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Kepler Communications begins their smallsat production in the firm’s newly commissioned satellite manufacturing facility in Toronto, Canada. This is an essential step toward delivering the company’s proposed fleet of 140 satellites for high-capacity global connectivity services with applications in maritime, agriculture, research and exploration, government, and transportation.

(From left to right) Damien Sablijak (Kepler Hardware Engineer Intern), Chris Summers (Kepler Assembly Technician), Walter Peruzzini (CSA Head of STDP Program), Mina Mitry (Kepler CEO), Tony Pellerin (CSA Manager for Space Exploration Systems Engineering) and Shehroz Hussain (Kepler Manufacturing Systems Engineering). In-part through the CSA’s STDP program, Kepler was able to hire Damien, Chris, and Shehroz to work in the manufacturing facility.

Photo is courtesy of the company.

Kepler currently operates two smallsats on-orbit, ones that became the world’s first satellites to deliver high-speed connectivity to the North Pole in November last year. Rather than contracting from third parties, the new facility will allow the company to vertically integrate the development, production and testing of its future spacecraft. It will also speed up the build-out of Kepler’s constellation to bring connectivity in areas that are currently underserved by terrestrial networks.

The new facility will significantly benefit the local economy with the opening of new high-tech jobs in Toronto, creating opportunities for local talent and strengthening the role of Canada in the aerospace manufacturing industry as a whole. Millions in capital will be invested into the city, benefiting the Canadian partners and suppliers who support Kepler’s expanding operations and growing teams.

Increasing demand from new commercial space companies has placed a greater strain on satellite manufacturing in the last 20 years. Greater numbers of new satellites, funded through commercial investment and government contracts, have congested the supply chain. Coupled with expectations of an exponential increase in commercial launch activity in the near future, more satellite manufacturing capacity than ever is needed to meet market demand.

With the opening of its manufacturing facility, Kepler will be among the few commercial space companies that operate with vertically integrated production. In doing so, the company will establish the foundation to meet performance and economic targets and ensure a fully operable constellation by the end of 2022.

Leveraging a partnership with SFL, and with recent funding from the Canadian Space Agency’s Space Technology Development Program, Kepler has optimized its new high-performance satellite platform for production in large quantities.

Kepler’s final demonstration satellite is scheduled for launch in the spring of 2020, closely followed by the launch of its first two, Toronto-built, commercial-grade satellites in the summer. Two more satellite batches are planned for launch before the end of the year on the SpaceX Falcon 9 vehicles.

Kepler’s CEO and co-founder, Mina Mitry, said the company recognized early on that the smallsat industry has a significant challenge ahead in maturing the supply chain for various components and subsystems. At Kepler, steps are being taken to ensure the firm can reach the required cost and performance targets. This is a necessary step to deliver on Kepler’s promise of affordable, global connectivity on Earth and in space. With this new facility in place, the company solves a key challenge to scaling this business – the mass production of highly capable spacecraft. Leveraging Kepler’s unique partnerships, the satellites we produce will fly systems that have decades of learning embedded into them. This facility will bring many highly capable Kepler satellites to life at unmatched costs and help us deliver service globally.

Photo courtesy NSLComm

AAC Clyde Space will be providing one 6U satellite and services, with a total value of approximately 15 MSEK (GBP 1.2 million) to the Israeli company, NSLComm, which also appointed AAC Clyde Space as their “preferred supplier” in its planned satellite constellation. 

AAC Clyde Space delivered a 6U satellite to NSLComm during 2019 that carries a 60-centimeter dish antenna, and has achieved most of its mission goals, and is communicating at all frequencies. The new satellite, NSLSat-2, is the first satellite of an intended commercial constellation.

AAC Clyde Space will manufacture, launch, commission, operate the satellite and deliver a ground segment software solution. The satellite is planned to launch in Q3 2021.

AAC Clyde Space CEO Luis Gomes said that NSLComm is spearheading high throughput communication from nanosatellites. They are delighted to partner with them in this project, taking nanosatellite-based services even further.

QinetiQ’s space business has confirmed it has secured a major new contract with the European Space Agency (ESA) to extend Europe’s capabilities in operational Earth Observation (EO).

The new 75 million euros contract will see the company develop and assemble the ALTIUS satellite at its new state-of-the-art cleanroom facilities in Kruibeke, in Belgium.

