Exolaunch has successfully integrated the firm’s customer satellites for the upcoming Transporter-11 Rideshare mission with SpaceX — the mission is expected to be Exolaunch’s largest mission of 2024 thus far, servicing 42 smallsats for 23 global customers.

Scheduled to lift off later this summer, the Transporter-11 Rideshare mission will launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9 from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. This mission signifies Exolaunch’s ongoing commitment to advancing global access to space and marks the company’s participation in all 11 Transporter missions to date since the program’s inception.

Exolaunch’s customers on the Transporter-11 mission represent a diverse array of government space agencies, commercial companies, and academic research institutions, from the following nations: Argentina, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Lithuania, Poland, Spain, Taiwan, Turkey, United Kingdom, and the United States.

Exolaunch clients onboard this mission will receive the company’s decade of expertise in enabling successful deployments for nearly 400 satellites to date, and a comprehensive service package designed to effectively navigate complex technical, logistical, and legal processes. This package includes launch capacity and mission planning, end-to-end testing, integration, global shipping, and the deployment of their satellites using Exolaunch’s flight-proven hardware.

More than 30 EXOpod Nova containerized deployers and CarboNIX ring-based separation systems will be utilized to support the deployment of customer satellites on this mission. These proprietary systems are part of Exolaunch’s renowned suite of satellite separation technologies and known for their reliability and effectiveness in space missions.

Integrations with the deployment systems have been successfully completed at Exolaunch’s headquarters in Berlin and globally for its cubesat customers, and the final integration campaign is currently underway at Vandenberg Space Force Base.

“We are honored to enable this launch campaign for 42 customer satellites on our largest mission of the year. We extend our gratitude to our customers for their continued loyalty and trust in Exolaunch’s services, and thank SpaceX for their excellent launch preparations,” said Robert Sproles, chief technology officer at Exolaunch.

“Our long-standing collaboration with SpaceX has been integral to Exolaunch’s own growth, and we are proud to have been a part of all Transporter launches since the inception of the highly successful Rideshare program,” said Jeanne Allarie, chief commercial officer at Exolaunch. “We look forward to launch and deployment of these satellites, further contributing to crucial developments in rideshare missions and access to space for all.”

Kepler Communications recently successfully validated optical inter-satellite links (OISLs) between two data relay satellites in LEO.  

During a commissioning and early operations phase, Kepler established optical inter-satellite links between two Pathfinder satellites equipped with Space Development Agency (SDA) compatible Tesat SCOT80 optical terminals.

The first file transferred over the optical connection was a recent picture of Kepler’s global team gathered near its headquarters in Toronto, Canada (photo below). In the first week of testing, the company successfully sent diagnostic data between the two spacecraft, and the full link performance was demonstrated according to the SDA standard. In addition, multiple acquisition scenarios were tested, and both terminal and spacecraft performed optimally. 

In addition to initial optical link commissioning, the company has demonstrated Internet Protocol (IP) mesh networking on-orbit by communicating with multiple satellites in real time over a single ground link, using standard protocols including Secure Shell (SSH), Transmission Control Protocol (TCP), and User Datagram Protocol (UDP). 

Kepler is scaling operations to deploy the first Tranche of its next-generation constellation and expects to offer initial optical services in 2025. The hybrid optical data relay network builds on flight heritage from Kepler’s existing constellation of 21 RF satellites. The Kepler Network provides customers with always-available coverage in LEO, streamlining on-orbit communications with sub-second end-to-end latency, gigabit throughputs, and onboard processing to enable access to space-generated data in near-real time. 

Established in 2015, Kepler has quickly grown into a global space company and provides secure optical data relay services to government and commercial missions as a partner in modern space communications. The company’s investors include IA Ventures, Costanoa Ventures, Canaan Partners, Tribe Capital, BDC Capital’s Industrial Innovation Venture Fund, and other leading investors. The Canadian Space Agency (CSA) also contributed a grant toward the completion of the Pathfinder technology.   

