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Spacemind, the space division of Italian company NPC, has accomplished a series of three smallsat launches. DanteSat, Futura-SM1 and Futura-SM3 have been successfully launched into orbit from the International Space Station (ISS).

This has also validated the operation of the new SMPod cubesat deployer, on-board equipment as well as a larger version of the Artica deorbiting sail.

The DanteSat nanosatellite is a 3U cubesat that is shaped like a small parallelepiped (with a square base measuring 10 cm on a side and a height of 30 cm) and is an original project promoted by Human Space Services for the Italian publishing house Scripta Maneant to celebrate the 700th anniversary of Dante Alighieri‘s death: its metal structure is, in fact, engraved with the Divine Comedy, while the on-board radio transmits the first verses of the work to Earth.

In November of last year, the satellite was transported to ISS by a Dragon capsule that was launched by a SpaceX Falcon 9. DanteSat was then released into orbit in late December of 2022 via Nanoracks Europe’s external deployer. Subsequently, the satellite opened the Artica sail and will soon burn up on re-entry into the Earth’s atmosphere.

The two Futuras were launched at the start of January and transferred into the planned orbit by an autonomous ION Satellite Carrier platform, manufactured by the space logistics company D-Orbit, and then finally released into space via the new SMPod deployer from Spacemind.

The Futura-SM1 is a 3U cubesat and is intended to test new on-board equipment (power generation system, deployable antennas, space sail and OBC on-board computer developed by partner Apogeo Space). The Futura-SM3, on the other hand, is a 6U cubesat (equal to two 3U cubesats, side-by-side) and is equipped with a new, larger Artica space sail for deorbiting the satellite at the end of the mission.

Nicolò Benini, Marketing Manager of NPC Spacemind, said, “We are thrilled with the initial results of these in-orbit missions, which confirm our company’s position as a turnkey service provider for the production of cubesats for commercial and scientific projects. Our recent launches have solidified relationships with important Italian and foreign customers, paving the way for future space missions. All systems on board the three cubesats are working perfectly and they are receiving signals and telemetry data. The SMPod deployer also released the two Futuras into orbit, successfully meeting all mission objectives. These excellent results position Spacemind to offer reliable and innovative services on the expanding nanosatellite market.”

Orbital Sidekick (OSK) has received a $10 million investment round from strategic investors to commercialize the company’s asset monitoring solution, which enables the energy sector to further enhance monitoring and mitigating pipeline emissions — the funding will also support the deployment of OSK’s GHOSt Constellation, a fleet of satellites equipped with best-in-class hyperspectral sensors launching later this year.

The round was led by existing investor Energy Innovation Capital and included strategic investments from Williams and ONEOK, two of the largest energy companies in North America and existing customers of OSK, along with University of Minnesota’s Endowment and existing investors 11.2 Capital, Syndicate 708 and In-Q-Tel, the non-profit strategic investor serving the U.S. intelligence and national security community and its allies.

Founded in 2016, OSK has rapidly developed and deployed its space-based intelligence technology to collect, process and analyze advanced hyperspectral data. By equipping satellites with sensors that capture images in over 500 narrow contiguous color bands across the electromagnetic spectrum, OSK can observe critical infrastructure — like gas and oil pipelines — from space. The company’s flagship product SIGMA, or Spectral Intelligence Global Monitoring Application, leverages this advanced hyperspectral data and its proprietary analytics engine to detect leaks, contaminations and other intrusive events that jeopardize global energy systems. Companies can subsequently use these insights to minimize emissions, exceed regulatory requirements and reduce their carbon footprints.

OSK’s technologies have already monitored more than 12,000 miles of pipelines to date, flagging nearly 100 suspected methane leaks, 200 suspected liquid hydrocarbon leaks and more than 300 intrusive events related to construction activities.

While OSK is focusing on the energy sector, the applications of its technology extend to a variety of commercial and governmental sectors, with use cases ranging from rare earth material exploration and wildfire resilience to disaster relief and global defense support. OSK has already secured contracts to supply hyperspectral data to the United States Department of Defense through its partnerships with In-Q-Tel, the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force.

