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AAC Clyde Space has won a contract to continue to operate the Seahawk satellite for one more year, a contract that may be extended up to two years further provided that the spacecraft continues to deliver data. Launched in 2018 with an expected lifetime of four years, the Seahawk is exceeding life expectancy for cube satellites, continuing to deliver data.

The 3U cube satellite, launched in 2018, is part of a partnership between the University of North Carolina Wilmington and NASA funded by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation. It features a compact, multispectral imager (HawkEye) that captures approximately 100 images weekly which are used to analyze the color of the ocean. The data enables a greater understanding of the marine food chain, oceanic climate, fisheries and pollution phenomena, factors used to support the health and sustainability of the oceans.

The satellite is operated from AAC Clyde Space’s Glasgow Operations Centre, with instrument data downloaded to the NASA’s Alaska station, through the satellite’s X-band downlink. The data is integrated into NASA’s SeaWiFS Data Analysis System (SeaDAS) and is distributed free of charge to scientists worldwide.

“AAC Clyde Space are delighted to continue to support the SeaHawk mission to improve environmental surveillance and generate reliable data to support the health and sustainability of our oceans. The SeaHawk is a cube satellite with a great mission for our planet,” said AAC Clyde Space CEO, Luis Gomes.

Amazon’s new facility in Kirkland, Washington, will provide jobs and infrastructure to scale satellite production ahead of a full commercial deployment. Amazon is continuing to invest in people and facilities to support Project Kuiper, a low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite network that will provide fast, affordable broadband to unserved and underserved communities around the world. The program, based in Redmond, Washington, continues to expand the footprint in the region following the announcement of an initial 219,000-square-foot research and development facility in 2020.

These facilities have the capacity to support prototype development and begin commercial satellite production, but to deliver on our vision for the project, we need to operate on a much larger scale. That requires dedicated manufacturing space, and we’re excited to announce plans to develop a dedicated, 172,000-square-foot satellite production facility in Kirkland, Washington. The new facility will create more than 200 highly skilled aerospace and manufacturing jobs in the Puget Sound region and provide the scale required to build as many as four satellites per day.

“Getting Project Kuiper’s satellites into space requires significant precision, expertise, and a world-class team committed to our vision,” said Rajeev Badyal, vice president of technology for Project Kuiper. “This new satellite production facility will significantly expand our manufacturing capacity as we approach launch and deployment, and it brings us another step closer to delivering on our mission to connect unserved and underserved communities around the world.”

Project Kuiper satellites have been designed and developed in-house to maximize performance while reducing costs, and the manufacturing facility will provide additional control over the production and testing process. By centralizing operations in the Puget Sound, it can also ensure close coordination between design and development teams in Redmond and manufacturing teams in Kirkland.

“We’re excited with Amazon’s selection of Kirkland for Project Kuiper’s satellite production facility,” said Kirkland Mayor Penny Sweet. “Whether you’re looking to get your foot in the door or are pursuing an advanced, high-level career, this will bring even more economic opportunity for professionals who live here and for those who have yet to call Kirkland home. Partners like Amazon are critical in demonstrating why our city is such a great place to live, work, and play. Our state’s pioneering spirit has revolutionized aerospace. As Project Kuiper’s partner, Kirkland is proud to continue this tradition.”

Amazon’s Project Kuiper satellites will fly on the new Vulcan Centaur rocket in early 2023

For over a century, Washington state has been home to a thriving aerospace sector. Project Kuiper recently joined a White House-led coalition to bolster the country’s commercial space workforce, and these investments will allow them to extend that commitment to the local communities in the Puget Sound region. The new production facility will open new doors in advanced manufacturing for a diverse range of space-focused job seekers, and it will provide additional opportunities for local partners with expertise in manufacturing materials and services.

“In the 21st century, a reliable high-speed internet connection is essential for living, learning, and working from home. Amazon’s Project Kuiper will be critical to help close the digital divide and provide more affordable internet options. Our region’s tech industry is strong, and its continued growth has significant benefits across the country,” said U.S. Representative Suzan DelBene (D-WA), whose district includes Kirkland. “Project Kuiper’s new production facility will bring good-paying, high-skilled jobs to the Puget Sound region as work continues to expand broadband access everywhere.“

Project Kuiper, Amazon’s satellite broadband program, will launch two prototype satellites on an upcoming United Launch Alliance mission to test system performance in space.