“Kepler is proud to make significant progress in creating the critical Internet infrastructure needed to solve compounding data needs in space. This OISL achievement is a testament to the hard work, determination, and brilliance of our Kepler team,” said Mina Mitry, chief executive officer and co-founder of Kepler. “The Kepler Network will act as a data transport layer, bringing modern Internet capabilities to space through an interoperable architecture that will revolutionize space communications as we know it.”  

Kepler Communications, Inc. is a satellite telecommunications provider on a mission to build the Internet for space. Incorporated in 2015, Kepler provides real-time, continuous connectivity for space communications, abolishing barriers to make space-generated data universally available. The company is vertically integrated, with an in-house production facility allowing satellites to be designed and built on-site. The Kepler Network will initially service low Earth orbit (LEO) and plans to provide connectivity services to space missions in LEO, MEO, GEO, and beyond. Headquartered in Toronto, Canada, Kepler is building a global company to enable communications for the future space economy.

TESAT was recently selected by MDA Space Ltd. (TSX:MDA) to deliver 792 Optical Communication Terminals (OCT) as part of the supply chain for MDA AURORA^TM.

The 792 SCOT80 OCTs will be manufactured on a specific line in TESAT’s new high-volume production facility in Backnang, Germany. The facility has been built to meet the requirements of next space satellite constellations. The MDA AURORA^TM supply chain will help support product deliveries for anchor customer Telesat LEO satellite constellation Telesat Lightspeed, an innovative, advanced global network that will bring enterprise-class connectivity to customers worldwide.

TESAT began its collaboration with MDA Space more than 20 years ago and the company’s have been working closely together on several successful space programs since that time.

“We feel honored that we have been selected once again working in close cooperation with MDA Space for Telesat Lightspeed. This program will result in the next level of advanced broadband networks. We have been preparing for this kind of constellation orders by investing continuously in R&D to keep our pole position in optical communications technology, already proven by in-orbit applications with more than 86,000 successful links, and by investing in our new production facility in Backnang for serial production of OCTs. The trust that MDA Space puts again in us now proves that we are well on track,” said Thomas Reinartz, CEO of TESAT.

Pale Blue Inc. has completed its Series B funding round of 2.5 billion yen (approx. $16 million)— this funding will accelerate research, development, and manufacturing of propulsion systems for small satellites.

The Series B funding round was completed through a third-party allocation of new shares to venture capital and CVC funds. Including the amount raised during the first close announced in October of 2023, the total amount raised in this Series B funding round is approximately 2.5 billion yen (approx. $16 million). With this funding, the company will focus on the development and on-orbit demonstration of the firm’s water ion thruster and water Hall-effect thruster, the establishment of a development base for production technologies, and the enhancement of the Pale Blue team.

Jun Asakawa, CEO and Co-Founder of Pale Blue, said, “With this Series B funding round, Pale Blue will strengthen its team while accelerating the development and on-orbit demonstration of our water ion thruster and water Hall-effect thruster, as well as the establishment of a development base for production technologies. We are deeply grateful for the support of our investors and remain committed to developing innovative technologies and implementing them in society. We will create a mobility that is core to the space industry and pioneer the expansion of human possibility.”

CEO and General Partner Kazumasa Watanabe of aSTART Co., Ltd., said, “Our company has cultivated extensive knowledge and relationships, particularly with enterprises providing low Earth orbit services for small satellites. One of the significant challenges we have identified is the absence of propulsion systems that can deliver safety, high-performance, low-cost, sustainability, and short-lead-times. Pale Blue is developing technologies that address all these issues simultaneously, revolutionizing the satellite propulsion market. We are fully committed to supporting this transformative journey that will change the world.”

Yasuhiro Saito Department Manager, Innovation Department, YAMATO TRANSPORT CO., LTD., Senior Manager, Innovation Department, YAMATO HOLDINGS CO., LTD., said, “We have decided to make an additional investment in Pale Blue in the hope that its advanced technological capabilities will make a significant contribution to the market expansion of the space industry. We are also attracted to Pale Blue because it is a company that addresses environmental issues and has a high affinity with our goal of contributing to the realization of a sustainable future. We will continue to work with the company to create new value.“

Hidetaka Aoki, Partner/Fellow, Global Brain Corporation, said, “Following the previous Series A round, we have made additional investment in Pale Blue. We think Pale Blue deserves credit for speedily promoting its business based on its advanced technological capabilities, and for having a solid track record in space. Space Sustainability is becoming an increasingly important theme, and we expect Pale Blue to become a world leader in this field as well.”

