Artykuły o Commercial space

[Orionid]

Space SPACs look to rebound in 2022
by Jeff Foust — January 3, 2022 [SN]


Planet executives were cheering the company’s debut on the New York Stock Exchange Dec. 8, but the company's share price had dropped by more than 40% as of Dec. 31. Credit: NYSE screenshot

WASHINGTON — Space companies used mergers with special purpose acquisition corporations, or SPACs, to grow their businesses in 2021, but many shareholders were left underwater at the end of the year.

Of nine space companies that went public through SPAC mergers in 2021, all but one finished 2021 with shares trading below the price of when the mergers closed. Only Rocket Lab finished the year with its shares trading above the price when its merger closed, up six percent since late August.
https://spacenews.com/space-spacs-look-to-rebound-in-2022/

Connecting the Dots | Addressing the V-band disconnect
by Jason Rainbow — January 3, 2022 [SN]

As the next wave of non-geostationary satellite constellations seeks U.S. Federal Communications Commission permission to operate in V-band, antenna makers are racing to make business cases viable in this Extremely High Frequency (EHF) area of radio spectrum.

A variety of companies, some already operating spacecraft in other frequencies, filed for nearly 38,000 V-band satellites by the FCC’s Nov. 4 deadline.
https://spacenews.com/connecting-the-dots-addressing-the-v-band-disconnect/

Leidos signs on as HawkEye 360 investor and strategic partner
by Debra Werner — January 6, 2022 [SN]


HawkEye 360 uses formation flying satellites to provide RF data reconaissance. Credit: HawkEye 360

SAN FRANCISCO — HawkEye 360 extended its Series D funding round to $150 million with a $5 million investment from Leidos.

After Reston, Virginia-based HawkEye 360 announced in November that it raised $145 million for its RF data reconnaissance business in Series D, Leidos signed on as an investor and strategic partner. “Leidos will use its expertise in developing advanced analytics to leverage HawkEye 360’s unique RF geospatial intelligence data,” according to the Jan. 6 announcement.
https://spacenews.com/leidos-invests-in-hawkeye-360/

Loft Orbital orders more LeoStella satellite buses
by Jason Rainbow — January 6, 2022 [SN]


An artist's rendering of Loft Orbital's YAM-3 satellite, which used a bus from LeoStella. Credit: Loft Orbital

TAMPA, Fla. — Condosat operator Loft Orbital has ordered another batch of small satellite buses from LeoStella after securing undisclosed customers looking to fly payloads in 2023.

The companies declined to discuss how many buses were ordered, but Loft Orbital CEO Pierre-Damien Vaujour told SpaceNews that customers have already fully booked one of them and another is “partially full.” Both of those satellites are targeting a launch in the first half of 2023.
https://spacenews.com/loft-orbital-orders-more-leostella-satellite-buses/

From contractor to satellite operator: Q&A with Sidus Space CEO Carol Craig
by Jason Rainbow — January 7, 2022 [SN]


An artist's depiction of a LizzieSat satellite. Credit: Sidus Space

TAMPA, Fla. — Sidus Space became a public company in December to help transform the Space Coast government contractor into a commercial satellite constellation operator.

The company raised $15 million by listing shares Dec. 14 on the Nasdaq stock exchange under the SIDU symbol, without a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) merger that other space companies have recently been using to go public.
https://spacenews.com/from-contractor-to-satellite-operator-qa-with-sidus-space-ceo-carol-craig/

Multi-orbit constellation startup Mangata Networks raises $33 million
by Park Si-soo — January 12, 2022 [SN]


Mangata plans a network of 791 communications satellites split between medium and highly elliptical Earth orbits. Credit: Mangata Networks

SEOUL, South Korea — U.S.-based startup Mangata Networks has raised $33 million from an international mix of investors for its multi-orbit connectivity constellation plans.

