News

Modern spacecraft increasingly requires flexible, reconfigurable payload interfaces that can adapt to multiple sensors, instruments, and mission profile—the AN231E03 Field Programmable Analog Array (FPAA) from Okika Devices offers a powerful, low-power, and space-efficient solution to meet these needs.

The AN231E03 replaces bulky analog front-end circuits with a programmable analog signal path, enabling real-time processing and configuration of analog signals from diverse payloads. It dramatically simplifies hardware design, enhances adaptability, and reduces size, weight, and power (SWaP).

Key Benefits

• Programmable Analog Signal Path: Real-time reconfigurable filters, amplifiers, and signal routing
• Multi-Payload Support: Reuse one interface board across payloads with differing analog requirements
• Low Power Consumption: Ideal for SWaP-constrained smallsats and hosted payloads
• Miniaturization: Replaces dozens of discrete analog components in one chip
• Low Latency: Real-time analog computation eliminates ADC/DSP round-trip delays
• On-Orbit Reconfiguration: Supports in-flight updates via microcontroller or FPGA
• High Precision: Tunable capacitors and low-noise blocks for sensitive instrumentation

Example

Sensors and instruments connect to the AN231E03 FPAA for analog signal conditioning. A microcontroller configures the FPAA and communicates with the spacecraft data bus. This enables plug-and-play analog interfacing and dynamic re-tasking of the same hardware for new missions or experiments.

Applications

• Adaptive science payload platforms
• Multi-mission CubeSats
• RF and signal-processing front ends
• Hosted payload buses with standardized interfaces

Okika’s AN231E03 FPAA provides a generational leap in spacecraft payload interface flexibility and enables a modular, reconfigurable, and compact analog front-end critical for next-generation space systems.

SatVu, has been awarded a contract worth up to €3 million by the European Space Agency (ESA) to supply advanced thermal data to the Copernicus Contributing Mission (CCM) program.

Spanning a three-year period, the agreement marks the first Category 1 CCM contract for a UK company and was officially announced at the Living Planet Symposium in Vienna. It cements SatVu’s role in supporting a broad portfolio of Copernicus thematic services with continuous, high-resolution thermal intelligence—including urban heat monitoring, infrastructure resilience, water resource management, emissions analysis, security applications, and rapid response to climate-related disasters.

SatVu’s imagery and analytics will strengthen critical areas of European monitoring and decision-making. From an urban heat perspective, by mapping heat risk and cooling loads at street level, SatVu’s data informs energy efficiency programs and adaptation plans—helping cities better prepare for rising temperatures and extreme heat events.

In water and land resource planning, SatVu’s high-resolution thermal insights allow authorities to assess thermal dynamics in rivers, lakes, and coastal zones. These measurements serve as indicators of pollution, outflows from industrial activity, and surface temperature shifts—supporting both environmental protection and regulatory compliance.

SatVu’s thermal capability also enhances Europe’s security and intelligence operations. By detecting unusual heat signatures and monitoring critical infrastructure in low-light or the full cover of darkness, it provides an added activity layer of situational awareness for sensitive or remote locations.

Finally, the data supports faster, more targeted responses to climate-related disasters. From detecting wildfires and industrial incidents to supporting flood monitoring and emergency planning, SatVu enables early warning systems and rapid deployment when time is critical.

SatVu’s satellites capture thermal infrared imagery at up to 3.5 meters ground sample distance (GSD), delivering high-resolution, day-and-night monitoring of Earth’s surface across a spectrum of civil and defence use cases. This level of thermal detail is essential for bridging spatial and temporal gaps left by existing Earth observation systems – especially in security-sensitive, high-risk, or low-visibility environments.

With SatVu’s calibrated thermal insights delivered in near real-time, Copernicus users gain immediate, actionable intelligence without the burden of processing complex data streams.

As the first UK company selected under the new Category 1 Contributing Missions, SatVu reaffirms the UK’s ability to deliver strategic capability to Europe’s climate, security, and resilience ambitions.

Anthony Baker, CEO and Founder, SatVu, said, “From climate risk to national security, the decisions being made today demand data that is both credible and continuous. Being the first UK company awarded a Category 1 contract under Copernicus is not just a milestone for SatVu – it’s a signal that regional thermal capability has a vital role to play in Europe’s climate and security infrastructure. Thermal data is no longer optional, it’s essential for understanding what activity is happening on the ground, in near-real time.”

Simonetta Cheli, ESA’s Director of Earth Observation (EO) Programs, said, “The aim of integrating emerging European New Space companies into Copernicus is to ensure the programme remains at the forefront of Earth observation in a fast-evolving sector. I warmly welcome the newest members to the Copernicus Contributing Missions program.”

