News

China has successfully established the world’s first three-satellite constellation based on the Distant Retrograde Orbit (DRO) in the Earth-moon region of space, laying a foundation for the exploration and utilization of space, and for future crewed deep-space exploration.

DRO-A and DRO-B, two satellites developed by the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and deployed in the DRO, have established inter-satellite measurement and communication links with DRO-L, a previously launched near-Earth orbit satellite.

DRO is a unique type of orbit, and the Earth-moon space refers to the region extending outward from near-Earth and near-lunar orbits, reaching a distance of up to 2 million kilometers from Earth. In the Earth-moon space, DRO is characterized by a prograde motion around Earth and a retrograde motion around the moon, said Wang Wenbin, a researcher at the CAS’ Technology and Engineering Center for Space Utilization (CSU).

Since DRO provides a highly stable orbit where spacecraft require little fuel to enter and stay, it serves as natural space hub connecting Earth, the moon and deep space, offering support for space science exploration, the deployment of space infrastructure, and crewed deep-space missions, Wang said.

On February 3, 2024, the experimental DRO-L satellite was sent into a SSO and began conducting experiments as planned. The DRO-A/B dual-satellite combination was launched from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwest China’s Sichuan Province on March 13, 2024, but failed to enter its intended orbit due to an anomaly in the upper stage of the carrier rocket.

Facing this challenge, the satellite team performed a “life-or-death” rescue operation under extreme conditions, promptly executing multiple emergency orbit maneuvers to correct the trajectory of the two satellites.

After a journey of 8.5 million kilometers, the DRO-A/B dual-satellite combination ultimately reached its designated orbit, according to Zhang Hao, a researcher at CSU who participated in the rescue operation.

On August 28, 2024, the two satellites were successfully separated. Later, both DRO-A and DRO-B established K-band microwave inter-satellite measurement and communication links with DRO-L, testing the networking mode of the three-satellite constellation, Zhang said.

Currently, the DRO-A satellite stays in DRO, while the DRO-B satellite operates in Earth-moon space maneuver orbits, according to CSU. The smallsats ultimately succeeded in entering their designated orbit.

Wang Qiang, deputy director of CSU, said that following the successful networking of the constellation, a series of cutting-edge scientific and technological experiments have been conducted, driving research on the Earth-moon space.

In 2017, the CSU research team initiated studies on DRO in the Earth-moon space and tackled key technological challenges, proposing the concept of a DRO-based spaceport. In February 2022, CAS launched a plan to build the DRO-based, three-satellite constellation in the Earth-Moon space.

The project achieved the world’s first spacecraft entry into DRO with low energy consumption. The team completed a lunar transfer and DRO entry by using just one-fifth of the fuel that is usually required for such a maneuver. This breakthrough has significantly reduced the costs of entry into the Earth-Moon space, paving the way for the large-scale exploration of the Earth-Moon space, Zhang Jun said.

Additionally, the project validated the K-band microwave measurement and communication links between the satellites and the ground at a distance of 1.17 million kilometers, achieving a key-technology breakthrough for large-scale constellation construction in the Earth-moon space, Zhang said.

Addressing challenges such as insufficient ground-based tracking and control precision, as well as the high costs and low efficiency of lunar and deep-space exploration missions, the research team pioneered a satellite-to-satellite, space-based orbit determination system.

By using three hours of in-orbit inter-satellite measurement data, the team achieved an orbit determination precision level that would typically require two days of ground-based tracking. This advancement has significantly reduced operational costs and improved the efficiency of spacecraft in the Earth-moon space, Zhang added.

In the future, the research team will continue investigating the complex and diverse orbits in the Earth-moon space, and study the laws of the lunar space environment. Leveraging the long-term stability of DRO, scientists will carry out fundamental scientific research in such fields as quantum mechanics and atomic physics, according to Wang. (Xinhua)

News article by CHEN Na, Chinese Academy of Sciences

Space Forge has shipped ForgeStar®-1—made in Wales and the UK’s first In-Space Advanced Manufacturing (ISAM) mission—to the U.S. prior to the spacecraft’s launch later this year.

