News

GHGSat has signed an agreement with ABB to deliver the payloads for GHGSat’s next three methane detecting satellites – a significant milestone in the firm’s plan to have a constellation of 10 spacecraft on-orbit by the end of 2022.

GHGSat is unique in operating satellites able to detect greenhouse gases (GHG) in high-resolution, a technology the company has demonstrated in space since 2016. While government GHG sensors in orbit provide regional scale measurements and global trends, GHGSat’s satellites are specifically designed to detect and quantify methane emissions from individual facilities. GHGSat’s sensor technology enables unprecedented leak monitoring capability as detection of sources 100 times smaller is possible with a resolution that is 100 times higher.

Accurate, cost-effective monitoring is vital as methane has a global warming potential c.84 times greater than that of carbon dioxide over 20 years. GHGSat’s space-based data and analytics enable regulators and operators in sectors such as oil and gas, waste management, mining, energy, and agriculture to properly assess and track methane emissions, and take prompt action to address leaks.

This capability will be further enhanced as GHGSat’s fleet expands in the coming years. “Iris” (GHGSat-C1), the company’s second satellite, launched successfully on 2nd September 2020, joining technology demonstrator “Claire”, in orbit since 2016. ABB delivered the payload for “Hugo” (GHGSat-C2), GHGSat’s third satellite, which is scheduled to launch by the end of the year.

Executive Comments

Announcing the new agreement, Stephane Germain, CEO, GHGSat said, “With GHGSat-C2, ABB has proven that they have the technical expertise and manufacturing capacity to support GHGSat’s growth. We are looking forward to this next phase of our partnership with ABB to rapidly expand our constellation.”

Marc Corriveau, General Manager, ABB Measurement & Analytics, Canada, commented, “We are currently seeing extensive innovation brought about by private initiatives in the space industry. At ABB we have built up a unique heritage in this sector over the decades helping scientists better understand the composition and evolution of our atmosphere. Our expertise in space optics and sensor development for industrial applications means that we are exceptionally well positioned to play a key role in GHGSat-C2. We are looking forward to collaborating on this exciting new project.”

Despite the days of weather delays, the launch of SpaceX‘s Starlinks took place on Tuesday, October 6 at 7:29 a.m. EDT, 11:29 UTC, SpaceX launched 60 Starlink satellites from Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Following stage separation, SpaceX landed Falcon 9’s first stage on the “Of Course I Still Love You” droneship, which was stationed in the Atlantic Ocean. One of Falcon 9’s fairing halves supported two previous Starlink launches, and Ms. Tree successfully caught that fairing half after launch. The Starlink satellites deployed approximately 1 hour and 1 minute after liftoff.

Falcon 9’s first stage previously supported launch of Crew Dragon’s first flight to the International Space Station with NASA astronauts onboard and the ANASIS-II mission.

Last week, emergency responders in Washington State shared their experience using Starlink. In the wake of the wildfires that devastated areas of the state in August, first responders there have been using the service for their purposes and to help bring the residents of Malden internet service while they rebuild their community.

Some of the first to benefit from the internet service has been first responders in areas impacted by wildfires in Washington state. SpaceX CEO Elon Musk said in a tweet the company is prioritizing emergency responders and locations with no internet connectivity” for its first customers. Malden is located about 35 miles south of Spokane, Washington, which falls within the northern latitudes our satellites currently service. The way emergency responders deployed Starlink in this context is representative of how Starlink works best—in remote or rural areas where internet connectivity is unavailable.

Our Starlink network is still in its early stages, but as our network grows our coverage will grow as well. If you would like to receive updates on Starlink news and service availability in your area, please visit starlink.com.

This launch will send the Starlink satellite constellation near 800 spacecraft in low-Earth orbit. Eventually, the company plans to have a fleet comprised of more than 40,000 satellites providing internet to even remote areas of the world.

Equatorial Space Systems (ESS) has appointed new members of the firm’s Board of Advisors — they will provide broad expertise in the engineering of space launch vehicles to the Singapore-based launcher company.