General Partner Shinzo Nakano / Principal, Kaoru Nakagamie of ITC Ventures, Inc., said, “In recent years, the space business has been experiencing significant global growth, and it remains one of the few promising sectors where Japanese startups can compete on an international level. Pale Blue, a highly capable startup originating from the University of Tokyo, has already built a strong track record of orders from both domestic and international clients. We have decided to invest in this promising company and are committed to fully supporting their business expansion as ITV.””

Pale Blue is a space technology company that was 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.

Rocket Lab USA, Inc. (Nasdaq: RKLB) a global provider of launch services and space systems, today successfully completed the second of two Electron launches for NASA’s PREFIRE (Polar Radiant Energy in the Far-InfraRed Experiment) climate change-focused mission, completing a turnaround of two launches within eleven days.

‘PREFIRE and Ice’ lifted-off from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 in Mahia, New Zealand at 3:15pm NZST on Wednesday June 5^th, 2024, deploying the second of two satellites for the PREFIRE mission to a 525km orbit. The first mission, ‘Ready, Aim, PREFIRE’, was successfully launched days earlier on May 25^th, 2024 from the same launch pad, demonstrating Rocket Lab’s ability to launch consistently and in quick succession to meet customer mission requirements.

With both satellites now in orbit, they will crisscross the Arctic and Antarctic to study heat lost to space from the Earth’s polar regions. Heat loss measurements collected by the PREFIRE mission will help to improve climate and ice-loss models to better predict Earth’s ice, sea level, and weather changes. The mission is expected to operate for 10 months.

Rocket Lab founder and CEO, Sir Peter Beck, says, “I’m proud of the team for delivering back-to-back mission success for NASA on Electron once again. Quickly deploying both satellites to orbit within eleven days of each other demonstrates our team’s skill and experience, allowing NASA to maximize PREFIRE’s time in space collecting important climate change data. We’re a long-trusted launch partner for NASA’s biggest small satellite missions, and it’s a privilege to continue supporting innovative science missions like PREFIRE.”

Electron has now delivered 185 satellites to space across all its launches, with today’s mission being Rocket Lab’s 49^th Electron launch overall and seventh mission of 2024. Electron remains the United States’ second-most frequently launched rocket annually and one of the most frequently launched rockets globally.

Details for Rocket Lab’s 50^th Electron launch will be released in the coming days.

Rocket Lab launches first of two NASA climate change satellites

“Today we successfully launched the first of two back-to-back launches for NASA’s PREFIRE (Polar Radiant Energy in the Far-InfraRed Experiment) climate change-focused mission.”

The following announcements are from both Rocket Lab and NASA.

After a slight delay at T-12 minutes due to ‘ground winds’, Rocket Lab USA, Inc. (Nasdaq: RKLB), a provider in launch services and space systems, today launched the first of two back-to-back launches for NASA’s PREFIRE (Polar Radiant Energy in the Far-InfraRed Experiment) climate change-focused mission.

‘Ready, Aim, PREFIRE’ lifted-off from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 in Mahia, New Zealand at 7:41 pm NZST on May 25^th, 2024. The launch deployed the first of two satellites for the PREFIRE mission to a 525km circular Low Earth Orbit. Now that the first satellite has been successfully deployed, the second will follow on another dedicated Electron launch in just a few days. The launch date for the next mission, ‘PREFIRE and Ice’ will be confirmed early next week.

Rocket Lab’s ability to launch dedicated missions to precise orbits on demand is critical to the success of PREFIRE. The mission requires two separate satellites to follow similar trajectories but along different paths to overlap with each other every few hours near the Arctic and Antarctica and capture accurate heat loss measurements. Both PREFIRE satellites are equipped with a device called a thermopile, similar to sensors found in household thermostats, to measure heat loss at far-infrared wavelengths which have never been systematically measured before. This data collected by the PREFIRE mission will help to improve climate and ice models and provide better predictions of how the planet’s sea level and weather are likely to change in the future.

