Rogue Space systems, an In-Space Services company focused on providing repair, maintenance and space debris removal services with their autonomous robots successfully completed the final testing of their “Barry” (B1B2) spacecraft which includes Rogue’s Scalable Compute Platform, hosted hardware and software payloads, and situational awareness sensors, is now enroute to their partner Exolaunch for integration on the SpaceX Transporter-8 launch in June.

The completion of this testing is the final gate Rogue needed to pass to have their spacecraft launched on the SpaceX rideshare mission in June. The “Barry” spacecraft will test Rogue’s Scalable Compute Platform’s ability to aggregate multiple sensors and process the data in real time. Rogue will also be testing a number of both internal and customer developed algorithms, as well as customer hardware payloads.

“This is a first step in a cadence of in-space demonstrations of technologies we have developed here at Rogue through the SpaceWERX Orbital Prime Program. The team at Rogue has delivered at an exceptional speed and perseverance to get ‘Barry’ to space in a timeframe of just a few months.” says Jeromy Grimmett, Founder and CEO of Rogue. “Rogue has managed to get multiple technologies staged to reach a space heritage milestone as a result of Phase 1 STTR awards. This clearly shows our team’s ability to deliver extraordinary results to the U.S. Space Force.”

“Barry”, the maiden flight of New Hampshire-based Rogue Space Systems is expected to launch in June 2023 into a sun synchronous orbit in Low Earth Orbit from Vandenberg Space Force Base, California. Mission data will be used to inform and improve their next missions which are tentatively scheduled for 2024. Last year, Rogue was awarded a staggering 12 Phase 1 SBIR and STTR contracts from U.S. Space Force and National Science Foundation. “We are saving at least one surprise demonstration on-orbit from Barry as well as starting our business of hosting payloads with this mission, so stay tuned!” says Brent Abbott

Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC) recently completed a critical design review (CDR) for the firm’s Tranche 1 Transport Layer (T1TL), part of Space Development Agency’s (SDA) LEO network designed to communicate vital information to wherever it’s needed to support U.S. troops on the ground, quickly and securely.

The Tranche 1 Transport Layer (T1TL) communication satellites will provide resilient, low-latency, high-volume data transport supporting U.S. military missions around the world. Designed to connect elements of an integrated sensing architecture, the network will deliver persistent, secure connectivity, and serve as a critical element for advancing the U.S. Department of Defense’s vision for Joint All Domain Command and Control.

SDA formerly announced that Northrop Grumman is under contract to provide the agency with 56 satellites, including the 42 communication satellites in the Tranche 1 Transport layer and 14 for the Tranche 1 Tracking layer, which includes an infrared sensor payload. The Tracking layer program recently completed its preliminary design review. Northrop Grumman is also providing the ground system for both its Transport and Tracking constellations.

“We are leveraging our commercial marketplace partnerships to deliver a rapid, affordable, highly effective solution for SDA. Our T1TL solution builds on our decades of end-to-end mission expertise. We are uniquely capable of delivering a credible capability to support the warfighter.” — Blake Bullock, vice president, communication systems, strategic space systems, Northrop Grumman

Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) has announced that the firm’s In-space Upgrade Satellite System (LM LINUSS) accomplished a successful, on-orbit demo, proving how smallsats can serve an essential role in sustaining critical space architectures. This is accomplished by regularly upgrading existing constellations with new capabilities and extending spacecraft design lifecycles.

LM LINUSS, a technology demo funded internally by Lockheed Martin, is comprised of two, LM 50 12U CubeSats. While on-orbit, the system demonstrated highly-automated, rendezvous and proximity operations (RPO) that enables complicated — yet precise — maneuvering across multi-satellite constellations. This allows on-orbit servicing coordination and upgrades at scale in any orbit. The RPO demonstration was part of Lockheed Martin’s mission to validate essential maneuvering capabilities for future space upgrade and servicing missions.

During the demo, one of the LM LINUSS CubeSats acted as the designated servicing vehicle, navigating a flightpath toward the second CubeSat, which represented the resident space object (RSO). As the servicing vehicle approached the RSO, on-board guidance algorithms made final real-time adjustments to complete its rendezvous operations. The culminating success was declared when the CubeSats maneuvered in a proximity of one another, demonstrating high confidence in conducting future, on-orbit servicing missions for customers.

In addition to RPO, these smallsats also accomplished additional technology demonstrations while on-orbit…

• Performing automated maneuvers and using artificial intelligence to fly coordinated flightpaths, supporting a variety of operational conditions.
• Using Lockheed Martin’s Horizon 2.0 command and control (C2) software and advanced RPO software.
• Maintaining connection with a secure cloud-based architecture for mission telemetry, tracking and control.
• Showcasing the company’s advanced SmartSat software.
• Demonstrating miniaturized Space Domain Awareness capabilities.
• Validating new onboard high-performance processing, low-toxicity propulsion, inertial measurement units, machine vision, and 3D-printed components.