“This investment by our customers and partners in the energy sector sends a resounding signal to the monitoring and intelligence services marketplace that OSK is leading the space with a best-in-class, scalable solution for supporting sustainable operations,” said Dan Katz, CEO and co-founder of OSK. “By bringing on new strategic investors in Williams and ONEOK, we are further strengthening our commitment to providing improved asset monitoring services for energy infrastructure while expanding product offerings that support environmental sustainability and a low carbon future.”

“The future of energy requires sustainable and reliable distributed energy infrastructure. OSK’s sophisticated satellite based detection and monitoring solution provides unique data and information that can be utilized by industry to quantify sustainability performance, differentiating the top performers,” said Christopher Smith, Managing Director, Energy Innovation Capital. “We continue to be impressed with the tremendous technical and commercial progress the OSK team has made over the last year and are equally excited about Williams’ and OneOk’s commitment as commercialization partners. We are eagerly awaiting the launch and commissioning of GHOSt 1 and 2.“

“The success of our efforts to transition to a more sustainable global energy system is predicated on our ability to efficiently detect problems before they become environmental crises,” said Tushar Prabhakar, COO and co-founder of OSK. “OSK is proud to be working alongside investors and customers that share a similar commitment to realizing this sustainable future, and we’re excited to build on the success of our technology in 2023, starting with the launch of our GHOSt constellation and our first commercial solution.”

“Williams is excited to add Orbital Sidekick to our portfolio of Next Gen Gas solutions, further enabling us to provide industry leading low carbon solutions for our customers,” said Chad Zamarin, Executive Vice President of Corporate Strategic Development for Williams. “Through this partnership, we will enhance our real-time methane detection and measurement capabilities to ensure we are providing the cleanest pathways across our energy infrastructure network to meet growing clean energy needs at home and abroad.”

“ONEOK remains focused on exploring and investing in innovative technologies that can benefit our assets, operations, customers, employees and the communities in which we operate,” said Greg Lusardi, ONEOK Senior Vice President, Corporate Development. “We believe the scalability and applicational benefits of Orbital Sidekick’s flexible platform will create additional value for our business and the industry.”

Ovzon AB has been informed by Maxar that there will be additional delays in the finalization of the Ovzon 3 satellite.

To accommodate an updated launch window, Ovzon has also shifted launch provider to SpaceX, with liftoff on a Falcon 9 rocket and a target date between July and September of 2023.

Due to the delays in the production of the Ovzon 3 satellite, the company has been engaged with the current launch provider Arianespace to find a new launch opportunity, which Arianespace ultimately could not accommodate. Accordingly, Ovzon has finalized an agreement with SpaceX to ensure flexibility and the most optimal timing to launch the satellite when it is ready for liftoff. Ovzon 3 will be launched by a flight-proven Falcon 9 rocket later this year from Cape Canaveral, Florida.

The delay of Ovzon 3 is expected to increase the total cost of the satellite project with approximately $25 million. The delay will have no effect on Ovzon’s current business commitments. The company has secured access to strategic satellite capacity that ensures ongoing service delivery and future sales of Ovzon’s industry leading SATCOM-as-a-Service. In addition, Ovzon has secured additional financing (read below).

“While we are clearly disappointed in the continued delays in production of the satellite, we remain perfectly confident with the market demand of Ovzon 3, evidenced by the increasing demand from current and new customers around the world. The underlying capability and technology will be the catalyst for a paradigm shift in mobility, performance, and resiliency in delivering Ovzon’s SATCOM-as-a-Service. We are working relentlessly with Maxar, SpaceX and other stakeholders to finalize the satellite and launch Ovzon 3 into orbit at first available opportunity,” said Per Norén, CEO of Ovzon.

Ovzon AB has secured additional financing, to finalize and launch the Ovzon 3 satellite, by increasing the current loan facility with P Capital Partners from $60 to $65 million and through confirmed interest from several major shareholders, including Öresund, Bure, Handelsbanken Fonder, Fourth AP-fund and AFA Försäkring, to subscribe for SEK 200 million in an equity issue.