As a next generation materials manufacturer, Space Forge is harnessing the unmatched conditions of space—microgravity, extreme temperatures, and a vacuum environment—to produce materials that are impossible to make on Earth.

These advancements have wide-reaching applications in semiconductors, quantum computing, clean energy, and defence technologies. Research suggests that manufacturing these materials in space could reduce CO2 emissions by 75% in high-value infrastructure—delivering breakthroughs in security, defence, and climate-focused innovation.

ForgeStar-1 will also test the mechanics of the Pridwen shield—Space Forge’s innovative heat shield designed to facilitate safe, reusable satellite re-entry.

This historic mission follows Space Forge becoming the first company to be granted a UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) license for ISAM, cementing its leadership in the field and unlocking a new era of sustainable, scalable manufacturing in orbit. ForgeStar®-1 will prove that high-performance semiconductor materials can be manufactured in space and safely returned to Earth.

Joshua Western, CEO and Co-founder of Space Forge, said, “This is the moment we’ve been working towards. This upcoming in-orbit mission is more than just a test flight—it’s a critical step toward building an entire infrastructure that can support us back on Earth with space-made materials. With this mission laying the groundwork, the next is all systems go for commercial manufacturing—returning materials that will transform entire industries.”

The UK’s Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning, Rebecca Evans, said, “Space Forge is a real space success story, providing more than 60 highly skilled technical roles and supporting another 1000 in the immediate supply chain, and we are delighted to be supporting them to realize their huge ambitions. It was fascinating to see the work ongoing at Space Forge recently and I wish them the best of luck for the launch of ForgeStar-1.”

AAC Clyde Space’s technology onboard the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Arctic Weather Satellite (AWS) has received strong praise for its performance, marking an important milestone towards the future EPS-Sterna constellation.

The satellite, launched in 2024, carries a cutting-edge microwave radiometer developed by AAC Clyde Space’s subsidiary AAC Omnisys in Gothenburg, as well as the spacecraft’s “brain” and “heart”—the SIRIUS avionics and STARBUCK power system—both flagship, high-volume products developed and produced at AAC Clyde Space’s facility in Uppsala.

The Arctic Weather Satellite (AWS) is a prototype mission designed to demonstrate how high-quality atmospheric data can be delivered quickly and cost-effectively to improve short-term weather forecasting, particularly over the Arctic. ESA has now confirmed that AWS is performing on par with larger, traditional weather missions—a significant validation of the New Space approach and of AAC Clyde Space’s advanced technology.

AWS forms the basis for the proposed EPS-Sterna program, a constellation of Weather Satellites planned by EUMETSAT. The constellation would dramatically improve temporal coverage of microwave weather observations, benefiting both regional and global forecasts. A decision on the program is expected in the second half of 2025.

ESA and leading European meteorological institutions have confirmed the performance of the AWS radiometer, including its novel 325 GHz sounding channel—a frequency never before used for operational weather forecasting. The data have already shown measurable benefits for short-term forecasting, especially in Arctic regions where weather can change rapidly.

In February of 2025, AAC Clyde Space announced that the company had received an order from OHB Sweden to procure key instrument components for the EPS-Sterna program. These long lead-time components will be delivered by the end of 2025, with a total order value of 1.0 million euros. The procurement is part of a risk mitigation measure by EUMETSAT to ensure timely deployment of the initial constellation.

We are proud to see our advanced technology helping shape the future of weather forecasting. This recognition from ESA reinforces our position at the forefront of space-based weather intelligence,” said Luis Gomes, CEO of AAC Clyde Space.

