Archives for June 2023

HOTSAT-1 (photo above), the first satellite in the planned constellation to be launched by SatVu, launched with SpaceX from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on June 12th and now on-orbit and initial communication with the satellite has been established.

SatVu’s space-enabled climate technology will provide valuable and unique insight into economic activity and energy efficiency for a range of industries aligning with global Net Zero goals. SatVu has already secured customer commitments through its Early Access Option Program (EAP) valued at over £128 million ($160 million).

Designed and manufactured in the UK in partnership with Surrey Satellite Technologies (SSTL), the teams incorporated thermal imaging technology into the design of HOTSAT-1.

The Fieldfisher team was led by John Worthy, partner and head of Fieldfisher’s Space Projects group, supported by Senior Associate Alex Harbin and other members of the firm’s Space Projects group.

HOTSAT-1 will offer substantial cost-saving energy efficiency benefits to the public and private sectors. As satellite data already contributes to 50% of all climate change metrics, the addition of SatVu’s infrared dataset will be a game-changer in monitoring the impact of human activity on the planet. From assessing heat loss in structures, to measuring energy efficiency, HOTSAT-1’s geospatial data will empower strategic planning to expedite the journey towards decarbonization globally. After successful completion of the commissioning process, SatVu expects to receive first images in July and start commercial operations in October.

HOTSAT-1 offers 3.5 meter resolution and excellent video capability, all the while maintaining a sensitivity of less than 2 degrees Celsius. This satellite video generation capability enables the detection of highly dynamic features and the creation of 3D profiles, facilitating a multitude of applications. From mitigating the effects of heat islands in urban centers to monitoring industrial processes, waterway pollution, ensuring energy efficiency, and assessing the health of solar farms, HOTSAT-1 is set to work with industries across the globe.

This successful launch follows SatVu’s recent news regarding the successful completion of the firm’s A2 funding round, where they raised £12.7 million. The company is now poised to reach their next commercial milestone, which will unlock new investment opportunities in their highly anticipated series B round.

“We are delighted to have supported SatVu in creating the platform for such a valuable contribution to managing thermal emissions and delivering NetZero. It is always exciting working with clients delivering innovative solutions from space to some of the major challenges facing the earth today. At a time when climate change and environmental issues are in the headlines every day, we see many more opportunities for companies with world-leading technologies, such as SatVu, to help address these vital areas.” — John Worthy, Partner and Head of Fieldfisher’s Space Projects Group

“It’s a delight working with John and the Space Projects Group and it’s a pleasure to share our successes with our partners, without whom, we wouldn’t be where we are now.” — Anthony Baker, CEO and Founder, SatVu

The Canadian Space Agency (CSA) has awarded nine grants representing $3.15 million under the CubeSats Initiative in Canada for STEM (CUBICS) to Canadian post-secondary institutions to advance space science and technology while training the next generation of space experts.

This initiative builds on the success of the Canadian CubeSat Project, which had a third launch of miniature satellites on June 5. 

Once tested and ready for space, the CubeSats were launched to, and deployed, from the ISS.

CUBICS gives students the unique opportunity to design, build, test, launch and operate their own miniature satellite — a CubeSat.

CSA experts will guide the teams as they plan and prepare their missions. Throughout the project, CSA experts, as well as representatives from the Canadian space industry, guide professors and students to optimize the success of each mission.

This unique hands-on experience provides students with the opportunity to acquire expertise in a wide variety of areas, ranging from science and technology to communicating their work to the public, and developing invaluable skills that will prepare them to become Canada’s next generation of space innovators.

The student teams will then operate their satellites and conduct science according to the objectives of their missions, which could last up to 12 months.

A satellite created with the help of Terran Orbital Corporation’s (NYSE: LLAP) Italian subsidiary, Tyvak International, was successfully launched on June 12th from Vandenberg SFB as part of the SpaceX Transporter-8 mission, carrying Pope Francis’s iconic “Statis Orbis” coronavirus pandemic prayer heavenward.

The Polytechnic University of Turin (PoliTO) CubeSat Team and DIANA Robotics Team designed the 3U CubeSat spacecraft for the papal Spei Satelles, or Satellites of Hope, space mission.

A technical team from Tyvak International, Terran Orbital’s Turin, Italy, subsidiary, supervised and supported the students’ six-month project to develop the satellite, which will operate from LEO. The Project has been promoted by the Dicastery for Communication of the Holy See in unity with the Pope, together with the Italian Space Agency.

Spei Satelles contains a nanobook, a 2-millimeter by 2-millimeter, 0.2-millimeter-thick silicon slab fabricated by the Institute of Photonics and Nanotechnology of the National Research Council of Italy. The book contains images and readings associated with Pope Francis’s famous March 27, 2020, public prayer. That March night, a solemn, solitary Pope Francis slowly ascended the steps of St. Peter’s Basilica in the rain before hoisting a cross above his head beneath a white canopy.