Equatorial Space Systems aims to revolutionize space launch operations with a launcher safer, simpler and more affordable than incumbents, by using the company’s proprietary hybrid propulsion technology. The company’s inaugural suborbital launch of the Dorado sounding rocket is slated for the first half of 2021.

Executive Comment

“It’s time for our next leap towards space – great advisors are worth their weight in gold, and can de-risk any R&D program immensely. Armed with Glenn’s and Marcelo’s’ support, set in their decades-long experience in fields of GNC systems and flight dynamics analysis, we will be able to accelerate our development program greatly,” says Simon Gwozdz, the CEO and Founder of ESS.

Mr. Glenn Haskins, previously with Lockheed Martin and Gilmour Space Technologies, will advise the company’s growing engineering team’s Guidance, Navigation and Control system development efforts. “In the words of Robert Goddard – it is difficult to say what is impossible, for the dream of yesterday is the hope of today and the reality of tomorrow – I can say I’m touched and excited to be a part of the ESS team, and help turning their dreams into reality,” he said.

Mr. Marcelo Martinez, a veteran aerodynamicist and flight dynamics engineer with nearly 40 years of experience in sounding rockets, missiles and ballistics, will advise the company’s efforts in the concept development and aero-mechanics aspects of their access to space vehicles. “I am very proud be invited to the advisory board of Equatorial Space System. I share the ESS vision in transforming the access to space with affordable and disruptive propulsion technology and well-crafted space vehicles. I will focus my efforts to coach and help the company’s fantastic team of young, brilliant engineers that will finally make the ESS vision a reality. I’m grateful to ESS management for this opportunity to be back in the sky,” noted the industry veteran behind projects such as the Tauro sounding rocket.

BlackSky has announced that their fifth and sixth global satellites have completed commissioning and are now in commercial operations.

The addition of these two satellites to the BlackSky constellation brings higher resolution and increased revisits for key customer markets around the world.

These latest two satellites launched in August of 2020 and successfully achieved their first image captures within 58 hours of operation. The satellites have been delivering customer collections since that time while concurrently completing the commissioning process.

BlackSky’s fifth and sixth satellites are already delivering enhanced image performance and growing revisits for BlackSky customers. By flying at lower altitudes than other satellites in BlackSky’s constellation, these latest two satellites can produce images with resolution up to 80 cm —a 20 percent improvement over the existing satellites in the constellation.

The position of these satellites at an inclination of 53 degrees will allow additional revisits across all markets with heightened performance in Europe and Asia. These advances will unlock more analytic and data driven opportunities for BlackSky’s customers.

The BlackSky constellation now includes six satellites. The company is on track to add 10 more satellites to its constellation by the end of 2021.

Executive Comment

“The addition of our fifth and sixth satellites into our commercial constellation is an important step in our strategy to provide our customers with data that materially impacts their mission and business objectives,” said Brian O’Toole, CEO of BlackSky. “We’ve always prioritized speed and utility so our customers experience incredible first-to-know insights. This campaign continues to execute on that commitment by delivering intelligence that can change outcomes.”

Momentus Inc.  (“Momentus” or the “Company”) has initiated a launch service agreement for deploying Skykraft’s smallsat on Vigoride’s mission that scheduled for launch in June of 2021.

Skykraft’s spacecraft is a pathfinder for a future large LEO constellation, and will be deployed via a new separation ring named EOS and developed by MECANO ID under a CNES contract thanks to the partial financing of the Future Investment Plan. The launch service agreement between Skykraft and Momentus provides for another smallsat launch in late 2021, part of an accelerated demonstration program of four, successive, satellite iterations before the launch of Skykraft’s Space Based Air Traffic Management constellation in 2023.

Skykraft is an Australian space company that specializes in the conceptualization, design, manufacturing and operations of smallsat constellations for the delivery of space-based global services. As a spin-off from the University of New South Wales Canberra’s Space Program, Skykraft’s rapidly maturing foundation constellation is dedicated to space-based Air Traffic Management services.