The Series A funding round was led by Playground Global, the U.S. venture capital firm which previously led Relativity Space’s $35 million Series B round in 2018.
https://spacenews.com/multi-orbit-constellation-startup-mangata-networks-raises-33-million/

Pixxel signs partnership with Rio Tinto for hyperspectral imagery
by Jeff Foust — January 14, 2022 [SN]


Pixxel plans to launch early this year its first satellites, which will provide hyperspectral imagery at a resolution of five meters. Credit: Pixxel

WASHINGTON — Indian hyperspectral imaging startup Pixxel has announced a partnership with mining company Rio Tinto, giving that company early access to data from satellites scheduled to launch early this year.

Pixxel announced Jan. 13 an “early adoption partnership” with Rio Tinto, under which Rio Tinto will have access to hyperspectral imagery at a resolution of five meters from Pixxel’s satellites. Rio Tinto will use the data to see if is useful in identifying mineral resources and monitoring active and closed mining sites.
https://spacenews.com/pixxel-signs-partnership-with-rio-tinto-for-hyperspectral-imagery/

Airbus books Loft Orbital order for Florida satellite factory
by Jason Rainbow — January 14, 2022 [SN]


An artist view of Arrow, the Airbus platform for low Earth orbit constellations. Credit: Airbus

TAMPA, Fla. — Condosat operator Loft Orbital has ordered more than 15 satellite buses from Airbus in a deal announced Jan. 14 that calls for building the initial OneWeb-derived platforms in France before shifting serial production to Florida.
https://spacenews.com/airbus-books-loft-orbital-order-for-florida-satellite-factory/

EarthDaily taps Loft Orbital to build and operate $150 million constellation
by Jason Rainbow — January 18, 2022 [SN]


Mounting international sanctions raise launch and production questions for OneWeb's remaining constellation. Credit: Airbus OneWeb Satellites

TAMPA, Fla. — EarthDaily Analytics (EDA) said Jan. 18 it has selected condosat operator Loft Orbital to build, launch and operate a fleet of 10 Earth-observation satellites on its behalf.

Under the $150 million deal, modified OneWeb satellite platforms that Loft Orbital recently ordered from Airbus will be used for EDA’s constellation.
https://spacenews.com/earthdaily-taps-loft-orbital-to-build-and-operate-150-million-constellation/

SES absorbs SES Networks in streamlining effort
by Jason Rainbow — January 18, 2022 [SN]


O3b mPOWER satellite hardware is inspected on the Boeing high-bay floor in El Segundo, California. Credit: Boeing

TAMPA, Fla. — Satellite operator SES is absorbing its SES Networks business unit ahead of deploying its next-generation O3b mPOWER broadband constellation this year.

The Luxembourg-based company said Jan. 18 that SES Network’s CEO, John-Paul Hemingway, will become SES’s chief strategy and product officer under the reorganization.
https://spacenews.com/ses-absorbs-ses-networks-in-streamlining-effort/

Satellogic raises $150 million from fund led by former treasury secretary
by Jeff Foust — January 19, 2022 [SN]


The $150 million investment from a fund led by former Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin is expected to allow Satellogic's merger with a SPAC to close after several delays. Credit: Satellogic

WASHINGTON — A fund led by Steven Mnuchin, former treasury secretary, will invest $150 million into Earth imaging company Satellogic, helping close a delayed merger with a special purpose acquisition corporation (SPAC).

Satellogic announced Jan. 18 that Liberty Strategic Capital, a private equity fund established last year by Mnuchin, would invest $150 million into the company. Mnuchin, who served as treasury secretary in the Trump administration, will become nonexecutive chairman of the board of directors of Satellogic once the deal closes, which the companies expect to be in mid-February.
https://spacenews.com/satellogic-raises-150-million-from-fund-led-by-former-treasury-secretary/

ABL Space Systems rocket stage destroyed in test accident
by Jeff Foust — January 19, 2022 [SN]


The "test anomaly" that destroyed the upper stage of an ABL Space Systems RS1 rocket at Mojave Air and Space Port created a plume seen by a wildfire tracking camera. Credit: ALERTWildfire

WASHINGTON — ABL Space Systems said the second stage of the small launch vehicle they are developing was destroyed in an accident during testing Jan. 19.

