Featured

The MWIs will provide cloud and precipitation products and all-weather surface imagery to support numerical weather predictions at regional and global scales.

Omnisys, AAC Clyde Space’s new subsidiary, secured an EUR 0.47 M (approx. SEK 4.9 M) order to deliver strategic spare parts to Airbus Defence and Space for Europe’s next generation of meteorological satellites, the MetOp-SG. 

The order follows a contract in 2015 between AAC Omnisys and Airbus Defence and Space in Toulouse, France, where AAC Omisys delivered three sets of flight components, one qualification model and one spare model. From a space segment perspective, MetOp-SG is two series of satellites (Satellite-A and Satellite-B) with three satellites.  The three MetOp-SG satellites-B will be launched seven years apart, beginning in 2024. The spare components that Omnisys will deliver are related to 118 GHz receivers as part of a MicroWave Imaging radiometer (MWI) being built by Airbus Defence and Space in Toulouse and flying on all three satellites-B. The MWIs will provide cloud and precipitation products and all-weather surface imagery to support numerical weather predictions at regional and global scales.

The components are spare parts for the satellites planned to launch in 2024, 2031 and 2038. AAC Omnisys will keep the spare parts on its premises for five years, regularly testing them to ensure that they are operational. Critical front-end components have been developed together with prof. Stake’s research group at the Terahertz and Millimeter Wave Laboratory and produced in the Nanofabrication Laboratory at the Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg, Sweden.

“AAC Omnisys continues to build on its strong position in technology for weather satellite missions of all sizes. As part of the MetOp program, Omnisys contributes to ensure top quality meteorological data from this European flagship mission,” says AAC Clyde Space’s CEO Luis Gomes.

In combination with advanced data analysis, the surveillance capacity will contribute to defense operations and Norway’s important role in surveillance of the High North.

Norway’s Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace (Kongsberg) has placed an order for three microsatellites with Lithuanian mission integrator NanoAvionics for a space-based maritime surveillance mission covering the North Sea area. All three satellites will be based on NanoAvionics’s largest satellite bus, the MP42 microsatellite bus. 

The surveillance payload will consist of instrumentation developed by KONGSBERG to include ‘”Automatic Identification System” (AIS) reporting and a navigation radar detector, developed by the Norwegian Defence Research Establishment (FFI), that analyses vessels’ radar use. Combining these provides an overview of ship traffic in the area, to include detection of vessels not reporting correct AIS data. 

It is the second time that FFI and NanoAvionics are working together. Previously, FFI was part of a consortium on a Norwegian-Dutch military use of space (MilSpace) mission where NanoAvionics built two nanosatellites.

“Supplying the initial satellites for the first Norwegian maritime constellation for Kongsberg, together with its more than 200 years of company history, makes this project very special to the entire team at NanoAvionics,” said Vytenis J. Buzas, co-founder and CEO of NanoAvionics. “The agreement with Kongsbergis a perfect example of our technological capabilities and proof that adding microsatellites to our portfolio was the right move. While nanosatellites are still in a high demand, it’s the microsatellites that offer new opportunities and room for more advanced missions and applications. The mission also demonstrates the continued strength of European space companies and agencies working together.

“Staying at the top of the satellite industry requires very quick deployment of innovations, especially for surveillance applications. Smallsats, like our MP42, play an enabling role in quickly deploying those monitoring assets while contributing to the security in sea waters.” 

In combination with advanced data analysis, the surveillance capacity will contribute to defense operations and Norway’s important role in surveillance of the High North. In addition, it is possible to rapidly identify vessels engaged in environmental crime, illegal fishing, smuggling and other illegal activities. Supporting search and rescue for vessels in distress are also capabilities of the constellation.

The surveillance capacity of the satellites will be enhanced by encryption software, developed by Norwegian company Eidsvoll Electronics AS, which provides secure communication for the satellites. All three satellites will be operated by KSAT (Kongsberg Satellite Services) the world’s leading provider of ground station services.  

The three satellites will form the basis for Norway’s first satellite constellation. The plan is to expand the fleet with more satellites to increase the coverage areas and revisit times, and equip them with different types of sensors for other types of data to enhance the situational awareness capabilities.

