Archives for 2024

Impulse Space has gained $150 million via a Series B funding round, led by Founders Fund. The round also included participation from other returning investors, such as Lux Capital and Spring Tide, as well as attracting new investors, such as DCVC. Other participants in the funding round included Airbus Ventures, Alumni Ventures, Balerion Space Ventures, RTX Ventures, Tamarack Global, 137 Ventures, Elysium, First Principles Group, Island Green, Overmatch, and Trousdale Ventures.

The funding, which follows a series of recent milestone moments for the company, will be used to further grow the Impulse team and to support the ongoing production of both the Helios and Mira vehicles. The Series B round brings Impulse’s total funding to date to $225 million.

The Series B funding continues the strong momentum for Impulse. This year alone, the company has been selected by SpaceWERX for a Strategic Funding Increase (STRATFI) award, two Small Business Innovation Research Program (SBIR) awards, announced a new GEO Rideshare Program, and completed the record-setting LEO Express-1 mission. The team is currently preparing for the upcoming launch of the LEO Express-2 mission, which will see a Mira vehicle support deployment and hosting services for multiple customers.

Operations are based out of Impulse’s 60,000-square-foot headquarters in Redondo Beach, Calif., where the company handles the majority of vehicle design, manufacturing, testing, and assembly under one roof. Impulse also operates facilities at the Mojave Air and Space Port, where additional testing work is underway for the Helios Deneb engine.

Impulse Space’s vehicles, Helios and Mira, stand out in two key ways from other market entrants. Each features predominantly in-house components, from thrusters and valves to star trackers and avionics. This vertically-integrated approach enables the team to advance innovation and improve reliability while staying on time and on budget.

Second, both vehicles offer a high delta-v capability due to their chemical propulsion systems, which also feature non-toxic propellants, simplifying mission operations. Helios, a high-performance kick stage, uses liquid oxygen and liquid methane to transport more than 5 tons of payload from LEO to GEO in less than 24 hours.

Mira, designed for payload hosting, deployment, and movement within orbits, uses a storable nitrous oxide and ethane bipropellant to offer up to 900 m/s of delta-v for a 100 kg payload.

Together, the two vehicles address a critical need in the in-space transportation infrastructure by supporting rapid maneuverability within and between orbits.

With this latest funding, Impulse will continue growing its team of more than 140 employees and working to execute against an upcoming roadmap that includes the first mission for the upgraded Mira design in late 2025 and the inaugural launch of Helios in 2026.

“The satellite market is demanding enhanced maneuverability and rapid on-orbit responsiveness, which requires Impulse Space’s powerful, high delta-v vehicles,” said Scott Nolan, Partner at Founders Fund. “Tom has built a team with deep expertise innovating on mission-critical technologies, positioning the company to reliably deliver while driving the future of in-space transportation.”

“This funding is not only a testament to our team’s achievements over the past year but also a validation of our vision for the in-space transportation industry,” said Tom Mueller, founder and CEO of Impulse Space. “We’re proud to have so many partners who understand and support the importance of our work to accelerate humanity’s future in space by unlocking reliable, affordable, and efficient access to any orbit.”

Anduril Industries has announced a strategic partnership with Apex to enable rapid development and delivery of space systems for the United States and partners.

Anduril will use Apex’s buses for missions where Apex’s off-the-shelf approach and scalable manufacturing enable Anduril to rapidly deliver capability to customers; such as space situational awareness (SSA), proliferated LEO (pLEO) architectures, and missile warning and tracking. Together, Anduril and Apex aim to set a new standard for quality, scale, and capability that can be delivered to customers to responsively meet their needs.

The agreement combines Apex’s capabilities as an innovative spacecraft bus manufacturer with Anduril’s AI-powered payloads and systems integration expertise. As part of this agreement, Anduril will use its capabilities as a mission systems integrator to field operational systems by bringing together technology across the industrial base. Anduril will also contribute its own products from on-orbit edge processing, versatile payloads, ground C2 systems, and other autonomous operations support that is essential to field mission-ready satellite constellations.

