Archives for June 2023

KSAT is expanding the KSATlite network with the addition of a new ground station in Jeju, South Korea.

Equipped with three standardized KSATlite ground systems, the newly established ground station in South Korea solidifies KSAT’s commitment to expand its presence in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region. The new ground station represents an expansion of coverage and increased capacity on the KSATlite network in line with KSAT’s ambition to provide reliable and efficient satellite communication solutions to customers worldwide.

The strategic location of the South Korean ground station enhances KSATlite’s capabilities to support a wide range of satellite missions with real time requirements, including EO and telecommunication. With robust tracking and control systems and standardized solutions, the network offers the ideal solution for smallsat operators to maximize their mission’s potential, capturing and transmitting data with seamless efficiency.

KSAT´s expansion into South Korea with the KSATlite antennas exemplifies the company’s dedication to meeting the growing demand of the global satellite industry. By establishing a presence in key locations worldwide, the KSATlite network provides customers with enhanced flexibility, reliability, and coverage optimized for constellation operators.

This expansion of the KSAT lite network is a result of the collaboration with Contec as the site owner in Jeju and local partner in South Korea.

Rocket Lab USA, Inc. (Nasdaq: RKLB) has announced that the company’s next Electron mission will deploy seven satellites to space and will include an attempt to recover the rocket’s booster after launch.

The ‘Baby Come Back’ mission, Rocket Lab’s 39th Electron launch, is scheduled to deploy from Pad A at Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 in Mahia, New Zealand during a launch window that opens on July 14, 2023, UTC.

Rocket Lab is also planning to conduct a marine recovery of Electron’s first stage as part of this mission. Rocket Lab’s recovery team will retrieve Electron using a customized vessel and transport the stage back to Rocket Lab’s production complex for analysis. Data from this recovered stage will inform Rocket Lab’s ongoing recovery and reuse program.

The ‘Baby Come Back’ mission is a rideshare mission and will carry satellites for multiple customers.

Payloads aboard the ‘Baby Come Back’ mission include…

• NASA
  NASA’s Starling mission is a four CubeSat mission designed to test technologies to enable future “swarm” missions. Spacecraft swarms refer to multiple spacecraft autonomously coordinating their activities to achieve certain goals. Starling will demonstrate technologies for in-space network communications, onboard relative navigation between spacecraft, autonomous maneuver planning and execution, and distributed spacecraft autonomy — an experiment for small spacecraft to autonomously react to observations, paving the way for future science missions.

• Space Flight Laboratory (SFL)
  Space Flight Laboratory (SFL) selected Rocket Lab to launch Telesat’s LEO 3 demonstration satellite that will provide continuity for customer and ecosystem vendor testing campaigns following the decommissioning of Telesat’s Phase 1 LEO satellite.

• Spire Global
  Spire will launch two 3U satellites carrying Global Navigation Satellite System Radio Occultation (GNSS-RO) payloads to replenish its fully deployed constellation of more than 100 multipurpose satellites. Spire’s satellites observe the Earth in real time using radio frequency technology. The data acquired by Spire’s GNSS-RO payloads provide global weather intelligence that can be assimilated into weather models to improve the accuracy of forecasts. Spire is the largest producer of GNSS-RO weather data, collecting over 20,000 RO profiles a day.

“This mission demonstrates Rocket Lab’s ability to provide responsive space capabilities on accelerated timelines by making access to space possible for customers when they run into roadblocks. Electron is the world’s most reliable small launch vehicle and is demonstrating it can deliver customer’s payloads on their schedule.” — Peter Beck, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Rocket Lab

Mynaric (NASDAQ: MYNA) (FRA: M0YN), a provider of industrialized, cost-effective and scalable laser communications products, announced that it has been selected by Raytheon Technologies to supply optical communications terminals for the Space Development Agency (SDA) Tranche 1 Tracking Layer program. Raytheon Technologies was awarded the seven-vehicle mission satellite constellation in February 2023. Each satellite will feature three optical communications terminals, and a Ka-band, multi-beam payload for communications. Mynaric will supply 21 CONDOR Mk3 terminals to Raytheon for the program with the product deliveries expected in 2024. 

“This critical mission demands the very best in technology to ensure our nation’s security. Mynaric’s solution will enable us to achieve unparallel levels of data transmission and enhance our capabilities to protect and defend,” said Dave Broadbent, president of Space & C2 at Raytheon Intelligence & Space.  

The Tranche 1 Tracking Layer will detect, identify, and track hypersonic weapons and other advanced missiles from their earliest stages of launch through interception. Once fully deployed, the low-Earth orbit constellation of networked satellites will become the fifth plane of satellites providing missile warning and tracking for the U.S. Department of Defense. The program is a key element of the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture. 

“Our entire team is proud to support Raytheon Technologies and the SDA on this critical national defense program,” said Tina Ghataore, Chief Commercial Officer for Mynaric. “We have signaled to the market that our team works collaboratively with our customers to deliver industry-leading products that meet the SDA standards and requirements for interoperability.” 

