Tomorrow.io has launched the firm’s R-2 satellite from Vandenberg SFB as a payload with the SpaceX Transporter-8 mission and has also completed their $87 million Series E funding, led by Activate Capital.

New investors as part of the round also include RTX Ventures, Seraphim, Chemonics, in addition to existing investors SquarePeg Capital, Canaan, ClearVision, JetBlue Ventures, and Pitango.

Formed in 2016, Tomorrow.io’s mission is to help every person, business and government solve their weather and climate-related challenges. So far this year, the company has already made two significant announcements, including the successful launch of the world’s first commercially built satellites carrying a Ka-band weather radar as well as the industry’s first weather and climate generative AI, nicknamed “Gale.”

Prior to launching the R-1 and R-2 satellites, the only precipitation radar-equipped satellite on-orbit was NASA’s GPM Satellite. The satellites are now delivering initial samples of what would be the world’s richest and most comprehensive precipitation dataset, with 10 times the revisit rate relative to current state-of-the-art, directly into Tomorrow.io’s observation and modeling functions.

Tomorrow.io will continue launching a combination of the firm’s radars and microwave sounders over the next 18 to 24 months to complete a constellation of more than 20 total satellites in LEO, bringing about a step function improvement to weather forecasting for every person, business, government, and location on earth including over the oceans.

Leading the way in generative AI, Tomorrow.io also unveiled Gale earlier this year, and while the ability to effortlessly convert climate and weather data into predictive and actionable insights has been noteworthy, Gale’s advantage comes from its unique dataset via Tomorrow.io satellites, of which Tomorrow.io’s AI is the only one in the world with access to the data.

Supercharged by nexgen space technology, cutting-edge generative AI, and proprietary modeling capabilities, global leaders including JetBlue, FoxSports, The United States Air Force, Ford, and Uber, all of whom rely on Tomorrow.io on a daily basis. From innovative early warning systems to actionable insights, organizations can predict impact, mitigate risk, and ensure operational resilience from high impact weather with Tomorrow.io.

Tomorrow.io’s Series E funding will be used to accelerate the completion of its full constellation, consisting of radar-equipped satellites and microwave sounders. In addition to its space program, Tomorrow.io will allocate funding to specific strategic initiatives to continue on its monumental mission helping all of humanity adapt to the future of our planet, as recently highlighted in the documentary, 6 Years to Launch.

“We believe Tomorrow.io’s vertically integrated approach and satellite constellation will accelerate a paradigm shift in how millions around the globe use weather to adapt to the impacts of an evolving climate.” — Jon Guerster, Partner, Activate Capital.

“Through previous collaborations with Tomorrow.io, we’ve seen firsthand the strength of their capabilities and dedication of their people. Building upon the work we’ve already done together will allow us to continue developing the weather and climate technology the world needs right now.”
— Daniel Ateya, President & Managing Director, RTX Ventures

Another Skykraft prototype Air Traffic Management satellite stack lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on June 12, 2023, as a payload aboard the Transporter-8 mission.

This is the second launch for 2023 and is part of a program of planned launches that will support Skykraft’s collaboration with Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSPs) on a space-based solution to track aircraft and provide global communications between pilots and air traffic controllers, regardless of aircraft location.

Skykraft’s Air Traffic Management technology paves the way for a new era of services that will transform how the aviation industry operates, improving safety, reducing fuel costs and contributing significantly to reducing the environmental impact of air transport.

This launch again showcases Skykraft’s in-house, advanced manufacturing capabilities, which have passed the rigorous quality requirements for integration this SpaceX mission. Skykraft’s in-house advanced manufacturing is part of a commitment to minimize capital costs while maximizing performance, to drive competitive pricing in space-based services such as Air Traffic Management.

Skykraft’s Air Traffic Management Constellation will grow consistently over the coming years to provide redundant global coverage, with an average of more than seven satellites within range of an aircraft at anytime, anywhere in the world.

Skykraft is an Australian space services company based in the ACT that specializes in the design, manufacture and operation of satellite constellations for the delivery of global services. Skykraft was established in 2017 as a spin-off company from UNSW Canberra and now employs more than 40 staff across a range disciplines. Skykraft’s manufacturing facility was opened in March 2022 and is located in the centre of Canberra as part of the UNSW Canberra Launch innovation hub.

Marlink, the smart network and digital solutions company, is enabling Japanese shipping company Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) to evaluate the impact of LEO internet services on business sustainability and crew welfare.

Under an agreement struck at the end of 2022, the leading Japanese shipping company will assess past, present and future user experiences and explore access how internet access can contribute to the company’s crew recruitment and retention strategy, using the low-latency Starlink service within Marlink’s smart hybrid network solution.