Rocket Lab founder and CEO, Peter Beck, says, “Missions like PREFIRE demonstrate the unique benefit of Electron – dedicated launch for small satellites to precise orbits on precise schedules. We’ve demonstrated this back-to-back launch capability for NASA once before with the TROPICS mission and we’re excited to deliver it once again for PREFIRE. Climate change-focused missions like this are essential to understanding and safeguarding the future of our planet. It’s a privilege to support them on Electron.”

Today’s successful mission was Rocket Lab’s 48^th Electron launch overall and sixth launch of 2024.

NASA’s statement regarding launch of small climate satellite to study Earth’s poles

The first of a pair of climate satellites designed to study heat emissions at Earth’s poles for NASA is in orbit after lifting off atop Rocket Lab’s Electron rocket from the company’s Launch Complex 1 in Māhia, New Zealand at 7:41 p.m. NZST (3:41 a.m. EDT) on Saturday.NASA Launches Small Climate Satellite to Study Earth’s Poles

The agency’s PREFIRE (Polar Radiant Energy in the Far-InfraRed Experiment) mission consists of two shoebox-size cube satellites, or CubeSats, that will measure the amount of heat Earth radiates into space from two of the coldest, most remote regions on the planet. Data from the PREFIRE mission will help researchers better predict how Earth’s ice, seas, and weather will change in a warming world.

“NASA’s innovative PREFIRE mission will fill a gap in our understanding of the Earth system – providing our scientists a detailed picture of how Earth’s polar regions influence how much energy our planet absorbs and releases,” said Karen St. Germain, director of NASA’s Earth Science Division in Washington. “This will improve prediction of sea ice loss, ice sheet melt, and sea level rise, creating a better understanding of how our planet’s system will change in the coming years — crucial information to farmers tracking changes in weather and water, fishing fleets working in changing seas, and coastal communities building resilience.”

Ground controllers successfully established communications with the CubeSat at 8:48 EDT. The second PREFIRE CubeSat will set off on its own Electron rocket from Launch Complex 1 in the coming days. Following a 30-day checkout period during which engineers and scientists will make sure both CubeSats are working normally, the mission is expected to operate for 10 months.

At the heart of the PREFIRE mission is Earth’s energy budget — the balance between incoming heat energy from the Sun and the outgoing heat given off by the planet. The difference between the two is what determines the planet’s temperature and climate. A lot of the heat radiated from the Arctic and Antarctica is emitted as far-infrared radiation, but there is currently no detailed measurement of this type of energy.

The water vapor content of the atmosphere, along with the presence, structure, and composition of clouds, influences the amount of far-infrared radiation that escapes into space from Earth’s poles. Data collected from PREFIRE will give researchers information on where and when far-infrared energy radiates from the Arctic and Antarctic environments into space.

“The PREFIRE CubeSats may be small, but they’re going to close a big gap in our knowledge about Earth’s energy budget,” said Laurie Leshin, director, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. “Their observations will help us understand the fundamentals of Earth’s heat balance, allowing us to better predict how our ice, seas, and weather will change in the face of global warming.”

The mission’s CubeSats each carry an instrument called a thermal infrared spectrometer, which use specially shaped mirrors and sensors to measure infrared wavelengths. Miniaturizing the instruments to fit on CubeSats necessitated downsizing some parts while scaling up other components.

“Our planet is changing quickly, and in places like the Arctic, in ways that people have never experienced before,” said Tristan L’Ecuyer, PREFIRE’s principal investigator, University of Wisconsin, Madison. “NASA’s PREFIRE will give us new measurements of the far-infrared wavelengths being emitted from Earth’s poles, which we can use to improve climate and weather models and help people around the world deal with the consequences of climate change.”

NASA’s Launch Services Program, based out of the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, in partnership with NASA’s Earth System Science Pathfinder Program is providing the launch service as part of the agency’s Venture-class Acquisition of Dedicated and Rideshare (VADR) launch services contract.