This constellation will provide continuous global coverage for aircraft at all altitudes, improving both the safety and efficiency of aircraft operations. Skykraft’s satellite will validate space-based VHF communication and demonstrate key technologies such as deployable antennas – paving the way for the 210-satellite Skykraft constellation poised to commence operations from 2023.

MECANO ID, a French company that specializes in developing mechanical and thermal-dominated systems that are to be subjected to harsh environments — mainly dedicated to the space environment — is now developing the high-precision deployer EOS for nanosatellites and microsatellites. Characterized by light-weight and low-spin deployment, EOS offers unparalleled ease of integration and access thanks to its fully axisymmetric design and customizable interfaces. The June 2021 mission with Skykraft and Momentus constitutes the flight qualification for EOS and opens the door for commercialization.

Executive Comments

“The Momentus Vigoride and MECANO ID EOS provide an efficient and flexible ride to orbit, allowing us to accelerate the development of our space-based service delivery constellation,” said Skykraft Chief Engineer Doug Griffin. “By enabling Skykraft to prove out key design features in the space environment, Momentus is helping us develop and evolve space-based services for the near future.”

“MECANO ID is proud to fly with Momentus on Vigoride, and to embark the Skykraft spacecraft for the demonstration flight of EOS, our deployer,” said Didier Zely, Product Line Manager at MECANO ID.

Stéphane Galinier, Business Development Manager, added, “MECANO ID selected MOMENTUS mainly for the technical maturity shown during our exchanges, despite the company’s young age.”

“Momentus is thrilled to announce our first launch service agreement with an Australian company. We have been amazed over the last year to observe the progress of the incredibly vibrant space community there, and look forward to support Skykraft with the launch of their pathfinder and subsequent constellation deployment,” said Mikhail Kokorich, CEO of Momentus. Fred Kennedy, President of Momentus. He added, “This agreement illustrates Momentus’ ability to operate across three continents and make newspace a truly global industry.”

Scotland’s space-related businesses, already expected to be valued at being worth £2 billion (€2.2bn) by 2030, could grow even more, according to a study by Scottish Enterprise.

“The rise of the space sector is apparent in the figures from a recent study conducted by Scottish Enterprise that forecast income from the sector could reach over £2 billion by 2030 as well as contribute data solutions to combat climate change,” the Scottish business agency said. “The industry ambition is to double income to £4 billion over the next ten years and with a rate of growth of 12 percent year-on-year it is on a steady path due to the commercial responsiveness in what’s described as the ‘new space’ operating environment.”

The report identified some key growth targets in three areas, the agency said: space applications, manufacturing and operations as well as auxiliary services. Scottish Enterprise supports space companies such as Spire Global, Celestia, AAC Clyde Space and Space Intelligence.

Scotland’s Minister for Trade, Investment and Innovation, Ivan McKee, said, “Our ambition is to capture the substantial economic benefits of the emerging global space sector by ensuring Scotland becomes the first country in Europe to provide an end-to-end solution for small satellite manufacture, launch and innovation in satellite data analysis, including critical earth observation and environmental data.”

This news story is authored by journalist Chris Forrester, who posts for the Advanced Television infosite and is also a Senior Contributor for Satnews Publishers.

The “Demand for Remote Connectivity and Low-Cost Constellation Powering the Sustenance of OneWeb” report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com’s offering.

The smallsat market is a fast-growing one within the space industry, as many new and established participants are entering the market with new products and services. The market has been dominated by many earth observation participants. Although connectivity participants entered rather slowly, some of them have made significant developments in the recent past by virtue of which they stand worthy of assessment for future impacts. One such participant is OneWeb.

OneWeb is a smallsat operator aiming to deliver broadband services globally. With 6 key members representing each segment of the telecom value chain forming the joint venture, OneWeb focuses on remote locations that do not have access to the fiber-optic cable network. Developments so far indicate that government and commercial establishments are engaging with the business via collaborations and partnerships.

