The United States Space Force (USSF) Space Systems Command (SSC) Commercial Satellite Communications (COMSATCOM) Office (CSCO) is seeking sources that are capable of supporting a Department of Defense (DoD) effort to launch and maintain communications satellites that allow for greater maneuverability and smaller size than traditional Geostationary Earth Orbit (GEO) satellites.

As the national security of the United States and its mission partners becomes ever more reliant on space-based capabilities, it is necessary to move in the direction of resilient constellations that can offer advanced capabilities.

The SSC CSCO is seeking information for potential sources to provide support for a new class of commercially offered satellite communication services supported by GEO satellites using a constellation of small satellites capable of maneuvering between International Telecommunication Union (ITU) assigned orbital slots in the GEO arc.

Increased maneuverability using decentralized and spatially dispersed smallsats is imperative for the future resilience of both the constellation and the communications support for any user, without impact to existing user equipment and gateways.

In addition to providing a tailored capability statement indication the ability to provide the requested qualifications and services above, interested vendors, under NAICS Code 517410, are asked to submit the following information:

Vendor Information Requested
Name of Business and address
Cage Code
Business Type SB/Large
POC: Name/Phone number/email

Submit your response to the following individuals (include all):

Mr. LaMario Cato, Contracting Officer. Email: LaMario.Cato@spaceforce.mil

Mr. Jesse Guzman, Contract Specialist. Email: jesse.guzman.1@spaceforce.mil

This Sources sought is also posted on GSA under Reference number #RFQ1663982

Capella Space Corporation has named Frank Backes as the company’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) — he will assume his new role on October 23rd — founder and CEO Payam Banazadeh will continue as a Director on the board.

Banazadeh founded the company in 2016 while at Stanford University. During his tenure as CEO, Capella Space raised over $250 million in venture capital, made history by becoming the first American commercial Synthetic-Aperture Radar (SAR) operator, launched 12 high resolution SAR satellites, and grew the firm’s revenue more than 180% (CAGR) since the company began commercial operations in 2021.

Backes joins Capella Space from Kratos Defense and Security Solutions, Inc., where he served as the SVP for federal space and commercial cyber operations for the past six years. Backes brings to Capella Space a deep understanding of the government and defense markets and has proven experience in growing public sector, commercial, and international business.

Backes currently serves as President and Chairman of the Board of Space ISAC, an organization focused on aligning the global space industrial base to enhance its ability to prepare for and respond to emerging threats. He also is a member of the board of Modern Technology Solutions, Inc., an engineering services and technology solutions company focused on the public sector and defense markets.

“In just seven years, Capella grew from an idea to becoming a trusted provider of SAR imagery. The next phase is about harvesting the power of our capability across the many markets that have shown significant demand for our products. Frank is a proven leader with a diverse background in software and hardware across both national security and commercial markets. He understands our customers’ problems and challenges and is the perfect leader to further accelerate our growth by unlocking new opportunities.” — Payam Banazadeh

“I am honored to join Capella Space as CEO and have the opportunity to work each day with a powerhouse team to deliver technology that is truly unparalleled,. Under Payam’s thoughtful, strategic guidance, Capella Space has become the market leader. I am grateful for his leadership and look forward to working with him and the entire Capella Space team to take the company to new heights.” — Frank Backes

Three German companies — Rocket Factory Augsburg (RFA), Yuri, and ATMOS Space Cargo (ATMOS) — have revealed their new partnership as well as the launch of their joint, end-to-end service for microgravity life science research and product development.

This solution represents a flexible alternative to the ISS laboratory and initiates a new generation for microgravity research and, thus, advancement in biotech, life science, and product development worldwide.

In this consortium, Rocket Factory Augsburg is responsible for the entire launch service, including the launch system, infrastructure, outbound logistics, and the operational launch campaign. RFA will be delivering ATMOS Space Cargo’s Phoenix capsule with Yuri’s ScienceTaxi to the precise target orbit in a flexible and low-cost manner.

The company will be responsible for the integration of the Phoenix space capsule onto its RFA ONE launch system while providing late access to the payload.

The launch campaigns are to be carried out from SaxaVord Spaceport (previously known as Shetland Space Center) on Unst, the most northerly of the Shetland Islands in Scotland.

Yuri operates the ScienceTaxi, which will be integrated into the Phoenix capsule by ATMOS Space Cargo. With its groundbreaking life science incubator and bioreactor solutions, Yuri will be responsible for the execution of biotech research and manufacturing in space.

