the company’s QuantumNet fleet aimed at providing data products and services to customers throughout cislunar space. The vehicle can carry more than 1.5 metric tons of payload directly to GEO, or over 2.5 metric tons to anywhere in cislunar space.

Each Ranger has four, 24-inch modular ports, which can support customer spacecraft from CubeSats to 500 kg smallsats. These ports can be configured to host customer payloads which benefit from a tailored suite of power and data interfaces.

As a high-performance propulsive EELV Secondary Payload Adapter system, Ranger can also boost and tune orbits for larger satellites mounted on its standard forward interface.

Quantum will soon announce additional details and mission partners for the company’s first mission to cislunar space.

“Ranger meets the critical need for affordable and precise payload delivery services beyond low Earth orbit. Providing these services for our customers will break down the barriers that limit routine travel and operations in deep space and we’re excited for the future that it will help create in cislunar space and beyond.” — Steve Jurczyk, president and CEO, Quantum Space

“We’ve specially designed Ranger to provide fast, routine, and cost-effective transportation for every size and class of payload from Geostationary Orbit, the Moon, and beyond. Our delivery services will simplify operations for customers and create new market opportunities that are limited by current transportation methods.” — Philip Bracken, chief strategy officer, Quantum Space

Ursa Major has an agreement with Astra that will support nexgen comms, national security and defense, as well as EO.

Under the agreement, Ursa Major will provide “Hadley” engines for the upper stage of Astra’s Launch System 2 on that firm’s newly architected, higher-capacity, Rocket 4 launch vehicle. Launch System 2 is designed for customers that need affordable, frequent, and reliable orbital launch, deploying spacecraft directly into operational orbits.

Launch System 2’s upper stage will use the vacuum variant of Hadley, an oxygen-rich staged combustion (ORSC) engine fueled by liquid kerosene. The vacuum variant of Hadley provides 6,500 pounds of thrust, compared to Hadley’s sea-level configuration, which provides 5,000 pounds of thrust. To enable longer missions, Hadley features an ignition system capable of multiple restarts.

Reliable rocket propulsion is critical to maintaining the space supply chain and growing the space industry. Ursa Major focuses solely on propulsion to lower the cost and risks of the most expensive, time-consuming, and risky aspect of space launch. Ursa Major’s flexible rocket engines can be used for various missions, from air launch to hypersonic flight and on-orbit missions.

“The Ursa Major-Astra partnership marks an important industry milestone in outsourcing propulsion to unlock growth and innovation for launch providers and their customers. We’re excited to be a part of Astra’s Launch System 2 and the company’s next chapter of success.” — Joe Laurienti, founder and CEO of Ursa Major

Ursa Major is focusing solely on rocket propulsion, bringing high-performance, staged combustion engines to market for space launch and hypersonic applications. Ursa Major customers, ranging from “New Space” startups to enterprise-level aerospace leaders and the U.S. government, get to flight faster, more reliably, and cost-effectively.

ST Engineering, on April 22, 2023, at 14:19 hours IST, announced the launch of the company’s first, polarimetric, synthetic aperture radar (PolSAR) satellite, TeLEOS-2. The 750 kg TeLEOS-2 was successfully launched by the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) at 4:50 p.m. (Singapore time) from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SHAR), Sriharikota, India, with smallsat co-passenger LUMELITE-4.

Developed in partnership with Singapore’s Defence Science and Technology Agency (on behalf of Government of Singapore), TeLEOS-2 features a made-in-Singapore SAR payload and is able to capture day and night images under all-weather conditions in high resolutions, with full polarimetry for a wider range of satellite data applications. This will enhance ST Engineering’s commercial satellite imagery solutions, providing multi-modal and high responsiveness features to company customers.

Operating in near-equatorial orbit (NEqO), at 10 degrees inclination, the satellite offers 1m high-resolution imagery, with an average of 14 passes a day, offering enhanced and wider coverage of many major shipping routes, as well as disaster-prone and forest-fire regions. This provides numerous opportunities for customers in applications such as disaster monitoring and management, environmental monitoring, natural resource exploration and management, climate change and weather studies.

Notably, the PolSAR payload allows the satellite to penetrate cloud and precipitation and capture both day and night images under all-weather conditions. This also allows for improved monitoring, mapping and quantification, as well as multiparameter details of different surfaces.

“The development and launch of TeLEOS-2 represent another milestone in our journey in building up indigenous capabilities for the expansion and commercialisation of our satellite technologies. It will further propel the growth of Singapore’s space industry and strengthen ST Engineering’s position in the global space market. We continue to deepen our capabilities and expand our service offerings for key commercial applications including maritime, agriculture, environment and disaster monitoring and management.” — Low Jin Phang, President, Digital Systems, ST Engineering.

“The Office for Space Technology & Industry (OSTIn) congratulates DSTA and ST Engineering on the successful launch of TeLEOS-2. TeLEOS-2’s ability to capture images under all weather conditions, during both nighttime and daytime, at an average of 14 passes a day, unlocks multiple possibilities for commercial applications. This includes hotspot monitoring, oil spill detection, and air & maritime search & rescue operations. As DSTA and ST Engineering push the frontiers in the development of space technology here in Singapore, we look forward to seeing how these efforts will strengthen our space ecosystem.” – David Tan, Executive Director, OSTIn.

ISRO notes…

The ISRO‘s PSLV-C55/TeLEOS-2 mission launched successfully on April 22, 2023, at 14:19 hours IST from SDSC-SHAR, Sriharikota.

This is a dedicated commercial mission through NSIL with TeLEOS-2 as primary satellite and Lumelite-4 as a co-passenger satellite. The satellites weigh about 741 kg and 16 kg, respectively. Both belong to Singapore and they are intended to be launched into an eastward, low inclination orbit.

TeLEOS-2
The TeLEOS-2 satellite is developed under a partnership between DSTA (representing the Government of Singapore) and ST Engineering. Once deployed and operational, it will be used to support the satellite imagery requirements of various agencies within the Government of Singapore. TeLEOS-2 carries a Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) payload. TeLEOS-2 will be able to provide all-weather day and night coverage, and capable of imaging at 1m full-polarimetric resolution.

LUMILITE-4
The LUMELITE-4 satellite is co-developed by the Institute for Infocomm Research (I2R) of A*STAR and Satellite Technology and Research Centre (STAR) of the National University of Singapore. LUMELITE4 is an advanced 12U satellite developed for the technological demonstration of the High-Performance Space-borne VHF Data Exchange System (VDES). Using the VDES communication payload developed by I2R and STAR’s scalable satellite bus platform, it aims to augment Singapore’s e-navigation maritime safety and benefit the global shipping community.

POEM-2
The mission has the PSLV Orbital Experimental Module (POEM) where the spent PS4 stage of the launch vehicle will be used as an orbital platform to carryout scientific experiments through non-separating payloads. The payloads belong to ISRO/Department of Space, Bellatrix, Dhruva Space, and Indian Institute of Astrophysics.