Archives for April 2023

Leonardo DRS, Inc. (NASDAQ:DRS) announces that its new high-precision radiometer technology is being used to measure the Earth’s surface temperature from space. The image collection from the company’s Multiband Uncooled SmallSat Imaging Radiometer (MUSIR) payload is part of an innovative demonstration mission for NASA. MUSIR, with its unique, space-based uncooled thermal imaging radiometer technology, is paving the way for small, affordable satellite constellations.

A constellation of satellites would allow for faster revisit times, enabling more frequent measurements that are important during times of change on the Earth’s surface. DRS, working closely with NASA, was able to move from design to launch readiness in just under 16 months.

“As the mission prime responsible for all aspects of this effort including the payload and ground data processing, DRS was able to meet NASA’s goals of a very tight timeline in a cost-efficient manner,” said Jerry Hathaway, vice president and general manager of the Leonardo DRS Electro-Optical and Infrared Systems business unit.

The MUSIR payload launched aboard a small, commercial satellite earlier this year. It is testing a new technique using bolometers in an instrument operated at room temperature to perform high-precision radiometry for measuring Earth’s surface temperature from space. The technology could pave the way for future satellite constellations dedicated to measuring infrared energy radiating from Earth’s surface.

Traditionally, Long Wavelength Infrared radiometers, have used cooled Focal Plane Array (FPA) technology, that require large, high-powered cryogenic coolers to achieve the necessary cold temperature for operation. By using an uncooled FPA, which can operate at room temperatures and tailored for space, the innovative DRS design eliminated the need for cryogenic coolers. The uncooled technology makes the radiometer instrument much lighter, smaller and with a much lower power requirement, suitable for a SmallSat or a CubeSat.

“This imaging instrument will benefit scientists studying planet Earth by enabling precision multispectral thermal infrared measurements with high revisit times through the use of constellations of small, affordable instruments,” Hathaway said. “Applying our advanced sensing technology to the growing space marketplace is one of DRS’s growth vectors. This market requires innovative technology that can get on orbit quickly at affordable costs. The MUSIR program demonstrates that DRS has the capability and experience to accomplish these goals.”

DRS provides advanced cooled, and uncooled, infrared camera systems for the U.S. government and allies around the world. It has an extensive installed base across multiple domains, including space. Sensing technology is a key strategic focus for Leonardo DRS as the company brings together its industry-leading sensing capabilities and laser technologies for a range of programs across the U.S. government.

The U.S. Space Force’s Small Launch and Targets Division’s Office at Kirtland Air Force Base, Albuquerque, New Mexico, part of the Space Systems Command (SSC) Assured Access to Space organization, awarded a $11.5 million Task Order to Astra Space, Inc. of Alameda, California, for the Space Test Program (STP)-S29B launch service. This is the fifth Task Order under the Orbital Services Program-4 (OSP-4) Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract.

This award follows the $29.9 million STP-S29A Task Order that was awarded in September of 2022 to Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation. STP-S29B is a complex mission that will conduct scientific experiments and technology demonstrations with the goal of advancing DoD’s space capabilities. Astra Space, Inc. will use their Rocket 4 to deliver the mission manifest to LEO. STP-S29B has an Initial Launch Capability (ILC) set for April of 2025.

The STP-S29B mission will provide orbital launch services for the DoD STP. The DoD STP furthers the maturation of space-based warfighter technologies across the DoD enterprise by providing space access solutions for all research and development-related DoD auxiliary payloads on DoD, civil and commercial launches and for all non-DoD auxiliary payloads seeking launch opportunities on DoD missions.

STP works closely with the DoD Space Experiments Review Board, a multi-service group responsible for evaluating and approving DoD sponsored experiments to be conducted on DoD space missions. The manifest for the STP-S29B mission may also comprise Rideshare experiments.

OSP-4 allows for the rapid, competitive acquisition of launch services to meet mission requirements enabling launch within 12-24 months from Task Order award. OSP-4 also allows for periodic on-ramps throughout the ordering period to ensure emerging, innovative launch providers can compete for future missions.

“This second competitive award is an important part of the STP-S29 mission set. Together, these two launches deliver the right balance of proven capabilities and openness to industry’s innovation. In today’s contested space domain, contracts must be flexible and responsive to meet the challenges facing the warfighter.” — Lt. Col. Justin Beltz, chief of the Small Launch and Targets Division

Space Systems Command is the U.S. Space Force’s field command responsible for acquiring and delivering resilient war fighting capabilities to protect our nation’s strategic advantage in and from space. SSC manages an $11 billion space acquisition budget for the Department of Defense and works in partnership with joint forces, industry, government agencies, academic and allied organizations to accelerate innovation and outpace emerging threats. Our actions today are making the world a better space for tomorrow.