Due to the delay in the Ovzon 3 satellite build, the company estimates an increased cost of the project with approximately $25 million. The company expects to provide more information on the new share issue in the near term and has appointed Carnegie Investment Bank as financial advisor.

The loan from P Capital Partners is denominated in USD, the remaining tenor for the facility is approximately three years (expires December 31, 2025) with an interest rate of $3M LIBOR (London Inter-Bank Offered Rate) + 10%. The loan terms include regular covenants and undertakings with one explicit condition for the facility being that Ovzon conducts a capital raise through equity before the end of May 2023. With $45 million already being drawn from the facility, the amended agreement means that an additional $20 million may be drawn, if needed.

“We are proud to have strong commitment and long-term support by our shareholders and pleased to continue our excellent collaboration with P Capital Partners, to enable the company to deliver on the promise of finalizing and launching Ovzon’s unique first own satellite – Ovzon 3“, said Per Norén, CEO of Ovzon.

OneWeb and Galaxy Broadband Communications Inc. (“Galaxy”) have announced a $50 million, multi-year deal to deliver OneWeb’s LEO connectivity solutions across Canada, including the northern territory of Nunavut.

As one of OneWeb’s fastest growing Distribution Partners to date, Galaxy has already deployed to more than 75 locations throughout Canada, meeting a range of customer needs and connecting anywhere from 30 to 800 users at each site.

Powered by OneWeb’s LEO satellite communications network, Galaxy offers connectivity services designed specifically for the remotest Canadian enterprises, including mine sites and remote communities.

The deal enables Galaxy to support the digital transformation of enterprises, communities, civil, and military government users, giving high-speed access to digital information, productivity tools, and cloud services.

Neil Masterson, CEO of OneWeb, said, “We are thrilled to be expanding our work with Galaxy, delivering on our mission to provide high-speed, low-latency service to more rural and remote areas where connectivity is long overdue. With decades of experience successfully connecting Canadians, Galaxy is one of OneWeb’s first partners and we are proud of the service we have been able to deliver together across Canada. Galaxy recognised early on the unique capabilities a low Earth orbit satellite constellation can offer to reach some of the most remote locations. Thanks to our deepening partnership, we can bring increased connectivity to even more Canadian enterprises, communities, and governments.”

Rick Hodgkinson, CEO and founder of Galaxy Broadband Communications Inc., said, “Galaxy is delighted to expand its business with OneWeb and secure the bandwidth vital to improve connectivity throughout Nunavut. Access to broadband internet is an essential service that supports education, healthcare, commerce and general well-being. There are numerous communities throughout Canada that do not have access to broadband internet, with the challenge in Nunavut being particularly acute as the Territory is 100% dependent on satellite connectivity services. OneWeb’s low Earth orbit satellites will marketably improve connectivity in the Territory and is an important milestone for Nunavummiut. Galaxy’s roll-out of OneWeb services is underway with a target to have all 25 communities in Nunavut connected by the end of 2023.”

Original Response Date: March 1, 2023

SDA has issued a DRAFT solicitation for the first of several types of Tranche 2 Transport Layer (T2TL) space vehicles—T2TL Beta. This DRAFT solicitation establishes the foundation for Tranche 2 of the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture (PWSA).

To provide the warfighter full utility, the PWSA requires a global data and communications Transport Layer provided by a proliferated constellation of relatively small, mass-producible space vehicles in LEO.

The T2TL space vehicles will be similar to those currently under development for the Tranche 1 Transport Layer (T1TL) and Tranche 1 Development and Experimentation System (T1DES), with targeted technology enhancements, mission-focused payload configurations, increased integration, and greater production efficiencies.

T2TL will provide global communications access and deliver persistent regional encrypted connectivity in support of warfighter missions around the globe. Specifically, T2TL features multiple space vehicle and mission configuration variants procured through a multi-solicitation and multi-vendor acquisition approach.

Please review the full DRAFT solicitation for details and submission instructions. This DRAFT solicitation may be used to inform future solicitations.