ATMOS Space Cargo is responsible for the re-entry logistics and operating the return mission of the Phoenix return capsule which will be carrying Yuri’s ScienceTaxi. ATMOS will supervise and execute the safe return from LEO to the Azores and carry out the early retrieval of the capsule after landing as well as the recovery mission to the final location.

“With Eva, we will set up a unique global service that will allow breakthrough insights in BioTech and product development. Customers receive a complete solution from three experts in their respective fields, allowing them to focus on their core business. We are also particularly proud to be able to fully map the value chain with our partners in Germany. This is a great sign of German NewSpace Industry capability.” — Jörn Spurmann, CCO at Rocket Factory Augsburg

“In this new era of space exploration and commercialization, Europe and Germany must not only witness, but actively shape the future. With the combined strengths of Rocket Factory Augsburg, ATMOS Space Cargo, and Yuri, we’re not just aiming to level the playing field with the USA; we’re setting our sights on pioneering new frontiers in LEO commercialization. It’s high time Europe takes its rightful place at the forefront of space innovation.” — Maria Birlem, Co-CEO, Yuri

“We are excited to establish the first full end-to-end service for biotech research in microgravity and thus creating new possibilities to utilize space for in-orbit product development. With our partners at Yuri and at the Rocket Factory Augsburg, we will boost the German NewSpace industry to the forefront of Europe’s expertise in space. This will mark the turning point for affordable in-orbit science and a possible role model for the commercialization of space – launch, return, repeat.” — Christian Grimm, Lead Systems Engineer and Co-Founder, ATMOS Space Cargo

Telespazio Germany and Reflex Aerospace have signed a cooperation agreement for a shared provision of an end-to-end satellite solution — this agreement will find the companies pooling their respective expertise in their segment, offering a seamless experience, with Reflex providing its payload specific satellites and Telespazio its ground segment and mission control capabilities, delivered through its EASE-Rise platform.

Once established, following Reflex’s first planned commercial satellite mission in fall of 2024, the end-to-end solution can be used by customers for any number of applications, such as communications or Earth Observation, with both platforms and mission control managed by Reflex and Telespazio Germany.

This company cooperation showcases the strength of German expertise in satellite technology as well as enhances the companies’ combined capabilities, fostering innovation in the aerospace sector. This cooperative effort ensures compatibility and mutual support, streamlining operations and leading to cost-efficiency. Moreover, it helps expand their global reach, positioning both European companies for success in the satellite industry while simultaneously reinforcing the value of German collaboration.

This partnership agreement highlights Reflex’s commitment to using Telespazio as their primary ground segment contractor and partner. Telespazio, in return, commits to supporting Reflex in future projects as a strategic partner for ground solutions and ensuring compatibility of their mission control software with Reflex’s satellites.

“Our partnership with Reflex underscores the importance of German cooperation in the aerospace sector. This collaboration will empower us to pool our resources, expertise, and technology, enabling us to offer cutting-edge solutions that position us as key players in the international satellite industry. We are excited to begin this partnership with Reflex.” — Sigmar Keller, Chief Executive Officer, Telespazio Germany.

“This partnership with Telespazio Germany underscores our commitment to push boundaries and shape the future of technology in orbit. We share a similar mindset of innovation and collaboration. By combining our unique strengths – their ground segment expertise and our revolutionary satellite platforms – we’re affirming our mission: To enable lightning-fast innovation in space.” — Walter Ballheimer, Chief Executive Officer, Reflex Aerospace

Reflex offers customized satellites designed to tackle the most challenging missions. They apply modern manufacturing and a unique design process to every satellite, resulting in enhanced reliability, the highest-performing core avionics in class, and radically improved delivery times.

Telespazio has developed the EASE-Rise platform, which provides monitoring and control capabilities for space data missions including, but not limited to, asset monitoring and control (M&C), mission planning, and flight dynamics.

OQ Technology recently won the Best Satellite IoT Award at the Middle East Technology Excellence Awards 2023 — this award, presented by the Asian Business Review Magazine, recognizes exceptional companies in the region that have pioneered technological innovation in their sectors.

OQ Technology’s comprehensive range of IoT products and services, including their flagship OQ ONE, cater to a broad spectrum of industries, ranging from oil & gas, logistics, and mining, to maritime, relief efforts, government operations, and advanced agriculture and farming. Constructed to exacting standards, OQ Technology’s offerings thrive in even the harshest environments, optimizing productivity and expediting the digitalization of vital applications.