Mynaric will also supply optical communications terminals to the 14 satellites developed by Northrop Grumman for the Tranche 1 Tracking Layer program. 

Mynaric’s CONDOR family of optical communications terminals is specifically designed for mass deployment as part of government and commercial satellite constellations. It has previously been selected by Northrop Grumman for the SDA’s Tranche 1 Transport Layer program, by Loft Federal for SDA’s Experimental Testbed NExT, by Telesat for the DARPA Blackjack program and others. In addition, Mynaric was named a key development partner for Phase 1 of DARPA’s Space-BACN program, was selected by the European Space Agency (ESA) to investigate optical technologies for next generation high-throughput optical inter-satellite links and was selected by the German government for multiple projects to develop quantum communication capabilities.   

Rocket Lab USA, Inc. (Nasdaq: RKLB), a global provider of launch services and space systems, announced that it has signed a dedicated launch agreement with Spire Global (NYSE: SPIR) (“Spire”) to deliver its first four Space Situational Awareness (SSA) satellites to low Earth orbit for its Space Services customer NorthStar Earth & Space Inc. (“NorthStar”).

The dedicated mission on Electron will deploy the satellites to a 530km circular orbit from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand during a launch window that opens in September 2023. To meet NorthStar’s program requirements, Spire has selected Rocket Lab to launch the satellites on an accelerated timeline within five months of contract signing. Spire has previously launched with Rocket Lab on Electron’s first two commercial missions, Still Testing and Its Business Time, in 2018.

NorthStar, headquartered in Montreal, Canada, is the first commercial SSA service provider to actively scan and monitor space from space. NorthStar’s block of four satellites, built and operated by Spire, will be the first to simultaneously monitor all near-Earth orbits from space, delivering a radically enhanced level of SSA services to the global satellite community, with timely and precise information for space object detection, tracking, orbit determination, collision avoidance, navigation, and proximity alerts.

Rocket Lab founder and CEO, Peter Beck, said, “As with all satellite constellations, the precise placement of the first satellites for a particular mission is critical to the constellation’s future success. With Electron’s agility, reliability, and proven precision to place satellites exactly where they need to go, dedicated missions like this one for Spire and NorthStar are our bread and butter. Space debris is a global issue and the responsibility of all space users, so it’s great to be supporting a mission with a focus on making Earth’s orbit safer for everyone.”

This mission was originally manifested to launch with a now defunct launch provider but has been added to Rocket Lab’s 2023 launch manifest to provide an expedited launch, demonstrating Rocket Lab’s proven flexible and responsive launch capability.

Stewart Bain, CEO of NorthStar added, “With the untimely setback in launch services, maintaining NorthStar’s plan to launch this year had presented an exceptional challenge. But we are confident that we have found an excellent, proven launch specialist in Rocket Lab. We recognize the highly effective effort from both Spire Global and Rocket Lab to preserve our plans to make a meaningful contribution to the safety and sustainability of space by launching our unique services this fall.”

Frank Frulio, general manager of Spire Space Services, concluded, “We developed the Space as a Service model to take the previously prohibitive cost, complexity, and risk out of the equation. This allows innovative companies like NorthStar to develop and deploy cutting edge solutions from the vantage point of space, focusing on solving some of the most significant problems we face today. Rocket Lab offers the flexibility of a dedicated launch that meets the requirements of NorthStar’s mission, giving us the ability to launch the satellites on our timeline and to the exact orbit needed.”

Rivada Space Networks (RSN) and Artel LLC have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and Master Services Agreement (MSA) to bring a new level of high security and low latency satellite communications to government markets through LEO constellations.

Artel LLC provides secure network communication services to U.S. Government (USG) agencies. Based in the U.S, Artel is a carrier-agnostic, network integrator and that allows the company to develop customized solutions for customers, providing cost-effective, on-time delivery of global terrestrial and satellite network communication services, cyber security, risk management, and information technology solutions.

Rivada’s first-of-its-kind, LEO constellation will offer access to a secure satellite network with pole-to-pole reach, offering end-to-end latencies similar to, or better than, terrestrial fiber. The RSN satellite architecture combines inter-satellite laser links with advanced onboard data routers to create an optical mesh network in space. This approach to “orbital networking” delivers a highly secure data network by routing traffic on a physically separated network, providing a layer of defense for any organization that needs to securely share data over long distances. It is a unique capability for operations in the government services, enterprise, telecom, maritime and energy markets.

Artel is already using first generation LEO constellations to deliver secure, government communications. In anticipation of the USG’s requirements to make use of advanced LEO systems, Artel will now work with Rivada to ensure the latest innovation in secure space architecture is available for mission critical connectivity.