The PREFIRE mission was jointly developed by NASA and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. NASA JPL manages the mission for the agency’s Science Mission Directorate and provided the spectrometers. Blue Canyon Technologies built the CubeSats and the University of Wisconsin-Madison will process the data the instruments collect. The launch services provider is Rocket Lab USA Inc. of Long Beach, California.

Rocket Lab readies back-to-back launches for NASA’s climate change research mission

Rocket Lab USA, Inc. (Nasdaq: RKLB) global provider in launch services and space systems, announced it is preparing two back-to-back Electron launches to deploy NASA’s PREFIRE (Polar Radiant Energy in the Far-InfraRed Experiment) mission.

The two dedicated missions will each deploy one satellite to a 525km circular orbit from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 in Mahia, New Zealand. The first mission – named ‘Ready, Aim, PREFIRE’ – is scheduled to launch no earlier than May 22, 2024. The launch date of the second mission – named ‘PREFIRE And Ice’ – will be scheduled to take place within three weeks of the successful deployment of the first PREFIRE mission. The missions will be Rocket Lab’s 48^th and 49^th Electron launches overall and its sixth and seventh launches of 2024. The launch will broadcast live at www.rocketlabusa.com/live-stream

NASA’s PREFIRE mission is a climate change-focused mission that will systematically measure the heat, in the form of infrared and far-infrared wavelengths, lost from Earth’s polar regions for the first time. Extreme storms, flooding, and coastal erosion are examples of weather outcomes that are influenced by climate conditions in the Arctic and Antarctica. Once deployed to their separate orbits, the two PREFIRE satellites will criss-cross over the Arctic and Antarctica measuring thermal infrared radiation – the same type of energy emitted from a heat lamp – that will make climate models more accurate and help predict changes caused by global warming. PREFIRE consists of two 6U CubeSats with a baseline mission length of 10 months.

“Helping climate scientists better understand climate change means they need precisely located measurements of Earth’s polar heat loss, which NASA’s PREFIRE mission is setting out to achieve, and helping the PREFIRE mission achieve its science objectives means its satellites need precise and accurate deployments to their locations in space,” says Rocket Lab Founder and CEO, Peter Beck. “It’s these types of missions where Electron really thrives as the leading launch provider for dedicated small satellite missions. We have an excellent track record of delivering NASA’s payloads to exactly where they need to go and when they need to, and we’re looking forward to adding to that tally further with these next back-to-back launches.”

PREFIRE is the latest to join Rocket Lab’s list of NASA science and technology missions launched on Electron in recent years. These include the CAPSTONE mission to the Moon launched by Electron and deployed by a Rocket Lab Explorer spacecraft bus; two back-to-back Electron launches for the TROPICS mission in May 2023; the recent NASA Starling mission launched on Electron; and NASA’s ACS3 mission launched last month on a rideshare mission.

Founded in 2006, Rocket Lab is an end-to-end space company with an established track record of mission success. They deliver reliable launch services, satellite manufacture, spacecraft components, and on-orbit management solutions that make it faster, easier, and more affordable to access space. Headquartered in Long Beach, California, Rocket Lab designs and manufactures the Electron small orbital launch vehicle, the Photon satellite platform, and the Company is developing the large Neutron launch vehicle for constellation deployment. Since its first orbital launch in January 2018, Rocket Lab’s Electron launch vehicle has become the second most frequently launched U.S. rocket annually and has delivered 180+ satellites to orbit for private and public sector organizations, enabling operations in national security, scientific research, space debris mitigation, Earth observation, climate monitoring, and communications. Rocket Lab’s Photon spacecraft platform has been selected to support NASA missions to the Moon and Mars, as well as the first private commercial mission to Venus. Rocket Lab has three launch pads at two launch sites, including two launch pads at a private orbital launch site located in New Zealand and a third launch pad in Virginia. To learn more, visit www.rocketlabusa.com.

Being born in Invercargill, the capital city of New Zealand’s South Island, the Chief Executive Officer of Rocket Lab is now Sir Peter Beck, having just been appointed by King Charles III as a Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit.