As a merchant supplier of satellite buses, Apex will provide its off the shelf spacecraft designed for mass manufacturing. These productized buses offer Anduril the scale, quality, and reliability it needs to advance their missions in space.Satellite buses provide necessary components for any spacecraft, allowing systems to maneuver, communicate, provide power, and more. Apex’s productized satellite buses are unique in their rapid manufacturability, allowing the company to deliver high-quality spacecraft in quantity at a pace necessary to meet critical mission needs.

Earlier this year, Anduril and Apex successfully launched their first joint mission, Aries SN1, with Anduril’s edge-processing payload. Pictured above is a photo taken by SN-1 sensors and processed by Anduril’s edge-payload, all tasked through Anduril’s Lattice platform. From initial concept to flight-ready delivery, this entire project was completed in just 2 months – an unprecedented speed – demonstrating the value of Anduril and Apex’s product-led approach that prioritizes interoperable components and productized off the shelf spacecraft, which can be rapidly integrated and customized for mission needs.

In 2025, Anduril will launch its own self-funded mission, powered by Apex’s Aries bus, featuring upgraded mission data processing and new infrared imaging capabilities, marking the next phase of their collaboration. This next mission will serve as an essential tech maturation demo, and it will be the foundation for Anduril and Apex’s commitment to regularly deploying more mass to orbit.

This partnership follows significant milestones for both companies, including Apex’s $95 million Series B round, Anduril’s $1.5 billion Series F round, and the announcement of Anduril’s Arsenal-1 manufacturing facility.

“We’re proud to partner with Apex to put our software-defined, hardware-enabled capabilities in space,” said Gokul Subramanian, Anduril’s SVP of Space and Engineering. “Apex’s productized, off-the shelf, approach to bus development offers the high quality and reliability Anduril needs for our IRAD mission as well as their ability to manufacture at scale to meet future demand.”

“Apex and Anduril are aligned in our approach to getting decisive capabilities into the hands of the warfighter at the necessary scale and speed,” said Ian Cinnamon, Apex Founder and CEO. “Anduril was founded on the belief that the exquisite, bespoke approach to defense capabilities will not keep pace with threats from China and Russia. Apex takes that same approach in space, providing productized capabilities to help our customers get on orbit as fast as possible. Together, Anduril and Apex can meet the Pentagon’s goal of rapidly proliferating capabilities in space.”

Kall Morris Inc (KMI) and ExoSat in early September announced a strategic partnership to advance space debris removal operations.

This collaboration combines KMI’s Removal As A Service Laelaps spacecraft equipped with its REACCH system and ExoSat’s Debris-Fed Spacecraft (DeFeS). The partnership will enable both companies to offer comprehensive Active Debris Removal solutions, addressing the growing challenge of orbital debris.

The non-exclusive agreement allows for mutual service offerings, technology coordination, and client referrals based on orbital capabilities. Both firms will collaborate on grant opportunities and development efforts, aiming to conduct integrated missions by 2028.

“Engaging ExoSat for future KMI missions expands the opportunities for us both in reaching customers where they are located on Earth, on-orbit, and providing unique in-space logistics solutions. By growing these partnerships, together we can better address the challenges and seize our shared success in space,” said Troy M. Morris, Co-Founder & CEO of Kall Morris Inc (KMI).

Guillaume Ramaré, Co-founder and CEO of ExoSat Aerospace Industries, said, “ExoSat is delighted to partner with KMI in space debris removal. It’s one small step for our companies, but one giant leap for our customers, offering tailored solutions for a sustainable future in space.”

The West of Scotland Space Cluster, the newest addition to the UK’s thriving ecosystem of regional space clusters, recently launched.