“We are committed to delivering state-of-the-art technology solutions to the US Government. The Rivada constellation brings a new level of security, performance and global reach that will enable our customers to not only expand their current networks but also address new market opportunities. We are excited to partner with RSN to provide the next generation of secure connectivity.” — Ed Spitler, Head of Satcoms Programs, Artel

“Rivada has a long history of providing mission critical communications, including deploying an emergency network for first responders in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in Louisiana. Now with the advanced capabilities of our LEO satellite constellation, where data travels through space alone, we are building something unique, which we call the ‘OuterNET.’ This new, real private network will provide ultra secure, highly reliable low latency communications anywhere on the globe. And with our manufacturing and launch-services agreements in place, we are moving ahead at full speed to provide our partners with our ground-breaking constellation.” — Declan Ganley, CEO, Rivada Space Networks

EnduroSat’s Balkan Constellation has been selected by ESA and the European Union (EU) for the Copernicus Contributing missions.

The Balkan Constellation is another step in EnduroSat’s mission of making space data universally accessible.

The Balkan Constellation’s 120 smallsats will provide the Balkans and the EU with unprecedented visit time, real-time cloud-based monitoring services, and AI-powered detection. The provided space data will accelerate access to maritime surveillance, humanitarian, and ecological support, as well as environmental monitoring.

Balkan-01 is a 16U smallsat, equipped with a cutting-edge, multispectral camera. The onboard processing of deep neural networks will enable new use cases for imagery analytics. The first satellite is scheduled for launch in Q2 of 2024.

“We are honored to initiate this partnership with ESA and EU. We have been investing significant time and efforts to democratize access to space data and the Balkan Constellation is another step toward accomplishing our vision. Helping to build competitive Balkan space activities that contribute to the success of the Copernicus Program is a must for the future of the European space sector.” — Raycho Raychev, Founder and CEO, EnduroSat.

Earth Observation (EO) company Kuva Space has been awarded a five-year commercial contract worth 5 million euros to be the world’s sole provider of hyperspectral data services for the European Commission’s Copernicus Contributing Missions (CCM) program.

Selected by the European Space Agency, Kuva Space will demonstrate its proprietary technological capabilities to monitor farming and aquaculture crops, forests, methane release, and harmful algae blooms in seas and coastal areas. Kuva Space’s hyperspectral data services will facilitate the development of new and accurate commercial services for Copernicus users and beyond, helping them make financially smarter and environmentally responsible decisions related to global issues like food security, carbon capture, and safety and security.

Kuva Space’s commercial smallsat constellation, equipped with a patented hyperspectral camera, can capture scientific-grade data on details like crop types and their health, soil conditions, biomass, biodiversity, and marine chemical pollutants, at scale. Leveraging its AI-driven analytics platform, Kuva Space transforms the collected data into actionable insights, empowering users to monitor, identify, and forecast changes and their impact in near real time.

The availability and usage of hyperspectral data has previously been limited or non-existent in EO. With near real-time hyperspectral data, industries such as agriculture, insurance and finance, carbon and environment, and safety and security get access to reliable, verifiable and robust insights when making decisions.

For example, farmers worldwide are facing increased vulnerability due to extreme weather conditions. Kuva Space’s hyperspectral imaging can detect subtle changes in crop health, enabling early disease detection, pest management, stress assessment, and damage evaluation with daily measurements. This contributes to enhancing food security and productivity, particularly in developing countries that require crop insurance policies based on accurate and rapid “proof-of-loss” assessments. Moreover, the data services provided by Kuva Space can facilitate effective crop trading with timely and up-to-date forecasts when setting prices to trade.

Another example is in the carbon credit market, which is expected to grow to around $250 billion by 2050. Kuva Space can offer frequent hyperspectral measurements that can unlock the potential of blue carbon capture (carbon captured by the world’s ocean and coastal ecosystems) and agricultural offsets. By capturing data frequently, changes in carbon stocks, vegetation health, and ecosystem dynamics can be tracked over time.

Kuva Space will launch its Hyperfield-1 smallsat in November of 2023 before launching four, Gen2 smallsats in 2024. This will mark the initial stage of Kuva Space’s planned constellation, which aims to eventually deploy as many as 100 satellites by 2030 to measure the material composition of any target on Earth sub daily, heightening society’s ability to meet climate and safety and security challenges.

With local representation in Finland, Japan, Belgium, the USA, and the UK, Kuva Space has raised 6.5 million euros in total funding from Reaktor Ventures, Voima Ventures, Nordic Foodtech VC, VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, and public funding from ESA Philab and Business Finland. The company is currently raising its Series A round.

“We are honored to have been awarded this opportunity to bring our unique hyperspectral innovation and expertise to the esteemed Copernicus community. We look forward to closely collaborating with European Space Agency experts to validate our data quality and capabilities. This program represents a remarkable opportunity to help shape the high standard for hyperspectral data services within the EU and globally. The economic viability of generating continuous, reliable, and affordable hyperspectral data has been hindered by the large size and high costs associated with massive spaceborne hyperspectral instruments. However, Kuva Space’s compact, innovative space and hyperspectral camera technology have overcome these challenges. We are seriously committed to improving life on Earth.” — Jarkko Antila, CEO of Kuva Space

“With a time-series view of the coastal and marine ecosystems and agricultural landscapes, we bring accountability, trust and pricing transparency to the entire market and fuel its growth.” — Tuomas Tikka, CTO and Co-Founder, Kuva Space