An online B2B platform to facilitate the matching of payloads with available launch capacity has been developed by German IT company HOSTmi GmbH.

This enables the hosting of payloads across a diverse range of space platforms globally, including orbital, sub-orbital and deep space campaigns. Southern Launch, as a provider of launch services in South Australia, has recognized the benefit that the HOSTmi platform can provide to its customers, and so has executed a Brokerage Agreement with HOSTmi.

The premise of the HOSTmi platform is that every rocket launched has a certain capacity of payload it can carry to a specific orbit. Generally, the mass of the primary payload will be less than the mass that the rocket can lift, so there is spare capacity available.

Rocket manufacturers and operators try to sell this extra capacity to smaller payloads which are then added to the primary payload and launched at the same time. Although there are a few disadvantages, given the secondary payload must follow the schedule of the main customer or accept certain orbital restrictions, it can be a very attractive solution for budgetary reasons.

HOSTmi analyzed this market and built a platform which acts as a dedicated space marketplace for such secondary payloads. At their website, a potential customer can enter the characteristics of their payload and the launch date and orbit. The fully-automated algorithm then proposes launchers which can accept this secondary payload at the right moment in time.

As both a Launch Service Provider (LSP) and launch facility operator, Southern Launch will use the HOSTmi service to offer an intuitive and responsive service to worldwide satellite customers to source both dedicated launches and ride share opportunities on vehicles operating at Southern Launch sites.

Executive Comments

Lloyd Damp, Founder and CEO of Southern Launch said, “As a launch operator, we’ve recognized that this service has huge potential for our customers and the growing space ecosystem. Having access to the HOSTmi platform will help Southern Launch operate more frequently, with more payloads increasing the return on investment and further boosting Southern Launch and Australia as a focal point for access to space.”

Managing Director of HOSTmi, Pouya Haschemi, added, “Southern Launch offers a novel and unique solution in an emerging and promising market, namely the launch market. We notice that an increasing number of launch providers from different regions of the world are entering the market. They have clever people, latest technologies, innovative approaches, and a vast market. The only aspect that is lacking for most of them are optimal geographical conditions to turn the aforementioned attributes into a high-quality service. Southern Launch has identified a key market demand, which they aim to meet with a great end-to-end solution underpinned by the best geographic and environmental conditions. We at HOSTmi believe that Southern Launch is taking place exactly where the aviation industry started 100 years ago when the first global hubs for airlines were established. Given the historical development of the aviation industry and the prospects of the space industry as such, we believe that Southern Launch will provide significant value to our customers who are looking for a straightforward, agile and cost effective solution to realize their space missions.”

For those thinking of launching their smallsats or cubesats, please join GK Launch Services and the firm’s virtual side meeting that is scheduled for Wednesday, August 5, from 8:00 to 8:30 a.m. during the SmallSat Conference— access this direct link to attend…

The company will provide an overview of Soyuz-2 capabilities for smallsat access to space. The topic is: New launch opportunities for Small Satellites on Soyuz-2.

Even though this year is different and the firm is not in sunny Utah, GK Launch Services remains excited to meet attendees during this virtual event.

GK Launch Services is an operator of commercial launches. The company was established by the Russian State Space Corporation, “Roscosmos,” to implement commercial contracts for the launch of spacecraft using Soyuz-2 family launch vehicles from Russian spaceports.

MECANO ID is “exhibiting” a new, smallsat deployer at the SmallSat Conference, selecting this event to present their world of their new EOS (Ejection Of Satellite) deployer for smallsats.

The EOS deployment system’s first goal is to carefully carry the smallsat during the launch. As soon as the required altitude has been reached, EOS will eject the smallsat to its designated orbit with high stability.

EOS spent the last year under development by MECANO ID with the support of French Space Agency (CNES) and NewSpace Factory (NSF). The system has been developed to support any worldwide launchers and any satellites from 20 to 60 kg with a set of unique advantages.

Based on more than 20 years of collaboration, the CNES has selected to support MECANO ID in the EOS development, which is a crucial link between satellite and launcher. This key support is due to CNES unique dual know-how as much in launcher systems as in orbital systems.

The unique MECANO ID in-house know-how in engineering, composite manufacturing, and environmental testing brings high flexibility to its customers. MECANO ID can provide services and expertise as well as prime contracting that is fully committed to superior results. In the field of smallsats, the company traditionally supports satellites providers in mechanical and thermal architectures, engineering and space qualification. EOS is the first MECANO ID product specifically dedicated to smallsats market.

All stakeholders are invited to discover the EOS capabilities at the Small Satellite Conference.

Executive Comment

“We are proud to participate to this 33rd Annual Conference on Small Satellites and to exhibit EOS, the very first creation of our Deployment Systems Product Line. EOS encloses a lot of our knowledge from 25 years of experience in designing, sizing and qualifying space structure,” said Stéphane Galinier, Business Development Manager of the company.

“EOS system combines very low mass (less than 4 kg), predictable mechanical levels, very low spin at ejection and 5 free external faces allowing satellite appendixes such as sensors or antennas,” added Didier Zely, Manager of the Deployment Systems Product Line.