LM LINUSS could be considered the most capable pair of CubeSats in geosynchronous Earth orbit today, based on customer community feedback. The spacecraft have higher bus density, payload accommodation and on-orbit processing than any other CubeSat, which helps enable revolutionary mission capabilities in the future. Part of Lockheed Martin’s LM 50 smallsat family, it is the collaborative integration of the company’s mission electro-optical payload deck with a next-generation bus from Terran Orbital Corporation. LM LINUSS and other Lockheed Martin pathfinders are helping create a more sustainable future, safely adding mission life and more.

“The LM LINUSS pathfinder is an excellent example of how Lockheed Martin is investing in innovation in the real world. Agile development, cloud-based operations, and smallsat platforms came together at speed and in orbit, where the real test of technology occurs. Through the accomplishments of LM LINUSS, Lockheed Martin is pioneering how future small and medium class missions will be upgraded on-orbit, and continuing to develop critical, breakthrough technologies that keep our customers ahead of ready.” — Johnathon Caldwell, Lockheed Martin, vice president and general manager, Military Space

“This LM LINUSS demonstration was a success for many reasons, including the fact that our team navigated the inherent challenges of a novel technology and validated our software for future missions. We will leverage what our team learned from LM LINUSS’ design, development, and operations to continue advancing Lockheed Martin’s innovative vision for on-orbit satellite servicing and upgrades.” — David Barnhart, a technology director at Lockheed Martin Space

Ascent Solar Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: ASTI) has introduced a new line of easy to integrate Space Hardware Development Kits (HDKs) during the Space Foundation Space Symposium in Colorado Springs, Colorado, from April 17-20, 2023.

Ascent’s new offer packages technologies and approaches, matured previously in collaborations with NASA and JAXA, into easy to consume HDKs that simplify the design and integration of solar power generation, accelerate mission schedules and boost spacecraft performance while delivering significant mass efficiencies. Benefits of the HDKs include:

• Engineered for Space: Solar cells encapsulated in space-rated laminate with unrivaled on-orbit specific power and longevity, as demonstrated on-orbit with NASA.
• Plug & Fly Solar Integration: HDKs engineered to easily interface with proprietary and COTS components, including systems, subsystems and buses.
• Modular Mission-Enabler: HDKs configurable to mission power, mass and delta-v budget requirements, including solar arrays optimized for LEO/GEO, and that are cislunar and deep space-capable.
• Sustainable Space Solar Solution: Robust arrays that provide reliable power, even if impacted by micrometeoroid or orbital debris (without creating more space debris).
• Assured, On-Time Delivery: In-house produced solar modules, backed by MW of proven production capacity.

“Balancing spacecraft cost, power, mass, and delta-v budgets often presents a challenge for space mission managers. Ascent now simplifies this process with our new range of Space HDKs, an innovative space power generation solution that takes a holistic approach to maximizing benefits to the mission, and its budget constraints, instead of optimizing to a subsystem component requirement. The Space HDKs are designed for missions of today and the future and include cubesat, smallsat, and electric propulsion optimized arrays that provide both vehicle mass savings and increased performance. Ascent is also developing even higher power, higher voltage, and more efficient space HDKs to serve the next generation of space missions.” — Julian Miller, Business Development Manager of ASTI

Ascent Solar Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: ASTI) has introduced a new line of easy to integrate Space Hardware Development Kits (HDKs) during the Space Foundation Space Symposium in Colorado Springs, Colorado, from April 17-20, 2023.

Ascent’s new offer packages technologies and approaches, matured previously in collaborations with NASA and JAXA, into easy to consume HDKs that simplify the design and integration of solar power generation, accelerate mission schedules and boost spacecraft performance while delivering significant mass efficiencies. Benefits of the HDKs include:

• Engineered for Space: Solar cells encapsulated in space-rated laminate with unrivaled on-orbit specific power and longevity, as demonstrated on-orbit with NASA.
• Plug & Fly Solar Integration: HDKs engineered to easily interface with proprietary and COTS components, including systems, subsystems and buses.
• Modular Mission-Enabler: HDKs configurable to mission power, mass and delta-v budget requirements, including solar arrays optimized for LEO/GEO, and that are cislunar and deep space-capable.
• Sustainable Space Solar Solution: Robust arrays that provide reliable power, even if impacted by micrometeoroid or orbital debris (without creating more space debris).
• Assured, On-Time Delivery: In-house produced solar modules, backed by MW of proven production capacity.