The Atmospheric Limb Tracker for Investigation of the Upcoming Stratosphere (ALTIUS) is a satellite mission that will monitor and map the distribution and evolution of stratospheric ozone at a very high vertical resolution. Due for launch from French Guyana by the end of 2023, the satellite will use advanced spectral imaging technologies to monitor the Earth’s atmospheric limb in the Near Ultraviolet, Visible, and Near Infrared spectral regions.

Artistic rendition of the ALTIUS satellite.

Image is courtesy of the European Space Agency.

ALTIUS is under the ESA Earth Watch Program, with the objective of developing new scientific EO satellite missions and data exploitation schemes to advance science and knowledge of the planet.

The ALTIUS satellite will be built on QinetiQ’s versatile P200 platform, the latest generation of the highly successful PROBA platform. It has demonstrated excellent performance on previous space missions and accumulated more than 35 years in orbit.

The new satellite will also feature QinetiQ’s ADPMS-3 avionics, two deployable solar wings and a propulsion system that will allow for orbit maintenance and will de-orbit at the end of its life. The mission lifetime is envisaged to be of minimum 3 years.

Pictured is an engineering view of QuinetiQ’s P200 platform.

Photo is courtesy of the company.

Jim Graham, Managing Director of QinetiQ’s space business, said the company is delighted to be playing such a key role on this important program. Detailed monitoring of stratospheric ozone is vital and will support both broader operational services as well as long-term trend monitoring and scientific understanding of the atmosphere to help address serious concerns about the Earth’s protective ozone layer.

By also measuring greenhouse gasses, it will help to produce definitive atmospheric models to support more informed decision-making. Securing this significant contract is a great way to start an exciting new decade for space exploration and observation, and reflects the firm’s capabilities and experience as a prime – managing a consortium of companies from Belgium, Canada, Luxembourg, and Romania – and reliable systems integrator for delivering effective end-to-end mission solutions.

Tethers Unlimited, Inc. (TUI) has successfully demonstrated on-orbit operation of the Terminator Tape, an affordable, lightweight solution for removing space debris from on-orbit.

In early September of 2019, an automated timer unit on the Prox-1 satellite, launched in late June 2019 by the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory’s University Nanosatellite Program, activated deployment of TUI’s Terminator Tape module. The Terminator Tape is a small module, weighing less than two pounds and about the size of a notebook, designed to attach to the exterior of a satellite.

The Terminator Tape Deorbit Module interacts with the space environment to rapidly drag a satellite out of orbit.

Image is courtesy of Tethers Unlimited.

When the satellite has completed its mission and is ready to be disposed of, an electrical signal from either the satellite or an independent timer unit will activate the Terminator Tape, causing it to deploy a 230-foot long conductive tape from the satellite. This tape interacts with the space environment to create a drag force on the satellite that lowers its orbit far more rapidly than it would if it were simply abandoned in orbit.

TUI is currently collaborating  with Millennium Space Systems, TriSept, and RocketLab to prepare a scientific method-based LEO flight experiment called “DRAGRACER” which will compare the de-orbit of two identical satellites, one with and one without a Terminator Tape, in order to enable robust characterization of the tape’s performance.

Dr. Rob Hoyt, TUI’s CEO, said that three months after launch, as planned, the company’s timer unit commanded the Terminator Tape to deploy and from observations by the U.S. Space Surveillance Network that the satellite immediately began de-orbiting over 24x faster, instead of remaining on-orbit for hundreds of years. Rapidly removing dead satellites in this manner will help to combat the growing space debris problem. This successful test proves that this lightweight and low-cost technology is an effective means for satellite programs to meet orbital debris mitigation requirements.

Capella Space has unveiled their evolved satellite design to enable on-demand observations of any location on Earth.

Capella Space SAR smallsat to Deliver high resolution, on-demand EO data.

Artistic rendition is courtesy of the company.

Informed by extensive customer feedback and findings from the launch of Denali, Capella’s testbed satellite, the re-engineered design features a suite of technological innovations to deliver timely, flexible and frequent sub-0.5 meter very high quality images to the market. According to the company, the enhanced technology package will deliver the most advanced offering for small satellite SAR imagery on the market. The satellite evolution is a direct result of customer feedback, extensive on-orbit testing with Capella’s first testbed satellite Denali, as well as ground-based testing.

Satellite enhancements include:

• Advanced design delivering high contrast, low-noise, sub-0.5 meter imagery: A 3.5 meter deployed mesh-based reflector antenna combined with a high power RADAR enable key performance improvements including quality advances.
   
• Extended duty cycle: A deployed 400 W solar array increases on-orbit duty cycle to 10 minutes per orbit.
   