Eirik Lie, President of Kongsberg Defense & Aerospace, said, “With this, we take a successful model from the defense industry into the space industry. Close collaboration between users, researchers and industry has created world-leading products. We are now making a similar investment with the goal of creating a Norwegian satellite adventure that will lift the Norwegian space industry. We are enthusiastic about the strong NanoAvionics capabilities to support this initiative.”

While all ships traveling in the North Sea must have active AIS to identify themselves, allowing KONGSBERG to capture their signals and map normal traffic, some vessels turn off their AIS to stay hidden. Ships wishing to remain hidden by switching off the identification equipment will still be exposed by capturing the navigation radar of the ships. Turning them off carries a high risk of colliding with other ships and obstacles in the water such as icebergs, especially at night. The advanced antenna to pick up the radar signals has been developed by FFI.

NanoAvionics’s MP42 bus is one of the first commercially available modular microsatellite buses in the industry, which had its flight-heritage mission in April 2022.  Having adopted the principles of NanoAvionics’s successful nanosat bus product line, the modular MP42 extends that experience with the same cost-efficient production approach, requiring minimal reconfiguration. The MP42 buses are highly versatile with performance capabilities optimized for remote sensing, high data throughput, complex communications missions, emergency communications, and research missions.

Astra Space, Inc. (“Astra”) (Nasdaq: ASTR) and SaxaVord UK Spaceport are partnering to increase access to space by providing dedicated orbital launch services to a growing satellite market. Subject to the entry of definitive agreements and regulatory approvals, rocket launches are expected to start in 2023.

With a flexible, mobile approach, Astra can transport and connect a fully functional launch system to a simple concrete pad for launches. SaxaVord UK Spaceport would expand Astra’s capacity at key inclinations. Together, they are expected to accelerate access to space for customers launching in the UK.

“This agreement between SaxaVord Spaceport and Astra is great news for Shetland and represents another step towards our shared ambition of bringing vertical launch satellite capability to Scotland,” said Ivan McKee, Scottish Minister for Business, Trade, Tourism and Enterprise. “Companies like this are vital to achieving the aims of our National Strategy for Economic Transformation that will support a nation of entrepreneurs and innovators in areas like small satellite technology and Scotland’s growing space industry.”

“Astra is an agile, fast-moving company on pace to establish a successful track record,” said Robin Huber, Director of Business Development at SaxaVord UK Spaceport. “We look forward to working with their team to build new launch capabilities in the UK. Their mission to improve life on Earth from space is closely aligned with our own values, and we believe that this exciting new relationship will develop into a strong, lasting partnership.”

“The additional inclinations, flexibility and launch capacity that this partnership enables will allow us to meet the needs of Astra’s customers and align directly with SaxaVord UK Spaceport’s economic investment and environmental goals,” said Matt Ganser, Vice President of Business Operations at Astra. “We are excited to work with this partner to open another spaceport from which we would hope to meet the growing demand for dedicated launch out of the UK.”

“This new partnership between Astra and SaxaVord UK Spaceport is another great example of the strong interest from the international space community in operating from UK spaceports,” said Matt Archer, Director of Commercial Space at the UK Space Agency. “By attracting global partners and developing a home-grown launch industry, we can cater for the diverse needs of small satellite manufacturers and operators, while benefiting people and businesses across the UK. It is fantastic to welcome Astra into the UK’s thriving launch community.”

Astra’s mission is to improve life on Earth from space by creating a healthier and more connected planet. Astra offers one of the lowest cost-per-launch dedicated orbital launch services of any operational launch provider in the world. Astra delivered its first commercial payload into Earth orbit in 2021, making it the fastest company in history to reach this milestone, just five years after it was founded in 2016. Astra (NASDAQ: ASTR) was the first space launch company to be publicly traded on Nasdaq.