“Amazon could have located their Project Kuiper satellite production facility anywhere in the world, and yet they chose Kirkland and the Greater Seattle region to expand,” said Brian Surratt, president and CEO of Greater Seattle Partners. “The decision to continue to grow here will create new jobs and opportunities for our rich ecosystem of aerospace companies and talent that has evolved over more than a century of research, development, and manufacturing. We are honored to be Amazon’s partner in pushing the boundaries of space and delivering fast, affordable broadband to unserved and underserved communities around the world.”

Project Kuiper’s first two prototype satellites will launch in early 2023 on United Launch Alliance’s (ULA) Vulcan Centaur rocket, and Amazon has secured up to 92 heavy-lift launches from Arianespace, Blue Origin, and ULA, marking the largest commercial procurement of launch vehicles in history. These contracts will provide enough capacity to deploy the majority of our satellite constellation and support thousands of suppliers and highly skilled jobs across the United States and Europe. Also on Thursday, ULA announced the groundbreaking of new facilities in Decatur, Alabama, nearly doubling its capacity to support the partnership and supply the launch vehicles needed to get Kuiper satellites into orbit.

More than 1,000 people are working on Project Kuiper across the U.S., including cities such as San Diego, Austin, New York City, and Washington, D.C., and are continuing to hire across a wide range of roles and disciplines.

Spire Global, Inc. , a global provider of space-based data, analytics and space services, reveal a dark shipping detection solution to track vessels that manipulate their reported position in order to conceal nefarious activities.

The Automatic Identification System (AIS) on a vessel helps avoid collisions at sea, track global shipping trends and monitor individual vessel activity — however, crew members on board can manipulate the system by turning off the transponder to go dark or ‘spoofing’ the AIS to report false positions. Typically this is done in order to hide activity that is illegal or could have negative consequences to the ship owner, such as illegal trading, loading or unloading sanctioned goods, or illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.

Spire’s near real-time, global geolocation position validation service can uncover suspicious activity and pinpoint a vessel without the need for an approximate location. The applications are critical to governments, intelligence and security agencies, and nonprofit organizations’ efforts to identify and locate vessels that are breaking international law. 

“For a long time, having the tools to accurately identify and track ships that are attempting to hide their activities or location has been the missing key to preventing sanctions evasion, illegal fishing, human trafficking and many more pressing societal issues,” said Peter Mabson, CEO, Spire Maritime. “Dark shipping detection builds on our breadth of maritime tracking solutions and underscores Spire’s mission to use data that can only be collected from space to improve life on Earth.”

Spire operates thelargest multipurpose constellation with more than 100 satellites. The company plans to launch additional products in 2023 for geolocation and identification of dark targets, at sea, on land, and in the air.

Rocket Lab USA, Inc., a launch and space systems company, has been selected by Inmarsat Government as partner to develop and manufacture an L-band radio in support of NASA’s Communications Services Project (CSP). CSP seeks to accelerate the development of commercial near-Earth communications services by partnering with satellite communications (SATCOM) providers. Rocket Lab will help enable Inmarsat’s InCommand, a real-time, near-Earth telemetry, command, and control (TT&C) service for satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO) for the CSP with the Company’s new Frontier-L radio connecting to Inmarsat’s ELERA global L-band network in geosynchronous orbit (GEO).

As NASA prepares to decommission the agency’s owned and operated Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System (TDRSS) system, which has provided communication for the Hubble Space Telescope, the International Space Station, and numerous NASA’s Earth-observation satellites, the CSP aims to tap into commercial satellite communications services to ensure future NASA missions have similar reliable, secure, and high-performance space relay capabilities.

Rocket Lab’s Frontier-L radio is a transmitter that will support Inmarsat Government’s demonstrations of a variety of TT&C applications, enabled by Inmarsat’s ELERA worldwide L-band network, including Launch and Early Operations Phase (LEOP), ubiquitous command and control, real-time tasking, and contingency operations for satellites in LEO orbits.

