News

Teams that have already assembled their hardware will have the chance to verify equipment, payloads, experiments, or entire nanosatellites making use of the CubeSat Support Facility in ESEC-Galaxia (Belgium).

The ESA Academy announces two new hands-on training opportunities for University CubeSat teams. The call for proposals are open to teams, composed of bachelor, master and PhD students from eligible states at different stages of their CubeSat projects

The Fly Your Satellite! Design Booster is for student teams that have a preliminary design for their 1-, 2-, 3-, or 6-unit CubeSat, and want to consolidate their design with support from ESA.

As part of this 1.5 year program the design of the University’s satellite is reviewed by ESA specialists, who identify potential improvements or issues with design and assist in solving them, allowing teams to maximize their chances of mission success. Teams will also benefit from training opportunities, webinars and be introduced to common practices in the space domain.

Visit the Design Booster webpage to find out more and apply.

The Test Opportunities program is an educational opportunity for student teams who would like to receive support and training in conducting an environmental test campaign.

Teams that have already assembled their hardware will have the chance to verify equipment, payloads, experiments, or entire nanosatellites making use of the CubeSat Support Facility in ESEC-Galaxia (Belgium).

The Test Opportunities webpage contains more details about the available test windows, milestones, and application procedure.

Join our information sessions!
Two information sessions for potential applicants will be offered by the ESA Education Office, including the chance to ask questions.To attend the Design Booster please register here To attend the Test Opportunities please register here We look forward to receiving your application!
The ESA Education Office

Satellogic Inc. (NASDAQ: SATL) has entered into an agreement with UP42 that enables direct access to Satellogic’s satellite tasking, high-resolution, multispectral and wide-area hyperspectral imagery via the UP42 API-based platform — the agreement includes the archive of high-frequency, high-resolution, Satellogic data.

Direct API access to Satellogic’s multi- and hyperspectral-data — with intraday updates — supports rapid, timely and frequent monitoring of critical assets in diverse sectors, such as energy, utilities, local government, and security. The UP42 platform’s REST API and Python SDKs can be fully customized, allowing UP42 users to build cost-effective solutions and quickly deliver end products to their clients.

The growing Satellogic constellation currently consists of 22 operational small satellites, capable of acquiring 4-band (RGB NIR) multispectral data at 70 cm. (1 meter native) spatial resolution over a 5 km. swath and up to 29-band (460-830 nm.) hyperspectral imagery at 25 meters resolution over a 125 km. swath. During pre-processing, Satellogic imagery is optimized for analysis by Machine Learning (ML) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) applications — a significant benefit for UP42 users who will have access to more than 75 ML/AI algorithms on the UP42 platform.

UP42 users will be able to apply Satellogic data sets and extracted knowledge to support projects in a range of applications spanning the public and private sectors, including Agriculture and Forestry, Energy and Sustainability, Critical Infrastructure Management, Finance and Insurance, Environment and Climate, and Government.

“This exciting new collaboration gives UP42 customers a distinct advantage in rapidly creating geospatial solutions,” said UP42’s CEO, Sean Wiid. “Users can now derive insights from Satellogic data using algorithms and data fusion via our developer-first platform.”

“Our mission of democratizing access to critical Earth Observation data means making our data available where it’s convenient for end users,” said Thomas VanMatre, VP of Global Business Development at Satellogic. “UP42 is a leading geospatial marketplace with value-added capabilities, enabling its customers to access and analyze data without extensive expertise. It is collaborations like this alliance with UP42 that will increase adoption of EO data across new markets, driving better decision making and outcomes.”

Founded in 2010 by Emiliano Kargieman and Gerardo Richarte, Satellogic (NASDAQ: SATL) is the first vertically integrated geospatial company, driving real outcomes with planetary-scale insights. Satellogic is creating and continuously enhancing the first scalable, fully automated EO platform with the ability to remap the entire planet at both high-frequency and high-resolution, providing accessible and affordable solutions for customers. Satellogic’s mission is to democratize access to geospatial data through its information platform of high-resolution images and analytics to help solve the world’s most pressing problems including climate change, energy supply, and food security. Using its patented Earth imaging technology, Satellogic unlocks the power of EO to deliver high-quality, planetary insights at the lowest cost in the industry. With more than a decade of experience in space, Satellogic has proven technology and a strong track record of delivering satellites to orbit and high-resolution data to customers at the right price point.

OneWeb and Telefonica through, Telefónica Global Solutions (TGS), the subsidiary of global telecommunications company Telefónica, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to improve connectivity services across Europe and Latin America.