Harshbir Sangha, Director of Missions and Capabilities at the UK Space Agency, said, “This contract for SatVu demonstrates the UK’s world-leading industrial capabilities and innovative expertise in thermal imaging technologies. Following the UK’s re-entry into the Copernicus programme, this €3 million agreement showcases how British innovation can deliver critical Earth Observation capabilities that address both environmental challenges and security needs. SatVu’s achievement represents exactly the kind of high-value industrial growth we aim to foster, positioning our expanding UK space sector at the forefront of solving global challenges.”

Sateliot has taken another step forward in the deployment of its satellite constellation by entrusting the manufacture of its next five satellites to the Spanish firm Alén Space. These satellites, which will become part of its LEO network, are scheduled for launch in 2026 and reinforce Sateliot’s position as a dual-use —civilian and defense— 5G satellite connectivity operator, in line with Europe’s strategic push for space autonomy.

With this move, Sateliot continues to implement its roadmap to deploy a constellation of over 100 satellites, fully developed in Barcelona and validated by 3GPP—the international telecommunications standards body—with the goal of delivering secure and interoperable global coverage.

The new satellites, which will be manufactured at Alén Space’s facilities in Nigrán (Spain), include significant enhancements compared to the models already in orbit, enabling improved performance and greater payload capacity. This architecture is capable of supporting advanced communication services in both civilian contexts and critical security operations, territorial protection, or emergency response scenarios. As such, it positions Sateliot as a key player in the European space ecosystem.

The collaboration with Alén Space is not new, as both companies previously worked closely on the manufacture of the first four commercial satellites in the constellation, which were successfully launched in August 2024 aboard a SpaceX rocket.

Sateliot already holds contracted commitments worth approximately €270 million with over 400 clients across 50 countries. On this foundation, the company projects revenue of €1 billion by 2030, consolidating its position as a pioneering European operator of global 5G satellite connectivity.

This project demonstrates that we are capable of building critical infrastructure from scratch in Spain,” said Jaume Sanpera, CEO of Sateliot. “We have developed open and interoperable, made-in-Spain technology that not only meets global connectivity needs, but also contributes to European technological sovereignty.”

Guillermo Lamelas, CEO of Alén Space, said, “We are proud to collaborate with Sateliot on such an innovative and pioneering project, which will redefine the future of communications from Spain. This agreement acknowledges the quality of the work carried out on the first four satellites and strengthens our position as the most reliable small satellite manufacturer.”

The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency‘s latest delivery order awards for the agency’s Luno A and Luno B contracts, as part of NGA’s focus on unlocking the capacity and innovation of the commercial geospatial industry. 

The selected vendors are:

• Luno A:
  • BlackSky Geospatial Solutions, Inc. was awarded the Facility and Object Monitoring 2 delivery order for $24.4 million, to provide products, data and/or services to detect objects (e.g., aircraft, ships, ground equipment and railcars) as well as object change at specific areas of interest.
• Luno B:
  • NV5 Geospatial, Inc. was awarded the Almanac delivery order for $4.5 million, to provide information on human geography conditions worldwide, including human geography baseline data.
  • Ursa Space Systems, Inc. was awarded the TrueSight delivery order for $21 million, to provide detection, identification, analysis and alerts describing change and/or movement of objects using commercial sources and automated models for domain awareness.

The Luno A and Luno B indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contracts, with a combined $490 million ceiling, are used to acquire unclassified commercial analytic service capabilities for mission users across the GEOINT community. The IDIQs are structured with an agile acquisition strategy to quickly respond to customer needs. Each contract applies GEOINT artificial intelligence to provide decision advantage to warfighters, policy makers and mission partners. As part of these five-year IDIQs, previously selected vendors compete on a full and open basis for delivery orders.

To date, NGA has awarded six delivery orders under the Luno IDIQs. Delivery orders previously awarded under Luno A are:

• Facility and Object Monitoring, awarded to Maxar Intelligence, Inc. for $3.5 million
• Feature ID, awarded to Electromagnetic Systems, Inc. for $3.6 million
• Global Awareness Tracker, awarded to Ursa Space Systems, Inc. for $13.8 million 

We see the mission impact of commercial GEOINT every day,” said Devin Brande, director of NGA Commercial Operations. “The Luno contracts are a key part of NGA’s strategy to leverage this vital source for our mission partners, providing key insights and actionable, shareable intelligence.” 

July 1st saw AST SpaceMobile write to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) asking for permission to ship the satellite from its Texas HQ to the Indian launch site and for the FCC to grant an “experimental authority to launch and test” the satellite.