MOL is using Starlink’s LEO solution onboard its fleet of car carriers to provide an additional layer of high-speed connectivity across its fleet, which Marlink has combined with Sealink VSAT and L-band backup to create a next-generation hybrid network solution, controlled and monitored by Marlink’s XChange management platform. Starlink’s LEO service forms an integral part of Marlink’s hybrid network solution, designed to provide a reliable Committed Information Rate (CIR) in combination with unparalleled Maximum Information Rate (MIR) performance.

As a provider of a modern, global fleet of car carriers, MOL will study internet usage patterns at sea and identify future needs through surveys of crew members to assess the added value of LEO internet services. The Future Illustration Project will examine, among other subjects, how Marlink’s unique network solution can enhance operational safety and boost information transparency for all crew members through better access to social networks, applications, chat tools and the MOL intranet.

“Despite the advances in ship technology and navigation, seafarers have faced persistent challenges in communication and connectivity at both their work and life.” said Ryusuke Kimura, Chief Digital Information Officer, MOL. “MOL firmly believes that ensuring reliable and efficient communication infrastructure on ships not only enhances the recruitment and retention of proficient crew members but also paves the way for seamless digital transformations that revolutionize the industry.”

“The availability of high bandwidth, low latency internet access will enable the crew to access social media, entertainment services or improve the quality of video calls to keep in touch with friends and family at any private time,” said Tore Morten Olsen, President Maritime, Marlink. “MOL will not only benefit from a more qualified and motivated crew but will also be able to use the higher bandwidth provided to optimise digital tools and operational processes to remain compliant with shipping operations in transition to a zero-carbon economy.”

Aerospacelab and Exolaunch have launched the former’s Grégoire satellite, the company’s second private smallsat to travel into space.

Two years after Aerospacelab’s first satellite mission (Arthur-1) flew into space on SpaceX‘s second dedicated smallsat rideshare mission (Transporter-2), Grégoire lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base on June 12, 2023.

With this launch, the two European companies debut their cooperation under a Multi-Launch Agreement (MLA) that will, through 2023 and 2024, enable the launch of seven of Aerospacelab’s Versatile Satellite Platform (VSP) via SpaceX’s Falcon 9 and further strengthen their relationship. Aerospacelab and Exolaunch are members of the Young European Enterprises Syndicate for Space (YEESS), an international organization dedicated to boosting competitivity and promoting innovations emerging from the space sector in Europe.

While primarily focused on demonstrating Aerospacelab’s VSP capabilities in terms of attitude control, data handling and payload interfaces (to name but a few), Grégoire further makes the case for Aerospacelab’s laser communication operating between the satellite and its ground station, thanks to a Free Space Optical Communication (FSOC) embarked terminal.

In addition to illustrating Aerospacelab’s expertise on design, structure building and vertical manufacturing integration, Grégoire represents the maiden flight of Aerospacelab’s Versatile Satellite Platform which, on one hand, aims to provide private and public stakeholders with standardized building blocks capable of accommodating various missions and, on the other hand, ensures progress towards the company’s project to build a constellation of satellites in the upcoming years.

The VSP is a key component of Aerospacelab’s plan to provide a European answer to the expected upsurge in global small satellite demand. Indeed, after securing 40 million euros in Series B financing in 2022, the company is about to start the construction of its satellite megafactory which will become Europe’s largest manufacturing factory with an expected production capacity of 500 satellites/year.

Aerospacelab selected Exolaunch as mission management and integration services provider due to that company’s outstanding record on Falcon 9 and its flight heritage that spans 20 missions. In addition to overseeing Grégoire and the follow-on satellites’ launches with end-to-end mission management, Exolaunch will provide Aerospacelab with their industry leading CarboNIX separation system to ensure reliable separation of the satellites. With a flight record of more than 50 smallsats deployed across 12 missions, CarboNIX will guarantee low-shock and smooth separations to safely deliver the satellites into their target orbits.

“The launch of Grégoire, our second small satellite to reach orbit, is not only a key milestone that highlights Aerospacelab as a global player in the aerospace industry, it is also the opportunity for us to assert our expertise and showcase that we’re able to internally design and manufacture most of the satellite’s components while remaining competitively priced.”
— Benoit Deper, CEO and founder of Aerospacelab

“Exolaunch is proud to be awarded a series of launch contracts from Aerospacelab to safely deliver their seven VSP satellites into orbit. It’s been a pleasure to work with Aerospacelab’s highly professional team over successive launch campaigns to perform a rapid VSP satellite constellation deployment in a matter of months. Having just launched Grégoire on Falcon 9 from Vandenberg, we look forward to many more successful launches together with Aerospacelab and SpaceX.”
— Jeanne Allarie, VP Launch at Exolaunch

“In projects of this scope, agility and adaptability are crucial turning points that define the “make it” or “break it” moment. Thanks to the talent and commitment of our collaborators, we were able to have a satellite ready for launch only a few years after design started from scratch. Not only was it possible to design and build this brand-new platform in house, but this asset allows now to speed up the follow-up missions with already 5 more satellites in their AIT phase right now.“
— Dorian Lasnet, Project Manager, Aerospacelab

Satellogic Inc. (NASDAQ: SATL) launched four, NewSats Mark-V spacecraft successfully to LEO aboard the SpaceX Transporter-8 mission on June 12th from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.