Peter has also been presented with the Gold Medal from the Royal Aeronautical Society, Meritorious Medal from the New Zealand Division of the Royal Aeronautical Society and Cooper Medal and Pickering Medal from the Royal Society of New Zealand. In addition, in recognition of Peter’s outstanding contributions to aerospace, entrepreneurship and technical innovation, he was appointed as an adjunct professor in aerospace engineering by the University of Auckland. Sir Peter Beck is the President and Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of the company.

His once, rather small rocket firm is now an impressive industry leader in the launch of satellites and related products for firms situated across the globe and the company posts an impressive valuation of $2 billion in the stock market.Rocket Lab employs more than 1,800 professionals and is only bested by Elon Musk’s SpaceX as far as the firm’s prolificity of launches.

Sir Beck’s firm has launched more than 1,700 missions for companies resident all over the world and such have included the James Webb Space Telescope for NASA; to solar power for spacecraft, star trackers, composite structures, reaction wheels, separation systems, radios and more.

Rocket Lab operates facilities in Virginia, New Mexico and Maryland in the U.S., Toronto, Canada, with headquarters in New Zealand. The latest successful launch for the company, as of this writing, occurred on May 25th with the launch of two, NASA PREFIRE satellites.

Ovzon has, for the fourth consecutive year, been awarded a 12-months service renewal contract for delivery of Ovzon SATCOM-as-a-Service to the UK MoD.

The order is received from Babcock International, an international defense, aerospace and security company, with the total order value amounts to approximately $1 million.

Ovzon’s SATCOM-as-a-Service offering includes high performing and resilient satellite network, and the industry leading Ovzon T6 “On-The-Pause” mobile satellite terminals, as well as gateway services and Ovzon’s dedicated customer service and support. The service is relied upon by the UK and many western governments when resilient, no-fail communications are required.

“We are proud to receive this continuous renewal which is a testament to our longstanding delivery and good relationship with the UK MoD. We are also excited to start a new partnership with Babcock International. It is an honor to, together, continue to support the UK MoD’s critical missions”, said Ovzon’s CEO, Per Norén.

IQ spacecom and RBC Signals join forces to deliver Go.BIC, the first, dynamic, Global On-Demand, Bi-directional Intersatellite Connection Service, aimed at supporting inter-satellite connections for LEO operators — connectivity for the service will be powered by Viasat’s global, L-band satellite network.

RBC Signals, a pioneering provider of satellite data communication solutions with a vast ground station network, is partnering with IQ spacecom, a product branch of the German IQ Technologies for Earth and Space GmbH, known for its more than 15 years of experience in broadband data communication for small satellites. Together, the companies have launched Go.BIC, a highly flexible service set to support inter-satellite connections for LEO satellites.

Go.BIC will use dynamic, on-demand capacity from Viasat’s global L-band network of GEO satellites. This first of a kind service ensures real-time allocation of L-band capacity on a global scale, specifically tailored to meet the needs of LEO operators.

The service complements existing ground station networks to extend coverage to previously unconnected regions like remote oceans, bridging communication gaps for satellite operators worldwide and making their satellites reachable at any point of time. This enhances operational efficiency and offers cost-effective telemetry and telecommand options, empowering LEO satellite operators with improved flexibility and control over their missions.

Designed to cater to time-sensitive space applications, Go.BIC facilitates on-demand communication with LEO satellites without waiting for ground station passes. Serving scientific missions, university projects, satellite manufacturers and operators, Go.BIC can facilitate a variety of use cases including satellite tasking (TM/TC), scheduled data transmission, natural disaster monitoring, real-time satellite maneuvering, and backup communications.

Go.BIC is powered by IQ spacecom’s
XLink-L SDR platform and its L-band patch antennas onboard the LEO satellite, combined with RBC Signals’ ground station infrastructure and Spectrum Trading Orchestration and Resource Management (STORM) platform.

In January, IQ spacecom, RBC Signals and Viasat successfully completed Over-the-Air tests: a pivotal milestone in validating the robustness and reliability of this solution. This lays the foundation for widespread adoption and deployment.

The next phase includes an In-Orbit Demonstration mission with the XLink-L platform that is slated for later in 2024.