Softbank remains the prominent investor, and the business attracted investments from other businesses as well, including Intelsat, an established incumbent (satellite operator) in the telecom industry. With 650 small satellites to be launched, OneWeb is revolutionizing the satellite industry by adopting automotive-style serial production capabilities to realize its mission. OneWeb is also evolving key new technologies to enable safe and sustainable space operations, mitigating the risks associated with debris and interference.

This study will provide a brief assessment of OneWeb, covering the key aspects of the business to provide an overview of the start-up. The insights will cover key markets/applications served, funding scenario, safety and sustainability elements, and key technological disruptions. The study aims to investigate the business to identify the parameters that make it unique and ensure future commercial success.

The study will help existing members of the small-satellite market understand how a successful small-satellite business develops itself while being a start-up. The study also presents a comparative assessment of OneWeb against relevant participants across segments that are also start-ups in the small-satellite market.

After significant support from the French state and the European Commission, ThrustMe has announced their first contract with the European Space Agency (ESA) ARTES C&G program in support of the development of a breakthrough technology to solve emerging challenges in space associated with the rise of satellite constellations.

The space industry is growing rapidly, and an exponential increase in the number of satellites launched into space is expected in the coming decade. The industry is facing new challenges, particularly with the increase in satellite constellations, and in-space propulsion is becoming a critical subsystem to ensure the environmental sustainability of space, and enable economic sustainability for the industry.

Existing space propulsion systems are not suitable for the next generation of satellites. Chemical propulsion solutions require too much propellant, while traditional electric propulsion systems need too much power, and most are too complex for streamlined production and integration.

ThrustMe has demonstrated groundbreaking achievements in developing electric propulsion systems with unmatched performance for the new space paradigm. While most electric propulsion systems currently use xenon propellant, it has become evident that this is not a viable long term solution. If we keep using xenon, the total space industry demand alone will exceed twice the global capacity of xenon production in the next 5-10 years. This is one reason why SpaceX, for example, are using krypton for their Starlink satellites.

Iodine has been considered a promising alternative propellant for over a decade, and is identified as a key strategic technology for space, due to its higher density, easier storage, and lower costs – this while still giving similar, or even better, thruster performance than xenon.

Both NASA and ESA have initiated significant R&D programs for the purpose of developing technologies compatible with iodine thrusters, but so far, only ThrustMe has demonstrated the building blocks of this technology in space. In 2019, the French Space Agency, CNES, supported the development of ThrustMe’s iodine technologies via a project as part of their R&T program.

Executive Comments

“But the biggest problem of all is the propellant. For ride share missions it is just not safe enough to use pressurized gas propellants, which in addition, can lead to very high direct and indirect costs in the overall use of propulsion, particularly with regards to testing, assembly, and launch integration,” explained Ane Aanesland, CEO of ThrustMe. “But Krypton is just a quick fix before better solutions come along.”

“We have leveraged the technology of our existing cold gas system, the I2T5, which was launched last year, and which was the first ever iodine propulsion system tested in space. Our new iodine electric propulsion system, the NPT30, uses plasma generation and beam neutralization technologies that have been under development at ThrustMe since 2017, and have already reached a high-level of maturity through extensive testing and qualification campaigns,” said Dmytro Rafalskyi, CTO of ThrustMe. “

“We have been impressed by ThrustMe’s technical solution for using iodine for space propulsion. We see the value to the satcom industry and are pleased to support ThrustMe in this upcoming demonstration through the ARTES C&G program,” said Barnaby Osborne, Small Satellite Technology Coordinator, ESA Telecommunications and Integrated Applications.

“We have very strong confidence in both the team and the technology being developed at ThrustMe, and we are eager to see the first results in space,” added Thomas Lienart, Head of the Propulsion, Pyrotechnics and Aerothermodynamics office at CNES.