This suite of solutions covers areas such as wellhead monitoring, livestock management, logistics streamlining for prompt cargo movement, and asset tracking across terrestrial and maritime domains. They also pioneer services such as smart metering and facilitating secure, remote financial transactions.

The award was accepted by OQ Technology’s Co-Founder, Mohammed Al Muhairi.

Recently, OQ Technology announced the successful launch of MACSAT aboard Arianespace’s Vega (Mission VV23). This addition propels OQ’s LEO fleet count to 6, with ambitions to expand to 10 by the close of 2023 and 72 satellites by 2025. This crucial advancement promises to bolster both their spaceborne and terrestrial infrastructure while substantially widening satellite coverage. This pivotal milestone reinforces the company’s dominance in cellular Direct-to-Device (D2D) technology as well as promises to drive digital transformation across diverse sectors.

“We are profoundly honored to accept this award, a testament to the tireless efforts and dedication of the OQ team since our inception. Additionally, we wish to extend our heartfelt gratitude to all our esteemed partners, including Saudi Aramco, the Saudi Communication, Space, and Telecommunication Commission, MBRSC, the Luxembourg Government, Luxembourg Space Agency, and ESA.” — Omar Qaise, Founder and CEO, OQ Technology

OQ Technology has announced the recent, successful launch of the company’s new LEO satellite, MACSAT, aboard Arianespace’s Vega (mission VV23).

This pivotal development will strengthen OQ Technology’s space and ground infrastructures, while broadening satellite coverage. The satellite was launched from French Guiana on Sunday, October 8, 2023, and signal was acquired by a ground station in Lithuania.

By deploying the MACSAT satellite and augmenting its existing constellation of five satellites on-orbit, and with an additional four satellites set for a 2023 launch, OQ Technology underscores the deep commitment to the rapidly growing satIoT market. This market is predicted to exhibit a CAGR of 20% from 2023 to 2032, with an expected valuation of US$ 18 billion by 2032. OQ Technology is strategically positioned at the vanguard of this shift, poised to seize a significant market portion and elevate its commercial achievements.

At the heart of this revolution lies the integration of 5G technology with satIoT. This combo heralds remarkable commercial advantages for businesses, governments, organizations, and individuals. OQ Technology has successfully connected cellular IoT devices to LEO satellites. As sectors such as energy, logistics, agriculture, maritime, and telecom firms show increasing interest in satellite cellular IoT solutions, OQ Technology is well positioned to cater to a broad range of clientele during the upcoming year.

“We are immensely proud to unveil the successful launch of the MACSAT satellite. I seize this moment to extend gratitude to the Luxembourg Government and the European Space Agency (ESA) for their unwavering trust and support for this mission. This significant stride will bolster both our space and terrestrial infrastructures, and further our commercial triumphs in the future.” — Omar Qaise, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of OQ Technology

Earth is being continuously bathed in radio signals from satellite navigation (satnav) satellites, which are useful for far more than navigation. Dedicated space missions acquire these signal reflections to collect valuable environmental information. The shoebox-sized PRETTY CubeSat, flying on Europe’s Vega launcher, will investigate a new frequency and novel observation angle to better measure the rate of climate change — at the same time, gathering radiation data on the surrounding space environment.

The PRETTY (Passive REflecTometry and dosimeTrY) mission will peer ahead to the horizon to receive signals from Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) satellites visible just above it. Two patch antennas on its forward face will pick up the same signal from the same satellite, or rather one signal that has reached it through space, and the equivalent signal that has reflected off Earth’s cryosphere or oceans.

Using a highly advanced version of ‘spot the difference,’ PRETTY will compare the twin signals onboard to derive ice and sea height to an accuracy of at least 50 cm from a 550 km orbital altitude.

Meanwhile, a miniaturized dosimeter will be tracking the CubeSat’s ongoing radiation exposure, amassing data which will help ensure the reliability and sustainability of future smallsats.

Environmental data from reflected satnav

ESA radiometer engineer Manuel Martin Neira (photo below) was the original inventor of the GNSS ‘reflectometry’ concept.

This concept is in active use today by numerous missions worldwide to acquire comparatively-low-cost altimetry and scatterometry-based wind and wave data.

Neira explained that PRETTY incorporates some important innovations and said, “Existing reflectometry missions look straight down, but such a vertical geometry gives rise to a very rough sea surface. By peering down at a shallow angle the sea appears smoother – akin to the way that Venetian blinds can variously appear open or closed, depending on the angle that you observe them. The result is that reflected GNSS signals remain more coherent in turn. In addition, PRETTY is making use of a new GNSS frequency for the first time, employing the longer-wavelength E5/L5 as transmitted by European Galileo and US GPS satellites. The PRETTY team made this change late in mission development, guided by ground testing that showed superior accuracy using this frequency band.”