Orbex is planning to launch the firm’s biggest internship program to date. The program aims to welcome as many as a dozen new interns, making it the largest cohort of new interns to date.

The latest intake of interns comes as Orbex prepares for the first launch of their Prime rocket, which will be the first ever, vertical rocket launch from the UK mainland, creating a once in a lifetime opportunity for potential candidates.

Teams offering placements during the 2023/24 program include Assembly Integration and Test (AIT), avionics, propulsion mechanisms, systems engineering, Guidance, Navigation and Control (GNC), software, structures and marketing and administration. Candidates will work with experienced members of the team and contribute to projects during their placement.

Orbex has six recruits in its current internship program, five based in the company’s headquarters in Forres in the Scottish Highlands and one based in the company’s design and production facility in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Some of the current interns will have the option to take up a permanent position with Orbex at the end of their internship, with the remainder going back to university or to other placements depending on where they are in their educational journey.

Orbex Prime became the first, full orbital, microlauncher rocket to be unveiled in Europe in May of 2022. Prime is a 19 meter long rocket designed to launch smallsats into polar and SSO. Orbex has already announced several commercial launch contracts with satellite manufacturers who will see their satellites launched into orbit directly from Scotland.

The company also received one of the largest rounds of VC funding in the global space sector in Q4 2022, securing £40.4 million in a Series C funding round from new and existing investors.

Sustainable spaceflight continues to be a top priority for Orbex. The reusable Prime rocket has been engineered to leave zero debris on Earth and in orbit and is fueled by a renewable form of propane. Prime launches have a carbon footprint up to 96 percent lower than launches from similarly sized vehicles relying on traditional fossil fuels. Sutherland Spaceport, the company’s ‘home’ spaceport, is being built by Orbex with sustainability in mind and is intended to be the first spaceport globally to be carbon-neutral in its construction and operation.

“For anyone that is fascinated with space and rockets, this really is an opportunity of a lifetime. For the new interns, joining a spaceflight company as it gears up for the first ever vertical rocket launch from the UK mainland will be an incredible experience. There will be no shortage of learning opportunities, and the interns will be playing their own small part in making history.” — Christopher Stewart, a current Orbex intern

“The first vertical launch from the UK mainland will be a landmark moment, one that we hope new and existing interns will be able to play a part in delivering. It’s a remarkable opportunity to learn from our experienced team of experts while working on projects which will have a hand shaping the future of sustainable orbital spaceflight. While we, like many others, are eagerly anticipating the launch of Prime, our focus remains on the broader objective of creating a sustainable, dependable and financially viable route to space for our growing number of satellite clients. The first launch is just the beginning, but what a beginning to be a part of.” — Elliot Doyle, Head of Talent Acquisition, Orbex

Galois has completed their second major milestone, ahead of schedule, for the High Integrity, Performant, Efficient Realization of a SPAceborne Cryptographic Engine (HIPERSPACE) project.

The project, Galois’s first for the U.S. Space Development Agency (SDA), focuses on the creation of high-assurance, high-performance implementations of cryptographic functions for deployment in LEO.

Working alongside Galois spinout Niobium Microsystems and partner Innoflight, the company’s digital engineering team aims to create a platform that effectively secures the SDA’s ultra-high speed, satellite communication network, enabling the safe transmission and receipt of encrypted data and preparing to support new encryption standards, all on a low size, weight, and power (SWaP) platform.

HIPERSPACE’s cryptographic algorithms and protocols are formally specified using Cryptol, Galois’s flagship cryptography tool, as well as several other formal languages.

The team delivered the semi-formal and formal system specification, product line specification, architecture specification, and cryptographic algorithm specification. Using digital engineering methodologies, the Galois team proved, for all possible inputs, that software and firmware implementations (hand-written, automatically generated, or a combination) behave identically to the specification.

OQ Technology has started the first commercial contract for using their constellation of LEO satellites to provide 5G coverage for IoT devices.

The contract, close to 1 million euros, is with an unnamed customer that is described as one of the world’s largest oil and gas companies. The initial customer service package covers the year 2023, with the option for future extension plans.

With this contract OQ Technology also introduces OQ-Secure, a reliable and flexible new product suite and the world’s first secure private network, providing 5G connectivity for IoT devices based on standardized 3GPP cellular technology for narrowband (NB)-IoT .