Dr. Kurt Winter, CEO of IQ Technologies, said, “We firmly believe that this solution represents a significant step forward in advancing satellite communication capabilities and will meet the evolving demands of the global market.”

Ron Faith, CEO of RBC Signals, said, “This collaboration represents a milestone in small satellite communications. By combining both our industry expertise with Viasat’s L-band network, we will significantly enhance the capabilities of the industry.”

Andy Kessler, Vice President, Viasat Enterprise and Land Mobile, said “Our connectivity can help operators work more safely, sustainably, efficiently, and with assured security. It’s exciting to see innovative partners like IQ spacecom and RBC Signals bringing that reliable connectivity to every domain – including now Low Earth Orbit.”

IQ Technologies for Earth and Space GmbH (former IQ wireless GmbH), headquartered in Berlin, Germany, is a well-established business for more than 20 years with two main innovative business units: IQ FireWatch and IQ spacecom. IQ FireWatch provides a terrestrial early detection system of fires in forests, outdoor industrial facilities, and wildland-urban interfaces.

IQ spacecom comprises high-performance radio communication solutions providing flexible and highly efficient broadband data communication for small satellites, such as CubeSats. The equipment has been qualified for several years of operation in LEO and is used for scientific missions, Earth observation, remote sensing and communication solutions. Outstanding hardware and software platforms enable a fast, flexible and reliable adaptation to customer-specific requirements. More than 50 employees are constantly developing the products and optimizing them to meet the needs of the customers, in order to be able to provide solutions for complex requirements of the future. The technical innovations of IQ Technologies for Earth and Space GmbH are researched, developed, manufactured, and tested at the headquarters in Berlin.

RBC Signals is an innovative provider of global satellite data communication products and solutions. They offer secure space communication solutions in every major frequency band, utilizing a worldwide network of both company-owned and partner-owned systems. RBC Signals delivers dynamic solutions offering affordability, flexibility, and resiliency. Their diverse products and services enable them to be a complete end-to-end solution provider for every organization that needs best-in-class multi-network solutions.

Viasat is a global communications company that believes everyone and everything in the world can be connected. With offices in 24 countries around the world, our mission shapes how consumers, businesses, governments and militaries around the world communicate and connect. Viasat is developing the ultimate global communications network to power high-quality, reliable, secure, affordable, fast connections to positively impact people’s lives anywhere they are—on the ground, in the air or at sea, while building a sustainable future in space. In May 2023, Viasat completed its acquisition of Inmarsat, combining the teams, technologies and resources of the two companies to create a new global communications partner.

SpaceX Falcon 9 launched 23 Starlink satellites to low-Earth orbit from Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 10:45 p.m. ET. This was the third launch in two days. The Starlink 6-63 mission was also notable as it occurred on the fifth anniversary of the first dedicated Starlink launch, Starlink v0.9 on May 23, 2019.

SpaceX sent another batch of 23 Starlink smallsats off on May 22 aboard Falcon 9 to low-Earth orbit from Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 10:35 p.m. which was the second mission in less than 24 hours for the company when earlier on Wednesday morning NROL146 was launched from Vandenberg in California.

This is the 13th flight for the first stage booster supporting this mission, which previously launched Crew-5, GPS III Space Vehicle 06, Inmarsat I6-F2, CRS-28, Intelsat G-37, NG-20, and six Starlink missions. Following stage separation, the first stage landed on the Just Read the Instructions droneship, stationed in the Atlantic Ocean.

SpaceX’s hat trick with two launches down yesterday and one today

SpaceX is targeting Thursday, May 23 for a Falcon 9 launch of 23 Starlink satellites to low-Earth orbit from Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Liftoff is targeted for 10:45 p.m. ET, with backup opportunities available until 10:13 p.m. ET. If needed, additional opportunities are also available on Friday, May 24 starting at 6:26 p.m. ET.

A live webcast of this mission will begin on X @SpaceX about five minutes prior to liftoff. Watch live.

This is the 13th flight for the first stage booster supporting this mission, which previously launched Crew-5, GPS III Space Vehicle 06, Inmarsat I6-F2, CRS-28, Intelsat G-37, NG-20, and six Starlink missions. Following stage separation, the first stage will land on the Just Read the Instructions droneship, which will be stationed in the Atlantic Ocean.

