The UK branch of D-Orbit has signed a contract with the European Space Agency (ESA) under the Boost! Project with ESA’s Commercial Space Transportation Services and Support Program.

The Responsive Microlauncher Service, which provides end-to-end delivery of payloads in orbit, is designed to use the upcoming small launchers that are due to be launching regularly from UK, starting from 2022. The contract will focus on logistics coordination and process standardization between different European spaceports and launcher providers.

D-Orbit is ideally placed to offer end-to-end commercial space transportation services, according to the ambitions and requirements of the ESA Boost! Project.

With one mission concluded successfully, one mid-course and a third launched on board SpaceX Transporter-2 mission, D-Orbit’s ION Satellite Carrier, the company orbital transportation vehicle (OTV), has already demonstrated the capability to transport smallsats into space and place them into precise, independent orbital slots.

The Commercial Space Transportation Services and Support Program contract will bring this service into the UK, taking advantage of the dynamic new micro launch capabilities, adding integration and other features to maximize responsiveness to user needs, establishing D-Orbit as a key enabling provider in an end-to-end UK supply chain that transports and operates space assets into orbit.

The UK team of D-Orbit will be the primary interface between satellite operators and launch operators. For every given satellite or payload, D-Orbit will identify the optimal microlauncher-spaceport combination that is compatible with the satellite’s dimensions, its operational orbit as well as the desired launch window. The project is also backed by D-Orbit’s Portuguese team, which will support the development of the enhanced service management software, an extension of the company’s Aurora mission control suite.

This project also establishes a new partnership with Spaceport Cornwall and is a wide-reaching collaboration across key actors in the supply chain. Furthermore, the project will initially include the design of a variant of the ION spacecraft, which will then progress to manufacturing using components from the UK supply chain.

The UK Space Agency invested £12 million into the Boost! program in 2019, one of the largest investments from ESA member states. The overall value of the Boost! contract for D-Orbit and the consortium partners is £1.6 million, of which £1 million in ESA contributions via UKSA and PT Space. The funding will enable D-Orbit to benefit from ESA’s pioneering facilities, technical teams, and business networks.

The new service is based at the Spaceport Cornwall Centre for Space Technologies, acting as a gateway in collaboration with other spaceports across the UK and Europe. Indeed, operators at two additional Spaceports are members of the consortium: ScotSpace Ltd. at Prestwick Spaceport, which will act as the logistics, integration and operations support hub for the Scottish launch sites of the project, in addition to providing access to local launch services.

The Atlantic Spaceport Consortium (ASC), working from the Azores, Portugal. The ASC will lead a Portuguese component in the service project, supported through this Boost! Contract, and will demonstrate the operational feasibility to implement the Responsive Microlauncher Service from the Azores, including the development and deployment of some of the required infrastructure elements. ASC is supported by Optimal Structural Solutions, as infrastructure provider and supply chain representation, and Ilex Space, as end-user-representation and commercial broker. The Portuguese contribution allows D-Orbit to provide additional options to potential customers as it will aim at defining some standard practices across different spaceports.

Virgin Orbit and Skyrora will each be working with D-Orbit to ensure the service is fully tailored to the respective characteristics of their unique offerings. Sky and Space Company (SAS) will also be involved, as part of its professional services, as reference satellite operator, payload customer, and service end-user.

The Satellite Applications Catapult are also a key partner and will be supporting market surveys, service definition and liaising with Spaceport Cornwall on the specification, funding and operation of physical service facilities.

“We aim to exploit the D-Orbit group’s unique position in the value chain and develop a suite of small satellite focused value-added services, to actively drive business towards these new market players – this is the opportunity for the UK business,” said Chris Brunskill, Head of Programs at D-Orbit UK “Boost! support is a critical enabler and catalyst in realising this vision in a timely manner as we collectively work together in achieving the Governments’ targets set out in the Integrated Review and the Space Growth Strategy.”

“ESA’s Boost! contract with D-Orbit nurtures a new commercial space transportation service and enriches launch opportunities tailored to the thriving small satellites market. This will stimulate the European economy andspace commercialization, in line with ESA’s Agenda 2025,” said Thilo Kranz, ESA’s Commercial Space Transportation Program Manager.

Ian Annett, Deputy CEO, UK Space Agency, said, “This funding is excellent news for the D-Orbit and for the UK space sector. Their standardised end-to-end transportation services will promote increased cohesion between European spaceports and launch providers, encouraging greater international collaboration. This support, alongside our world-class talent in the space sector, means the UK will be well-placed to exploit the opportunities that commercial launch from the UK will bring.”