Observers at Mojave Air and Space Port in California reported hearing a boom around 4:30 p.m. Eastern, followed by a plume of black smoke. The plume, visible throughout the area, including by cameras that are part of a wildfire tracking network, dispersed within 20 minutes. There were no reports of any injuries.
https://spacenews.com/abl-space-systems-rocket-stage-destroyed-in-test-accident/

National Reconnaissance Office signs agreements with five commercial radar satellite operators
by Sandra Erwin — January 20, 2022 [SN]


Iceye radar satellite image of the Gulf of Oman shows oil slicks around a tanker. Credit: Iceye

These agreements are study contracts that give the NRO access to the data collected by companies’ synthetic aperture radar satellites
WASHINGTON — The National Reconnaissance Office announced Jan. 20 it has signed agreements with commercial radar imagery providers Airbus U.S., Capella Space, Iceye U.S., PredaSAR and Umbra.
https://spacenews.com/national-reconnaissance-office-signs-agreements-with-five-commercial-radar-satellite-operators/

Foust Forward | Small launchers on the bubble
by Jeff Foust — January 21, 2022 [SN]

The space industry has in recent years marveled at, and shook its head about, the interest in new small launch vehicles. The many dozens of vehicles — 100 or more by some accounts — in varying stages of development is far more than even the most optimistic estimates of smallsat demand can support. Each year for the last several years, industry officials warned that this would be the year the small launch vehicle bubble bursts.
https://spacenews.com/foust-forward-small-launchers-on-the-bubble/

RUAG Space enters AI partnership for satellite supercomputer
by Jason Rainbow — January 24, 2022 [SN]


RUAG Space says its Lynx computer is 250 times more powerful than normal On Board Computers.

TAMPA, Fla. — Switzerland’s RUAG Space said Jan. 24 it is teaming up with a software provider to run artificial intelligence solutions on its Lynx, which it says is the most powerful commercially available onboard satellite computer.

Sweden-based Stream Analyze will provide its sa.engine analytics platform under the partnership for Lynx, which RUAG Space expects to qualify through ground-based tests this year.
https://spacenews.com/ruag-space-agrees-ai-partnership-for-satellite-supercomputer/

Comtech rejects $790 million takeover offer
by Jason Rainbow — January 25, 2022 [SN]


Comtech said buying Gilat would have filled a gap it had in certain types of satellite communications infrastructure, and broaden the company's presence in aviation connectivity. Credit: Gilat.

TAMPA, Fla. — Satellite communications equipment maker Comtech Telecommunications said Jan. 25 it has rejected a $790 million offer to take over the company.

In October, investment firm Acacia Research Corp. made a $30-per-share offer for Comtech after the New York firm’s stock had fallen to around $21 amid declining revenue and a failed merger with Israel’s Gilat Satellite Networks.
https://spacenews.com/comtech-rejects-790-million-takeover-offer/

Xplore to fly sensors on OrbAstro nanosatellites
by Debra Werner — January 26, 2022 [SN]


An OrbAstro rendering of its ORB-12 platform. Credit: OrbAstro

SAN FRANCISCO – Xplore announced a contract Jan. 25 to purchase nanosatellites from Orbital Astronautics Ltd. for a variety of Earth-observation and astronomical missions.

“Xplore is laser-focused on gathering data from space for our customers,” Lisa Rich, Xplore founder and chief operating officer, told SpaceNews by email. “OrbAstro’s buses allow us to quickly fly a small number of high performance sensors at low cost.”
https://spacenews.com/xplore-buys-orbastro-nanosats/

Blue Origin to acquire Honeybee Robotics
by Jeff Foust — January 26, 2022 [SN]


Honeybee Robotics has provided components for several NASA missions, such as the sampling system on Phoenix Mars lander's robotic arm. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

WASHINGTON — Blue Origin is buying Honeybee Robotics, a company that develops robotic systems for space and other extreme environments.