Open Cosmos has sealed a deal with satellite communications operator Sateliot to build and operate the company’s smallsat constellation, which will provide continuous global Internet of Things (IoT) connectivity under a 5G architecture.

Open Cosmos has begun the manufacture of the first of the 100 satellites that will allow Sateliot to start offering IoT services by the close of 2022.

The microwave oven sized satellites will operate in LEO, flying at an approximate altitude of 500 km to guarantee IoT connectivity on a global scale and in almost real time.

In the next two years, it is forecast that there will be more than 50 billion IoT devices globally. Sateliot will partner with conventional telecommunication providers around the world to ensure ubiquitous coverage.

Sateliot will also offer monitoring and tracking systems, data analysis, and processes in areas, such as: maritime, railways, aeronautical, agriculture and farming, gas and petroleum exploration, electric or critical infrastructure.

Executive Comments

Rafel Jordá, Founder and CEO of Open Cosmos, said, “We are excited to have satellite production underway for these satellites and be progressing all other aspects of the mission, including system integration, launch, licensing & logistics, as well as orbit operations. We are delighted to partner with Sateliot to enable the reality of IoT anywhere.”

Jaume Sanpera, Co-Founder and CEO of Sateliot, stated, “a bond with a partner, such as Open Cosmos, allows us to move forward with our project, meeting head on the requirements and challenges the New Space industry faces, while keeping control over the design of the antennae and the radio that will allow the operational and commercial management of our telecommunications service.”

Momentus, a provider of in-space transportation services for satellites, has announced a hosting service for customer payloads, providing access for analytics and in-space demonstrations at a fraction of the cost of designing, building, launching and operating a dedicated smallsat.

Starting in June of 2021, excess capacity will be made available to hosted payload customers on Momentus’ vehicles for customers’ technology demonstrations, qualifications or short-term experiments. These missions will be self-contained and can be hosted by our Vigoride transfer vehicle from the end of the shuttle logistics mission, to the end of its mission life prior to deorbiting.

Two service models are available: Charter and Shuttle Service. The Charter Service will allow payloads to be the sole customer onboard with maximum lifespan, power and data download capacity attributed to the single customer. In the Shuttle Service model, the hosted payload will be a rideshare along with other payloads hosted or deployed from the Vigoride transfer vehicle.

To view full specifications for Hosted Payloads, please access this direct link…

The in-Space collaborative/sharing economy has disruptive ramifications for the industry. By lowering the barriers to entry and increasing the launch cadence, access to space becomes widely affordable for the masses including universities, startups, entrepreneurs and governments. This Satellite-as-a-Service business model sees Momentus providing “white glove” service, with the only customer responsibility being that of the payload.

The scientific applications alone raised an industry-wide proof of concept because of the rising need from scientists and environmentalists to monitor climate change. For example, now research institutes can deploy new solar cell technologies, large unfurlable antennas and payloads requiring up to 1 kW of power or up to 300 kg of mass without having to worry about building their own satellite or operating it on orbit.

As a SpaceX rideshare partner, Momentus is manifested on rides to Sun-synchronous and mid-inclined low Earth orbits, where Vigoride will be deployed to access custom deployment altitudes and orbits in space.

Horizon Technologies, a global provider of airborne Signals Intelligence (SIGINT) products for NATO and Allied governmental end-users, has been issued a patent (US 10,727,932 B2) by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

This patent covers Horizon Technologies’ fundamental Xtender technology that allows the smallest cubesats and UAVs to detect, geolocate, and intercept Sat Phone communications, remotely, from a miniature software-defined radio (SDR). This is Horizon Technologies’ 2nd registered patent.

Executive Comment

John Beckner, the company’s CEO, said, “This new patent for our transformational Xtender technology represents a key milestone for Horizon Technologies. Xtender enables the users of even the smallest UAVs to have the same Sat Phone SIGINT capability of larger UAVS and manned aircraft. Even more importantly, our patented Xtender technology is one of the building blocks of our Amber CubeSat constellation and Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) space-based intelligence system. Our Amber CubeSat constellation, will not only have the ability to geolocate L-band emitters like Sat Phones, but actually allow for the real-time demodulation of the signals. This capability is unique in the emerging field of LEO (Low Earth Orbit) CubeSat-driven SIGINT. We also believe that the issuance of this patent enhances Horizon Technologies’ ability to attract financial and industry strategic partners to help further the company’s continuing profitable growth.”

Airbus U.S. Space and Defense is bringing experts from the Airbus Bartolomeo team to host a live webinar at the virtual SmallSat Conference.

Join Dr. Christian Steimle and Mr. Bill Corley on Tuesday, August 4, from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., EST, for an informative hour dedicated to understanding this all-in-one Space Mission Service. The discussion will cover the basics of Bartolomeo, touching on mission status, specs, and future potential Space missions.

There will be a live Q&A session with Bill and Christian following the presentation. To learn more and to register for the webinar please select this direct link…

L3Harris Technologies (NYSE:LHX) is on track to start building the U.S. Air Force’s first Navigation Technology Satellite-3 (NTS-3) after completing the program’s critical design review (CDR).