“The development of a space ecosystem on the island of Santa Maria, in the Azores, is one of the strategic challenges of the Portuguese Space Agency, so it is with great interest that we support the project “Responsive Microlauncher Service”, like we do with all projects from other companies, integrated in the Boost! program that are contributing to the development of the Portuguese industry’s capacity“, said Ricardo Conde, President of the Portuguese Space Agency.

Accion Systems has announced $42 million in Series C funding led by an affiliate of Tracker Capital Management, LLC (“Tracker Capital”) — this investment brings Accion Systems’ valuation to $83.5 million and Tracker Capital has acquired a majority stake in the company. The funding will accelerate the development of Accion’s next-generation propulsion system and scale up its manufacturing to meet the surging demand for in-space propulsion.

Accion Systems was founded in 2014 by MIT engineers Dr. Natalya Bailey and Louis Perna to accelerate the exploration of space. To fulfill this mission, Accion Systems develops in-space propulsion technologies optimized for scalability, performance, and efficiency. Accion Systems’ flagship product, TILE, uses proprietary electrospray thrusters, bringing electric propulsion to satellites of all sizes and redefining in-space capabilities for the 21st century. As thousands of new satellites and constellations join Earth’s orbit each year, TILE can extend the value and lifetime of each mission while enabling spacecraft to de-orbit sustainably.

This investment will support Accion Systems to develop the next generation TILE system and strengthen the supply chain and at-scale manufacturing of these MEMS systems, leveraging microfabrication processes optimized by the semiconductor industry. Accion Systems will be launching four TILE systems in 2021 and two more in early 2022. Valuable flight heritage and on-orbit data, coupled with the developments in the TILE product line, will provide significant improvements in thrust and total impulse will position Accion Systems for a promising future.

TILE is an efficient, low-SWaP (size, weight, and power) electrospray propulsion system for the space industry. It combines a safe, inert liquid propellant with a simple mechanical design to create a propulsion system that is low-cost, compact, and easy to manufacture, with less than 50% of the power draw of other propulsion technologies. TILE’s thruster heads and propellant supply subsystems can be flexibly arranged within the spacecraft structure to meet the needs of any given mission. For example, TILE can be arranged to torque balance larger satellites; distributed for use as ACS actuators, rendezvous and proximity operations maneuvers; or clustered together for main propulsion.

“We are thankful for Tracker Capital’s trust and confidence in our team, technology, and business and their recognition of our TILE family of in-space thrusters as the future of in-space maneuverability,” said Accion Systems CEO, Peter Kant. “We are now poised to bring propulsion and other maneuverability capabilities to all classes of satellites and a wide range of missions. Ion electrospray provides a common, scalable, and modular propulsion system. We see TILE as the future propulsion system for all space missions. We are thrilled to partner with Tracker Capital and benefit from their resources to help us achieve our mission.”

Tracker Capital Senior Advisor, Michael Morell, commented, “Accion Systems brings innovative technology to help solve one of the space industry’s biggest and most expensive challenges. The company’s propulsion systems are poised to have a transformative impact on space mobility and we are excited to support its vision and talented team.”

Tracker Capital is a stage-agnostic venture capital investor that principally invests in high-potential technology growth companies and was founded by Stephen Feinberg, who is also Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Cerberus Capital Management.

Oriental Consultants Global Co., Ltd. and Synspective Inc. have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for a Strategic Alliance to promote the use of satellite data in the field of transportation and traffic infrastructure in Southeast Asia, South Asia, and Africa.

Due to the coronavirus and the increasing frequency and intensity of natural disasters, the overseas infrastructure environment is changing and new countermeasures are required. In this strategic alliance, OC Global and Synspective will work jointly on the implementation of monitoring technology using Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellite¹ data in the fields of “disaster prevention and mitigation,” “construction management,” “inspection,” and “operation and maintenance (O&M)” as part of OC Global’s large-scale infrastructure projects. The aim is to contribute to the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by providing space-based technologies to address global challenges.

Synspective develops and operates its own small SAR satellites and also provides satellite data solutions. The core technology of SAR was developed by the ImPACT program, led by the Japanese Cabinet Office. Synspective aims to build a constellation² of 30 satellites by the late 2020s, making it possible to observe any disaster in any part of the world within two hours.

For OC Global, it is important to measure the land subsidence and displacement of surrounding structures during the construction and operation of transportation infrastructure projects we conduct around the world, such as roads, railroads, ports, and airports. If the land subsidence and displacement of surrounding structures can be measured and analyzed extensively and quickly using Synspective’s satellite data, it will be very beneficial in terms of safety and in reducing the initial and lifecycle costs of infrastructure development. It will also make it possible to realize the development of strong and sustainable urban infrastructure systems.

