Archives for August 2023

OneWeb Technologies has been awarded a Commercial Satellite Communications Proliferated Low Earth Orbit (p-LEO) contract from the U.S. Space Force (USSF), Space Systems Command (SSC), Commercial Space Office (CSO), and Commercial Satellite Communications Office (CSCO) — this 10-year, p-LEO contract has a $900 million dollar ceiling.

This significant achievement solidifies OneWeb Technologies’ position as a trusted government solutions partner and a leading provider of LEO satellite services.

The DoD’s use of commercial satellite communications (COMSATCOM) bandwidth is managed by SSC’s CSCO. Under the DoD’s acquisition plan, the CSCO ensures the needs of various U.S. military organizations and DoD customers are met by matching them with COMSATCOM bandwidth and services.

OneWeb Technologies is among a limited number of LEO satellite solutions providers selected to receive the p-LEO award contract, and one of only two very small aperture terminal (VSAT) data LEO satellite service providers currently offering live services.

OneWeb Technologies is committed to transforming the communications landscape and enabling connectivity data security, velocity, and surety solutions that meet the evolving needs of government and enterprise users. OneWeb Technologies is also committed to developing and delivering customized solutions that fit its customers’ precise needs. In addition to becoming a prime p-LEO award contractor, OneWeb Technologies is well positioned to collaborate with the many GEO operators that may also be awarded a p-LEO contract.

“This p-LEO opportunity underscores OneWeb Technologies’ COMSATCOM capabilities and recognizes the company’s exceptional technology offering for the U.S. government. Accurate, expeditious information is fundamental for U.S. government decision making, as well as for our friends and allies. OneWeb’s constellation helps get the right information to the right people, at the right time.” — Sue Gordon, Chairperson of the OneWeb Technologies Proxy Board and former U.S. Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence

“OneWeb Technologies aims to simplify satellite communications for enterprise and government users by moving their data in bulk – more rapidly, reliably, and securely. Our solutions make this possible for our customers by harnessing the powerful OneWeb constellation, enhanced through a diverse portfolio of equipment, like-minded partnerships, and services. Our team couldn’t be more excited to support the secure global communications needs of the U.S. Space Force.” — Kevin Steen, CEO of OneWeb Technologies

 Hughes Network Systems, LLC (HUGHES), an EchoStar company (Nasdaq: SATS), has been awarded a five-year, Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract by the U.S. Space Force (USSF) for proliferated LEO satellite-based services.

Under the IDIQ vehicle, valued at up to $900 million, U.S. Department of Defense, other federal agencies and international coalition partners can procure fully managed, low-latency. LEO services from Hughes leveraging capacity on two constellations: OneWeb and EchoStar Lyra.  

Hughes previously announced a distribution agreement with OneWeb Technologies Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of OneWeb, to deliver managed, wideband LEO services to the DoD; those services are now available under the IDIQ and the GSA Schedule. Also available under the IDIQ are narrowband services over the EchoStar Lyra constellation, the system that EchoStar, parent company of Hughes, is developing for Internet of Things (IoT) connectivity and ongoing market development that includes 5G, non-terrestrial networks (NTN).  

“As government and defense agencies explore the power and potential of LEO services in delivering capabilities to the warfighter faster and at lower cost, we’re proud to offer not one, but two compelling solutions. Our OneWeb offering – with our low-power, light-weight, flat panel antenna – and our next-generation EchoStar Lyra S-band IoT system position us to deliver customers in the DoD and federal government robust and resilient low-latency connectivity at a competitive price.”  — Leslie Blaker-Glass, Vice President, Hughes

“These important LEO capabilities will give the DoD cost-effective solutions and added reliability and resiliency in satellite communications across all domains and we look forward to addressing upcoming requirements for procurement of these services.” — Rick Lober, Vice President and General Manager, Defense and Government Systems Division, Hughes. 

Satellogic Inc. (NASDAQ: SATL) has signed an agreement with Quant Data & Analytics (“Quant”) — this strategic agreement leverages Satellogic’s high-resolution satellite imagery to serve and evolve the ever-expanding property tech landscape across the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Gulf region.

Quant’s collaboration with Satellogic will lead to the development of derivative products, transforming and broadening the adoption of data science, AI, and SaaS products for real estate and retail. Satellogic’s flexible and scalable business model will support Quant’s Suhail platform, an interactive real estate tool for agencies, developers, and clients. The agreement will empower the Saudi Arabian and Gulf region’s real estate and retail sector by delivering AI solutions and unparalleled insights, accuracy, and efficiency for driving growth and enhancing decision-making processes.

This collaboration is timely, coinciding with increased Saudi government investment in infrastructure to stimulate tourism, residential, and commercial real estate developments. Leveraging Satellogic’s high-resolution EO satellite constellation, the agreement will enable monitoring of rapid urban development and compliance with environmental and zoning regulations, enhancing competitiveness in the high growth market.