He encouraged the world to stay strong with a prayer delivered before an empty square that typically draws tens of thousands of people for papal speeches. In the viral speech, the pope called for humanity to unite to fight the pandemic with “the strength of faith, which frees us from fear and gives us hope.”

Now, the Spei Satelles mission will transmit Pope Francis’s messages of hope and unity in 437.5 MHz, a UHF amateur satellite band, during the satellite’s stay in sun-synchronous orbit 525 kilometers above Earth. Tyvak International includes several PoliTO alumni, who learned how to design, launch and operate nanosatellites in the same CubeSat Team Lab where they recently worked closely with the next generation of spacecraft engineers.

“It’s a huge honor for our company to be part of this historical and inspirational papal space mission. We’ve encouraged the passion and dedication of a new generation of space enthusiasts, while spreading a message of unity and hope.”
— Fabio Nichele, CEO of Tyvak International

“We are grateful to the Tyvak International team for their invaluable contribution to the development of Spei Satelles. Our students have been supported by incredible engineers, who shared their unique background on small satellites, making this experience a perfect example of a successful collaboration between industry and academia.”
— Sabrina Corpino, a PoliTO professor and project manager for the Spei Satelles mission

FOSSA Systems‘ new LEO satellites, launched on June the 12th from Vandenberg Air Force Base to an altitude of 537 km, represent a breakthrough for satellite IoT, according to the company, due to the features and functionalities they incorporate — the new platform developed by FOSSA provides a considerable increase in capabilities over its predecessors in terms of power generation and capacity.

One of the main features of the FOSSASat-FEROX design is optimization; its high surface-to-volume ratio allows several satellites to be launched stacked in the same space as a larger satellite, yet still achieve similar performance to those satellites (up to 12U), but focused on communications, IoT and electromagnetic signal detection (SIGINT, signal intelligence)).

The FOSSASat-FEROX have established contact and the FOSSA team will start the commissioning period during the coming weeks — all of the necessary tests will be carried out to confirm the proper functioning of all subsystems.

After the launch, the first one in 2023, the Spanish startup expects to soon start deploying new batches of satellites in bulk to complete the first phase of its 80 satellite constellation that will provide its end-to-end service of IoT solutions to monitor all types of industrial assets and infrastructure in remote or difficult-to-access areas. FOSSA is currently carrying out pilot projects in the infrastructure, Oil & Gas, Utilities, Defence and Security and AgroTech sectors, among others.

With the launch of this new satellite platform, FOSSA Systems is once again positioning itself as a pioneer with its disruptive technology in global IoT connectivity services. This is a growing market, which currently has 10 billion connected devices that will grow to more than 25 billion by 2025 and, according to IoT Analytics forecasts, the market will reach $525 billion by 2027.

Designed and assembled at FOSSA’s headquarters in Madrid, they measure 60 x 20 x 2.5 cm when unfolded and have a mass of 2 kg. Like FOSSA’s other 13 smallsats, the new platforms will orbit the Earth approximately 15 times a day, allowing a single satellite to provide global coverage, anywhere on the planet.

FOSSA Systems is a Spanish startup specialized in the provision of dedicated space services and comprehensive IoT solutions. FOSSA offers turnkey solutions for companies and institutions of any size, enabling the monitoring of assets and infrastructure regardless of their location. FOSSA has verticalized the satellite manufacturing process, space operations and ground station services, and has launched 17 satellites into orbit since 2022. FOSSA is a pioneer in a market that currently has 10 billion connected devices and expects to surpass the 25 billion milestone by 2025.

Tomorrow.io has launched the firm’s R-2 satellite from Vandenberg SFB as a payload with the SpaceX Transporter-8 mission and has also completed their $87 million Series E funding, led by Activate Capital.

New investors as part of the round also include RTX Ventures, Seraphim, Chemonics, in addition to existing investors SquarePeg Capital, Canaan, ClearVision, JetBlue Ventures, and Pitango.

Formed in 2016, Tomorrow.io’s mission is to help every person, business and government solve their weather and climate-related challenges. So far this year, the company has already made two significant announcements, including the successful launch of the world’s first commercially built satellites carrying a Ka-band weather radar as well as the industry’s first weather and climate generative AI, nicknamed “Gale.”

Prior to launching the R-1 and R-2 satellites, the only precipitation radar-equipped satellite on-orbit was NASA’s GPM Satellite. The satellites are now delivering initial samples of what would be the world’s richest and most comprehensive precipitation dataset, with 10 times the revisit rate relative to current state-of-the-art, directly into Tomorrow.io’s observation and modeling functions.

Tomorrow.io will continue launching a combination of the firm’s radars and microwave sounders over the next 18 to 24 months to complete a constellation of more than 20 total satellites in LEO, bringing about a step function improvement to weather forecasting for every person, business, government, and location on earth including over the oceans.