“Balancing spacecraft cost, power, mass, and delta-v budgets often presents a challenge for space mission managers. Ascent now simplifies this process with our new range of Space HDKs, an innovative space power generation solution that takes a holistic approach to maximizing benefits to the mission, and its budget constraints, instead of optimizing to a subsystem component requirement. The Space HDKs are designed for missions of today and the future and include cubesat, smallsat, and electric propulsion optimized arrays that provide both vehicle mass savings and increased performance. Ascent is also developing even higher power, higher voltage, and more efficient space HDKs to serve the next generation of space missions.” — Julian Miller, Business Development Manager of ASTI

Spire Global, Inc. (NYSE: SPIR) launched three satellites on the SpaceX Transporter-7 mission from Vandenberg Space Force Base on April 14th — Spire Space Services, the Company’s Space as a Service business, launched two 6U satellites for their customers.

Spire launched a satellite developed for King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), which aims to collect high-quality and high-resolution data across global terrestrial, coastal and ocean ecosystems and to help observe and characterize natural resources.

The 6U satellite hosts a hyperspectral camera with advanced on-board processing capabilities in combination with Spire’s Global Navigation Satellite System-Reflectometry (GNSS-R) sensor payload that will collect intelligence on soil moisture. The data collected will allow KAUST researchers to compile and analyze high-resolution imagery that can be used for mapping terrestrial habitats, monitoring vegetation health and condition, exploring coastal ecosystems and coral reefs, and advancing agro-ecological research, as well as many other Earth and environmental science applications.

“Working with Spire Space Services has allowed us to fast-track our satellite mission, which will provide unique insights to monitor, protect and preserve precious terrestrial and ocean systems in Saudi Arabia,. Spire’s expertise in GNSS-R paired with the hyperspectral instrument will yield valuable new information on both the state of existing ecosystems and for observing and characterizing changes resulting from ambitious national scale restoration and conservation strategies.” — Matthew McCabe, Director of the KAUST Climate and Livability Initiative

Spire also launched ADLER-2, the second satellite developed in partnership between the Austrian Space Forum (OeWF), a national space research organization, and Findus Venture GmbH, an Austrian investor in new space technology. ADLER-2 continues the mission of ADLER-1, which was launched in January 2022, to provide insights into space debris in LEO and expand novel atmospheric sensing capabilities to study clouds and aerosols in the atmosphere. ADLER-2 carries three payloads that detect and track orbital debris and perform air quality measurements around the globe, and it is expected to increase the debris detection rate.

“Space debris is a challenging issue we must address as quickly as possible. To develop solutions, we first need a better overview of the current situation in Earth orbit. To that end, the Austrian Space Forum has teamed up with Spire Global, an expert when it comes to tailor made satellites and swiftly adjustable projects. With the successful launch and operation of ADLER-1, we now have proof of concept, and ADLER-2 will provide further valuable insights into space debris in Low Earth Orbit.” — Dr. Gernot Grömer, Director of the Austrian Space Forum

Spire also launched one satellite to support their own data solutions business, which encompasses the tracking of maritime, aviation, and weather activity from space. Spire’s data solutions constellation is fully deployed with high asset use and only requires about $10-12 million per year of capital expenditures to maintain. This satellite is furthering Spire’s competitive advantage while leveraging a technology improvement curve that is delivering 10X performance improvements every five years.

This satellite is equipped with Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) sensors to collect radio occultation (RO) and polarimetric radio occultation (PRO) data. These GNSS sensors gather precise data about the Earth’s atmosphere, including measurements on temperature, humidity, and precipitation, as well as ionospheric electron density. RO and PRO data can be assimilated into weather models to enhance the value and accuracy of global weather forecasts. Spire launched its initial PRO payloads, which were the first sent to orbit by a private company, in January 2023. Spire is the largest producer of radio occultation data, which is leveraged by government agencies such as NOAA, NASA, ECMWF, and EUMETSAT to drive global weather predictions.

The satellites were manifested on the mission through a multi-launch agreement between Spire and Exolaunch, which includes access to the Transporter missions through Exolaunch’s long-term launch arrangements with SpaceX. Spire will launch additional satellites on SpaceX Transporter missions later this year.

Spire Space Services, with a $39 billion total addressable market, allows organizations to deploy and scale their own satellite constellation at maximum speed and reliably, all through a subscription model that eliminates the high upfront cost of building and maintaining infrastructure in space. Commercial and government organizations can deploy and operate a constellation of satellites, a hosted payload, or a software application in space with Spire’s infrastructure.

“With Spire Space Services, our goal is to simplify space and make it accessible so that anyone is able to benefit from the insights and intelligence that can be garnered from the ultimate vantage point,. Both KAUST and ADLER-2 are prime examples of organizations that have leveraged our platform to build space-based applications and gather intelligence to promote sustainability on Earth and beyond.” — Frank Frulio, General Manager of Space Services, Spire