¹ Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellite: A satellite that uses microwaves to observe the shape of terrain and structures, allowing it to penetrate clouds and observe the earth day and night.

² Satellite constellation: A state in which a large number of satellites are operated in coordination and cooperation with each other.

Orbit Logic has partnered with ST Engineering Geo-Insights (STE-GI) to expand the offerings within the SpyMeSat app.

With the addition of the TeLEOS-1 imaging satellite, users can now send new tasking requests to TeLEOS-1 and browse the imagery archive within the SpyMeSat App marketplace. ST Engineering launched TeLEOS-1, Singapore’s first-ever commercial Earth Observation (EO) satellite, into Near Equatorial Orbit (NEqO) in 2015. thereby providing frequent imaging opportunities for low latitude regions. The satellite is equipped with electro-optical camera payload that is capable of performing imaging with resolution down to one meter.

SpyMeSat users will find TeLEOS-1 imagery when searching near the equator in the app’s marketplace. The equatorial region is an industrious area lively with an array of shipping, mining, and fishing activity. Additionally, this region receives the highest rainfall, and subsequent cloud cover, of anywhere on Earth. While limited in global coverage, the satellite compensates with a rapid revisit rate of 12 to 16 hours. This often leads to multiple visits per day of most locations it can access, appealing to users who need fast response times in the Tropics. TeLEOS-1 will also take the lead as SpyMeSat’s most affordable imagery option.

“We are excited for TeLEOS-1 to join the growing number of imaging satellites available in the SpyMeSat marketplace, and fill a needed role with additional coverage of the equatorial region,” said Alex Herz, creator of SpyMeSat and President of Orbit Logic.

mu Space Corp. has opened Factory 1 in Bangkok, Thailand, the company’s second and largest factory to date and Southeast Asia’s first-ever dedicated aerospace manufacturing facility.

Previously, in December of 2020, mu space opened its first small-sized factory, known as Factory 0 for the firm’s technology’s prototypes. Factory 1 marks the latest move by mu Space Corp to position Thailand as a hub for aerospace technology and development in Southeast Asia, as the region accelerates its participation in the new global space race.

Founded in 2017 by James Yenbamroong, mu Space has conducted orbital microgravity experiments as part of Blue Origin’s New Shephard rocket launches, and plans to work further alongside other commercial agencies, as well as conduct its own launches in the near future.

Measuring more than 2,200 square meters, Factory 1 is an upgraded version of its predecessor Factory 0 and has been built to develop, test, and manufacture satellite components and power systems for space and telecommunications applications (including low-earth orbit satellites), as well as in-house operations.

The launch of Factory 1 will see more than 300 high tech jobs created in Bangkok by the end of 2022, with 50 jobs already created early this year as the company accelerates its ambitious growth plans.

mu Space CEO and founder, James Yenbamroong, said: “Our team has worked tirelessly for Factory 1. It’s an initial step to continue on our mission and carry on our dream about space exploration for all of us here at mu Space. Factory 1 will be a significant breakthrough for Thailand’s and Southeast Asia’s aerospace industry.”

Factory 1 is divided into five areas: Satellites, Power Systems, Robotics, Workshop Area and Office.

• Satellites: In Factory 1, mu Space has a comprehensive platform for the development and production of mechanical and electrical satellite components. This area houses a large clean room, and will allow for up to 10 satellites to be manufactured simultaneously, along with components such as structures, mechanisms, sensors, communications systems, solar panels and more. 
• Power Systems: In Factory 1, mu Space can develop in-depth power systems, perfecting each component individually before assembling into a battery pack. This area will perform research and manufacturing on these systems, along with developing the battery management system (BMS), the brain of the factory’s advanced electronics.
• Robotics: At Factory 1, mu Space can showcase their robots in action. Robots will deliver parts and tools from storage shelves to work areas, to assist the engineers in building products. Moreover, all of the robots in this factory will be controlled by a central artificial intelligence system, which acts as the brain of mu Space’s operations. They can also perform advanced research and development on future variants of their robot which will be utilized not only on earth but also on the Moon, Mars and beyond.
• Workshop area: The Workshop area consists of heavy machinery and storage room with the purpose for steel welding or lathing.
• Office: The majority of mu Space’s rapidly-expanding team will be in the engineering department, focusing on research and development, as well as in a range of other administrative areas. mu Space’s team is made up of young vibrant staff with high-powered energy and dreams beyond this world.

Launcher has announced that commercial space executive David Caponio has joined the company’s leadership team as the Head of Product and Business Development.

David brings two decades of both customer and provider experience in the commercial space launch sector, including at SpaceX, Virgin Orbit, and Tyvak and in the U.S. Government, as a military officer supporting launch and space development programs at the U.S. Space Force and the U.S. Air Force.