Leading the way in generative AI, Tomorrow.io also unveiled Gale earlier this year, and while the ability to effortlessly convert climate and weather data into predictive and actionable insights has been noteworthy, Gale’s advantage comes from its unique dataset via Tomorrow.io satellites, of which Tomorrow.io’s AI is the only one in the world with access to the data.

Supercharged by nexgen space technology, cutting-edge generative AI, and proprietary modeling capabilities, global leaders including JetBlue, FoxSports, The United States Air Force, Ford, and Uber, all of whom rely on Tomorrow.io on a daily basis. From innovative early warning systems to actionable insights, organizations can predict impact, mitigate risk, and ensure operational resilience from high impact weather with Tomorrow.io.

Tomorrow.io’s Series E funding will be used to accelerate the completion of its full constellation, consisting of radar-equipped satellites and microwave sounders. In addition to its space program, Tomorrow.io will allocate funding to specific strategic initiatives to continue on its monumental mission helping all of humanity adapt to the future of our planet, as recently highlighted in the documentary, 6 Years to Launch.

“We believe Tomorrow.io’s vertically integrated approach and satellite constellation will accelerate a paradigm shift in how millions around the globe use weather to adapt to the impacts of an evolving climate.” — Jon Guerster, Partner, Activate Capital.

“Through previous collaborations with Tomorrow.io, we’ve seen firsthand the strength of their capabilities and dedication of their people. Building upon the work we’ve already done together will allow us to continue developing the weather and climate technology the world needs right now.”
— Daniel Ateya, President & Managing Director, RTX Ventures

Another Skykraft prototype Air Traffic Management satellite stack lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on June 12, 2023, as a payload aboard the Transporter-8 mission.

This is the second launch for 2023 and is part of a program of planned launches that will support Skykraft’s collaboration with Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSPs) on a space-based solution to track aircraft and provide global communications between pilots and air traffic controllers, regardless of aircraft location.

Skykraft’s Air Traffic Management technology paves the way for a new era of services that will transform how the aviation industry operates, improving safety, reducing fuel costs and contributing significantly to reducing the environmental impact of air transport.

This launch again showcases Skykraft’s in-house, advanced manufacturing capabilities, which have passed the rigorous quality requirements for integration this SpaceX mission. Skykraft’s in-house advanced manufacturing is part of a commitment to minimize capital costs while maximizing performance, to drive competitive pricing in space-based services such as Air Traffic Management.

Skykraft’s Air Traffic Management Constellation will grow consistently over the coming years to provide redundant global coverage, with an average of more than seven satellites within range of an aircraft at anytime, anywhere in the world.

Skykraft is an Australian space services company based in the ACT that specializes in the design, manufacture and operation of satellite constellations for the delivery of global services. Skykraft was established in 2017 as a spin-off company from UNSW Canberra and now employs more than 40 staff across a range disciplines. Skykraft’s manufacturing facility was opened in March 2022 and is located in the centre of Canberra as part of the UNSW Canberra Launch innovation hub.

Marlink, the smart network and digital solutions company, is enabling Japanese shipping company Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) to evaluate the impact of LEO internet services on business sustainability and crew welfare.

Under an agreement struck at the end of 2022, the leading Japanese shipping company will assess past, present and future user experiences and explore access how internet access can contribute to the company’s crew recruitment and retention strategy, using the low-latency Starlink service within Marlink’s smart hybrid network solution.

MOL is using Starlink’s LEO solution onboard its fleet of car carriers to provide an additional layer of high-speed connectivity across its fleet, which Marlink has combined with Sealink VSAT and L-band backup to create a next-generation hybrid network solution, controlled and monitored by Marlink’s XChange management platform. Starlink’s LEO service forms an integral part of Marlink’s hybrid network solution, designed to provide a reliable Committed Information Rate (CIR) in combination with unparalleled Maximum Information Rate (MIR) performance.

As a provider of a modern, global fleet of car carriers, MOL will study internet usage patterns at sea and identify future needs through surveys of crew members to assess the added value of LEO internet services. The Future Illustration Project will examine, among other subjects, how Marlink’s unique network solution can enhance operational safety and boost information transparency for all crew members through better access to social networks, applications, chat tools and the MOL intranet.

“Despite the advances in ship technology and navigation, seafarers have faced persistent challenges in communication and connectivity at both their work and life.” said Ryusuke Kimura, Chief Digital Information Officer, MOL. “MOL firmly believes that ensuring reliable and efficient communication infrastructure on ships not only enhances the recruitment and retention of proficient crew members but also paves the way for seamless digital transformations that revolutionize the industry.”

“The availability of high bandwidth, low latency internet access will enable the crew to access social media, entertainment services or improve the quality of video calls to keep in touch with friends and family at any private time,” said Tore Morten Olsen, President Maritime, Marlink. “MOL will not only benefit from a more qualified and motivated crew but will also be able to use the higher bandwidth provided to optimise digital tools and operational processes to remain compliant with shipping operations in transition to a zero-carbon economy.”