Pale Blue Inc. (Pale Blue) has been awarded a grant by Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) under the Small and Business Innovation Research 3 (SBIR-3) program to develop and demonstrate key technology for space debris mitigation.

The grant is worth up to $27 million (JPY 4 billion) and will enable the development and demonstration of a miniaturized, water-based, ion thruster and a water-based, hall-effect thruster by fiscal 2027.

Most space debris consists of fragments generated by collision with other space debris and satellites that have ceased operation. In order to reduce space debris, it is imperative to ensure that future satellites will be equipped with the ability to avoid collision and perform deorbit maneuvers upon completing operation. As propulsion systems enable satellites to both avoid collision and deorbit, they are one of the most effective tools available today to mitigate space debris.

While more and more smallsats are expected to be launched going forward, especially in the 10 kg to 500 kg mass range, the need for propulsion systems that are both small enough to fit on small satellites and integration friendly will only continue to grow. Pale Blue will tackle this challenge by developing a propulsion system that uses water as propellant, which is not only safe and procurement-friendly but which can also be miniaturized.

Under this program, Pale Blue will develop two types of propulsion systems; a water-based miniaturized ion thruster targeting 10 to 100 kg class satellites and a water-based, hall-effect thruster targeting 100 to 500 kg class satellites, both of which will be demonstrated in orbit.

The SBIR-3 program supports startup companies that are ready for large scale technology demonstration and is designed under the Small Business Innovation Research program in Japan to promote innovation by facilitating the research and development executed by startup companies. The program aims to promote the social application of state of the art technologies by subsidizing grant projects. The SBIR-3 program awarded to Pale Blue is divided into three phases and will grant up to $27 million (JPY 4 billion). The grant amount is determined separately at each phase and with the first phase amount totaling $8.7 million (JPY 1.3 billion).

“We are truly honored to have been selected for the SBIR-3 program,” said Jun Asakawa, CEO of Pale Blue. “We will contribute to space debris mitigation through agile development of the miniaturized water ion thrusters and the water hall-effect thrusters. This program will enable the product to rapidly enter the market after in-orbit demonstration, and will allow for quick adoption by satellite constellation operators. We are confident that this will lead to our vision of creating mobility that is core to the space industry.”

Pale Blue is a space tech company spun out from the University of Tokyo in 2020. The company is dedicated to providing a propulsion solution for spacecraft and it produces a range of systems that use water as a propellant. Through its innovative propulsion technology, Pale Blue aims to create mobility that is core to the space industry.

A live panel discussion will occur at the currently running SmallSat Symposium in Silicon Valley, California, entitled “The Use of Microelectronics that Enable SmallSats.”

This panel discussion will start at 8:30 a.m., PT, on Thursday, February 8th, and will feature speakers Ralph Grundler, Aitech‘s Director of Space Business Development, as well as additional industry experts. At the center of the discussion will be how the next generation of space technologies are contributing to the ongoing growth of SmallSats.

Forward think application developments and the proven reliability of COTS-based systems in space are definitely leading the efforts toward next generation SmallSat solutions. Aitech’s space digital backbone (DBB), supported by COTS products, harnesses the power to provide scalable, open comms with space data tech for any orbit level.

Register today and discover how Aitech and other industry leaders are contributing to the evolution of SmallSats at the SmallSat Symposium.

GEOST, LLC (GEOST), a LightRidge Solutions company, will provide the mission payloads as a subcontractor under prime awardee Sierra Space for the Space Development Agency’s (SDA) Tracking Layer Tranche 2 missile warning and tracking satellites.

The Tracking Layer Tranche 2 satellites are a critical component in SDA’s proliferated warfighting space architecture to counter hypersonic and advanced missile threats.

GEOST will provide Sierra Space with 16 of the company’s Mercury missile warning and missile tracking payloads and two of its Phoenix fire control payloads for multi-domain missile defense. The company will also be delivering mission processing solutions integrated with its payloads.