• Continuous imaging over long distance: Advanced thermal management systems allow continuous imaging of up to 4000 km long strip images.
   
• Highly agile platform: Enabled by large reaction wheels, the new satellite quickly adjusts pointing to collect images from diverse targets.
   
• Staring spotlight image mode: New mode further enhances image quality with the ability to collect the highest commercially available multi-look data.
   
• Enhanced data downlink rate: A high average data rate downlink of 1.2 Gbps supports the massive image collection rate and extended duty cycle, providing more data per orbit than any other commercial SAR system in its class.
   
• Real-time tasking: A highly secure encrypted two-way link with Inmarsat through an exclusive partnership with Addvalue provides real time tasking capability for the entire Capella constellation.

The new satellite design cemented major deals with multiple divisions of the U.S. government, including a contract with the U.S. Air Force and National Reconnaissance Office (NRO). The technological enhancements will be embedded in Capella’s next six commercial satellites, named the “Whitney” constellation, starting with the launch of Sequoia slated for March of 2020. The Sequoia satellite is currently completing system level tests and will arrive at the launch site in early March.

Capella is also licensed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) for its 36 small satellite constellation, along with approval to sell the highest resolution legally allowed SAR commercial imagery to customers globally.

Christian Lenz, VP of Engineering at Capella Space, said the firm’s customers have spoken: today’s industry standard of waiting eight hours to receive data is woefully outdated. They want access to imagery that is reliable, timely and, most importantly, high-quality. The innovations packed into Capella’s small satellite make Capella the first and only SAR provider to provide real-time tasking and capture of sub-0.5 meter, very high-quality imagery anywhere on Earth at any time. This is a game-changer for a variety of industries—from monitoring military threats to assessing crop yields in agriculture to coordinating disaster response.

The Space Development Agency (SDA) is responsible for defining and monitoring the Department’s future threat-driven space architecture and accelerating the development and fielding of new military space capabilities necessary to ensure U.S. technological and military advantage in space for national defense. The SDA is now soliciting proposals for the technologies that are necessary to build and launch multiple smallsats (from 50 to 500 kg.) that will form the national defense constellations.

The SDA is responsible for unifying and integrating next-generation space capabilities to deliver the National Defense Space Architecture (NDSA), a resilient, military sensing and data transport capability via a proliferated space architecture in LEO. SDA will not necessarily develop and field all capabilities of the NDSA but rather orchestrate those efforts across the Department of Defense (DoD) and fill in gaps in capabilities while providing the integrated architecture.

There are eight essential capabilities described in the SDA’s August 2018 Report on Organizational and Management Structure for the National Security Space Components of the Department of Defense. These capabilities include:

1. Persistent global surveillance for advanced missile targeting,

2. Indications, warning, targeting, and tracking for defense against advanced missile threats,

3. Alternate positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) for a GPS-denied environment,

4. Global and near-real time space situational awareness,

5. Development of deterrent capability,

6. Responsive, resilient, common ground-based space support infrastructure (e.g., ground stations and launch capability),

7. Cross-domain, networked, node-independent battle management command, control, and communications (BMC3), including nuclear command, control, and communications (NC3),

8. Highly-scaled, low-latency, persistent, artificial-intelligence-enabled global surveillance.

Initially, the National Defense Space Architecture is comprised of the following layers to address the critical priorities for space identified within the DoD Space Vision:

• Transport Layer, to provide assured, resilient, low-latency military data and communications connectivity worldwide to the full range of warfighter platforms
   
• Battle Management Layer, to provide architecture tasking, mission command and control, and data dissemination to support time-sensitive kill chain closure at campaign scales
   
• Tracking Layer, to provide global indications, warning, tracking, and targeting of advanced missile threats, including hypersonic missile systems
   
• Custody Layer, to provide 24×7, all-weather custody of time-sensitive, left-of-launch surface mobile targets (e.g., to support targeting for advanced missiles)
   
• Navigation Layer, to provide alternate positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) for Global Positioning System (GPS)-denied environments
   
• Deterrence Layer, to deter hostile action in deep space (beyond Geosynchronous Earth Orbit (GEO) up to lunar distances)
   
• Support Layer, to enable ground and launch segments to support a responsive space architecture

Multiple awards are anticipated. The amount of resources made available under this BAA  will depend on the quality of the proposals received and the availability of funds.

SDA’s mission starts and ends with the warfighter. SDA recognizes that “good enough” capabilities in the hands of warfighter sooner may be better than delivering the perfect solution too late. SDA will deliver capabilities to the nation’s joint warfighting forces in two-year tranches, starting as early as Fiscal Year (FY) 2022.