The SAM.gov online solicitation listing

Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture (PWSA) Tranche 2 Transport Layer – Beta Program Solicitation (DRAFT)

The Space Development Agency (SDA) seeks input on its Draft Tranche 2 Transport Layer – Beta (T2TL-Beta) Program Solicitation.

T2TL features multiple space vehicle (SV) and mission configuration variants procured through a multi-solicitation and multi-vendor acquisition approach.

T2TL-Beta furthers the resilience and advances the capability of the Tranche 1 Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture (PWSA) with an initial global proliferation of Integrated Broadcast Service – LEO (IBS-L) and TACSATCOM capabilities.

This draft solicitation is for development, manufacture, test, launch integration, and deployment of the T2TL-Beta space vehicles, payloads, and mission-enabling ground systems.

The Draft T2TL-Beta Program Solicitation downloadable attachment PDFs may be accessed at https://sam.gov/opp/3e3eb41990ef4098b893b10cd6d297b6/view

To receive the additional Draft Program Solicitation Attachments and the Draft T2TL-Beta Bidder’s Library, please send an email to osd.pentagon.ousd-r-e.mbx.sda-ps-23-03@mail.mil with the subject line “SDA Draft T2TL-Beta Solicitation Content Request.”

Please include your organization’s CAGE code and location in your request. Requests received from organizations that do not possess a facility clearance of at least Secret will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

SDA will endeavor to respond to all requests in the order that they are received and within one business day of receipt. All feedback should be provided via email to osd.pentagon.ousd-r-e.mbx.sda-ps-23-03@mail.mil no later than March 1, 2023 at 12:00pm, Eastern, with the subject line “SDA Draft T2TL-Beta Solicitation Feedback.”

Please note that the above email address differs from the Special Notice number. This is intentional. SDA-PS-23-03 will be the final T2TL-Beta solicitation number.

Virgin Orbit (NASDAQ: VORB) and satellite manufacturer SatRev have announced a follow-on, launch services agreement (LSA) for additional launches of SatRev’s satellites in 2023 and beyond.

This new agreement provides SatRev with the flexibility to launch 500 kg. over multiple launches to a variety of different orbital planes from the Mojave Air and Space Port in California, USA, and/or from other international launch sites as they come online with mission requirements.

Four satellites built by SatRev have already been delivered to LEO by Virgin Orbit’s LauncherOne system onboard missions Tubular Bells and Above the Clouds. The parties anticipate launching a new batch of SatRev’s satellites as soon as 2023.

STORK is a CubeSat for EO and technology testing and built and operated by SatRev from Poland. The STORK 3U CubeSats features SatRev’s Vision-300 imager with a ground resolution of up to 5m. SatRev will soon start deploying ScopeSat, with the revolutionary DeploScope technology that will enable SatRev to collect high resolution data from 6U CubeSats. The STORK and ScopeSat satellites will form the Real-time Earth Observation Constellation that will provide multispectral mid- and hi-resolution data with a revisit time of 30 minutes.

Virgin Orbit CEO, Dan Hart, said, “The team at SatRev continues to advance the frontiers of what is possible to accomplish with a constellation of smaller, more affordable satellites. SatRev has been a great collaborator, and we are excited by what the future holds as they expand their constellation and continue to bring top-notch space services to their international customer base. We’re delighted to build upon the strong foundations of this relationship with our latest launch contract, and we look forward to providing launch services for the SatRev team for many years to come.”

SatRev CEO, Grzegorz Zwoliński, said, “This marks a major milestone for SatRev as we officially announce our Launch Service Agreement with Virgin Orbit. This 3-year partnership further solidifies our commitment to providing reliable and cost-effective access to space for our customers. With Virgin Orbit’s proven track record in the industry, we are confident that this collaboration will drive innovation and bring new opportunities for growth. We are excited to work together and bring our shared vision for the future of satellite launch to life.””

Additionally, SatRev has signed a three year contract with Poland’s National Support Center for Agriculture (KOWR) worth $9,000,000 for the development of the Satellite System for Monitoring Agricultural Crops (S2MUR).