The region is a key hub in the Scottish space sector, operating at the forefront of a European revolution in spacecraft systems, payload manufacture, launch (upstream) and data analysis (downstream) activity. Space companies, such as AAC Clyde Space and Spire Global, have led the way, building more satellites in Glasgow than any other city in Europe, with other players such as Craft Prospect and Alba Orbital introducing further innovation in the global small satellites market. 

Aligned with the regional space clusters operating across the UK, the West of Scotland Space Clusters incorporates industry, universities and colleges, as well as economic development and support organisations, aiming to capitalize and expand on existing regional strengths in space technologies. The region’s capability extends from small satellite design, manufacture and mission capability and advanced space data-driven services to leading-edge R&D in fields such as quantum, photonics, communications and AI. It is widely acknowledged that the growth of the West of Scotland Space Cluster companies will be critical in helping Scotland achieve its ambition of securing £4 billion of the global space market by 2030.

Craig Clark MBE, space entrepreneur, the founder of AAC Clyde Space and a Professor of Practice in the University of Strathclyde’s space cluster, said that the new cluster would help drive regional growth, combining pioneering research, industry innovation and manufacturing facilities to provide the foundation for Scotland’s emerging end-to-end capability in the European small satellite value chain.

Mr. Clark said, “With SaxaVord Spaceport now operating as the first fully-licensed vertical launch Spaceport in Europe, the West of Scotland has a pivotal role to play in the delivery of the country’s end-to-end capability and helping to attract international companies to set up operations here as we have recently seen with the South African CubeSat imaging company, Simera Sense. From a standing start in 2005, Scotland now has one of the fastest-growing space sectors in the world, fuelled by global excellence in space-related research and a long history of innovation and entrepreneurship in engineering. The aim of the West of Scotland Space Cluster is to grease the wheels of the continued growth of the sector in the region and help make Scotland a leading global space player.”

John Ward, Senior Director of Research & Development at Spire Global, which designs and builds the world’s largest multipurpose satellite constellation in Glasgow, said that the new cluster would serve as a platform for greater connectivity and collaboration between the region’s key players. Mr. Ward said, “Spire Global has manufactured over 175 satellites right here in Glasgow, where the majority of our R&D efforts take place. This new space cluster will enhance collaboration and connectivity among regional players, accelerating innovation and creating a more integrated supply chain. By fostering this ecosystem, we can unlock new opportunities for growth and cement the West of Scotland as a leading hub in the global space industry.”

Andrew Strain, Chief Technology Officer at AAC Clyde Space, added that the cluster’s new advisory group would be focused on actions that drive growth across a region which stretches all the way to the Prestwick, home to Scotland’s largest aerospace hub. He said, “The West of Scotland has amassed an incredible amount of capability in the space industry over the past two decades, particularly in small satellite design and manufacturing.  This year marks the 10th anniversary of the launch of Scotland’s first satellite UKube-1, built by Clyde Space Ltd, now part of AAC Clyde Space. In the following decade, Scotland has gone from never having launched a satellite to building more than anywhere else in Europe.  Satellites and systems designed and built here account for hundreds of years of accumulated on-orbit heritage – very few places in the world can claim that.  Through the West of Scotland Space Cluster, we have to opportunity to maintain and grow our admirable position in this innovative section of the space industry.”

Antonia Yendell, Head of the Space Ecosystem team at the UK Space Agency, said, “The UK Space Agency strongly supports and is investing in the growth of the Scottish Space Economy. The UK Space Ecosystem is a competitive advantage for the UK Space Sector and Scotland plays a critical role in our thriving and interconnected cluster network, developing our national capabilities and driving economic growth.”

This experiment is the result of a collaboration between the French Defense Innovation Agency (AID), part of the French armament directorate (DGA), and two French New Space companies, Unseenlabs and Cailabs. Together, they succeeded in establishing a stable laser link over several minutes, demonstrating the tracking of the smallsat in LEO by the optical ground station and the establishment of a closed-loop laser link.