UK Spaceport SaxVord Spaceport (SaxaVord) is the UK’s first vertical satellite launch facility and ground station located at Lamba Ness in Unst, Shetland. Given Unst is the UK’s highest point of latitude, SaxaVord offers customers a geographic competitive advantage enabling unrivaled payloads per satellite, launch site operations, a network of ground stations and in-orbit data collection and analysis. SaxaVord has received endorsement from the UK Space Agency’s (UKSA) Spectre Report, formed industry-leading partnerships and has been chosen to host the UKSA’s UK Pathfinder launch, which will be delivered by Lockheed Martin and ABL Systems, in 2022. SaxaVord has secured planning permission for the launch site, which will be designed for small rockets delivering payloads into LEO. Integral to the UK’s space economy ambitions, SaxaVord is building a highly skilled workforce, championing STEM education and supporting the economic regeneration of the Shetlands.

Terran Orbital Corporation (NYSE: LLAP) has shipped the CENTAURI-5 satellite to Cape Canaveral in preparation for the SpaceX Transporter-5 launch.

The CENTAURI-5 spacecraft is part of a constellation commissioned by Fleet Space Technologies to deliver global connectivity solutions specifically designed for the energy, utilities and resource industries. Tyvak International, a Terran Orbital Corporation, designed and developed the spacecraft.

Fleet Space is providing the payload that consists of the world’s first, 3D printed, all-metal patch antenna array, combined with Digital Beamforming in S-Band frequency. The spacecraft is based on a Trestles platform.

CENTAURI-5 implements new antenna technologies that maximize the capabilities of smallsats in LEO. Launching large batches of smallsats drives down connectivity costs for customers while improving coverage and network resilience in areas in high need of satellite communication. The Centauri satellites are built to the 6U cubesat form factor. They weigh less than 10 kg. and are the size of a shoebox.

“Terran Orbital is ecstatic to provide innovative satellite solutions that make revolutionary constellations like Fleet Space possible,” said Terran Orbital Co-Founder, Chairman, and Chief Executive Officer, Marc Bell. “Our engineers work day in and day out to fine-tune life-changing and lifesaving missions. The energy, utility, and resource data gathered from CENTAURI-5 will not only lead to technological innovations, but also increased quality of life for people around the world.”

“CENTAURI-5, our new 3D printed all-metal patch antenna satellite, will not only provide digital beamforming in S-band frequency, but will revolutionize the New Space Industry,” said Fleet Space Technologies CEO, Flavia Tata Nardini. “We are extremely excited to launch this satellite in partnership with Terran Orbital and SpaceX. CENTAURI-5 will be the 7th satellite of our planned constellation, with another four launches upcoming. We build, we launch, and we deliver upon our promises to keep growing our satellite constellation and deliver connectivity to our customers across the globe.”

Dawn Aerospace Wins Blue Canyon’s X-SAT Saturn-Class Propulsion Business

Dawn Aerospace, a Netherlands-, New Zealand-and U.S.-based space transportation company, has been selected by Blue Canyon Technologies to provide turnkey chemical propulsion systems for the X-SAT Saturn satellite bus. Dawn will supply thrusters, tanks, control electronics, and full-service support in logistics and propellant loading for the ESPA Grande-class satellite.

Blue Canyon Technologies LLC (BCT), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Raytheon Technologies, recently celebrated its first year with Raytheon Intelligence & Space (RI&S). The investment from RI&S saw BCT invest heavily in high-volume manufacturing to enable concurrent production of 60-plus spacecraft. The company has scaled production of its CubeSat, ESPA, and ESPA Grande Microsat buses along with its components’ business to expedite spacecraft production for its clients, including NASA, U.S. Department of Defense, and many others.

“We are moving fast, and we need suppliers that can match our cadence and quality,” Stephen Steg, CEO of BCT said. “The in-space-heritage, creative thinking and solutions-focused approach we’ve seen from Dawn give us great confidence in their ability to deliver.”

“Through a modular approach, we use standardized components and production processes, including additive manufacturing, to provide custom turnkey systems in a fraction of the time and cost of our competition,” Dawn Aerospace co-founder, and Chief Revenue Officer Jeroen Wink said. “We typically deliver the first batch of flight units within 12 months, then six months or less for recurring units thereafter.”