By harnessing the power of satellite imagery, Quant is laying the foundation for a futuristic approach to data-led development, monitoring, and decision-making. This collaboration promises to be a game-changer in using big data to make transformative impacts on real estate, retail and beyond.

“Our collaboration with Satellogic marks a momentous advancement in data analytics for our region. The integration of high-resolution satellite imagery with our AI and geospatial technologies elevates our interactive real estate platform, Suhail, and Location Intelligence tool powered by Fruits360 to unprecedented levels. This strategy resonates with our vision of a data-driven global economy and fulfills our goal to spread, implement, and automate data-led solutions.” — Ahmed Bukhamseen, CEO, Quant Data & Analytics

“Quant is redefining the future of real estate and retail, creating opportunities for evolving processes such as property valuations and insurance underwriting. They needed an Earth Observation data provider capable of delivering high capacity, high resolution, and frequent revisits at an attainable price. This relationship illustrates the potential of Satellogic’s Earth Observation business model.” — Caitlin Kontgis, Senior Vice President of Commercial and Growth, Satellogic

Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC) has been selected by the Space Development Agency (SDA) to design and build 36 data transport satellites, the first space vehicles in the latest generation of the agency’s Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture (PWSA) — the team will now update the company’s Tranche 1 design to add new broadcast and Tactical Communication capabilities to PWSA.

The satellites will integrate with, and expand, the PWSA mesh network, using high-data-capacity optical crosslinks to deliver accessible, near-real time communications to U.S. warfighters and defensive platforms operating around the globe.

The design for this latest iteration, known as Tranche 2 Transport Layer Beta (T2TL Beta), builds on the 42 Tranche 1 Transport Layer (T1TL) and 14 Tranche 1 Tracking Layer (T1TRK) satellites that SDA previously announced the agency had awarded Northrop Grumman. The T2TL Beta space vehicles add new broadcast and tactical waveforms improving the capabilities of the overall PWSA.

Northrop Grumman announced in April it had completed Critical Design Review (CDR) on its T1TL design in just over a year and in May completed optical interoperability testing. The company is on track to launch its first plane of 21 space vehicles in Q4 2024.

“Creating a Low Earth Orbit communications architecture that meets the needs of the warfighter is complex. With Northrop Grumman’s extensive military satellite communication experience and deep mission understanding, we are helping SDA make its vision a reality.” — Blake Bullock, Vice President, communication systems, Northrop Grumman

Spire Global, Inc. (NYSE: SPIR) has been awarded a $6.5 million, 12 month contract renewal to continue participation in NASA’s Commercial Smallsat Data Acquisition (CSDA) Program — the contract represents a $500,000 increase from the previous award of $6 million in June of 2022. 

Spire will continue to deliver its comprehensive catalog of Earth Observation (EO) data, associated metadata and ancillary information from its fully deployed satellite constellation to the Agency. Through the contract renewal, data collected and shared will include, but is not limited to:  

• GNSS radio occultation (GNSS-RO) soundings, which can be assimilated into weather models to improve global weather forecasting accuracy
• GNSS Reflectometry data (GNSS-R) to measure sea ice, soil moisture and ocean surface wind speed
• Space weather measurements of electron density and scintillation to monitor the ionosphere and prepare for and react to weather events in space
• Satellite state vector, altitude and precise orbit determination data to correct errors in orbital drag models
• Magnetometer observations 

As one of the original vendors for the CSDA Program, Spire has provided EO data to NASA’s CSDA Program since 2018. With this contract extension, Spire’s comprehensive data will be available to all U.S. Government-funded research and federal agencies for scientific purposes.

Spire will provide rolling access to 12 months of GNSS science data with a 30 day latency. Federal agencies and U.S. government-funded researchers can request access to the data via the CSDA Program’s commercial datasets webpage. 

“The CSDA Program provides essential Earth observation data that plays a vital role in addressing key challenges faced by U.S. government agencies and researchers, including climate change. This program exemplifies the power of collaboration between the private and public sectors in expediting our journey towards constructing a stronger and more sustainable future.” — Chuck Cash, Vice President of Federal Sales at Spire

“These GNSS-derived data are important to our understanding of the Earth system – both the surface and the atmosphere. When combined with data from traditional sources, these commercial data broaden our coverage of the Earth in both space and time. This allows us to have a more complete picture of the Earth system, which is fundamental for improving our understanding.” — Will McCarty, NASA CSDA Program Scientist. 

The Space Development Agency (SDA) has awarded Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) a firm-fixed price agreement valued at approximately $816 million to build 36 Tranche 2 Transport Layer (T2TL) Beta satellites. T2TL is part of an overarching plan to strengthen deterrence with more resilient space architectures for beyond line-of-sight (BLOS) targeting, data transport, and advanced missile detection and tracking.