The optical link offers several advantages over traditional radio links, including greater speed, enhanced discretion, and independence from radio spectrum coordination regulations. However, it can sometimes be disrupted by atmospheric turbulence, which KERAUNOS is tasked with mitigating to ensure optimal transmission quality.

KERAUNOS combines the expertise of Rennes-based companies Unseenlabs and Cailabs:

• Cailabs’ technology and photonics expertise have enabled the development of a ground receiver that circumvents these constraints while being sufficiently reliable and robust to be offered commercially.
• The modern and agile architecture of Unseenlabs’ nanosatellites enables the integration of the laser payload within the short timeframes demanded by the New Space pace. This laser can be used to transmit data to the Cailabs ground station.

This success makes it possible to use space-based laser communications on mobile, land-based, naval, and airborne platforms. This system could be integrated into the Ministry of Defense’s future satellite systems. The KERAUNOS project contributes to the objectives of the 2024-2030 Military Programming Law, which aims to strengthen France’s presence and capabilities in space.

“I am delighted with the success of this first optical communications test with the KERAUNOS satellite, the first demonstrator initiated by the French Innovation Agency in the space sector. Our aim is to achieve the same level of success with our future projects, drawing on the creativity and ingenuity of companies from France’s burgeoning New Space ecosystem, said Patrick Aufort, Director of the French Defense Innovation Agency

“The KERAUNOS experiment is a success story that forms part of the ‘Optical Communication’ technology roadmap of the French Defense Innovation Agency’s ‘New Space’ priority theme, launched in 2021. This success is the result of the investment and exceptional know-how of Unseenlabs and Cailabs, said Jean-Michel Parlier, Head of Space Innovation at the French Defense Innovation Agency

“The success of this optical communication test completes the validation of Cailabs’ range of optical ground stations. It supports Cailabs’ proposal to our customers to provide a proven industrial ground station solution. This success also confirms the ability of New Space companies like Cailabs to quickly and efficiently develop ambitious systems for the armed forces,” said Jean-François Morizur, CEO and co-founder of Cailabs

“This success reflects Unseenlabs’ ability to quickly deliver a complex, fully functional system into orbit. Combining the performance of Unseenlabs’ system and satellite architectures with Cailabs’ optical innovations paves the way for faster and safer communications,” said Jonathan Galic, CTO and co-founder of Unseenlabs

Starfish Space has been awarded SBIR Phase III funding for a mission to inspect defunct satellites to increase opportunities to mitigate space debris.

NASA is advancing an innovative approach to enabling commercial inspection of defunct, or inoperable, satellites in low Earth orbit, a precursor to capturing and repairing or removing the satellites.

The agency has awarded Starfish Space a Phase III Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract to complete the Small Spacecraft Propulsion and Inspection Capability (SSPICY) mission. The award follows a Phase III study, which funded four, U.S. small businesses, including Starfish, to develop mission concepts. Starfish Space will receive $15 million over three years to execute the mission.

The ability to inspect defunct spacecraft and identify opportunities for repair or deorbiting is critical to maintaining a safe orbital environment for spacecraft and humans. Orbital debris mitigation is a key component of NASA’s Space Sustainability Strategy.

The Starfish-led mission uses the company’s Otter spacecraft, a small satellite about the size of an oven, which is designed to inspect, dock with, and service or deorbit other satellites. Otter’s electric propulsion system will not only help it efficiently travel to multiple satellites, but the SSPICY demonstration also will mature the spacecraft’s ability to perform inspections using electric propulsion, an important enabling technology not typically used for rendezvous and proximity operations.

During the SSPICY mission, Otter will visit and inspect multiple U.S. owned defunct satellites that have agreed to be visited and inspected – a delicate and challenging task, as satellites move quickly and are kept far apart from each other for safety. Otter will approach within hundreds of meters of each satellite to conduct inspections during mission operations. During the inspection, Otter will gather key information about each of the debris objects including their spin rate, spin axes, and current conditions of the objects’ surface materials.