“Rocket Lab and Inmarsat Government both share a culture of innovation, pioneering technology and delivering reliable mission success, so we’re honored to be working together to support NASA in this vital project to enable major missions of the future,” said Rocket Lab founder and CEO, Peter Beck. “We look forward to building on the strong heritage of our Frontier radios by supporting Inmarsat’s world-renowned satellite network and leading capabilities providing satcom as a service.”

Frontier-L join’s Rocket Lab’s existing line of radios including the software-defined telemetry, tracking, and command (TT&C) S-band Frontier-S and X-band Frontier-X radios which can support near Earth and deep space missions. Based on the Johns Hopkins University (JHU) Applied Physics Lab (APL) Frontier Radio, Frontier-L packs Deep Space Network (DSN) and other typical waveforms (SN, KSAT, SSC) into a compact package with up-screened commercial components for high reliability applications. The family of Frontier by Rocket Lab radios includes extended functionality not typically available in a low-cost radio including a coherent transponder to enable radiometric navigation methods, precision timekeeping functions, forward error correction (FEC) encoding and decoding, and a hardware based critical command decoder (CCD).

Steve Gizinski, President, Inmarsat Government, said, “Inmarsat Government has joined with major space-based industry suppliers to demonstrate the capabilities of Inmarsat’s ELERA global, reliable satellite network, including for NASA’s Communications Services Project and Rocket Lab is a key partner for us. Rocket Lab’s Frontier-L radio will leverage InCommand on the ELERA network as an important new capability for ubiquitous command and control to enhance the operation of low Earth orbit spacecraft. This will enable new communications services for industry and government alike.”

Rocket Lab USA, Inc. will attempt to catch an Electron rocket with a helicopter as it returns to Earth from space during the firm’s next launch.

Rocket Lab’s 32nd Electron launch, the “Catch Me If You Can” mission, is scheduled to launch from Pad B at Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 during a launch window opening on November 04, UTC. Electron will carry a science research satellite by space systems provider OHB Sweden for the Swedish National Space Agency (SNSA). The Mesospheric Airglow/Aerosol Tomography and Spectroscopy (MATS) satellite is the basis for the SNSA’s science mission to investigate atmospheric waves and better understand how the upper layer of Earth’s atmosphere interacts with wind and weather patterns closer to the ground. MATS was originally due to fly on a Russian launch service before the mission was manifested on Rocket Lab’s Electron.

“Catch Me If You Can” will see Rocket Lab attempt to capture the rocket’s first stage mid-air with a helicopter as it returns from space. Using a modified Sikorsky S-92 helicopter to catch and secure the rocket by its parachute line, Rocket Lab will bring the captured stage back to its Auckland Production Complex to be processed and assessed by engineers and technicians for possible re-use.

This Electron recovery effort follows the catch of an Electron first stage during Rocket Lab’s first helicopter recovery attempt on the “There And Back Again” launch in May, and the recovery attempt for this mission will follow the same concept of operations as the previous launch.

Rocket Lab CEO and founder, Peter Beck, said, “Our first helicopter catch only a few months ago proved we can do what we set out to do with Electron, and we’re eager to get the helicopter back out there and advance our rocket reusability even further by bringing back a dry stage for the first time.”

Shortly before lift-off, the customized Sikorsky S-92 recovery helicopter will deploy to the capture zone at sea, approximately 160 nautical miles off New Zealand’s Banks Peninsula. Once launched, Electron’s first and second stages will separate at approximately T+2:32 minutes into the mission. The MATS payload will continue to orbit onboard the rocket’s second stage while Electron’s first stage descends back to Earth.

At this point in the mission, Electron’s return is expected to reach speeds of up to 8,300 km. (5,150 mph) and temperatures of up to 2,400 degrees C (4,352 F). At approximately T+7:20 minutes after lift-off, Electron’s first parachute will deploy followed shortly after by the rocket’s main parachute. The double deployment of parachutes helps to slow the returning first stage to 0.4% of its top speed during descent: from 8,300 km. per hour to just 36 km. per hour.

