Archives for February 2024

Australia’s space race is gathering pace with Queensland-based Gilmour Space Technologies raising a $55 million (US$36 million) Series D round ahead of the firm’s first orbital test flight this year.

Led by Queensland Investment Corporation (QIC), alongside other leading Australian venture capital and superannuation funds – including Blackbird, Main Sequence, HostPlus and HESTA – the capital will fund the manufacture, test and launch of Australian rockets and satellites from the Bowen Orbital Spaceport in North Queensland.

The Eris Orbital Launch Vehicle is a three-stage rocket capable of launching smallsat into LEO. Eris TestFlight 1 is anticipated to launch in the coming months, pending launch approvals from the Australian Space Agency.

A second TestFlight is planned for the latter half of 2024, with commercial launches starting in 2025 from the Bowen Orbital Spaceport.

Co-founder and CEO Adam Gilmour said the firepower brought by committed shareholders will ensure the business can meet its milestones over the medium term and leverage more immediate opportunities in Australia and abroad. “Our team is fortunate to be backed by high-calibre investors whose unwavering support has led to the development of Australia’s first orbital rocket.”

QIC Private Equity Investment Director Patrick Christiansen said Gilmour’s ability to compete as a full-stack launch services provider will be a strong value proposition for an underserviced segment of the global space market. “As the long-term demand and supply dynamics for launch services normalize, Gilmour’s ability to offer customers a turnkey solution with both launch services and a satellite bus will be a key competitive advantage,” Mr Christiansen said. “Adam and his team have strategically positioned themselves to become a diversified space prime by taking a commercial and customer-led approach to defining their target market segment. QIC Ventures is proud to once again back Gilmour Space through the Business Investment Fund and join the nation in eager anticipation for the historic first orbital launch attempt of an Australian rocket from a commercial launch site in Australia.”

“When we first invested in Gilmour, the team had just produced a ten-centimetre diameter hybrid rocket engine,” Blackbird co-founding partner Rick Baker said. “The achievements of the team in taking that technology through years of testing and iteration are coming to a head now. “This funding round will allow Gilmour to attempt multiple launches and to become the first Australian-built rocket to get to orbit. We’re so excited to be on the journey with the Gilmour team.”

KSF Space has introduced an innovative CubeSat kit, version 2.0, that includes four PCB boards plus ample room for extra payloads, allowing for the customization of a satellite to meet specific needs.

This CubeSat Kit provides a flexible and cost-effective solution for launching a smallsat into orbit. With KSF Space’s expertise in satellite technology, the CubeSat Kit version 2.0 is designed to meet the highest industry standards. The kit offers a compact and lightweight design, thereby making the satellite easy to launch and deploy.

In addition to the PCB boards, the kit also offers ample room for extra payload, enabling the flexibility to add additional components or experiments to a CubeSat to meet specific mission requirements. Whether conducting scientific research, testing new technologies, or even capturing imagery of Earth from space, the extra payload capacity offers a range of possibilities.

Another key feature is the compact and lightweight design. CubeSats are smallsats that typically measure 10 cm x 10 cm x 10 cm and the KSF Space kit adheres to these dimensions. The lightweight nature of the kit ensures the CubeSat won’t exceed the weight restrictions imposed by launch providers enabling satellite deployment without any complications.

Getting started with KSF Space’s Flexible CubeSat Kit version 2.0 is a straightforward process, as the kit comes with all the necessary components and detailed instructions to ensure a smooth assembly and integration process. Plus, KSF Space understands that embarking on a satellite development journey can be daunting, especially for those new to the field. To support customers, comprehensive online training and support is provided throughout the entire build process. Whether a student, a hobbyist, or a professional, KSF Space ensures the resources and guidance to succeed are present.

Dr. Mohamed El Kayyali, the President of KSF Space, said, ”KSF Space’s Flexible CubeSat Kit comes with a range of key features that make it an attractive choice for anyone interested in satellite development. One of the standout features of this kit is its 4 PCB boards, which provide a solid foundation for building your CubeSat. These boards are designed with precision and reliability in mind, ensuring optimal performance in the harsh environment of space.”

PLD Space has signed a Boost! contract with the European Space Agency (ESA) for the development of a payload accommodation system on MIURA 5 that will provide greater flexibility to its customer — the project, in collaboration with OCCAM Space, is worth 1.3 million euros.