SatRev’s offer was selected as the most advantageous within the framework of a tender conducted by KOWR for the provision of EO imagery with a spatial resolution of up to 4 meters for S2MUR. The overall objective of the project is to support the decisions of users during the growing season and in emergency situations, such as natural disasters caused by adverse weather events.

Recipients of the S2MUR system will be agricultural producers, including individual farmers, as the system will monitor crops at plot level, including small plots with unusual shapes. Public administration at government and local government levels will also be recipients of the system.

“After several years of research and development by multidisciplinary teams of scientists and engineers, we are ready to enter the market. Our existing relationships with municipalities in Poland, together with the development of an ambitious project for KOWR, give us the speed, momentum and ability to deliver comprehensive solutions,” said Grzegorz Zwolinski, CEO of SatRev.

Kleos Space S.A. (ASX: KSS, Frankfurt: KS1) has reached the milestone of daily product delivery collected from a strategically critical area of interest to its early adopter customers.

RF data is collected by the Vigilance Mission (KSF1) satellites and is then processed through Kleos systems to generate intelligence products. The Vigilance Mission RF data collection satellites are in SSO, enabling them to collect data daily from the target area of interest.

Kleos intelligence products provide valuable intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capability to governments and commercial entities. This complements other intelligence sources to improve the detection of illegal and/or hidden activity such as piracy, drug and people smuggling, illegal fishing, pollution, and border challenges.

Kleos’ CEO, Alan Khalili, said, “Following our announcement at the end of last year confirming that our intelligence product was made available to initial customers, we have now achieved yet another milestone in delivering product daily. We also want to thank our satellite builder partner ISISpace for their ongoing support and service; they have recently brought online a capability in Australia that has been transformational to progress.”

Kleos is a Space-powered defence & intelligence technology Company with operations in Luxembourg, the U.S. and U.K. Kleos uses RF sensors in Space to collect radio transmissions (RF Data) in key areas of interest around the globe. Collected data is processed through Kleos’ proprietary processing platform delivering an intelligence output, in order to efficiently uncover and expose activity on land and sea. Intelligence product customers, including analytics and intelligence entities, license data on a subscription basis (Data-as-a-Service aka DaaS), for government and commercial use cases – aiding better and faster decision making. Kleos’ first satellite cluster, the Scouting Mission (KSM), successfully launched in November 2020 and performed as a test and technology demonstration whilst collecting data. The Company’s second satellite cluster, the Vigilance Mission, successfully launched in June 2021 and its Patrol Mission launched in April 2022. Kleos’ fourth cluster, the Observer Mission, was launched in January of 2023.

Capability provides global coverage enabling operations anywhere in the world

On December 22, 2022, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) and the Air National Guard (ANG), with joint support from the U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) and U.S. Air Force (USAF), flight tested an MQ-9A remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) equipped with a Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite communications (SATCOM) Command and Control system.

This groundbreaking capability provides global coverage and connectivity that will enable pole-to-pole operations for GA-ASI’s family of RPA — including models such as the MQ-9B SkyGuardian®/SeaGuardian®, MQ-9A Reaper, and Gray Eagle 25M.

Early testing indicates LEO SATCOM significantly reduces latency and can be used in all phases of flight. For customers across the MQ-9 family of systems, LEO SATCOM should decrease operational costs, and the smaller hardware footprint will ultimately increase flexibility and reduce future payload integration costs.

The MQ-9A flight test was based out of GA-ASI’s Gray Butte Flight Operations Facility near Palmdale, California, and followed several weeks of ground testing.

“This is truly game changing for our platforms,” said GA-ASI President, David R. Alexander. “Using LEO SATCOM not only keeps GA-ASI aircraft connected from the North Pole to the South Pole to allow operations in the most austere environments, but it will also provide resilient connectivity that allows operators to pass much more data to and from the aircraft.“

The following is an announcement from NASA…
NASA’s Small Spacecraft Systems Virtual Institute is pleased to announce the official release of the 2022 State-of-the-Art Small Spacecraft Technology report. This endeavor was made successful by the contributions of numerous people across NASA and other organizations who served as authors and reviewers. We thank them and the individuals from the companies, universities, and organizations that provided their time and information for this report. 