This marks Satellogic’s 15th mission and the firm’s first payload comprised exclusively of their latest generation spacecraft with advanced EO capabilities.

Following the launch, each spacecraft reached LEO and successfully connected with Satellogic’s ground station network. Satellogic now has 38 smallsats on-orbit, the largest, commercial fleet of sub-meter resolution satellites in the world.

Satellogic designed and manufactured the NewSats Mark-V spacecraft, which include more than 10,000 components in a system that enables 10 times the image collection capability of our competitors and end-to-end vertical integration with solutions that make access to high-frequency and high-resolution imagery affordable.

Improved cameras, radios, computers, and other subsystems compatible with components from previous models, enable Satellogic to provide its customers with higher quality products. Each spacecraft carries a multispectral camera to provide geospatial data with 0.7 meter resolution imagery and unmatched frequency for customized applications.

Satellogic’s previous launch on the SpaceX Transporter-7 Mission in April of 2023 was the final integration of the Company’s earlier NewSats Mark-IV spacecraft model. Satellogic expects to build and launch as many as 10 additional NewSats Mark-V satellites this year to increase the company’s ability to remap the Earth every two weeks by the end of 2023.

The Company aims to expand its constellation to more than 200 satellites for daily remaps of the Earth’s surface, with up to 40 revisits of points of interest per day, for better decision-making at every level around the world.

“Today we celebrate 15 consecutive successful missions and the continued expansion of our constellation, which means we are consistently delivering more capacity, more reliability – and in this case next-gen capabilities – for our customers. With each launch, we increase opportunities for Earth Observation autonomy, whether through asset monitoring, Constellation-as-a-Service, or validating enhancements for future Space Systems customers. With greater capacity, we can serve customers’ individual needs more effectively.”
— Matt Tirman, Chief Commercial Officer, Satellogic

Frederick C. Baker has been named as the new Chief Technology Officer for UNIO, a new space company that is a joint venture with Isar Aerospace, Reflex Aerospace, Mynaric and SES.

Throughout his career, Mr. Baker has ‘been there and done it’ with regard to deep space tech — both government and commercial, startup and prime, in Europe, the United States and beyond. That depth of expertise will make an enormous contribution to the firm’s mission of using space to deliver high-speed connectivity to enable next generation mobility.

Frederic’s appointment completes UNIO’s core leadership team and allows the company to now gear up all of the combined efforts into delivering on the firm’s ambitious goals, including getting the first Proof-of-Concept satellite into orbit by 2024. This will be followed by a second, client-sponsored, multi-satellite mission in 2025.

Fluent across multiple geographic, cultural, and technical landscapes, Baker’s career has straddled the North American and European continents, equally. He will now work to deliver on his first stated task as CTO, that being to build UNIO’s core development team and craft the company’s end-to-end service architecture by the autumn of 2023.

“Since watching the moon-landing as a boy, I dreamed of being an astronaut. But what I have spent my career focusing on may be even more enriching: untapping the huge potential of bringing the benefit of space technologies to everyone’s lives. And I believe no company is currently more committed to that approach than UNIO and its quest for ubiquitous, seamless, and secure dual-use connectivity globally for both commercial and government applications. As such, I am excited to be joining as CTO and contributing to what will become the invincible connectivity backbone of Europe in space.” — Frederick C. Baker, CTO, UNIO

UNIO combines the expertise of leading players from all core areas that are crucial to successful satellite communications. UNIO is architecting Europe’s first sovereign, commercial satellite constellation for ubiquitous high-speed, high-performance, and highly secure dual-use connectivity focusing upon enabling new products and services within the mobility industry and beyond. Other areas of applications could include direct communication between companies (B2B) or between companies and public administrations (B2G).

OQ Technology successfully launched their new, LEO satellite — Tiger-4 — on board the SpaceX Transporter-8 rideshare mission — this state-of-the-art satellite further strengthens OQ Technology’s satellite network, bringing the company one step closer to achieving global coverage for the firm’s 5G NB-IoT services.

The launch took place on June 12th, 2023, and the satellite signal was detected and acquired by the Vilnius ground station the next day. The satellite is currently operating nominally.