The T2TL Beta variant satellites will work in tandem with SDA’s Tranche 1 and Tranche 2 networks. They will advance the initial warfighting capability with targeted technology enhancements, mission-focused payload configurations and increased integration.

Lockheed Martin will deliver advanced technology on its T2TL Beta satellites to enable the proliferated global network and maintain the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture‘s technological and military advantages in space through a hybrid enterprise.

To deliver and innovate at speed and scale, Lockheed Martin recently opened a 20,000 square-foot small satellite processing center that is scaled to efficiently assemble, integrate and test smallsats. The facility, which will house Lockheed Martin’s T1TL and T2TL Beta satellites, features six parallel assembly lines and dedicated test chambers to deliver 180 satellites or more per year to help enable customers’ strategy.

T2TL Beta will consist of 72 satellites and will be deployed into orbit over a series of launches starting in 2026 and will undergo a continuous checkout and commissioning process for acceptance into operations. With this award, Lockheed Martin will deliver at least 88 data communications satellites for SDA’s LEO military constellation. The company’s 10 Tranche 0 Transport Layer (T0TL) satellites will launch in 2023, while its 42 Tranche 1 satellites are in production and on track for a 2024 launch.

“Tranche 2 will significantly enhance our warfighters’ capabilities and establish new levels of resiliency, connectivity, and orbital diversity that are necessary for countering future threats. SDA’s unique acquisition approach expedites the proliferation of this critical technology, and Lockheed Martin’s strategic partnerships with a network of suppliers and small businesses will ensure we’re aligned with SDA’s strategy for accelerated delivery.” — Joe Rickers, Lockheed Martin’s vice president for Protected Communications

Capella Federal, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Capella Space, has received an award for the Proliferated Low Earth Orbit Satellite-Based Services (PLEO) contract through U.S. Space Systems Command (SSC).

With this award, Capella will be able to partner more quickly with SSC and the U.S. Space Force (USSF) to broaden access to global 24/7, all-weather imagery for key missions.

This award makes Capella one of the first commercial EO companies to work with a new government commercial satellite services procurement model intended to leverage advanced, commercial technologies to boost U.S. resilience in space. The period of performance spans five years from July 2023 to July 2028, with an additional five-year option.

The contract was awarded by the U.S. Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) through the Commercial Satellite Communications Office (CSCO), a central marketplace for SATCOM services operated by Space Systems Command (SSC), a field command of the U.S. Space Force.

“As the first American company to own and operate a commercial SAR constellation, we are excited to expand our collaboration with the U.S. government,” said . “Through this award, we will be able to provide more timely, high-resolution SAR data to support U.S. Space Force missions through our rapidly growing constellation.” — Payam Banazadeh, CEO and Founder, Capella Space

E

EM Solutions has successfully completed the first of its system level tests for a transponder developed for Telesat’s LEO 3 demonstration satellite.

Launched on July 18th, the satellite payload features a flexible bent pipe architecture that features Ka- and V-band uplinks as well as downlinking on either Ka- or Q-band. Its compact size, weight and power (SWaP) consumption were tailored for operation on Space Flight Laboratory’s (SFL) DEFIANT platform, a compact smallsat that measures 30x30x45 cm. and weighs 30 kg.

Expanding on EM Solutions’ experience with space flight hardware, the communications payload was designed and manufactured at the company’s Brisbane, Australia, head office. The facility now includes a new ISO7 (Class 10000) clean room, encompassing 100 square meters, new workstation areas and wire bonding machines. 

With a primary focus on SATCOM terminals operating at X- and Ka-bands, EM Solutions has, over the years, demonstrated its agility in leveraging broad microwave experience to produce bespoke products for a range of applications.

“This was a great collective effort by EM Solutions’ design, test and assembly members and the company’s suppliers and customers, SFL and Telesat. The effort was even more significant given the tight schedule and global component shortage issues. We specifically want to thank the National Space Test Facility at the Australian National University for their support in undertaking environmental testing.” We want to continue to leverage the successful research and development efforts in Q and V bands for our most recent satellite transponder payload as we venture into other applications using our substantial expertise in microwave product design and manufacturing.” — Garth Niethe, Chief Engineer at EM Solutions

Recently, the Space Development Agency (SDA) issued awards totaling $1.6 million for a study to be completed over 90 days that will examine and analyze potential, LEO, backhaul capabilities.

This award was received by Aalyria Technologies, Inc. (a spin-off from Google); Kuiper Government Solutions, LLC; and Space Explorations Technology Corp (SpaceX).

The studies will examine connecting commercial or other existing LEO systems to the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture (PWSA) to provide further resiliency by quickly moving broadband data between edge and main networks worldwide and to give the PWSA Transport Layer the greater ability to transmit and receive general, high-bandwidth data across its systems.

These awards were made under the Space Development Agency’s System, Technologies, and Emerging Capabilities (STEC) Broad Agency Announcement that are based on a special notice that was posted in late May of this year by the agency.