SDA anticipates issuing separate solicitations for the capability layers outlined above, seeking systems and technologies that can be developed and fielded on the SDA tranche timelines to address timely warfighter needs. SDA also recognizes the need to establish an “intellectual pipeline” to access ideas from across the community to inform the future of the NDSA.

Through this BAA, SDA specifically seeks novel architecture concepts, systems, technologies, and capabilities that:

• Enable leap-ahead improvements for future tranches of currently planned NDSA capability layers
   
• Enable new capability layers to address other emerging or evolving warfighters needs

To this end, SDA is soliciting executive summaries, white papers/proposal abstracts as well as full proposals.

Please access this direct link to download a 32-page PDF that contains the details, focus areas and submission instructions.

Space propulsion firm Busek Co. Inc. confirmed the first two deliveries of the firm’s BIT-3 ion thruster, an all-iodine solar electric propulsion system.

The compact, low power thruster system is a key enabling technology for a number of upcoming smallsat missions, including Lunar IceCube program, lead by Kentucky’s Morehead State University, and LunaH-Map, lead by Arizona State University.

Both missions are manifest as a ride-shares on NASA’s SLS Artemis-1 and they rely on the Busek thruster to inject the satellite into a lunar capture orbit.

After successful capture, the BIT-3 thruster will provide controlled descent to a science-mission altitude of roughly 100 km. (62 mi.), where the teams’ science instruments will survey the Moon for water ice. Accurate mapping of Lunar ice deposits is a critical first step for long-term human lunar missions and cis-lunar infrastructure development.

The BIT-3 iodine thruster system is capable of generating up to two kilometers per second (4,474 m.p.h.) of delta-v for cubesats, opening the possibility for small spacecraft to complete a range of missions previously reserved for large, high-cost satellites. BIT-3 is a true turn-key system and includes highly integrated control electronics, iodine storage and feed system, thruster, neutralizer, and optional gimbal for attitude control.

The BIT-3’s Chief Scientist and Program Manager, Dr. Mike Tsay said, the key to the system’s compact size, efficiency, and performance density are its use of solid iodine propellant. Iodine eliminates the need for bulky pressurized gas storage and feed components. The company hurdled significant obstacles to adapt the use of iodine in ion engines and the lessons the firm has learned are informing a range of activities here at Busek.

Artistic rendition of Morehead State University’s LunarIceCube small.sat.

Professor Ben Malphrus, Principal Investigator of Morehead State University’s Lunar IceCube mission, added the BIT-3 represents a technology that will enable future exploration of the solar system with small satellite platforms.  Low thrust propulsion systems such as the BIT-3, combined with low energy manifold trajectories that make up the interplanetary superhighway, have the potential to usher in a new era of planetary exploration.

Dr. Craig Hardgrove, Principal Investigator for the LunaH-Map mission, said iodine electric propulsion has unique potential among safe propellant choices for small exploration missions. The BIT-3’s size and performance plays a critical role in Arizona State’s mission to the moon.

Firefly Aerospace, Inc. (Firefly) has executed a Launch Services Agreement with Innovative Space Logistics BV (ISILAUNCH), a launch services subsidiary of Netherlands based ISIS – Innovative Solutions in Space B.V. (ISISPACE).

Under the agreement, ISILAUNCH will offer to its customers multiple dedicated and rideshare launch opportunities on the Firefly’s Alpha launch vehicle, on missions beginning in 2020.

Firefly CEO Dr. Tom Markusic stated the company is very pleased to have ISILAUNCH as a customer for the firm’s Alpha launch vehicle.

He noted that with Firefly’s anticipated flight rate and the growth of the demand for launch services, the company will leverage the experience and market presence of ISILAUNCH to provide customers with economical, convenient and reliable flight opportunities.

ISILAUNCH Director Abe Bonnema said the firm is very keen to work with Firefly and their Alpha launch vehicle. Based on the company’s extensive experience with cluster launches, having launched hundreds of small satellites in that manner over the past ten years, ISILAUNCH believes the Alpha launch vehicle has a very interesting capacity to cost ratio, enabling the launch configuration flexibility the company needs to serve a broad customer base.

ISIS specializes in realizing innovative turn-key small satellite missions. Through our unique and proven approach of full vertical integration which combines design, development, production, testing, launch services, and satellite operations into a single organization, we can offer you the right solution, from subsystem to full mission and constellation building.