Dawn recently announced it had been contracted to produce more than 100 thrusters for clients across the U.S., Europe, Japan, India, and Indonesia. The company also has propulsion contracts for a series of constellations, including Pixxel’s hyperspectral imaging constellation and the Indonesian Space Agency’s (LAPAN) early-tsunami warning constellation. Other contracts include the continued supply for a series of Orbital Transfer Vehicles, such as D-Orbit’s ION spacecraft and UARX’s OSSIE spacecraft.

“We are investing heavily in our people and facilities,” Wink said. “With substantial flight heritage now under our belt on multiple missions, we are scaling to meet demand.”

Blue Canyon’s X-SAT microsatellite buses offer a compact profile designed to maximize volume, mass, and power, and carry payloads up to 200 kilograms. These buses are used by a variety of customers and are built to accommodate all types of unique missions.

Momentus Inc. (NASDAQ: MNTS) (“Momentus” or the “Company”) has announced that Charles Chase, Nick Zello and Gary Bartmann have joined the Company as Vice President of Engineering, Vice President of Operations and Vice President of Supply Chain, respectively.

Chase, Zello, and Bartmann bring deep aerospace experience focusing on innovation, technology development, manufacturing, organization building, profitability, and strategy development and execution.

Chase was the founder and leader of Revolutionary Technology Programs, the organization at the technological front end of the storied Lockheed Martin Skunk Works. He led the conception, development and market transition of transformative aerospace technologies in that position. Notably, Chase is an expert in plasma systems and led the development of aerodynamic materials, fluid dynamic control systems, novel control effectors, and cutting-edge vehicle designs. Plasma systems technology is at the heart of the Microwave Electrothermal Thruster using water as a propellant that Momentus is developing.

Zello has product development and manufacturing expertise that spans the automotive, aerospace, internet/I.T., and construction industries. Zello previously worked at Maxar Technologies, where he served as Vice President of Smallsat Operations and Delivery, Vice President of Production Control and Supply Chain and Executive Director of New Product Development at their Space Infrastructure division. He also was General Manager at MDA US Systems LLC, a developer and supplier of commercial and civil robotics, and held leadership roles at General Motors.

Bartmann brings deep expertise in supply chain management from his executive experience at United Launch Alliance (ULA) and Lockheed Martin. As Director and Vice President of Supply Chain at ULA and Lockheed Martin Space/Headquarters, he led teams responsible for strategy development, execution, and supply chain solutions that delivered bottom-line savings and process improvements. His experience in supply chain management, execution, and strategy development are highly valued skills at a time of global supply challenges.

“Success in space starts with our team on the ground, and Charles, Nick and Gary are model leaders who regularly demonstrate it’s not just the work you achieve, but how you achieve it,” said Momentus Chief Executive Officer, John Rood. “Their backgrounds and experience are inimitable, and they bring an unrelenting focus on innovation, problem solving, and crisp execution to their roles. As Momentus gears up for its first flight and looks to transition from development to production, we will have top-tier talent leading the charge into the future.”

With satellite traffic reaching more than 52,000 passes on KSAT‘s KSATlite network in March, the successful, small-aperture ground network is currently handling an unprecedented amount of satellite supports. Although traffic has double in just one year, the network demonstrates a proficiency of 99.7% from scheduling to data delivery

KSATlite is a software-focused, Global Ground Network offering optimized support for smallsats and big constellations. In the span of just one year, from March 2021 to March 2022, traffic on the KSATlite network has almost doubled, seeing the same amount of traffic on the lite network alone, as KSAT’s overall network did this time last year.

Despite this extreme growth, the network is demonstrating a proficiency of 99.7% over the last 100,000 contacts, from scheduling to data delivery.

The main reason for the dramatic growth is that satellite operators are expanding their fleets, moving from one satellite to a constellation of many spacecraft. KSAT is continuously expanding the network to ensure capacity is available. Standardized solutions enable global coverage with the flexibility to keep an eye on the satellite, all the while simultaneously accessing data.