The collaboration arrangement between OneWeb and TGS comes as the need to expand modern, digital infrastructure has become a priority for governments, businesses and communities across Europe and Latin America. 

OneWeb’s LEO satellite constellation service will complement Telefónica’s existing offering in Europe and Latin America, enabling that company to reach remote regions that they have not previously been able to serve. TGS will offer its expertise to promote and supply OneWeb’s low latency cellular backhaul services that can be deployed to help improve existing backhaul and support network upgrades to 4G/5G, while also providing backhaul backup for critical sites and infill capacity for special events. Where backhaul does not currently exist, OneWeb’s service will help expand Telefónica’s mobile coverage and extend enterprise connectivity. 

The combination of TGS and OneWeb services will ultimately increase user satisfaction and enable new applications and OTT services, in addition to supporting the expansion of mobile connectivity to users globally. SMEs (Small and mid-size enterprises) will be able to use the OneWeb/TGS LEO satellite solution to support and extend their enterprise networks, while large organisations – including governments, telcos and ISPs – in rural and remote parts of Europe and Latin America will also benefit from the combination of Telefónica’s fiber network and OneWeb’s low-latency broadband service.

OneWeb’s Chief Executive Officer, Neil Masterson, said, “This arrangement is fantastic news for communities across Europe and Latin America, who will benefit from better and enhanced network coverage. OneWeb believes that our unique network has a crucial role to play in providing connectivity for the hardest-to-reach areas globally, so we look forward to working with Telefónica to deliver enhanced internet performance and availability to customers.”

Julio Beamonte, Chief Executive Officer at Telefónica Global Solutions, said, “Our goal is to empower our customers’ businesses by connecting them to the world through innovative broadband solutions. By partnering with OneWeb, we can augment our portfolio by offering solutions that require low latency. Our experience will be essential when adapting the OneWeb solution to provide corporate, B2B and cellular backhaul services and help fuel adoption of critical business applications in the hardest-to-connect areas. We are focused on helping our B2B and Wholesale customers to drive transformational change in their business, and we believe our partnership with OneWeb will help us do that.”

Telefónica Global Solutions offers an ecosystem of comprehensive satellite solutions for different applications and industries, adapting to connectivity needs with the highest quality guarantees to bring communications to the most challenging environments (with connectivity deficits or rural areas) and to address specific and/or temporary situations such as events and emergencies.

On Friday, May 13th, at 3:07 p.m. PT, a SpaceX Falcon 9 launched 53 Starlink satellites to LEO from Space Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California.

The Vandenberg AFB launch marks the fourth Starlink deployment from Vandenberg, and the 23rd Falcon-9 launch from SLC-4E.

This Falcon 9 first stage booster previously launched Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich, DART and two Starlink missions.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 launch on May 14th from will send 53 Starlink satellites to LEO from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

Following stage separation, Falcon 9’s first stage returned to Earth and landed on the Just Read the Instructions droneship stationed in the Atlantic Ocean.

For the first time, Orbex has unveiled the first full-scale prototype of their Prime orbital space rocket on its dedicated launch pad.

The unveiling of the first of a new generation of European launch vehicles – designed to launch a new category of smallsats to orbit – represents a major step forward for the British rocket company as it prepares for the first ever, vertical rocket launch to orbit from UK soil. Orbex´s Prime rocket is the first ‘micro-launcher‘ developed in Europe to reach this stage of technical readiness.

With the first full integration of the Orbex rocket on a launch pad now complete, the company is able to enter a period of integrated testing, allowing dress rehearsals of rocket launches and the development and optimization of launch procedures. Orbex recently revealed their first test launch platform at a new test facility in Kinloss, a few miles from the company’s headquarters at Forres in Moray, Scotland.

Prime is a 19-meter long, two-stage rocket that is powered by seven engines and is being designed and manufactured in the UK and Denmark. The six rocket engines on the first stage of the rocket will propel the vehicle through the atmosphere to an altitude of around 80 km. The single engine on the second stage of the rocket will complete the journey to LEO, allowing the release of its payload of smallsats into Earth’s orbit.

Uniquely, Orbex Prime is powered by a renewable bio-fuel, bio-propane, supplied by Calor UK. This fuel allows the rocket to reduce carbon emissions significantly when compared to other, similarly-sized rockets that are being developed elsewhere around the world. A study by the University of Exeter showed that a single launch of the Orbex Prime rocket will produce 96 percent lower carbon emissions than comparable space launch systems using fossil fuels. Prime is also a re-usable rocket which has been engineered to leave zero debris on Earth and in orbit.