He added that Alpha is also interesting for the firm’s ambitions to bring swarms of small satellites to lunar orbit. Moreover, the company is pleased to conclude that the firm’s business philosophy and market approach align very well with those of Firefly.

Alona Kolisnyk, Firefly Director of International Business Development, added that the company’s team is preparing to quickly ramp flight cadence following the maiden launch of the firm’s Alpha vehicle. This will allow Firefly to deliver customer payloads to their preferred orbits in a responsive and affordable way. The rideshare missions Firefly will execute with ISILAUNCH will further enable the global small satellite industry and provide flight heritage to disruptive cislunar technologies being developed by commercial space startups.

HawkEye 360 Inc. has formed a strategic partnership with Airbus and, through this partnership, the companies will deliver high-impact, geospatial intelligence solutions not currently available — both companies can leverage the platforms and services of the other partner to address client mission needs.

This partnership enables HawkEye 360 and Airbus to fuse complementary data sets to maximize value to customers. Airbus will distribute HawkEye 360’s RF data and analytics across Europe to augment its maritime, defense, and intelligence products. HawkEye 360 will offer Airbus’ earth observation optical and synthetic aperture radar (SAR) products jointly with its RF solutions to serve defense and intelligence customers.

Artistic rendition of HawkEye 360’s constellation is
courtesy of the company.

Airbus was among the investors who participated in HawkEye 360’s $70 million Series B funding in August 2019. The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) provided approval for Airbus to close its investment transaction Jan. 8. The Series B funding enables HawkEye 360 to build and launch the full commercial satellite constellation and develop a full line of RF analytic products.

John Serafini, CEO, HawkEye 360, said Airbus is an exceptional partner and investor as the company develops and delivers the firm’s vision for the future of space-based RF data and analytics. Together with Airbus, HawkEye 360 will be able to build sophisticated products and services that intelligently leverage a more comprehensive range of data than previously commercially available.

François Lombard, Director of the Intelligence Business for Airbus Defence and Space, noted that HawkEye 360 is a pioneer in space-based RF data and analytics and an ideal partner in the company’s  mission to improve global situational awareness for our defense, security, and civil customers.

Alex Fox, EVP of Business Development, Sales and Marketing, HawkEye 360, added that the world’s first EO, SAR, and RF commercial constellation offers unique capabilities, such as a tip-and-cueing Multi-INT system for unprecedented global situational awareness. Integrating these analytics will provide customers valuable insights to execute more informed decisions.

Egypt is set to launch a program for the manufacturing of small satellites in universities across the country in a collaborative effort led the Egyptian Space Agency (EgSA), the Academy for Scientific Research and Technology (ASR) and the Supreme Council of Universities. 

Egypt’s indigenously developed Cubesats NARSSCube 1 & 2 Flight Models. Photo Credit: NARSS

The program is one of the pillars contained in the National Strategy for Science, Technology and Innovation 2030 which was released in December by Egypt’s Higher Education and Scientific Research aimed at improving the country’s competitiveness in science research and development of indigenous technologies. 

The strategy document, obtained by Space in Africa, outlined the Ministry’s intention to “establish a laboratory for educational satellites, electronic tests and space photographs processing.”

Egypt’s Higher Education and Scientific Research Minister Khaled Abdel-Ghafar yesterday confirmed plans for the launch of the program while chairing the maiden meeting of the Egyptian Space Agency board alongside Mohamed El-Qosi, EgSA Chief Executive Officer.

Abdel-Ghafar further disclosed that the ministry will welcome a delegation from the French Space Agency to discuss space cooperation between both countries. Both parties will be looking to sign a memorandum of understanding on space cooperation.

The program for the manufacturing of small satellites in universities across Egypt is a reflection of the country’s recent drive to revitalize its space sector and its ambition to become a space power in the Middle East and Africa. 

Last year, Egypt launched four satellites into space, of which two were developed locally by Egyptian engineers at the National Authority for Remote Sensing and Space Sciences (now the Egyptian Space Agency). With a record nine satellites launched into space from 1998 to 2019 by Egypt’s Nilesat and the Egyptian government, Egypt currently tops the chart for the highest number of satellites launched by an African nation.

The North African country is also investing in other space infrastructure including a satellite assembly, integration and testing (AIT) centre, ground station facilities and the China-funded MisrSat II Earth observation satellite in collaboration with the Chinese government. Located in the iconic Egyptian Space City near the New Administrative Capital in Cairo, the space facilities, when completed, will boost Egypt’s competitiveness in space science research and technology development.

By Joseph Ibeh,  AfricaNewsSpace