When the first edition of NASA’s Small Spacecraft Technology State-of-the-art report was published in 2013, 247 CubeSats and 105 other non-CubeSat small spacecraft under 50 kilograms (kg) had been launched worldwide, representing less than 2% of launched mass into orbit over multiple years. In 2013 alone, around 60% of the total spacecraft launched had a mass under 600 kg, and of those under 600 kg, 83% were under 200 kg and 37% were nanosatellites (1). Of the total 1,849 spacecraft launched in 2021, 94% were small spacecraft with an overall mass under 600 kg, and of those under 600 kg, 40% were under 200 kg, and 11% were nanosatellites (1). Since 2013, the fight heritage for small spacecraft has increased by over 30% and has become the primary source to space access for commercial, government, private, and academic institutions. The total number of spacecraft launched in the past 10 years is 5,681 and 45% of those had a mass <200 kg (1).

As with all previous editions of this report, the 2022 edition captures and distills a wealth of new information available on small spacecraft systems from NASA and other publicly available sources. This report is limited to publicly available information and cannot reflect major advances in development that are not publicly disclosed. We encourage any opportunity to publish mission outcomes and technology development milestones (e.g., via conference papers, press releases, company website) so they can be reflected in this report.

Overall, this report is a survey of small spacecraft technologies sourced from open literature; it does not endeavor to be an original source, and only considers literature in the public domain to identify and classify devices. Commonly used sources for data include manufacturer datasheets, press releases, conference papers, journal papers, public filings with government agencies, news articles, presentations, the compendium of databases accessed via NASA’s Small Spacecraft Systems Virtual Institute (S3VI) Information Search, and engagement with companies. Data not appropriate for public dissemination, such as proprietary, export controlled, or otherwise restricted data, are not considered.

As a result, this report includes many dedicated hours of desk research performed by subject matter experts reviewing resources noted above. Content in this 2022 edition is based on data available by October 2022. This report should not be considered as a comprehensive overview of all the technologies but a great reference for the current state-of-the-art SmallSat technologies

The report contains an overview of current state-of-the-art SmallSat technologies and their development status as discussed in open literature. It is not intended to be an exhaustive representation of all that is available on a particular topic. Commonly used sources for public data include manufacturer datasheets, press releases, conference papers, journal papers, public filings with government agencies, and news articles. Readers are highly encouraged to reach out to companies for further information regarding the performance and maturity of the described technology. 

The report is available online in webpage format as well as in PDF format as a whole document or in single chapters. 

Visit: https://www.nasa.gov/smallsat-institute/sst-soa Suggestions or corrections to this document should be submitted to the NASA Small Spacecraft Systems Virtual Institute at Agency-SmallSat-Institute@mail.nasa.gov for consideration prior to the publication of future issues.

1. Bryce and Space Technology. “SmallSat by the Numbers, 2022.” [Online] Accessed: September 28, 2022. https://brycetech.com/reports/report-documents/Bryce_Smallsats_2022.pdf

AAC Clyde Space has won an order for satellite subsystems valued at USD 2.3 M (approx. SEK 23.8 M) from a U.S. development company supplying spacecraft and other multi-mission systems.

The U.S. company will integrate the subsystems on satellites for several new development programs. The order has been preceded by a smaller order on subsystems for tests on ground. The subsystems will be delivered in several batches, starting in the second quarter of 2023 with the last delivery in the fourth quarter of 2023.

The U.S. company develops technology solutions for space for a variety of customers, with their headquarters in California. The company has 15 000 employees worldwide with annual revenue of 2.8 BUSD for 2021.

“These are state-of-the art subsystems developed to offer satellite operators both the capabilities and reliability required to operate efficiently in a complex space environment. Winning this order is the result of the strong competitiveness of AAC Group’s products in small satellite technology and a milestone for us,” says AAC Clyde Space CEO Luis Gomes.