The SSPICY mission is the first commercial space debris inspection funded by NASA and supports the agency’s efforts to extend the life of satellites while reducing space debris. Satellites that are no longer in use can break apart or collide with one another, creating debris clouds that pose risk to human spaceflight, science and robotic missions in Earth’s orbit, and missions to other planets in the solar system. Data from inspections like those planned during the SSPICY demonstration will play a critical role in understanding the nature of defunct satellites and advancing solutions for reuse or disposal.

“The SSPICY mission is designed to mature technologies needed for U.S. commercial capabilities for satellite servicing and logistics or disposal,” said Bo Naasz, senior technical lead for in-space servicing, manufacturing, and assembly in NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate. “In-space inspection helps us characterize the physical state of a satellite, gather data on what may leave spacecraft stranded, and improve our understanding of fragmentations and collisions, a difficult but critical factor in a sustainable space operating environment.”

“We are excited to expand our partnership with NASA, building on our shared commitment to advancing in-space manufacturing and assembly capabilities,” said Trevor Bennett, co-founder of Starfish Space. “It’s an honor for Starfish to lead the first commercial debris inspection mission funded by NASA. We look forward to collaborating on this and future satellite servicing missions to enable a new paradigm for humanity in space.”

The Otter spacecraft is expected to launch in late 2026 and will begin performing inspections in 2027.

The SSPICY demonstration is funded and managed by NASA’s Small Spacecraft Technology program based at NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley. The award is enabled by NASA’s SBIR program, which is open to U.S. small businesses to develop an innovation or technology. These programs are part of NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate.

Article author: Tara Friesen

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South Australian artificial intelligence (AI) company AICRAFT has secured funding from the inaugural South Australian Space Collaboration and Innovation Fund to develop the smallest Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) payload with fastest onboard data processing unit.

The SAR payload will be developed as part of the project called ‘Leoflect’ (short for Low Earth Orbit reflector antenna) and will combine AICRAFT’s miniature edge device with server-processing capacity and a lightweight, ultra-compact, reflector array antenna from Guerin Technologies (India). This solution will use advanced AI models to deliver power-efficient, high-speed data processing and analysis on orbit – a solution that is light-years ahead of existing technologies. A special quality of SAR is that it can penetrate cloud cover and ‘see through’ darkness and weather allowing a unique view of flood inundation, land cover changes, and modifications of Earth’s surface from landslides, earthquakes, and background tectonic motion, etc.

AICRAFT’s CEO Dr. Tony Scoleri said, “We have developed strong relationships with the Indian space ecosystem and are thrilled to partner with Guerin Technologies on our ‘Leoflect’ project to harness the innovation in both our companies and deliver the most compact SAR antenna and most compact, low-power onboard computer on the market. SAR data is critically important and can be used in applications such as agriculture, forestry, glacier monitoring, maritime surveillance and Defence intelligence. We are grateful to the South Australian Government for this funding support, which will make it possible for us to deliver world-class technology with rapid speed, bringing down the cost of, and access to, critically important SAR data.”

Guerin Technologies’ CEO Suhas Bannur, said, “We are excited to collaborate with AICRAFT to develop extremely lightweight, compact SAR platforms with super-fast data processing for next-generation satellites. Our revolutionary composite-based SAR antenna along with AICRAFT’s cutting-edge data processing modules will bring a paradigm shift in the SAR data processing landscape. We thank the South Australian government and the South Australian Space Collaboration and Innovation Fund for the opportunity to collaborate with AICRAFT to bring this unique solution to the market.”

The South Australian Space Collaboration and Innovation Fund is an initiative of the South Australian Space Industry Centre in collaboration with the Defence Innovation Partnership. The fund, launched earlier this year, is designed to accelerate the development of local space innovation and collaboration with international partners. It supports projects that are focused on proof-of-concept or delivering space capabilities with a clear path to commercialization.