The project is part of ESA’s Boost! program, aimed at boosting commercial space transportation initiatives, and fits with PLD Space’s value proposition of offering its customers a customized service capable of adapting to their needs through its orbital launcher MIURA 5.

The contract signed between ESA and PLD Space co-finances the development of a modular and customizable payload accommodation system. Designed to release all types of satellites with as much flexibility as possible, the payload system – called MOSPA (Modular Solution for Payload Adapter )– will allow PLD Space to offer its customers a wider range of missions and services, including accommodation of smallsats.

The development of the modular payload adapter will be done in partnership with OCCAM Space. The goal is to create the hardware to be as light as possible while also being as adaptable as possible to launch more satellites and meet market demands.

PLD Space also continues to make progress on the development of its orbital launcher, MIURA 5, which is scheduled to make its first flight in 2025 from CSG, the European spaceport of Kourou in French Guiana.

“PLD Space has proven time and again that it is the European launch leader. The winning of the Boost! contract, an achievement shared with our partners Occam Space, is a further testament to this fact, and another vote of confidence from ESA. We are excited to develop a modular, highly flexible, low-cost solution to meet our customers’ accommodation needs aboard MIURA 5,” said PLD Space CBDO and Co-founder Raúl Verdú.

“PLD Space has proven itself with its first launch last year, and we look forward to seeing the experience applied to the MIURA 5 launch services development,” said ESA’s Jorgen Bru. “The payload adapter development engaged today was chosen to increase market competitiveness and ensure as many different types of satellites and customers can fly.”

“OCCAM Space team has a large expertise in structures and mechanisms in the space sector. We are very happy that our MOSPA philosophy and design has been selected to complement the MIURA 5 upper stage. We are looking forward to work hand in hand with ESA and PLD Space to bring more competitiveness to the European small launchers market,” said OCCAM Space CEO Manuel Serrano.

Sidus Space (NASDAQ: SIDU), a Space and Data-as-a-Service company, has stated that the LS-2 and the LS-3 LizzieSat production is underway and on schedule for launch later this year.

With LS-1 ready for launch and delivered to the SpaceX launch site in Vandenburg, California, earlier this month, the Sidus team in Cape Canaveral is focused on upcoming milestones for LS-2 and LS-3.

LizzieSat’s flexible hybrid 3D printed design allows Sidus to enhance capabilities brought to market during the successful LS-1 build and test campaign. Design modifications from LS-1 include additional space situational awareness (SSA) customer payloads and upgraded Sidus Earth Observation (EO) sensors that target specific needs of its own Space Data as a Service customers. 

Each hybrid 3D printed 220lb (100 kg) smallsat is roughly the size of a dishwasher.  The medium-sized, low-cost satellite allows for longer on-orbit life and increased functionality when compared to other commercial EO satellites. The company designs, fabricates, and assembles its satellites at its 35,000 sq ft manufacturing facility in Cape Canaveral, Florida.

“We designed the LizzieSat platform to be rapidly scalable and technology agnostic, to allow for rapid integration of new sensors as the space ecosystem evolves and industries and businesses embrace space strategy to enhance their offerings,” said Carol Craig, CEO of Sidus Space. “

Exolaunch was recently awarded a government contract under the Small Satellite Initiative run by the German Space Agency at DLR on behalf of the German Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection (BMWK).

This novel initiative, aimed at providing wide-ranging launch opportunities for smallsats and payload manufacturers on European microlaunchers, marks a significant milestone in the fast-growing German commercial space industry. Under the terms of the contract valued at close to €18 million, Exolaunch will coordinate and execute a broad and comprehensive range of launch services for the winners of the DLR competitions for small satellites and payload developers in 2023.

Exolaunch is responsible for more than 80 percent of Germany’s successful smallsat launches over the past decade, and has previously launched multiple DLR-funded missions. Among its lengthy roster of German clients are commercial customers, such as Berlin Space Technologies, constellr, Vyoma and OroraTech; research institutions such as the Zentrum für Telematik, Würzburg University, Fraunhofer Society, University of Stuttgart, Jena University, and the Technical University of Berlin.

As part of the agreement, Exolaunch will undertake crucial tasks integral to project success, including procurement of small satellite platforms for payloads, coordination of launch opportunities on European microlaunchers, and providing key technical guidance to the satellite and payload manufacturers. In addition, Exolaunch will oversee qualification tests, compatibility analyses, and in-house manufacturing of its flight-proven, microsatellite separation systems and cubesat deployers: the CarboNIX and EXOpod Nova. Additionally, Exolaunch is set to provide training sessions for the DLR, with a specific focus on the procurement of launch opportunities for small satellites.