OQ-Secure is a fully private and secure network for companies requiring a complete private and secure end-to-end data pipeline while benefiting from 5G connectivity. It consists of hardware and software in space and on the ground without the need for further external intervention from other space or ground segments.

OQ-Secure is compatible with NB IoT mobile networks and can be integrated into terrestrial 5G networks. This allows customers of OQ Technology to manage and monitor their assets in a hybrid mode and expand the geographical foot print of their private 5G network on a global scale.

Through OQ-Secure customers can reserve dedicated access to OQ Technology’s satellite NB-IoT constellation as opposed to the shared service. It also includes deployment of the OQ ONE Nano gateways. These gateways connect to sensors using different wired and wireless standard interfaces. They allow direct communication with the SCADA (supervisory control and data acquisition) network, core network and software suite that controls and manages the users and network traffic. The gateways provide a highly secure platform to manage the security aspects of the end-to-end solution. Users can also connect their unmodified standard 3GPP modules to the network.

OQ Technology will be deploying a large number of user terminals covering oil and gas well heads, allowing the customer to monitor performance, detect leaks and spillages, smart metering and track asset among other use cases. The company will also implement a 3GPP compatible network management suite, gateways to receive the data and manage and control users and assets, and a secure layer to keep the data safe. The network management suite allows the customer to have its own way of controlling data traffic, have the data directly sent to them, and directly command the satellite payload without any operator intervention.

As a result of OQ Technology’s plans to grow its constellation from three to ten satellites this year, customers — such as this oil & gas company — will be able to receive more daily transmissions. Together with more satellite launches next year, OQ is targeting near-real-time coverage. This low latency is critical for many applications such as environmental monitoring, smart metering, asset tracking and vehicle telematics.

“This commercial product suite and contract is the start of a whole new ballgame. In addition to funding and contracts to prove a certain technology, we are now making revenue based on our 5G IoT satellite constellation and delivering the services and products it can provide. The value of this single customer contract also shows the tremendous potential that our technology, products and services have. It is a multiple of what other satellite IoT startups have been trying to achieve over the years. OQ Technology already has a large pipeline of customers from different verticals and already started the process of converting that pipeline into paying customers. The new product isn’t just your ordinary satellite to terminal device network, but a fully-fledged product suite that gives our customers flexibility over their network management, security, ease of integration, and interoperability with their existing terrestrial cellular network. We encourage other enterprise customers to try and use the OQ Secure solution by applying to our early adopter programme where they will get first move benefits.” — Omar Qaise, founder and CEO of OQ Technology

Satellogic Inc. (NASDAQ: SATL) has successful deployed four additional satellites to orbit, following the launch of SpaceX’s Transporter-7 mission from Vandenberg Space Force Base, California — each of the NewSat Mark-IV spacecraft made contact with Satellogic’s ground station reporting in good health.

The SpaceX Transporter-7 mission was completed on Friday, April 14, with a two-stage rocket delivering the four satellites designed and built by Satellogic to orbit. The NewSat Mark-IV models include multispectral cameras designed to collect high-resolution imagery from SSO.

SpaceX is Satellogic’s preferred launch provider for rideshare missions for 2023 and beyond. A multiple launch agreement reserved launch capacity for up to 68 satellites to support the Company’s planned constellation roadmap for 200+ satellites on-orbit. Satellogic aims to expand its constellation to include more than 40 satellites in 2023.

Future launches may support the company’s newest offering, Space Systems; a satellite purchase program that aims to lower the financial barrier to EO spacecraft ownership. Purchase options begin at less than $10 million, and offer flexibility as well as a significantly shortened time-to-operation span of 8-3 months.

Satellogic Space Systems is designed to accommodate governments with interest or requirements for asset ownership to enhance national geospatial intelligence (GEOINT) with global tasking autonomy. Satellogic’s Space Systems business line offers satellite acquisition not subject to ITAR regulations, export controls and/or licensing.

“Each of our 14 launches has enabled us to continuously expand and improve the Earth Observation capabilities our customers rely on. We are proud of our 100% successful deployment rate, and as with our launch in January and those planned for later this year, these additional satellites bring Satellogic one giant leap closer to fulfilling our aim of daily global remaps.” — Matt Tirman, CCO of Satellogic

Fleet Space Technologies has signed a AUD$6.4 million contract with Australia’s Defence Space Command, marking the company’s first defence contract. The agreement will see Fleet’s next-generation of Centauri satellites used to develop and demonstrate LEO satellite communications (SATCOM) system focused on tactical communications and data transmission where connectivity is limited.