Honeybee Robotics announced Jan. 25 that its parent company, Ensign-Bickford Industries, was selling it to Blue Origin. Terms of the deal, expected to close in mid-February, were not disclosed.

Honeybee Robotics is best known in the space industry for developing robotics systems, notably drills and other mechanisms, for use on space missions. That has included drills and sample collection systems flown on several Mars missions as well as others under development for missions to the moon and NASA’s Dragonfly mission to Saturn’s moon Titan.
https://spacenews.com/blue-origin-to-acquire-honeybee-robotics/

Satellogic completes SPAC merger
by Jeff Foust — January 26, 2022 [SN]


The completion of the SPAC merger gives Satellogic the finances needed to build a constellation of more than 200 imaging satellites by 2025. Credit: Satellogic

WASHINGTON — Earth observation company Satellogic will start trading as a public company Jan. 26 after completing a delayed merger with a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC).

Satellogic announced Jan. 25 it closed its merger with CF Acquisition Corp. V, a SPAC affiliated with financial firm Cantor Fitzgerald. That came a day after shareholders of the SPAC voted to approve the deal. Satellogic will start trading on the Nasdaq exchange Jan. 26 under the ticker symbol SATL.
https://spacenews.com/satellogic-completes-spac-merger/

Microsoft helps JPL with Deep Space Network scheduling
by Debra Werner — January 27, 2022 [SN]


Deep Space Station 56 in Madrid is part of NASA’s Deep Space Network. The 34-meter-wide dish is located at the Madrid Deep Space Communications Complex. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

SAN FRANCISCO — Microsoft is working with the Jet Propulsion Laboratory to speed up the  process for scheduling communications with distant spacecraft through NASA’s Deep Space Network.

Scheduling communications for spacecraft that rely on the Deep Space Network is becoming increasingly difficult. JPL receives several hundred weekly requests to relay mission-related communications.
https://spacenews.com/microsoft-jpl-dsn-scheduling/

ABL Space Systems test accident to delay first launch by three months
by Jeff Foust — January 27, 2022 [SN]


A nominal static-fire test of ABL Space System's RS1 upper stage on Jan. 7. A similar test Jan. 19 resulted in a "hard start" of the engine that destroyed the stage. Credit: ABL Space Systems

WASHINGTON — ABL Space Systems says a test incident that destroyed the upper stage of its RS1 rocket last week will delay that vehicle’s first flight by three months as it identifies and corrects the failure’s root cause.

ABL was in the middle of a test campaign for the RS1 upper stage built for its first launch when an anomaly destroyed the stage during a Jan. 19 static firing at the Mojave Air and Space Port in California. The accident created a dramatic plume of black smoke and prompted a response from local firefighters, but there were no injuries reported and no damage outside of the location where the stage was being tested.
https://spacenews.com/abl-space-systems-test-accident-to-delay-first-launch-by-three-months/

Comtech unveils software-defined VSAT platform
by Jason Rainbow — January 31, 2022 [SN]

TAMPA, Fla. — Comtech Telecommunications unveiled a software-defined VSAT platform Jan. 31 to expand in the ground station market, less than a week after rejecting a $790 million takeover offer so it can double down on its growth strategy.

According to the New York-headquartered communications equipment maker, its next-generation Elevate solution will include cloud-based network management and other virtualized solutions to keep pace with incoming multi-orbit satellite capabilities.
https://spacenews.com/comtech-unveils-software-defined-vsat-platform/

[Orionid]

Telesat Lightspeed aiming to break ground early next year
by Jason Rainbow — February 1, 2022 [SN]


A conceptual rendering of TRACKER, which Telesat says may point up to four antennas at each Telesat Lightspeed satellite to improve throughput. Credit: Telesat

TAMPA, Fla. — Landing stations that can connect to Telesat’s planned low Earth orbit (LEO) broadband network will start being built in spring 2023, according to an executive for the Canadian satellite operator.