Thirty-three new antennas have built in the last 15 months for KSATlite, spread across 10 ground stations. This means that the capacity for the customers is increased, as the team expects the number of passes will continue to grow in the months ahead.

“I am extremely proud of all work the team has put down to reach this significant milestone. We see that the Lite network is hitting a sweet spot in the marketplace, supporting all kind of customers from extremely low latency constellations to university satellites,” said Kristian Jenssen, director, KSATlite.

“The activity in the commercial smallsat market is evolving in an accelerated way. The market is growing fast and with a small team and scalable and automated solutions we are able to keep up with the traffic, increase the service quality and improve the customer satisfaction. This is an amazing challenge and a very exiting journey,” said Arthur Kvalheim Merlin, Product Manager, KSATlite.

Kongsberg Satellite Services (KSAT) is a leading provider of Ground Network Services and Earth Observation Services, connecting space to Earth. KSAT owns and operates a Ground Station Network of both polar and mid-latitude stations. The four polar ground stations are uniquely located in Tromsø at 69°N, Svalbard Satellite Station (SvalSat) at 78°N Inuvik Station at 68°N and the Antarctic station (TrollSat) at 72°S. The network consist of more than 260 antennas located at 26 sites world-wide and handles 75 000+ passes per month.

In May 2022, Rocket Lab will launch a cubesat to the Moon — this historic pathfinding mission supports NASA’s Artemis program that will land the first woman and first person of color on the Moon.

Using the company’s Electron rocket and new Lunar Photon upper stage, Rocket Lab will inject the Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System Technology Operations and Navigation Experiment (CAPSTONE) cubesat to a highly efficient transfer orbit to the Moon.

CAPSTONE is owned and operated by Advanced Space in Westminster, Colorado, for NASA.

CAPSTONE’s primary objective is to test and verify the calculated orbital stability of a Near Rectilinear Halo Orbit around the Moon, the same orbit planned for Gateway. NASA’s Gateway is a small space station that will orbit around the Moon to provide astronauts with access to the lunar surface and will feature living quarters for astronauts, a lab for science and research and ports for visiting spacecraft.

CAPSTONE will also test a navigation system developed by Advanced Space that will measure its absolute position in cislunar space using interaction with NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter without relying on ground stations for navigation support.

CAPSTONE is one of the first steps to learn how to operate more robust missions in this unique orbit, thereby laying the groundwork for future exploration of the solar system.

Another exciting day at Planet as the company unveils details about their nex-gen satellite constellation, Pelican, designed to efficiently capture brief and rapidly changing events as they unfold.

The Pelican constellation was designed in-house and is expected to be built at the firm’s manufacturing facility in San Francisco. The advancements of this brand new constellation represent a leap forward in capabilities for the firm’s customers — from higher revisit and higher spatial resolution, to faster data access and delivery.

Pelican is expected to start launch activities early next year and will consist of the following specifications:

• Up to 32 new tasking satellites, which will replenish and improve upon the capabilities of our existing 21 SkySats

• Increased rapid revisit, as customers are expected to be able to task images of the same location up to 12 times per day, and will even have 30 opportunities in mid latitudes

• Reduced latency for downloading data, creating shorter time loops between tasking and receiving data across the world

• Higher resolution capabilities with up to 30 cm. resolution imagery

This next-generation constellation is expected to monitor patterns of life, such as shifting political borders and changing coastlines, and help characterize drivers of environmental change that are threatening protected ecosystems. Planet hopes these exciting product advancements will provide customers across global industries and governments with the ability to respond to global events with more speed and better informed insights.

With such revisit capacity, users should be able to capture transitory events occurring in one location, increasing their likelihood of obtaining a high quality image even during unpredictable or cloudy weather. These new rapid and accurate insights will be particularly valuable for monitoring regions with fleeting events, such as unstable conflict zones or areas vulnerable to storms and fires that spread rapidly over space and time.

The company is currently seeing strong and growing demand from multiple market segments for real-time data from their high-resolution products, including the defense sector for security intelligence, civil government for disaster response and software companies for mapping platforms. Pelican was designed to meet these growing needs as a state-of-the-art rapid revisit and very high resolution satellite system, delivering information faster and more accurately.