AST is planning for a space-based cellular broadband network, and the FM1 satellite was originally planned to launch in July.

Coincidentally, AST has received permission for the launch of a second Bluebird craft with SpaceX. Pre-launch checks, including Radio Frequency transmissions, will start on July 31st. The test covers its UHF, S-band and Q and V-band signals.

It is possible – but not confirmed – that launch would take place within about one month of those tests being completed. There are also suggestions – again, not confirmed – that this second satellite could launch ahead of the Indian flight.

AST is working with Vodafone, Rakuten, AT&T and Verizon as its major terrestrial partners, but it needs at least 25 satellites on-orbit before a partial service can begin. It already has five of its Mk 1 smaller satellites in orbit.

AST is asking for permission to fly the FM1 satellite out by July 11th in order for a safe shipment and launch in August.

Failure to do so will place our ability to launch in August at significant risk,” stated the AST letter to the FCC—the delays might extend beyond August. The FCC, in its response to AST, said, “Due to substantial changes in the technical parameters of your S-band request, we will need to coordinate new spot frequencies with NTIA (National Telecommunications & Information Administration). This will restart the coordination timeline with NTIA.”

A recent report on June 25th from investment analysts at Bank of America Securities placed gave AST a ‘Neutral’ rating and a share price target of $55. The bank says it expects an initial service to begin by “early 2026.” The overall target is for 248 satellites to be launched.

AST has also joined the European Standards organization (ETSI) which is the officially recognized body for establishing information and communication technology standards across Europe.

Oxford Space Systems has announced the successful on-orbit deployment of an S-band isoflux helical antenna for Astro Digital—this isoflux pattern enables wide and consistent coverage on the ground, enhancing satellite communication capabilities. This deployment builds on a strong collaboration between Oxford Space Systems and Astro Digital, supporting multiple satellites with advanced antenna solutions.

The S-band antenna was designed and manufactured by Oxford Space Systems to meet Astro Digital’s mission requirements. Its compact stowage and robust deployment mechanism ensure efficient use of spacecraft volume and mass, while delivering high-performance S-band communications for data transmission and ground coverage.

Following deployment, the antenna underwent a transmit test, which confirmed its operational performance on-orbit.

Sean Sutcliffe, CEO of Oxford Space Systems, said, “The successful deployment and performance verification at high power of our S-band isoflux helical antenna for Astro Digital is a clear demonstration of our engineering expertise and commitment to mission success. We are proud to continue supporting Astro Digital with agile and reliable deployable antenna solutions.”

Chris Biddy, CEO of Astro Digital, said, “We value our partnership with Oxford Space Systems and are pleased with the successful deployment of this S-band antenna. Their innovative approach to deployable antennas continues to support our mission needs and enables us to deliver reliable communications for our customers.”

GomSpace has entered into a strategic supply agreement with Danish electronics manufacturer NECAS to strengthen its production scalability for products and subsystems, and to reduce lead times amid increasing global demand for satellites and satellite subsystems.

The agreement supports GomSpace’s commercial growth strategy and recent contract wins, including the 19.5 million euros agreement announced last week for the delivery of 18 satellites to a European technology company.

While GomSpace will continue manufacturing at its own facility, NECAS will serve as a dedicated partner for volume production of selected products and subsystems. The agreement is effective immediately, and the first orders have already been placed.

For clarity, GomSpace emphasizes that this agreement applies exclusively to products and subsystems. All satellite assembly, integration, and testing will continue to be performed in-house at GomSpace’s advanced satellite assembly facilities at its headquarters in Aalborg, Denmark. These facilities, among the largest in Northern Europe, are designed to support high-throughput production, with the capacity to build and integrate up to one satellite per day.

The global satellite market is scaling rapidly, and demand is not only growing—it’s evolving,” said Carsten Drachmann, CEO of GomSpace. “Customers today expect faster time-to-orbit, and as our order book grows across all business units, the ability to deliver reliably at scale becomes a key competitive advantage. To meet these expectations, we are expanding production through a trusted partner. NECAS brings experience in high-quality electronics and has previously delivered for us. By outsourcing the production of standardized components, we can increase throughput while focusing our internal resources on more complex systems. This setup is instrumental in fulfilling major contracts such as the recently announced 19.5 MEUR order for 18 satellites—our largest to date.”

Peter Ladefoged, CEO of NECAS, said, “GomSpace’s products are now mature enough to support scalable production. We are proud to serve as a long-term partner, helping ensure timely delivery and quality at scale. This agreement is a significant step in expanding Denmark’s role in the global space supply chain.”