Danish equipment supplier Cobham SATCOM plans to install the first of 30 global landing stations in Canada, Telesat LEO landing station and user terminal director Aneesh Dalvi said after announcing their partnership Feb. 1.
https://spacenews.com/telesat-lightspeed-aiming-to-break-ground-early-next-year/

Solar panel startup mPower Technology secures funds for mass production
by Jason Rainbow — February 1, 2022 [SN]


A close-up of DragonSCALES, an interconnected mesh of solar cells that mPower Technology says can be rapidly deployed at low-cost. Credit: mPower Technology

TAMPA, Fla. — Startup mPower Technology said Feb. 1 it has raised $10 million to accelerate production of silicon-based solar panels that gained flight heritage last summer.

Early-stage investment firm Cottonwood Technology Fund led the Series B funding round, joined by Hemisphere Ventures and other space investors.

It means the startup has raised $16.5 million since it was spun off from Sandia National Laboratories in 2015, according to mPower Technology CEO Kevin Hell.
https://spacenews.com/solar-panel-startup-mpower-technology-secures-funds-for-mass-production/

Near Space Labs to offer 10-centimeter resolution imagery
by Debra Werner — February 3, 2022 [SN]


Near Space Labs released this image showing the difference in resolution between 30 centimeters per pixel and 10 centimeters per pixel. Credit: Near Space Labs

SAN FRANCISCO – Near Space Labs is upgrading instruments mounted on its Swifty high-altitude balloons to capture imagery of Arizona, California and Texas with a resolution of 10 centimeters per pixel.

“We are ramping up a plan for expansion in 2022, which would allow us to cover 100 of the most populous cities in the country, including Austin, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles andNew York,” Rema Matevosyan, Near Space Labs CEO, told SpaceNews by email. In addition, the Brooklyn, New York, startup is “taking tasking requests to image custom areas of interest” throughout the continental United States, Matevosyan said.
https://spacenews.com/near-space-labs-to-offer-10-centimeter-resolution-imagery/

Lack of critical skilled workers delays first ViaSat-3 launch to late summer
by Jason Rainbow — February 4, 2022 [SN]


Viasat's College Station, Texas location. Credit: Viasat

TAMPA, Fla. — A shortage of skilled workers has pushed the launch of the first ViaSat-3 broadband satellite from the first half of 2022 to “late summer,” Viasat said Feb. 3 as the pandemic continues to disrupt the industry’s supply chains.

Viasat executive chair Mark Dankberg said during the company’s financial results investor call that it still plans to bring the satellite online this year.
https://spacenews.com/lack-of-critical-skilled-workers-delays-first-viasat-3-launch-to-late-summer/

Tesat-Spacecom to establish U.S. manufacturing facility
by Tesat-Spacecom — February 7, 2022  Sponsored Post [SN]



Tesat-Spacecom (TESAT), the global leader in optical communication technologies for space, is expanding its manufacturing footprint into the United States to support its U.S. government and commercial customers.
https://spacenews.com/tesat-spacecom-to-establish-u-s-manufacturing-facility/

Lynk satellites connect with thousands of devices
by Debra Werner — February 8, 2022 [SN]


Lynk Global satellites produce a communications beam that sweeps over an area, offering coverage to mobile devices. In the image shown, each red dot represents a mobile phone on the U.S. East Coast connected with Lynk's fifth satellite launched. Credit: Lynk Global

SAN FRANCISCO – Lynk Global satellites have connected with thousands of unmodified smartphones, tablets, internet-of-things devices and vehicles, the Fall Church, Virginia, startup announced Feb. 8.