“The custom-made antenna needed for the reflectometry in E5/L5 also enables what is called beam forming, a technique allowing the payload to actively and simultaneously track the direct and reflected signal coming from the GNSS satellites, further increasing the scope of the technology demonstration.” — Camille Pirat, system engineer in ESA’s CubeSat Systems Unit and PRETTY Technical Officer

All-Austrian team

Funded through ESA’s General Support Technology Program by Austria, PRETTY has been developed by an all-Austrian consortium, with Beyond Gravity Austria as prime contractor developing the reflectometry payload.

“Beyond Gravity worked with Manuel to develop the reflectometry processing core being flown on PRETTY through a previous ESA project. Next, we looked for a flight opportunity – initially we hoped for the International Space Station or else to fit aboard the OPS-SAT CubeSat overseen by TU Graz. Then the success of OPS-SAT led us to consider a dedicated CubeSat mission. In fact PRETTY ended up as Beyond Gravity’s first CubeSat. For me, the most scientifically exciting places to observe are going to be the poles, because it’s really there that we’re likely to see the most change in surface height over the planned one-year lifetime of the mission – although in practice we hope to continue for longer.” — Andreas Dielacher, system engineer at Beyond Gravity

Additionally, Seibersdorf Laboratories contributing a radiation dosimeter payload and Technical University of Graz serving as overall system integrator and operator.

Intensive computation

CubeSats are small, inexpensive satellites that are built from standardized 10 cm boxes, hosting all of the necessary necessary systems as well as mission payloads. In PRETTY’s case, the CubeSat’s processing core works in combination with the patch antennas and a software derived radio, offering added flexibility during the post-launch commissioning phase.

“We will actually employ two methods of correlating the original and reflected signals. The first is the standard technique making use of the code embedded in the signal. The second is by making use of the higher-frequency satnav signals themselves, directly comparing their differing signal phases through a method called ‘interferometry.’ This latter method is more computationally demanding, requiring a lot of power and producing waste heat. This being so, we will typically perform two observation sessions of a maximum half an hour each per day, resting in the meantime to downlink results to our ground stations and allow heat to dissipate. And typically we will observe during local twilight or night. Avoiding heat from sunlight gives our receiver a better signal to noise ratio.” — Andreas Johann Hörmer, managing the mission at TU Graz

A scientific consortium is waiting to make use of PRETTY’s altimetry and also scatterometry data, coordinated by Norwegian University of Science and Technology.

Radiation mapper

“Analyzing observed radiation effects using SATDOS enables us to make informed assessments of ongoing space weather and the reliability of satellite electronics – thereby contributing to the sustainability of future space missions, especially smaller ones.” — Christoph Tscherne, PRETTY project manager at Seibersdorf Laboratories

PRETTY has been supported through the Fly element of ESA’s GSTP, aiming to provide early space testing of innovative technologies.

Open Cosmos and the European Space Agency (ESA) have announced plans for the launch of the MANTIS satellite aboard the upcoming SpaceX Transporter-9 mission — this mission was arranged jointly by SAB Launch Services and Exolaunch.

MANTIS was successfully integrated with its EXOpod Nova deployment system in Berlin, provided by Exolaunch as part of their mission management and integration service, prior to completing its integrations with SpaceX’s Falcon 9 before lift-off from Vandenberg Space Force Base.

MANTIS, which stands for Mission Agile Nanosatellite for Terrestrial Imagery Services, will be the first satellite launched as part of ESA InCubed, the co-funding program run by ESA Φ-lab which focuses on commercial development activities across the entire Earth Observation (EO) value chain, including satellites, ground applications, downstream applications and new EO business models.

As a participating member state, the UK Space Agency has contributed £2.2 million of funding to this initiative in order to support the advancement of space-related innovation within the UK.

The satellite will host an innovative multispectral, high-resolution optical payload for EO and a secondary payload, a high-performance and reconfigurable processing unit aimed at exploiting the power of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to derive insights onboard. 

It will also further sustainability by addressing the challenges of accessibility and periodicity in the energy and mining sector. Approximately 60% of the resources required within these supply chains can be found in remote and inaccessible locations necessitating ground stations with high costs to climate and biodiversity. EO data from MANTIS will reduce this requirement and create an efficient solution over a widespread area. 