GEOST’s design leverages company internal research and development investments in leading-edge sensor designs and advanced algorithms, as well as investments to significantly expand its production capacity. It builds on existing GEOST expertise developing and building high-performance, multi-orbit payloads for classified and unclassified missions that are affordable, low weight and low power, with integrated on-orbit processing and ground-based infrastructure.

“The SDA Tracking Layer Tranche 2 award opens new avenues for GEOST including applicability to other space-based persistent infrared missions in low- and medium-Earth orbits (LEO / MEO). The contract represents a strategic win for Sierra Space and GEOST as we continue to scale and expand into new mission areas,” said Bill Gattle, CEO of LightRidge Solutions. “LightRidge is proud to be part of SDA’s transformational architecture that will provide critical capability to the warfighting infrastructure. This award continues LightRidge’s dedication to delivering impactful and differentiated capabilities for integral U.S. National Security Space missions.”

“The SDA Tracking Layer Tranche 2 award opens new avenues for GEOST,” said Rich Gray, President of GEOST, “including applicability to other space-based persistent infrared missions in low- and medium-earth orbits.”

GEOST, LLC, a LightRidge Solutions Company, designs and produces affordable, high-performance optical sensor systems for critical National Security Space missions. The company has served its core DoD, Intelligence Community, and industry customer base since its founding with a team of around 200 high performing professionals based in Arizona and Northern Virginia.

LightRidge Solutions brings leading capabilities that address demanding national security space and defense needs, including advanced space payloads and on-orbit processing technologies, multi-orbit space domain awareness and protection systems, laser communications and airborne survivability systems, as well as mission autonomy software. LightRidge’s innovative and highly reliable concept-to-production systems provide high performance at lower costs and shorter delivery schedules than traditional systems. These include world-class optical and laser sensors, surveillance systems, and data-processing electronics, which are enabling the transition to more resilient and affordable space architectures for the U.S. military and intelligence communities, as well as select commercial and international customers.

One of Surrey Satellite Technologies Limited (SSTL) key missions in build is the Lunar Pathfinder, and all of the elements are coming together in anticipation of a launch toward the end of 2025. Check out the Lunar Pathfinder SANT (photo above), which is an S-band antenna and Antenna Pointing Mechanism (APM).

The antenna is a 0.86 meter Parabolic CFRP Reflector fed by a Backfire Helix, capable of transmitting and receiving in S-band (2.0 – 2.3 GHz) with gain >20dB.

The APM is a novel design which rotates two swashplates to achieve a pointing range up to 25 degrees off-center. The flight mass of the APM 9.3 kg, or 11.3 kg with the antenna installed.

The Lunar Pathfinder SANT has been developed in-house at SSTL to communicate with assets on the surface of the moon and in lunar orbit as part of the primary payload of the Lunar Pathfinder spacecraft.

Terran Orbital Corporation (NYSE: LLAP) has announced that CAPSTONE, a satellite manufactured by Terran Orbital for Advanced Space’s NASA lunar mission, has been named a winner in the 2024 BIG Innovation Awards presented by the Business Intelligence Group.

Organizations from across the globe submitted their recent innovations for consideration in the BIG Innovation Awards. Nominations were then judged by a select group of business leaders and executives who volunteer their time and expertise to score submissions.

“At Terran Orbital, we aim to keep innovation at the forefront of our company’s mission. Receiving recognition for this is an honor, and we will continue our commitment to being a leader in the space,” said Marc Bell, Co-Founder, Chairman, and Chief Executive Officer at Terran Orbital.

“Innovation is driving our society,” said Maria Jimenez, Chief Nominations Officer of the Business Intelligence Group. “We are thrilled to be honoring Terran Orbital as they are leading by example and improving the lives of so many.”

Sidus Space (NASDAQ: SIDU) has reported the firm is a member of the Solis Applied Science, LLC team that was selected by the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency‘s (NGA) to provide R&D services to NGA’s Research and Development directorate.