About the EPS-Sterna Program
The EPS-Sterna Program is a new EUMETSAT mission that will develop a comprehensive system, including a constellation of small satellites, launcher services, and the ground segment necessary for 13 years of operations. The mission aims to complement microwave sounding observations from Metop-SG and NOAA JPSS polar-orbiting meteorological satellites, improve the accuracy of global Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) models by increasing microwave

HRL Laboratories and Boeing have completed construction and technical validation on a quantum communication subassembly for Boeing’s Q4S satellite mission— a first-of-its-kind effort to demonstrate four-photon quantum entanglement swapping in space—this powerful capability is essential to enabling future secure communications and distributed quantum networks.

With this milestone, HRL has successfully completed construction of the fully integrated, space-grade subassembly, a significant step toward flight readiness. The build brings together our optical board, control electronics and final thermo-mechanical packaging into a single, space-ready system. It has already passed initial end-to-end software verification.

In validation tests, the team demonstrated quantum entanglement for each of the two sources in this subassembly.To ensure reliable performance in orbit, the team rigorously tested the subassemblies of the single photon sources.Each source performed well, showing strong signal quality (fidelity between 0.8 and 0.9) and detecting over 2,500 matching photon pairs per second, enough to meet the project’s requirements for accurate quantum measurements.

HRL has delivered an optical lab’s worth of capability in a compact, 15kg integrated space-capable assembly,” said Jay Lowell, Chief Scientist of Boeing’s Disruptive Computing, Networks & Sensors organization. “After validating the space qualification of our subassembly in our Boeing El Segundo Space Simulation Laboratory, this payload subassembly will serve as the ground twin to mirror the on-orbit payload which is currently in production.”

Demonstrating entanglement swapping between these two entangled photon pairs, will enable us to entangle previously unconnected nodes, a foundational breakthrough for building secure, scalable quantum computing and sensing networks in space,” said Jennifer Ellis, Principal Investigator at HRL.

Validation and environmental testing are critical milestones on the path to a successful space mission,” said Rob Vasquez, CEO of HRL. “We’re proud to partner with Boeing on this pioneering demonstration and lay the groundwork for secure communications in space.”

On Wednesday, April 16th, from 7:24 PM – 11:55 PM PDT SpaceX’s Falcon 9 will launch Group 6-74 smallsats to low Earth orbit for the Starlink mega-constellation’s space-based internet communication system. The launch will take place at the Space Launch Complex 40, Cape Canaveral SFS, Florida.

The forecast calls for a temperature of 69°F, clear skies, 0% cloud cover and a wind speed of 11m

Intelsat has been selected by Skymark Airlines to provide multi-orbit, inflight connectivity (IFC) service on 10 Boeing 737 MAX, using Intelsat’s new electronically steered array (ESA) antenna, that delivers multi-orbit service using geostationary (GEO) and Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites. This new partnership is unique because Skymark will become one of the first in the Asia-Pacific region to offer Intelsat’s new hybrid service.

The new service will be installed by Boeing in the factory on several aircraft, making Skymark one of the first airlines to take delivery of a Boeing aircraft with an ESA. The first linefit aircraft is expected to be delivered in 2026. The Intelsat ESA is less than seven centimeters tall and operates on both Intelsat’s family of GEO satellites and Eutelsat OneWeb’s constellation of LEO satellites.

Japan is a very hot IFC market, and we are proud to have been selected by Skymark to deliver a product that will keep the airline on the cutting edge. Passengers will soon benefit from multi-orbit connectivity that provides the same fast and dependable internet access they enjoy at home, thanks to Intelsat’s GEO coverage and LEO’s low latency,” said Mike DeMarco, Chief Commercial Officer at Intelsat.

We are delighted to welcome Intelsat’s latest service as one of the first airline in the Asia-Pacific region. It is with pleasure that we introduce inflight connectivity service to our passengers, and will remain committed to providing safe, reliable, and high-quality air services,” said Manabu Motohashi, President and Representative Director of Skymark Airlines.

Sidus Space (NASDAQ: SIDU) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Reflex Aerospace GmbH during the Space Foundation’s 40th Space Symposium in Colorado Springs, Colorado—this agreement formally establishes the framework to form a U.S.-based Joint Venture (JV) focused on delivering flexible, cost-effective, and high-performance solutions to meet diverse customer needs while strengthening their presence in global markets.