OQ Technology made a major announcement earlier this year, detailing its goal of expanding its constellation of LEO satellites from three to ten. The company is now well on track to achieving this objective, with the successful launch of the Tiger-4 satellite representing a significant milestone in OQ’s mission to provide ubiquitous coverage of 5G NB-IoT connectivity to government and enterprise clients on a global scale.

The new satellite has been designed with standard 5G NTN protocol considerations to support seamless integration and interoperability within terrestrial IoT ecosystems as set by 3GPP. It provides valuable solutions for Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) with reliable solutions for critical IoT applications.

The importance of 5G technology in satellite IoT (Internet of Things) lies in its ability to provide high-speed, reliable, and low-latency connectivity to a wide range of devices, including those in remote and difficult-to-reach locations.

In satellite IoT, 5G technology enables the integration of satellite networks with terrestrial networks, creating a seamless and unified network that can support a wide range of applications, including smart agriculture, pipeline monitoring, transportation tracking, and much more.

Moreover, 5G technology enables satellite IoT devices to operate in challenging environments, such as harsh weather conditions, remote locations, or disaster areas, where traditional communication networks may not be available.

Overall, 5G technology in satellite IoT can provide significant commercial benefits for businesses, organizations, governments, and individuals by enabling the creation of a connected and intelligent world that is more efficient, secure, and sustainable.

Tiger-4 will unlock a vast array of IoT solutions that have been specifically designed for land, maritime, and aerospace applications.

“We are proud and delighted to announce the successful launch of our new Tiger-4 satellite. The advanced features and technologies of the satellite are a testament to the skill, commitment, and expertise built up within our team. Tiger-4 showcases the cutting-edge engineering and technical capabilities we now possess, enabling us to design and build world-class space technologies. This satellite brings OQ a step closer to having a comprehensive network supporting our commercial growth plans.”
— Omar Qaise, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, OQ Technology

OQ Technology is the world’s first satellite 5G IoT operator that provides global cellular Internet-of-Things and Machine-to-Machine communication solutions through satellites. The company has successfully implemented and demonstrated Narrowband IoT connectivity over Low Earth Orbit satellites and is deploying a global constellation to provide 5G IoT telecommunication services for mobile operators and customers in industries such as energy, mining, logistics, maritime, agriculture, and defense. The company’s patented technology that can be easily embedded in existing 5G chips allows billions of users around the world to have ubiquitous IoT connectivity anywhere and using both terrestrial and satellite networks.

Septentrio has been collaborating with Xona Space Systems to develop an experimental receiver that is compatible with the latter’s multi-frequency PULSAR signals.

This multi-frequency receiver that supports Xona’s LEO PNT signals will be one of the first to decode all PULSAR signals in parallel with other standard GNSS* signals. This makes it ideal for testing Xona’s upcoming LEO-PNT constellation in a simulated environment, since live signals are not yet available. LEO-PNT is a satellite navigation system that consists of low orbit satellites, which provide geographic positioning, a concept similar to a GNSS system such as GPS.

Xona Space Systems is pioneering the nexgen of space-based PNT (Positioning, Navigation, and Timing) to answer the need for more secure, accurate, and robust services.

The PULSAR system will consist of 260 LEO satellites orbiting the Earth 25 times closer than GPS satellites. The higher signal power resulting from closer proximity to Earth and the modernized signal design provide opportunities for better multipath mitigation and higher accuracy, as well as increased interference and spoofing protection.

High accuracy and resilient operation are also the main pillars on which Septentrio has built their PNT receivers over the last two decades, providing reliable positioning and timing solutions to critical infrastructure and industrial applications such as precision agriculture, construction, robotics and much more.

“We are thrilled to welcome Septentrio to the PULSAR ecosystem,” said . “Septentrio is well-known as an industry leader in developing high-quality and resilient GNSS products. As Xona PULSAR signals become available, a Septentrio receiver will offer users an opportunity to be the first to experiment with PULSAR and GNSS in many different scenarios.”
— Bryan Chan, VP of Business Development and Strategy, Septentrio

“We are excited to collaborate with Xona Space Systems during this new era for PNT technology. After our deep involvement in various expansions of the GNSS ecosystem, most notably Galileo for receivers of both reference networks and user applications, it is exciting to leverage our experience in the next phase of space-based PNT, which has opened up with LEO-PNT.”
— Jan Van Hees, Business Development Director at Septentrio.

• Global Navigation Satellite System including the American GPS, European Galileo, Russian GLONASS, Chinese BeiDou, Japan’s QZSS and India’s NavIC. These satellite constellations broadcast positioning information to receivers which use it to calculate their absolute position.