The NGA awarded the Research and Development Contract (RDC) indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contract on January 25, 2024, to Solis Applied Science, LLC, one of four IDIQ awardees. Task orders will be completed among the IDIQ awardees, with the first task order scheduled for February of 2024.

Sidus Space expects to actively contribute to RDC activities, focusing on the development, maturation, testing, and integration of R&D concepts into functional prototypes as a member of the Solis team. The scope of RDC projects encompasses groundbreaking research in foundational geospatial-intelligence, advanced phenomenologies, and analytic technologies.

For more information on the NGA’s $794 million Research and Development Contract, view NGA’s official announcement here.

“The opportunity to contribute to NGA’s Research and Development Contract aligns seamlessly with Sidus Space’s commitment to pushing the boundaries of space technology and data services,” said Carol Craig, CEO of Sidus Space. “As part of the Solis team, we are excited to leverage our expertise in driving innovation, testing prototypes, and advancing capabilities that will shape the future of geospatial intelligence.”

Sidus Space (NASDAQ: SIDU) is a Space and Data-as-a-Service satellite company focused on mission-critical hardware manufacturing; multi-disciplinary engineering services; satellite design, production, launch planning, mission operations; and in-orbit support. The Company is in Cape Canaveral, Florida, where it operates from a 35,000-square-foot manufacturing, assembly, integration, and testing facility focused on vertically integrated Space-as-a-Service solutions including end-to-end satellite support.

Sidus Space has a mission of Bringing Space Down to Earth and a vision of enabling space flight heritage status for new technologies while delivering data and predictive analytics to domestic and global customers. Any corporation, industry, or vertical can start their journey off-planet with Sidus Space’s rapidly scalable, low-cost satellite services, space-based solutions, and testing alternatives. More than just a “Satellite-as-a-Service” provider, Sidus Space is a trusted Mission Partner–from concept to Low Earth Orbit and beyond. Sidus Space is ISO 9001:2015, AS9100 Rev. D certified, and ITAR registered.

Rocket Lab USA, Inc. (Nasdaq: RKLB) launched the company’s first Electron mission for 2024, a space-junk focused mission for Spire Global, Inc. (“Spire”) and NorthStar Earth & Space (“NorthStar”).

The ‘Four Of A Kind’ mission for Spire’s customer NorthStar successfully launched from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand at 19:34 NZDT / 06:34 UTC. Rocket Lab’s Electron rocket deployed four Space Situational Awareness (SSA) satellites to a 530km circular Earth orbit where the satellites, built and operated by Spire, will monitor near-Earth objects from space to provide timely and precise information for space object detection, tracking, orbit determination, collision avoidance, navigation, and proximity alerts.

This mission was Rocket Lab’s 43rd Electron launch overall, bringing the Company’s record of successfully deployed satellites to 176. The mission was the first of a busy launch year for Rocket Lab, with the Company scheduled to launch more in 2024 than any previous year since the Company began missions in 2017.

The mission also resulted in the successful return of the rocket’s first stage after launch as part of Rocket Lab’s plan to evolve Electron into a reusable rocket. After launch and stage separation, Electron’s booster made its way back to Earth under a parachute and splashed down in the Pacific Ocean at approximately 17 minutes post lift-off.

‘Four Of A Kind’ is Rocket Lab’s first Electron launch in a sold-out 2024 mission manifest that includes multiple upcoming launches for NASA; hypersonic technology tests on suborbital HASTE missions from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 2 in Virginia; the beginning or continuation of block launches for satellite operators BlackSky, Synspective, and Kinéis; and several other launches for commercial and defense sector mission partners.

Rocket Lab founder and CEO, Peter Beck, said, “The success of today’s mission to deliver Spire & NorthStar to orbit, and the completion of our secondary mission to return Electron to Earth after launch, has been a fantastic start of what is set to be Rocket Lab’s busiest year ever. We have more missions booked in 2024 than we’ve ever scheduled before, and it is a real privilege to continue to deliver small launch reliability for our satellite customers on advanced missions like these and for all the missions to come in 2024.”