As Electron enters the capture zone, Rocket Lab’s recovery helicopter will match the rocket’s speed and descent from above, attempt to secure the trailing parachute engagement line to the helicopter via a hook at the end of a long line. Once captured and secured, Electron will be transported back to Rocket Lab’s Auckland Production Complex. There, technicians will receive and prepare the stage for inspection to assess its suitability for re-use.

Delivered in less than 15 months by prime contractor Millennium Space Systems, a Boeing company, Tetra-1 is an experimental satellite designed for a variety of prototype missions in and around geostationary orbit, or GEO. The launch marks a new era for the Space Force, as it focuses on building and fielding new capabilities faster than in the past.

“The threat to our space systems is real. Speed is critical in developing advanced capabilities to stay ahead and, if necessary, defeat the threat.” said Col Joseph J. Roth, Innovation and Prototyping senior materiel leader for the U.S. Space Force Space Systems Command. “Tetra-1 is a great example of how a small company, and an innovative contracting approach, authorized by Congress, came together, and delivered an advanced satellite in record time.”

The small sat, about the size of a large dorm-room refrigerator, will help Space Force operators develop tactics, techniques, and procedures for Department of Defense missions.

Tetra-1 was the pacesetting first prototype awarded under Space Systems Command’s other transaction authority, or OTA, called the Space Enterprise Consortium (SpEC), that seeks to speed up procurements and diversify industry partnerships.

Building Smarter

To move fast on development and production of Tetra-1, Millennium Space Systems pulled its expertise from a variety of programs, including the GEO ALTAIR Pathfinder satellite that launched in 2017.

“It is important for SSC to deliver capabilities on time and within budget,” said Roth. “It is also important for the commercial space sector to continue to innovate and help drive down costs.”

“We’re known for delivering systems fast,” said Jason Kim, chief executive officer of Millennium Space Systems. “Our innovation is enabled by the fact that we build 80 percent of our components in-house. That lets us design, build and deliver a completely new satellite in a very short timeline.”

Small Sats, Layered Architecture

The Defense Department’s embrace of Tetra and other small satellites is being driven by the need to introduce resilient satellite systems and architectures to counter the Great Power competition. That’s because large, costly, exquisite satellite systems such as the Space Based Infrared System (SBIRS) — the fifth one was launched in mid-2021 and cost about $1 billion — are increasingly vulnerable to outright attack, which is a capability Russia demonstrated in November when it destroyed one of its own satellites with an anti-satellite missile.

“What we’re seeing is that some of the high-value asset missions that we’ve traditionally done in the past are being envisioned for large constellations of small satellites instead,” said Kim. “There are some benefits to the large constellations of small satellites in that the unit price point of each small satellite has gone down over the years. That lends itself to more affordability. And we’re now building these small satellites much faster and more efficiently, providing schedule savings.”

Use of small sats in a layered architecture spread across low-Earth orbit, medium-Earth orbit, and GEO will let the DoD quickly reconstitute capabilities should certain satellites become inoperative. For instance, loss of one SBIRS satellite in its five-satellite constellation could leave a major gap in missile-warning coverage. Conversely, loss of a few satellites in a larger constellation of dozens of satellites will only incrementally degrade capabilities and can be replaced in a faster fashion.

“Distributing the space architecture will help us build resiliency over time so that there’s not a single point of failure anywhere,” explained Roth. “We’re focused on making our systems and architectures more resilient and robust so if something happens, the Space Force can still perform the mission without fail.”

SatixFy Communications Ltd. (“SatixFy”) has completed its previously-announced business combination with Endurance Acquisition Corp. (“Endurance”) following the approval of the business combination by Endurance’s stockholders on October 25, 2022, and satisfaction of customary closing conditions.

In addition, on October 24, 2022, Endurance and SatixFy entered into a previously disclosed OTC Prepaid Forward Purchase Agreement that calls for purchase and resale of up to 10 million class A shares, subject to the terms and conditions therein. SatixFy has agreed to register the offer and resale of such shares.

Following the business combination, David Ripstein will continue in his role as SatixFy’s CEO, Yoav Leibovitch will serve as Executive Chairman, and Endurance’s CEO Richard Davis will join SatixFy’s Board of Directors.

The combined company’s shares and warrants are expected to begin trading on the NYSE American under the symbols “SATX” and “SATX WSA,” respectively, starting tomorrow, Friday, October 28, 2022.