David’s announcement highlights the continuous strengthening of Launcher’s leadership team and follows Launcher’s finalization of $11.7 million in Series A funding last June. Launcher is unique in the smallsat launch services market for its high-performance, 3D printed, copper alloy staged, combustion liquid rocket engines. The company is on track to reach orbit in 2024 at the lowest total investment in history.

David has provided decades of service to the U.S. Government as an active and reserve military officer, as well as a government consultant for launch and small satellite development to the U.S. Air Force and Space Force. He obtained his MS in Systems Engineering from the Air Force Institute of Technology and BS in Aeronautical Engineering from the U.S. Air Force Academy.

“We are very excited to welcome David to the Launcher team. David’s experience as both a customer and provider of satellite launch services positions Launcher to better serve our customers and guide product development that is best in the industry,” said Max Haot, CEO of Launcher.

“I’m thrilled to join Launcher. Launcher’s high-performance design enables our launch services to be competitively priced and profitable — serving the needs of the exponentially growing small satellite market,” said David Caponio.

Spire Global, Inc. (“Spire” or “the Company”) is continuing their participation in NASA’s Commercial Smallsat Data Acquisition (CSDA) Program with a six-million-dollar contract extension.

The contract continuation, Task Order 6 (TO6), is a subscription data solution that includes radio occultation (RO) data, grazing angle GNSS-RO, total electron content (TEC) data, precise orbit determination (POD) data, soil moisture and ocean surface wind speed GNSS-Reflectometry data, and magnetometer data. This data will be available to all federal agencies, NASA-funded researchers and, more broadly, to all U.S. Government-funded researchers for scientific purposes.

The program includes end-user license agreements (EULAs) to enable broad levels of dissemination and shareability. All federal agencies and U.S. Government-funded researchers will have access to Spire’s data for scientific purposes under TO6 and will be able to request access to the data via the CSDA Program’s Commercial Datasets webpage.

NASA has used Spire data in its research regarding water and sea ice levels in the polar regions, the height of the Planetary Boundary Layer (PBL), and the day-to-day variability of thermospheric density at flight level. NASA also noted that Spire data has shown positive benefit to its GEOS Atmospheric Data Assimilation System, which uses space-based data to analyze the Earth’s atmosphere and assimilate the data into its Earth Observation (EO) systems. As one of the original vendors for the CSDA Program, Spire provides NASA yearly updates to the scope of work under this agreement to ensure alignment of data to the agency’s needs.

“Programs like CSDA highlight the incredible potential of private-public partnerships in the federal government to drastically accelerate our ability to confront some of the greatest challenges of our time, such as climate change,” said Peter Platzer, CEO of Spire. “With the end-user license agreements, our data is now available to all federal agencies and the larger NASA scientific community to help support Earth observation research across fields.”Under CSDA Program TO6, Spire will deliver a comprehensive catalog of data, associated metadata, and ancillary information from its Earth-orbiting small-satellite constellation. The Company operates its constellation in low Earth and collects upwards of 10,000 radio occultations per day with consistent global coverage. For TO6, Spire will provide rolling access to 12 months of radio occultation data with a 30-day latency. This data will be archived and maintained by NASA under the CSDA Program’s SmallSat Data Explorer (SDX) database.“

“At NASA, the CSDA Program has continued to blossom as a valuable resource to our team for our Earth observation research and analysis. We are committed to growing the program as well as continuing the work we have started,” said Will McCarty, Project Scientist at the CSDA Program and Research Meteorologist at NASA Global Modeling and Assimilation Office. “Spire has been a valued partner through CSDA’s development since its inception, and with this additional task order, we are excited about the new insights and results that will come not only from within NASA but also through broader collaboration through the domestic government scientific community.”

About Spire Global
Spire is a global provider of space-based data and analytics that offers unique datasets and powerful insights about Earth from the ultimate vantage point so organizations can make decisions with confidence, accuracy, and speed. Spire uses one of the world’s largest multi-purpose satellite constellations to source hard to acquire, valuable data and enriches it with predictive solutions. Spire then provides this data as a subscription to organizations around the world so they can improve business operations, decrease their environmental footprint, deploy resources for growth and competitive advantage, and mitigate risk. Spire gives commercial and government organizations the competitive advantage they seek to innovate and solve some of the world’s toughest problems with insights from space. Spire has offices in San Francisco, CA, Boulder, CO, Washington DC, Glasgow, Luxembourg, and Singapore. On March 1, 2021 Spire announced plans to go public through an anticipated business combination with NavSight Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: NSH), to be traded on the NYSE under the ticker symbol “SPIR.”