SpaceX’s second launch in under 24 on two coasts

UPDATE SpaceX launches NROL146 on next gen spy mission sending the first reconnaissance satellite constellation

The NROL146 launch was obscured with heavy fog early in the morning at Vandenberg.Photo captured on Wednesday, May 22, by Satnews from SpaceX video stream.

Exolaunch has engaged in a new launch and deployment services agreement with Sateliot, the first company to operate a LEO 5G NB-IoT satellite constellation — this agreement marks the first collaboration between the two companies.

Sateliot operates within the 3GPP Standard framework, a benchmark set by leading tech companies such as Apple, Sony, and Samsung, among others. Leveraging this standard, Sateliot is a trailblazer in facilitating connectivity for all current narrowband IoT (NB-IoT) devices via satellite through its constellation. This breakthrough allows Sateliot to offer services at comparable costs to those of terrestrial cellular networks, a significant stride towards widespread adoption of IoT in previously inaccessible regions.

Sateliot is building a constellation of 250 unique satellites enabling 5G NB-IoT connectivity from space, revolutionizing connectivity solutions globally. Under the terms of this agreement, Sateliot is set to deploy four additional satellites to join its growing 5G IoT constellation, using Exolaunch’s industry-leading services and hardware.

Sateliot’s four 6U satellites, named Sateliot_1, Sateliot_2, Sateliot_3, and Sateliot_4, are manifested via Exolaunch on the SpaceX Transporter-11 Rideshare mission that is slated to launch in mid-2024. Sateliot will benefit from Exolaunch’s renowned mission management services and integration support, and will leverage Exolaunch’s innovative and flight-proven containerized satellite separation system, the EXOpod Nova, for the deployment of its satellites.

“Partnering with Exolaunch marks a significant milestone for Sateliot as we continue our mission to revolutionize 5G IoT connectivity from space. With Exolaunch’s expertise and industry-leading services, we are confident in the successful launch and deployment of our next four satellites, further advancing our vision of ubiquitous IoT connectivity,” said Jaume Sanpera, chief executive officer at Sateliot.

“We are delighted to welcome Sateliot as our newest customer and partner,” said Pablo Lobo, mission manager at Exolaunch. “This agreement highlights Exolaunch’s dedication to facilitating the growth and success of innovative European companies like Sateliot. Exolaunch is proud to provide our industry-leading services and technology to support Sateliot’s vision of advancing 5G IoT connectivity from space. With the launch campaign underway, our team’s excitement for this mission is palpable and we look forward to a smooth and successful deployment of these satellites later this year.”

About Exolaunch
Exolaunch (Germany, USA) is a global leader in launch mission integration and deployment technologies. With a decade of flight heritage and over 390 satellites launched across 28 missions to date, Exolaunch leverages industry insight to tailor turnkey solutions that meet customer needs and respond to market trends. Exolaunch fulfills launch contracts for industry leaders, the world’s most innovative start-ups, research institutions, government organizations, and international space agencies. The company develops and manufactures its own flight-proven and industry-leading small satellite separation systems, with the fastest-growing heritage on the market. Exolaunch promotes safe, sustainable, and responsible use of space and is committed to making space accessible for all.

About Sateliot
IoT connectivity, everywhere and for everyone. Sateliot is the first LEO satellite constellation based on the 5G standard, allowing unmodified commercial cellular NB-IoT NTN devices to connect from space. It is the first time in history that terrestrial cellular telecommunications seamlessly merge with satellite connectivity, and Sateliot is leading this revolution. Sateliot’s cost-effective technology and the ability to use low-cost commercial devices to connect to satellites opens up endless possibilities in the untapped market of massive IoT in remote areas. Sateliot’s mission has a global impact: to make IoT connectivity available everywhere and for everyone. The company was founded in 2018, and it has already built up a sales pipeline of more than €1 billion on companies with a diversified range of use cases and geographies. It was founded by a group of seasoned entrepreneurs with extensive telecom and satellite technology experience.