“The competition benefits start-ups and SMEs in particular and thus also implements the important New Space focus of the space strategy. We see the competitions as a catalyst and trailblazer for the commercialization of space activities in Germany and Europe,” said Dr Walther Pelzer, DLR Executive Board Member and Director General of the German Space Agency at DLR. “By commissioning Exolaunch GmbH, we are now taking the next important step towards launch.”

Exolaunch’s chief executive officer, Dmitriy Sternharz, said, “We are honored to have been chosen by the German Space Agency at DLR for the Small Satellite Launch Services contract and proud to contribute to the evolution of New Space in Germany. At Exolaunch, we embrace the challenge of delivering reliable launch solutions and are prepared to bring our legacy of expertise to this partnership. The awarded contract not only emphasizes the trust placed in Exolaunch by one of Europe’s foremost space agencies, but also reinforces our commitment to advancing Germany’s small satellite missions, specifically on microlaunchers, and the critical role we play in shaping the future of space exploration. We hope that this contract will prove to be yet another important step towards strengthening our position as a partner of the DLR for small satellite launch services and mission management and further expanding our relationship for the benefit of both of our organizations as well as the German, European, and global space industries as a whole.”

This contract underscores Exolaunch’s status as one of the leading European and global space launch industry players, its proven success in advancing European small satellite missions, and highlights the Berlin-based company’s proven expertise in delivering reliable launch and deployment solutions.

Spire Global, Inc. (NYSE: SPIR) and Signal Ocean have agreed to partner together to drive digitization of the maritime economy. Under this agreement, Spire and Signal Ocean will partner to leverage their respective strengths.

Spire will contribute the firm’s proprietary datasets, relevant for precise monitoring of the maritime domain. Signal Ocean will bring the company’s best-in-class expertise in artificial intelligence / machine learning (AI/ML) and natural language processing to create innovative solutions to propel the digitization of the maritime economy, while enhancing global security and transparency in the planet’s oceans.

Additionally, Spire and Signal Ocean Ltd (“Signal Ocean”) entered into a securities purchase agreement (the “SPA”) for the issuance and sale of 833,333 shares (“Shares”) of the Company’s Class A common stock to Signal Ocean at a price of $12.00 per share (the “Private Placement”).  The Private Placement closed on February 8, 2024 (the “Closing”), resulting in gross proceeds to Spire of $10 million.

The Company also agreed to prepare and file a registration statement registering the Shares for resale under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, within 30 days of the Closing.

“Signal, as a group, brings deep knowledge of the maritime domain gained over years through the operation of commercial ships, the development of proprietary analytics tools and its multiple, successful investments across shipping, logistics and the commodities space,” said Peter Platzer, CEO of Spire Global. “We’re thrilled to leverage Signal’s expertise in combination with Spire’s unique data capabilities to drive meaningful innovation that transforms the way we understand and navigate the maritime domain.”

“We look forward to deepening our partnership with Spire, a leader in space technology and an established provider of fundamental data for the maritime sector with a global, cross-sector reach,” said Ioannis Martinos, CEO of The Signal Group. “Our core belief is that technology adoption in the maritime sector is accelerated through a well-linked technology ecosystem that leverages synergies to the ultimate benefit of our users.” 

True Anomaly‘s first two Jackal autonomous orbital vehicles (AOVs) have arrived at Vandenberg Space Force Base and have completed functional testing, fueling, and mating to the SpaceX Falcon 9 Rideshare plate. The satellites are officially ready for launch as part of SpaceX’s Transporter-10 mission no earlier than March of 2024.

Once on orbit, True Anomaly will commence with “Mission X”—what the company has internally dubbed the flight test and demo of the first two Jackal AOVs. The Jackals will capture high-resolution images and full-motion video (FMV) of one another while maneuvering in close proximity. This type of activity, known as rendezvous and proximity operations (RPO), is one of the most challenging space missions to master.

The goals of Mission X are to demonstrate RPO for advanced non-Earth imaging, test and evaluation, and on-demand training. With this milestone, True Anomaly is one step closer to delivering space capabilities that support deterrence and secure space for future generations.  