Under the agreement, Sidus and Reflex will jointly develop and manufacture integrated satellite platforms leveraging Sidus’ mission operations, technology integration and advanced manufacturing expertise alongside Reflex’s rapid satellite development capabilities and high-performance components. The collaboration will target U.S. and European markets across defense, commercial, and government sectors, with both companies contributing to production, business development, and market distribution.

The joint venture will focus on multi-orbit missions in LEO, MEO, and small GEO; In-Orbit Demonstration (IOD) and In-Orbit Validation (IOV) campaigns; and advanced space applications such as LIDAR, software-defined radio (SDR), on-orbit surveillance, and refueling missions. Additionally, the companies intend to competitively pursue major government space architecture programs by optimizing the supply chain and co-developing responsive satellite systems.

As part of the MOU, Sidus will provide integration and test (AI&T) facilities in Cape Canaveral, Florida, and will contribute mission management, operations, and proprietary subsystems such as Orlaith AI Ecosystem featuring FeatherEdge hardware for data process and analysis, Cielo software for space-based data and insights, VPX OBC high performance on-board computer, and advanced manufacturing solutions.

This partnership strengthens our global position as a full-stack space services provider,” said Carol Craig, Founder and CEO of Sidus Space. “By combining Sidus’ heritage in mission management, in-orbit operations, and space hardware manufacturing with Reflex Aerospace’s rapid-response satellite design and subsystem technologies, we’re creating a powerful platform to deliver timely, customized solutions to meet mission-critical needs across multiple orbits.”

Partnering with Sidus accelerates Reflex’s vision to deliver scalable satellite systems and meet the rising demand for high-performance, rapidly-deployable spacecraft,” said Walter Ballheimer, CEO of Reflex Aerospace. “.”

Viasat Inc. (NASDAQ: VSAT) has signed an agreement with Telesat (Nasdaq and TSX: TSAT) to integrate Telesat Lightspeed LEO Ka-band capacity into the company’s multi-orbit network to deliver a new standard of connectivity across its mobility and defense business portfolio.

The LEO capacity from Telesat Lightspeed will be seamlessly integrated with Viasat’s ultra-high throughput satellites to offer customers fast, highly reliable, robust and cost-effective connectivity services. Those services will be backed by the industry’s most comprehensive Service Level Agreements (SLAs), promoting reliable broadband connections even in the highest demand geographic locations including hub airports, seaports, and other high traffic routes and locations.

The agreement is another step forward for Viasat’s multi-orbit network roadmap, which already serves government, maritime and energy services businesses, and is being expanded to incorporate all the company’s growth markets, including commercial aviation’s leading in-flight integrated connectivity and entertainment solutions. Telesat Lightspeed is designed to be a highly advanced, flexible and resilient LEO constellation that is expected to enhance Viasat’s ability to deliver its customers a superior, multi-orbit, differentiated broadband connectivity solution.

A very broad range of mobility customers in every vertical market, whether global or regional, are interested in multi-orbit solutions that are cost effective, offer assurances of high performance, and are resilient to intentional or unintentional service disruptions. By leveraging our own satellite fleet and its unique advantages, existing national operator partnerships, plus coverage and capacity from leading third-party satellites and constellations, our services are designed to provide customers with the essential capacity density, market access, speed, bandwidth and responsiveness they need. Importantly, we have continued to innovate advanced multi-orbit resource management techniques to reduce costs and expand geographic coverage to better serve the unique needs of each mobility and defense customer,” said Mark Dankberg, Chairman and CEO, Viasat. “In forming key partnerships with multiple GSO and NGSO operators, we are well-positioned to support delivery of Viasat’s next-generation services, achieve industry-leading resource utilization, and drive capital efficiency. In parallel, we are working to ensure equitable access to finite space resources and support regulatory certainty enabling multi-orbit solutions and related infrastructure to thrive in a shared and sustainable way.”