“This is an exciting time for the satellite communications industry, with the emergence of LEO mega-constellations creating a massive opportunity for SatixFy’s next-generation technologies,” said David Ripstein, CEO of SatixFy. “Our unique chips, antennas and satellite payloads are critical for scaling the performance of the new satellites while reducing their operational costs, making ‘everywhere, all-the-time’ communications practical for diverse types of customers and application. We are confident that this will drive growth for SatixFy, and create significant value and transparency for our existing and new customers.”

“Antarctica Capital and the Endurance team are looking forward to continuing our work with SatixFy as they begin this exciting new chapter,” said Richard Davis, Managing Director of Antarctica Capital, CEO of Endurance and now a member of SatixFy’s Board of Directors. “SatixFy’s unique technology is a key enabler for next generation satellite communications, and its new platform as a publicly-traded company gives it the financial strength needed to close business with the industry’s largest players.”

SatixFy develops end-to-end next-generation satellite communications systems, including satellite payloads, user terminals and modems, based on powerful chipsets that it develops in house. SatixFy’s products include modems that feature Software Defined Radio (SDR) and Fully Electronically Steered Multi Beam Antennas (ESMA) that support the advanced communications standard DVB-S2X. SatixFy’s innovative ASICs improve the overall performance of satellite communications systems, reduce the weight and power requirements of terminals and payloads, and save real estate for gateway equipment. SatixFy’s advanced VSATs and multi-beam fully electronically steered antenna arrays are optimized for a variety of mobile applications and services, using LEO, MEO and GEO satellite communications systems, for aero/in-flight connectivity systems, communications-on-the-move applications, satellite-enabled Internet-of-Things, and consumer user terminals. SatixFy is headquartered in Rehovot, Israel with additional offices in the US, UK and Bulgaria.

In mid-March this year, Beyond Gravity (formerly RUAG Space) was awarded a contract by United Launch Alliance (ULA)to develop and deliver the dispenser system for Amazon’s planned satellite constellation, Project Kuiper.

Project Kuiper aims to provide affordable, high-speed broadband connections around the world. Now, ULA has also awarded Beyond Gravity the contract to supply 38 payload fairings for the Vulcan rockets. These will protect the Amazon satellites from launch to deployment. To handle the volume, Beyond Gravity is doubling its production capacity in the U.S. and is working with ULA to build a new manufacturing facility at its site in Decatur, Alabama, by early 2024, creating 200 additional jobs, The 38 payload fairings for ULA will be manufactured at Beyond Gravity’s site in Decatur, Alabama. The new building measures more than 250,000 square feet of space, including 30,000 square feet of warehouse along with 20,000 square feet for offices and will initiate operations in early 2024.

Fast, affordable internet worldwide — this is the promise of Amazon’s planned Kuiper satellite constellation, which aims to put 3,236 satellites into LEO. Back in March, Beyond Gravity secured a major contract directly from Amazon to develop and manufacture the customized, scalable dispenser systems. Beyond Gravity was also awarded the contract for the delivery of 38 shipsets to U.S. rocket builder United Launch Alliance (ULA) for its Vulcan rockets that will take Amazon’s Kuiper constellation into space. A shipset is comprise of three composite structures, which include a payload fairing (the top of the launch vehicle protecting the satellites on their way into orbit), the heat shield that protects the launch vehicle from the heat generated by the engine during launch, plus an interstage adapter that interfaces to the launcher’s upper stage.

Since 2015, ULA and Beyond Gravity have had a strategic partnership for the production of composite structures for the Atlas V rocket as well as the Vulcan Centaur launch vehicle.

André Wall, CEO of Beyond Gravity, said, “I am very proud that the Vulcan launch vehicles that will carry the Kuiper constellation into space rely on our leading-edge and proven technology in the field of composite structures. This contract with ULA marks the next chapter in our long-standing partnership and further strengthens and expands our presence in the U.S.”

Paul Horstink, who heads the Launchers Division as Executive Vice President, said, “Beyond Gravity has fantastic people with a high level of commitment and a clear focus on the needs of our customers. With this new facility, Beyond Gravity will move to the next level: from producing a total of 10 payload fairings in Decatur per year to a target of 25. Also, Beyond Gravity’s workforce in the U.S. will grow from just over 200 today to an expected 400 employees.”