Orbex Prime will launch from Space Hub Sutherland, a new spaceport being constructed on the north coast of Scotland, and was the first vertical spaceport to receive planning permission in the UK and will be the first European spaceport brought into operation later in 2022. This is also the first and only spaceport, worldwide, that has committed to being carbon-neutral, in its construction and operation.

The market for smallsats continues to rapidly increase, as a wide range of new smallsat constellations are developed and deployed. Micro-launchers, such as Orbex Prime, give satellite manufacturers a dedicated launch service, in contrast to larger, ‘rideshare’ launchers, where smallsats are a often a secondary payload and frequently face significant delays.

Josef Aschbacher, Director General, European Space Agency (ESA), said, “I am deeply impressed with the speed at which the Orbex Prime rocket was developed. It is the first full orbital micro-launcher in Europe. But I am equally impressed by the low-carbon footprint technology applied. My sincere congratulations to the whole Orbex team for this impressive achievement.”

Ian Annett, Deputy CEO of the UK Space Agency, said, “We are on the cusp of an historic moment, with Orbex playing a leading role in generating a brand new launch capability in the UK, while creating opportunities for people and businesses across the country. I can’t wait to see Prime lift off from Space Hub Sutherland.”

UK Science Minister George Freeman said, “This is a hugely exciting time for the UK space and satellite sector as we count down to the first satellite launches from UK spaceports. Orbex Prime is a remarkable feat of engineering from a British rocket company, pioneering more sustainable and innovative fuels that cut carbon emissions. It is also fantastic to see Moray-based Orbex creating more high-quality jobs, demonstrating the value of our thriving space sector to support emerging clusters of innovation to help level up the whole of the UK.”

Chris Larmour, CEO, Orbex, said, “This is a major milestone for Orbex and highlights just how far along our development path we now are. From the outside, it might look like an ordinary rocket, but on the inside, Prime is unlike anything else. To deliver the performance and environmental sustainability we wanted from a 21st century rocket we had to innovate in a wide number of areas – low-carbon fuels, fully 3D-printed rocket engines, very lightweight fuel tanks, and a novel, low-mass reusability technology.”

Orbex is a UK-based spaceflight company with headquarters, production and testing facilities in Scotland, and design and testing facilities in Denmark. Orbex staff members have professional backgrounds with NASA, ESA, Ariane and several commercial spaceflight organisations. The company is now funded by two of the UK’s largest and most active venture capital funds, BGF and Octopus Ventures, who join two of Europe’s largest venture capital funds, Heartcore Capital and the High-Tech Gründerfonds, as well as strategic investor Elecnor, parent company of Deimos Space, the UK Space Agency (UKSA), the European Space Agency (ESA) and the European Commission Horizon 2020 programme.

Terran Orbital Corporation (NYSE: LLAP) has delivered the first of ten satellite buses to Lockheed Martin in support of the Space Development Agency’s Tranche 0 Transport Layer.

This foundation layer represents the initial step in building an interoperable, connected secure mesh network. Once in orbit, Tranche 0 will demonstrate Joint All-Domain Operations capabilities by linking nodes together and creating seamless connectivity between all domains.

The Beyond-Line-Of-Sight (BLOS) targeting and communications provided by the Transport Layer will dramatically extend U.S. global defense capabilities to the warfighter.

Initially, the Tranche 0 constellation is expected to have a limited networked capability; however. future enhancements from Tranche 1 and beyond will significantly increase the routing of data across a larger network of space vehicles, enabling Tranche 1 to serve as the backbone for Joint All Domain Command and Control. Terran Orbital previously announced a contract award from Lockheed Martin to build 42 satellites for Tranche 1.

“Terran Orbital is thrilled to successfully deliver the first Tranche 0 Bus to Lockheed Martin,” says Terran Orbital Co-Founder, Chairman, and Chief Executive Officer, Marc Bell. “We are proud the satellites we make at Terran Orbital are helping construct the National Defense Space Architecture bolstering our Nation’s and Allies’ defense. Working alongside innovative industry leaders like Lockheed Martin is a privilege and we look forward to fostering our relationship.”

“This delivery is a pivotal milestone for the partnership between Lockheed Martin and Terran Orbital and a key step toward demonstrating a game-changing communications architecture,” said Lockheed Martin Space Protected Communications Mission Area Leader, Erik Daehler. “These satellites represent the foundation for the agency’s Transport Layer, which will ultimately equip tactical warfighters around the globe with resilient connectivity to other space assets.”