The mobile devices required “zero modifications,” Lynk CEO Charles Miller told SpaceNews. “In fact, these devices did not know they were even participating in our test.”
https://spacenews.com/lynk-satellite-testing/

Stock market losses for space companies not affecting private investment
by Jeff Foust — February 8, 2022 [SN]


Since going public through a SPAC merger in August, Spire's stock has fallen from nearly $10 to $3 per share, part of broader declines seen by other space companies who have gone public through SPACs. Credit: NYSE

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. — Many space companies that have gone public in the last year through SPAC deals have suffered major losses in the stock market in recent months, but that decline doesn’t necessarily mean a broader skepticism about the industry.

More than a dozen companies have either gone public through mergers with special purpose acquisition corporations (SPACs) in the last year or have announced plans to do so. However, most of those companies have seen their share prices drop significantly, in some cases by more than 50%, since going public.
https://spacenews.com/stock-market-losses-for-space-companies-not-affecting-private-investment/

Small satellite constellations promise resilient communications and Earth observation
by Debra Werner — February 8, 2022 [SN]


Planet Skysat image shows clouds of steam rising from the Hunga-Tonga Hunga-Ha’apai volcano as heat vaporizes a small crater lake on Janaury 7, 2021. NASA researchers are using this data to monitor activity on volcanic islands. Credit: Planet

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. – Small satellite constellations promise to improve the resiliency of communications links, according to speakers at the SmallSat Symposium here.

After the January eruption of the Hunga Tonga Hunga Ha’apai volcano destroyed telecommunications cables and cut off communications with the island nation, SpaceX, Speedcast, SES and Intelsat worked quickly to restore communications links.
https://spacenews.com/constellations-smallsat-symposium-2022/

Satellite IoT companies don’t see broadband systems as competitors
by Jeff Foust — February 9, 2022 [SN]


Fleet is developing a new satellite platform called Alpha that will provide improved throughout for internet-of-things services at lower costs. Credit: Fleet

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. — Companies developing internet-of-things satellite constellations don’t see other broadband megaconstellations as direct competitors, but some see an opportunity to learn from them.

Executives working on smallsat IoT systems said during a panel at the SmallSat Symposium here Feb. 8 that they’re often asked to compare their systems, which use smallsats for low-power, low-bandwidth communications, with broadband offerings like OneWeb and SpaceX’s Starlink. (...)
https://spacenews.com/satellite-iot-companies-dont-see-broadband-systems-as-competitors/

Viasat adds polar coverage to ground station-as-a-service business
by Jason Rainbow — February 9, 2022 [SN]


Viasat expects its Real-Time Earth network will be able to provide global coverage before the end of 2022. Credit: Viasat

TAMPA, Fla. — Viasat plans to deploy an antenna in Sweden in April to give its ground station-as-a-service business polar coverage for the first time, the California-based satellite operator said Feb. 9.

Arctic Space Technologies, a Swedish satellite communications provider, is hosting the ground station in a deal that also co-locates a Viasat Real-Time Earth (RTE) facility at a data center for the first time to improve operations.

Part of a growing space-as-a-service trend in the industry, the RTE network enables satellite operators to provide low-latency products without investing in a dedicated antenna system.
https://spacenews.com/viasat-adds-polar-coverage-to-ground-station-as-a-service-business/

Build or buy. That’s the question for constellation developers.
by Debra Werner — February 10, 2022 [SN]


SmallSat Symposium panelists discussing satellite manufacturing from left: Russ Matijevich, Airbus US Space and Defense chief growth officer, Clive Oates, Surrey Satellite Technologies Ltd. chief operating officer, Jason Kim, Millennium Space Systems CEO and Marco Villa, Terran Orbital chief revenue officer. Credit: Caleb Henry
Correction: Brady Grady is Northern Sky Research president and chief operating officer.

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. – Many satellite constellation developers are opting to build their own satellites.