L3Harris will integrate the program’s experimental payload with an ESPAStar Platform, planned for launch in 2022. The system is designed to augment space-based position, navigation and timing capabilities for warfighters.

The NTS-3 payload features a modular design and can adapt to support various mission needs. The experiment will demonstrate capabilities that can be accomplished through a stand-alone satellite constellation or as a hosted payload.

Less than a year after award, the company cleared the first development hurdle in half the time similar satellite programs take. The Space Enterprise Consortium selected L3Harris for the $84 million contract in 2018 as the prime system integrator to design, develop, integrate and test NTS-3. L3Harris is combining experimental antennas, flexible and secure signals, increased automation, and use of commercial command and control assets.

Designated as one of the Air Force’s first vanguard programs, NTS-3 will examine ways to improve the resiliency of the military’s positioning, navigation and timing capabilities. It will also develop key technologies relevant to the Global Positioning System (GPS) constellation, with the opportunity for insertion of these technologies into the GPS IIIF program. The program is a collaboration with the Air Force Research Laboratory, Space and Missile Systems Center, U.S. Space Force, and Air Force Lifecycle Management Center.

Executive Comment

“Collaboration with our customers has enabled us to move rapidly through important milestones to design this experimental satellite,” said Ed Zoiss, President, Space and Airborne Systems, L3Harris. “Our goal is to deliver new signals to support rapidly evolving warfighter missions.”

At the 34th annual Small Satellite Conference, NanoAvionics announced a significant business growth, increasing its revenue by about 300% during the last 12 months, as a result of strong contract volume and geographical expansion.

The company also revealed its vertical integration approach, taking full control of each aspect in the development of its clients’ satellites from systems development to mission integration, logistics and operations.

The company has successfully expanded its operations into the USA with two manufacturing facilities. NanoAvionics’ primary hub for the United States is in Columbia (IL) while its second base in Midland, Texas, functions as a scalable resource that allows the company to mass produce their nanosatellite buses for constellation orders.

To take advantage of opportunities in the vital US market, NanoAvionics also hired Franklin Brent Abbott as its CEO of NanoAvionics US Inc. Prior to joining NanoAvionics, he was the Chief Executive for AAC/Clyde Space North America and held several senior roles at Surrey Satellite Technologies US (SST-US).

The success of these strategic steps together with the modular design and low cost of their preconfigured nanosatellite buses has led to a number of scientific, commercial and civil use of space missions. Customers include research and space agencies like NASA, ESA and MIT as well as a number of private companies such as Thales Alenia Space for the Omnispace constellation, Lacuna Space’s Space Gateway for IoT service providers, and Sen’s high-definition video streaming media service, taking advantage of NanoAvionics’ real-time coverage capability that can be built into their nanosatellites.

The flexible architecture of the flight-proven and modular nanosatellite buses and the provision of one of the highest payload volumes for this class of small satellites were also important reasons in the selection for these wide range of missions, constellations and diverse applications.

Those in-house developments follow the company’s path of continually innovating its technology. For example, in June this year, ESA awarded €1 million to NanoAvionics to develop new smallsat propulsion technologies. NanoAvionics has also been developing an intuitive and user-friendly mission control software (MCS) as well as next generation payload controller, meeting high data throughput requirements of telecom payloads or high-res images, which will be introduced to its customers for the upcoming missions.

Executive Comment

“NanoAvionics had a tremendous year and we have taken a big step forward towards our goal to become the global leader in nanosatellites and go-to partner for nanosatellite constellations in Low Earth Orbit,” said Vytenis J. Buzas, CEO NanoAvionics. “We already offer a ‘golden ratio’ of speed, quality, price and functionality when it comes to nano-satellite buses. And with 90% of our clients already buying additional services such as satellite registration, insurance and launch brokerage, becoming a one-stop-shop is a logical next step.”

Even for those with only passing knowledge of the SmallSat Alliance know that the organization is a strong advocate of US space agencies adopting a Hybrid Space Architecture that combines government and commercial satellites, big and small. On August 3, Dr. Chris Scolese, Director of the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), announced the following in a pre-recorded video for the 2020 Small Satellite Conference:

“To meet future demands, the NRO is taking an integrated Hybrid Architecture approach. This approach to or constellation leverages the unique capabilities of our large satellites with smaller proliferated satellites that provide mission augmentation, regional emphasis, and reconstitution; AND commercial satellites that allow us to meet mission needs with unclassified, shareable imagery that allows us to reserve our national assets for the most sensitive missions. This combination of national and commercial, large and small satellites gives us increased flexibility, responsiveness, and resiliency.”

The SmallSat Alliance couldn’t be more excited and applaud the leadership of Dr. Scolese and the rest of the NRO team in moving out quickly to adopt this new approach and thereby ensuring the future vitality of the national security mission and the US space economy.

The Small Satellite Conference is hosting Dr. Scolese for a 1 hour, live, online keynote session on August 3 at 3:00 p.m., ET. Steve Nixon, the President of the SmallSat Alliance, will be moderating the first panel (“Space Mission Architectures“) immediately following the keynote at 4:00 p.m., ET.

You can register by following the links from the Space Dynamics Lab Events website.