Terran Orbital is a leading manufacturer of smallsats, primarily serving the United States aerospace and defense industry. Terran Orbital provides end-to-end satellite solutions by combining satellite design, production, launch planning, mission operations, and in-orbit support to meet the needs of the most demanding military, civil, and commercial customers. In addition, Terran Orbital is developing one of the world’s largest, most advanced NextGen Earth Observation constellations to provide persistent, real-time earth imagery.

Terran Orbital Corporation (NYSE: LLAP) has delivered the first of ten satellite buses to Lockheed Martin in support of the Space Development Agency’s Tranche 0 Transport Layer.

This foundation layer represents the initial step in building an interoperable, connected secure mesh network. Once in orbit, Tranche 0 will demonstrate Joint All-Domain Operations capabilities by linking nodes together and creating seamless connectivity between all domains.

The Beyond-Line-Of-Sight (BLOS) targeting and communications provided by the Transport Layer will dramatically extend U.S. global defense capabilities to the warfighter.

Initially, the Tranche 0 constellation is expected to have a limited networked capability; however. future enhancements from Tranche 1 and beyond will significantly increase the routing of data across a larger network of space vehicles, enabling Tranche 1 to serve as the backbone for Joint All Domain Command and Control. Terran Orbital previously announced a contract award from Lockheed Martin to build 42 satellites for Tranche 1.

“Terran Orbital is thrilled to successfully deliver the first Tranche 0 Bus to Lockheed Martin,” says Terran Orbital Co-Founder, Chairman, and Chief Executive Officer, Marc Bell. “We are proud the satellites we make at Terran Orbital are helping construct the National Defense Space Architecture bolstering our Nation’s and Allies’ defense. Working alongside innovative industry leaders like Lockheed Martin is a privilege and we look forward to fostering our relationship.”

“This delivery is a pivotal milestone for the partnership between Lockheed Martin and Terran Orbital and a key step toward demonstrating a game-changing communications architecture,” said Lockheed Martin Space Protected Communications Mission Area Leader, Erik Daehler. “These satellites represent the foundation for the agency’s Transport Layer, which will ultimately equip tactical warfighters around the globe with resilient connectivity to other space assets.”

Terran Orbital is a leading manufacturer of smallsats, primarily serving the United States aerospace and defense industry. Terran Orbital provides end-to-end satellite solutions by combining satellite design, production, launch planning, mission operations, and in-orbit support to meet the needs of the most demanding military, civil, and commercial customers. In addition, Terran Orbital is developing one of the world’s largest, most advanced NextGen Earth Observation constellations to provide persistent, real-time earth imagery.

Kepler Communications has signed a contract with Spire Global Inc. (“Spire”) (NYSE: SPIR) to provide high-capacity, Ku-band Service to the company’s satellites.

Through this contract, Spire will gain access to Kepler’s Ku-band technology, enabling the company to provide additional value to space services customers. The agreement will see Spire install Kepler’s Ku-band payload on three initial satellites, with the option to scale as many as 50 satellites.

Kepler’s Ku-Band Service is a fully connected offering that combines the company’s software defined radio (SDR) technology and ground infrastructure to provide an end-to-end data transmission service. Kepler’s SDR payload has proven heritage, having successfully flown on 19 satellites over the past four years, and used continually to deliver data to users around the globe. Using this technology, Kepler has delivered an information rate of 300+ Mbps from LEO on a 3.4 meter dish and 240 Mbps on a Kymeta flat panel antenna. Kepler is currently developing an upgraded path that would support 2.5 Gbps.

Flown as a hosted payload, Kepler’s Ku-Band Service enables high-capacity data transmission services to satellite operators, such as Spire, by combining all required components into one solution. The physical Ku-Band payload, the data transmissions service using Kepler’s spectrum licenses, and the terrestrial ground infrastructure, all combine to create a solution that allows the operator to focus on their mission and leverage Kepler’s demonstrated expertise for data communication requirements.

The first Spire Satellites with Ku-Band Service will launch in early 2023, with Kepler anticipating additional demand for the solution following the introduction of the offering in March. Coupled with Kepler’s ground infrastructure, the comprehensive solution will allow customers to deliver quantities of data beyond that previously possible.

“Kepler is building a novel solution for ramping up data speed with their technology,” said Joel Spark, vice president of space services for Spire. “This collaboration is a step-forward in building the internet in space. We look forward to leveraging the Kepler network to accelerate the data download capacity and bring the most technologically enhanced capabilities to our space services customers.”

“We are excited to offer a high-data rate solution, giving our customers the ability to deliver significantly larger quantities of data from their on-orbit assets,” said Diane Burchett, vice president of engineering for Kepler. “Spire Global is well positioned to be the lead client of the service, and we see a great deal of synergy between our offerings and the value Spire is creating for their customers.”