“What the True Anomaly team has accomplished in just under 18 months is incredible,” said Sean Ozdemir, Director of Spacecraft Development. “What began with a white board and three-person team working in a small office above a coffee shop has transformed into a 35-person spacecraft team with exceptional breadth and depth of industry expertise. Not only did the team build two complex and capable ESPA-class spacecraft—they stood up the production process, in-house test facilities, and built the factory in parallel. I’m extremely proud of this team for accomplishing this milestone and look forward to soon validating our capabilities on-orbit.”

“Not all spacecraft fit into the binary designations of ‘expensive and effective’ or ‘inexpensive, but compromised,’” said Even Rogers, True Anomaly CEO and Co-Founder. “With the Jackal AOV, we’ve designed an attritable system with which we can iterate quickly and build rapidly at scale without compromising on mission effectiveness. This is a new class of space vehicle, purpose-built for national security space missions. It was designed for operators, by operators in partnership with world-class engineers. I could not be prouder of our team for designing, building, and testing two novel spacecraft in record time without sacrificing on excellence and quality. We acknowledge that the hard proof lies ahead of us as we look toward the Jackals’ first orbital flight and tech demonstrations. Go, Jackal. Go, True Anomaly. Go, U.S. Space Force!”

Viasat, Inc. (NASDAQ: VSAT), Terrestar Solutions, Ligado Networks, Omnispace and Al Yah Satellite Communications Company PJSC (Yahsat), have announced the Mobile Satellite Services Association (MSSA). The organization will bring significant scale and choice to promote and advance the emerging Direct-to-Device (D2D) ecosystem.

MSSA seeks to develop a global ecosystem use more than 100 MHz of L- and S-band spectrum already allocated and licensed for mobile satellite services (MSS), which is well-suited for integration into a broad range of mobile devices. The non-profit industry association intends to align with 3^rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) standards to extend terrestrial mobile coverage for both Mobile Network Operator (MNO) and Over-the-Top (OTT) internet services.

MSS licensed spectrum advantages include: enabling existing space networks to immediately offer Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) services; an existing international regulatory framework; no interference with terrestrial networks; and more spectrum to advance 5G New Radio (5G-NR) services. MSS spectrum enables all MNOs to offer space/terrestrial integration in their entire service area without having to sacrifice terrestrial spectrum.

By aligning their expertise, along with other ecosystem partners, the founding members support integrating terrestrial and non-terrestrial networks (NTNs) to deliver scalable, sustainable, and affordable connectivity to any device, anytime, anywhere. Emerging D2D services can expand connectivity and enable competition across multiple large and diverse segments, including cellular, industrial, government, agriculture, automotive, and others. The Association will foster a D2D ecosystem of solutions providers including terrestrial mobile and satellite operators, OEMs, infrastructure, chip vendors, and others.

MSSA is focused on achieving the following fundamental goals:

• Unlocking interoperable architectures and standards for use in multi-orbit satellite systems, ground infrastructure, and end user equipment
• Enhancing seamless global roaming between terrestrial and multi-orbit satellite networks through the development of recommended specifications
• Achieving scale through improved coordination and cooperation mechanisms among MSS operators to maximize the utility of more than 100 MHz of already available and licensed global MSS spectrum in nations desiring advanced NTN services
• Maximizing scarce multi-orbit space and spectrum resources and employing sustainable network design and operation to enable affordable advanced NTN services
• Advocating for policies, laws and regulations, including those related to rational, efficient, safe and sustainable uses of spectrum and orbits, and where appropriate, objective and quantitative metrics regarding all objects in orbit around Earth
• Providing a neutral forum for coordination of 3GPP NTN and other international standards activities
• Supporting the integration of space networks into national telecommunications infrastructure via trusted local partners and within sovereign regulatory and national security frameworks
• Supporting mechanisms for individual nations to participate in the new space economy via open standards and architectures, and via the space networks supported by MSSA

“Integrating satellite connectivity into consumer mobile devices is a transformative opportunity for the satellite industry. As a coalition of leaders with a unified voice, MSSA will be a driving force in making this new marketplace a reality, while respecting the rights of nations to meaningfully engage and retain sovereignty in a rapidly growing space economy,” said Mark Dankberg, Chairman of MSSA, and Chairman and CEO of Viasat. “The Association will help create opportunities to scale NTN systems via open, standards-based solutions for D2D and IoT. We believe this can be done while preserving critical MSS aviation and maritime safety services and by expanding the markets supporting diverse users through substantial improvements in speed, bandwidth, availability, interoperability and affordability.”

For more information on the formation and mission of MSSA, visit the Association’s website…