“We have a long history of a strong partnership with Beyond Gravity and look forward to continuing the great work as we increase our launch rate for our Vulcan launch vehicle,” said Tory Bruno, CEO of ULA.

Recently, SI Imaging Services (SIIS) expanded their SAR imagery smallsats offerings via a new partnership agreement with SkyFi, giving that company access to SIIS’s VHR Korean Multi-Purpose Satellite (KOMPSAT) images.

SIIS is the sales representative of KOMPSAT series 2, 3, 3A, and 5. It contributes to the remote sensing and Earth Observation (EO) industries by supplying VHR optical and SAR satellite imagery through 160 partners worldwide.

KOMPSAT was developed under the Korean National Space Program by Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI). Customers from industries and governments use KOMPSAT imagery for their missions and research, such as defense, disaster monitoring, mapping, urban planning, agriculture, and so on.

The current marketplace for satellite imagery is convoluted and expensive. Typically, purchasers unable to spend six figures for images are shut out of the market. Those who can muster the minimum budget must negotiate with sales representatives and often find it difficult to nail down a firm price. SkyFi provides a special platform which empowers individuals and organizations to browse images, self-select the ones they want, pay a reasonable, transparent fee, and receive their photos in a few days.

Incorporating SIIS’s KOMPSAT data into its in-network constellation gives SkyFi additional, LEO image sources as well as access to their partner’s archive of existing photos. More images in a larger library translates to more choices and more precision for end-users. The ability to market the existing imagery is instrumental in their mission to democratize EO and simplify the way businesses and individuals purchase satellite photos by making them available through a user-friendly marketplace accessible by desktop computer and mobile device.

“SkyFi is extremely excited to partner with SIIS, a leader in the industry with earth observation solutions,” said SkyFi Chief Executive Officer, Luke Fischer. “With SIIS’s very high-resolution satellite imagery, SkyFi will be able to provide consumers of all types with a superior product. SIIS and SkyFi share a vision of establishing transparency to the earth observation industry and are excited to bring this vision to consumers.”

“Through the partnership with SkyFi, SIIS expects more visibility and accessibility of our very high-resolution KOMPSAT imagery for a broader customer base across various sectors,” said Moongyu Kim, CEO of SIIS. “SkyFi’s platform gives innovative and intuitive user experiences to customers in acquiring satellite images from various providers without forcing them to wade through any (space) jargon.”

Solstar Space (Solstar) and their Deke Space Communicator will provide a cost-effective and easy communications solution to support end-of-life decommissioning of spacecraft. When installed on satellites prior to initial launch, the Solstar Deke Space Communicator will give satellite operators persistent communications with LEO assets, even when out of range of ground stations.

“When installed on space-based assets prior to launch, Deke Space Communicators will make it simple for satellite operators and constellation owners to communicate with spacecraft to comply with regulations aimed at managing space debris. In addition, it can provide timely connectivity that supports anomaly resolution actions and collision avoidance maneuvers,” said Brian Barnett, CEO, Solstar Space. “Any organization launching spacecraft into low earth orbit has a responsibility to ensure there are redundant systems onboard for monitoring, managing, and deorbiting assets throughout the lifecycle. This will become a necessity as LEO becomes increasingly congested.”

“With the Deke Space Communicator designed into spacecraft during manufacturing, it provides a method for deorbiting LEO assets at the end-of-life, thereby avoiding creation of even more space debris in the future. This small, lightweight, and reliable communications solution is straightforward to add to any spacecraft. It will provide a narrowband connection designed to allow satellite operators to issue commands immediately instead of waiting for a ground station to come into view of the satellite. This instantaneous communications path provides peace of mind and ensures long-term security for LEO spacecraft,” said Paul Frey, Director, Product Development, Solstar Space. “Earlier prototypes of the Deke Space Communicator demonstrated persistent communications aboard Blue Origin New Shepard and sounding rocket flights. Providing a plug and play solution that will safeguard the future of spaceflight and space exploration by helping to manage space debris is a central mission for our crew here at Solstar.”