Global customers are able to use both of the firm’s satellite system products – the PlanetScope monitoring and SkySat tasking – in combination, to execute tip and cue strategies and design automated alert systems. Thus, Planet designed Pelican to leverage and advance on that interoperability so the company can continue to pioneer unique and comprehensive datasets to answer customers’ questions. Combined with a full suite of daily, global monitoring data and analytics solutions, Pelican believes they will help drive critical decision-making for aid organizations, businesses, international NGOs, and governments.

“We are seeing strong and growing demand from multiple market segments for our high resolution products today. We have designed our next generation ‘Pelican’ fleet to meet the evolving needs of customers who want real-time information about global events as they unfold – from floods and wildfires to political conflicts and threats to human rights. Pelican’s rapid response and higher resolution will do exactly that,” said Planet Co-Founder and CEO, Will Marshall.

Foresail-1, the first satellite from the Finnish Center of Excellence in Research of Sustainable Space, is now ready for space.

“With the help of long-term funding from the Academy of Finland, we have created the first scientific space program in Finland, which aims to develop more sustainable space technology,” said Professor Minna Palmroth from the University of Helsinki, the director of the Center of Excellence.

The satellite’s journey from Otaniemi in Espoo will start within a few days. The first stop will be Berlin, Germany, where the satellite will be integrated into the launch adapter. Foresail-1 will be delivered to its designated rocket by the German launch service provider EXOLaunch. In the summer, the satellite will be launched on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from the space center at Cape Canaveral in Florida, U.S.

The satellite systems and scientific instruments in Foresail-1 were all developed and built in Finland. The Center of Excellence studies space conditions and uses this research to develop satellites that will last longer in the challenging conditions of space. It is headed by the University of Helsinki and includes Aalto University, the University of Turku and the Finnish Meteorological Institute. The teams from the Finnish Meteorological Institute and the University of Turku are responsible for the scientific instruments and their measurements.

The Aalto University team was in charge of planning the mission and building the satellite. The team developed a completely new, open satellite platform in its laboratory. The satellite platform and the subsystems, such as the positioning system, radio, central computer, frame, antennas, position sensors, batteries and solar panels, can be used in future Finnish satellite missions. The satellite plans will be made available as an open-source project.

According to Assistant Professor Jaan Praks from Aalto University, particular attention was paid to the reliability and longevity of the satellite by protecting its electronics from space radiation better than in previous small satellites.

“Several development versions of the satellite were built throughout the project, and the functionality of the systems was ensured through dozens of tests in conditions like high vibration, vacuum and low temperatures. The final flight model of the satellite will soon be integrated into the launch adapter, which will then be attached to the Falcon 9 rocket at the launch site in Cape Canaveral,” Praks says.

Control and operation of the satellite will be handled by the Otaniemi ground station, which currently tracks the Aalto-1 and Suomi100 satellites. The ground station operations are built on solutions and software developed at Aalto University.

Though the satellite is just the size of a milk carton, it will carry two unique scientific instruments developed by the Center of Excellence: the PATE particle telescope, which will study the near-Earth radiation environment, and a plasma brake, which will bring the satellite out of orbit.

The plasma brake has already been tested in Aalto-1, but further development has improved its operational reliability. The brake aims to significantly reduce the amount of space debris in orbit by slowing the satellite down, so it falls back into the atmosphere, where it goes up in smoke. Normally it takes years for satellites to sink with return into the atmosphere, but with the plasma brake, the process could be sped up to just two months.

“The plasma brake works in theory and in our tests, but its braking force has not yet been fully measured in space,” said Research Manager Pekka Janhunen from the Finnish Meteorological Institute.

The goal of the PATE particle telescope, developed at the University of Turku, is to help researchers better understand the radiation environment of space and extend the life of satellites.

“More accurate measurements from the PATE instrument will help us determine how electrons exit the radiation zones into the atmosphere. With this knowledge, we’ll be able to develop satellites that can withstand space radiation better and operate in space for longer,” said Professor Rami Vainio from the University of Turku.