Outside of this sector, the data from MANTIS can be applied to further applications that will contribute to addressing environmental challenges and promoting sustainable development, such as climate change monitoring, deforestation and land use monitoring, water resource management, biodiversity conservation and sustainable agriculture.

As the prime contractor for MANTIS, Open Cosmos will oversee the end-to-end space mission service. This includes satellite design, integration of the payloads, build,  launch, operations and dissemination of the data through their DataCosmos platform. Once operational, MANTIS will join the OpenConstellation, a global, shared Earth Observation (EO) satellite infrastructure built and managed by Open Cosmos which will enable anyone to access satellite data to address challenges around the climate crisis, energy, natural resources and more.

Deploying satellite infrastructure has, in the past, been prohibitively expensive. The OpenConstellation will allow national and regional governments, as well as businesses and organisations with more conservative budgets, to participate and access insightful, actionable data from space for the first time while keeping high levels of governance and security.

“MANTIS is an ambitious program and we’re excited to work with ESA to get this satellite into orbit in 2023. Once operational, MANTIS will allow us to better monitor our use of natural resources, allowing governments and organisations to make more informed decisions to support sustainable resource management practices. And by joining the OpenConstellation, the Earth Observation data derived from MANTIS will allow many other organisations to improve their impact, too.” — Aleix Megias, VP of Operations, Open Cosmos

“As the first InCubed co-funding of an end-to-end mission, MANTIS is a milestone for us and a salient example of the burgeoning commercial Earth observation sector in Europe, one of the priorities of ESA’s Agenda 2025. Open Cosmos has demonstrated a combination of technical excellence and customer focus that is sure to make the mission a success.”— Michele Casrtorina, Head of ESA Φ-lab Invest Office

“Observations of the Earth from space are helping us to monitor climate change, map our environment, forecast the weather and now, with this mission, finding new resources in a more sustainable way. MANTIS is an excellent example of how Earth observation satellites can provide novel solutions for a range of sectors. We’re delighted to have been able to support Open Cosmos and partners across the UK and Europe to deliver an innovative mission and drive growth in the sector.” — Harshbir Sangha, Missions and Capabilities Delivery Director, UK Space Agency

Planet’s Pelican tech demo satellite ready for launch

Planet Labs PBC (NYSE: PL) has announced that the company’s Pelican tech demonstration satellite, Pelican-1, along with 36 SuperDoves, have arrived at Vandenberg Space Force Base in preparation for launch next month.

Pelican-1, designed and manufactured by Planet, is the first tech demonstration of Planet’s next-generation, high-resolution fleet, which is expected to replenish and improve upon Planet’s existing high-resolution systems on-orbit today. The 36 SuperDoves, Planet’s Flock 4q, will contribute to Planet’s daily monitoring PlanetScope mission.

Pelican-1 is a technology demonstration, built to test Pelican’s integrated design and Planet’s common bus platform. This common bus platform, designed and built by Planet, will also host the Company’s future hyperspectral Tanager mission. Planet launches tech demonstrations across all of its new satellite fleets in order to prove out nexgen systems, test its latest technology, and learn from its performance, improving the scalability of its systems along the way.

Pelican-1 is not expected to produce commercial data, but rather obtain critical information and learnings needed to iterate the Pelican design and rapidly scale to a fleet using Planet’s agile aerospace approach. When fully operational, the Pelican constellation is planned to improve upon every dimension of Planet’s existing high-resolution SkySat constellation – faster acquisition and delivery of data, better spatial resolution to see finer details, higher revisit to catch fleeting events, and more ways to combine insights with other analytics and sensors.

The 36 SuperDoves launching will contribute to Planet’s flagship daily, global monitoring mission. This data is used by hundreds of customers in defense, civil government, and commercial markets to take informed action, and better contextualize events they’re seeing on the ground today. Planet’s daily scan and deep archive of data for every point on Earth is unique within the industry and provides customers with a continuous and complete view of their areas of interest. Further, the archive acts as a rich training ground for predictive machine learning and advanced artificial intelligence models, accelerating users’ ability to draw insights from the terabytes of data collected by Planet each day.

“The launch of our first Pelican tech demonstration marks an exciting milestone for us,” said . “This new spacecraft bus is an exquisite system that will underpin both our Pelican and Tanager fleets and we can’t wait to learn and iterate in our agile aerospace model. The 36 SuperDoves also launching are not to be overlooked. They will join the flock we have in-orbit today, which remains the largest earth imaging fleet, providing our unique daily scan that is helping to unlock new markets.” — Will Marshall, Co-Founder and CEO, Planet

https://smallsatnews.com/2023/10/12/13173/