The program, named ASCEND2LEO, will make use of Fleet’s commercial satellites. A collaboration between government, defence industry and academia. Defence Science and Technology Group (DSTG), Fleet Space Technologies, University of South Australia, Rice Satcom Pty Ltd. and SmartSat CRC are taking advanced research and technologies to demonstrate LEO capabilities to the war fighter. This innovative approach enables Defence to take advantage of the most modern commercial space technology used by the mining industry with the most up-to-date research to rapidly advance space capabilities.

As an emerging Australian force in the global ‘New Space‘ industry, Fleet Space has a unique opportunity to develop and embrace cutting-edge technologies and methodologies for domestic satellite technology production. The company’s key capabilities are low-power, high-performance edge computing in small spacecraft and terrestrial devices, as well as additive manufacturing. By leveraging Australian competitive strengths, Fleet Space will complement, augment, and reinforce sovereign space capability for the nation and its allies.

In addition to expanding into the defence sector with the LEO SATCOM systems, Fleet Space continues to innovate and diversify their offerings with their ExoSphere system, providing a cutting-edge solution for mining exploration. This comprises highly portable sensors called Geodes, which use ambient noise tomography (ANT) to collect subsurface data. This data is beamed to the ExoSphere constellation of LEO satellites, then relayed to computers that use machine learning to generate detailed 3D subsurface maps. This will help guide explorers to find the resources needed to build our sovereign mineral wealth for Australia’s future industries and energy security. With their focus on developing and embracing new technologies and methodologies, Fleet Space is poised to become a leader in Australia’s growing space and defence industry.

“Australia is fortunate to have a talented space industry with an inventive spirit. Space is operationally critical to the achievement of the Defence mission, and this is an example of innovative way to advance our capability and support the development of a sustainable national space enterprise. We look forward to working with Fleet Space as they bring new approaches to enhance satellite communication capabilities to meet Defence’s needs.” — Colonel Clifford White, Director Space Services at Defence Space Command

“ASCEND2LEO is an ambitious project and a prime example of how SmartSat can help our partners successfully develop and demonstrate innovative Australian technology to customers such as Defence. It delivers one of the Defence Space Strategy objectives, being that ‘Defence may benefit from repurposing civilian technology for military means, without having to invest in R&D or venture incubation’. SmartSat was able to work with Fleet to develop a proposal to do just this – repurpose technology being used for world leading mineral exploration, and technology SmartSat developed to build more resilient Search and Rescue infrastructure, into a demonstration of tactical voice communications.” — Professor Andy Koronios, CEO of SmartSat

Rogue Space systems, an In-Space Services company focused on providing repair, maintenance and space debris removal services with their autonomous robots successfully completed the final testing of their “Barry” (B1B2) spacecraft which includes Rogue’s Scalable Compute Platform, hosted hardware and software payloads, and situational awareness sensors, is now enroute to their partner Exolaunch for integration on the SpaceX Transporter-8 launch in June.

The completion of this testing is the final gate Rogue needed to pass to have their spacecraft launched on the SpaceX rideshare mission in June. The “Barry” spacecraft will test Rogue’s Scalable Compute Platform’s ability to aggregate multiple sensors and process the data in real time. Rogue will also be testing a number of both internal and customer developed algorithms, as well as customer hardware payloads.

“This is a first step in a cadence of in-space demonstrations of technologies we have developed here at Rogue through the SpaceWERX Orbital Prime Program. The team at Rogue has delivered at an exceptional speed and perseverance to get ‘Barry’ to space in a timeframe of just a few months.” says Jeromy Grimmett, Founder and CEO of Rogue. “Rogue has managed to get multiple technologies staged to reach a space heritage milestone as a result of Phase 1 STTR awards. This clearly shows our team’s ability to deliver extraordinary results to the U.S. Space Force.”

“Barry”, the maiden flight of New Hampshire-based Rogue Space Systems is expected to launch in June 2023 into a sun synchronous orbit in Low Earth Orbit from Vandenberg Space Force Base, California. Mission data will be used to inform and improve their next missions which are tentatively scheduled for 2024. Last year, Rogue was awarded a staggering 12 Phase 1 SBIR and STTR contracts from U.S. Space Force and National Science Foundation. “We are saving at least one surprise demonstration on-orbit from Barry as well as starting our business of hosting payloads with this mission, so stay tuned!” says Brent Abbott