Over the last year, the number of constellations relying on in-house manufacturing jumped from 32 percent to 43 percent, Brad Grady, Northern Sky Research president and chief operating officer, said at the SmallSat Symposium.
https://spacenews.com/in-house-constellation-manufacturing/

Wyvern gets funding to expand hyperspectral imaging market
by Jason Rainbow — February 11, 2022 [SN]


SDTC is investing in Wyvern to help reduce the use of fertilizers, pesticides and water in Canada, while increasing operational efficiency for farmers. Credit: Olds College

TAMPA, Fla. —  Wyvern has secured funds for deployable optics technology that the Canadian startup believes is key to creating a thriving commercial marketplace for hyperspectral imagery.

Following a mix of private and Canadian government funding, Wyvern has raised a total $7.65 million to develop a folding telescope that will allow it to pack more performance into smaller, cheaper-to-launch hyperspectral imaging satellites.
https://spacenews.com/wyvern-gets-funding-to-expand-hyperspectral-imaging-market/

Declining value of space SPACs could trigger mergers and acquisitions
by Jeff Foust — February 12, 2022 [SN]


Astra is one of the many space companies that went public though SPAC deals in the last year only to see their valuations drop significantly, which some experts say could make them targets of mergers and acquisitions. Credit: Astra

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. — Space companies that went public in the last year only to see their valuation drop precipitously may soon become targets of acquisitions.

Potential acquirers, panelists said at the SmallSat Symposium Feb.9, range from other emerging space companies looking to move up the value chain to large aerospace companies that want to diversify.
https://spacenews.com/declining-value-of-space-spacs-could-trigger-mergers-and-acquisitions/

Lockheed Martin terminates agreement to acquire Aerojet Rocketdyne
by Sandra Erwin — February 13, 2022 [SN]


Aerojet Rocketdyne developed a launch abort engine for Boeing's CST-100 Starliner spacecraft. Credit: Aerojet Rocketdyne

CEO James Taiclet: 'We determined that in light of the FTC's actions, terminating the transaction is in the best interest of our stakeholders'

WASHINGTON — Lockheed Martin announced Feb. 13 it has decided to terminate a $4.4 billion deal to acquire rocket engine manufacturer Aerojet Rocketdyne.
https://spacenews.com/lockheed-martin-terminates-agreement-to-acquire-aerojet-rocketdyne/

Satellogic names former chair of the Pentagon’s joint chiefs Joe Dunford to board of directors
by Sandra Erwin — February 14, 2022 [SN]


Satellogic uses satellite imagery and analytics software to assess flood risks in Les Cayes, Haiti, in August 2021. Credit: Satellogic

Dunford is senior managing director of Liberty Strategic Capital, a private equity fund that invested $150 million in Satellogic

WASHINGTON — Joseph Dunford, a retired U.S. Marine Corps general and senior managing director of Liberty Strategic Capital, has joined the board of directors of Satellogic, the company announced Feb. 14.
https://spacenews.com/satellogic-names-former-chair-of-the-pentagons-joint-chiefs-joe-dunford-to-board-of-directors/

SES forges Indian satellite capacity joint venture
by Jason Rainbow — February 14, 2022 [SN]


Artist’s rendition of the O3b mPower constellation. Credit: SES.

TAMPA, Fla. — Luxembourg-based SES said Feb. 14 it has formed a joint venture with India’s largest telecoms operator to provide multi-orbit connectivity in the country.

The deal with Jio Platforms Limited, the holding company for Indian mobile operator Jio, aims to sell SES satellite broadband to backhaul, enterprise and retail markets as India eases protectionist measures to encourage foreign investments.
https://spacenews.com/ses-forges-indian-satellite-capacity-joint-venture/

Bipartisan legislation seeks to reform FCC satellite licensing rules
by Jason Rainbow — February 14, 2022 [SN]


The U.S. Federal Communications Commission is headquartered in Washington. Credit: FCC via Flickr

TAMPA, Fla. — The top Democrat and Republican on the House Energy and Commerce Committee announced a bipartisan effort Feb. 11 to update satellite licensing rules for the rapidly changing space industry.

House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-N.J.) and the ranking member, Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.), released drafts of two bills they say will better equip the Federal Communications Commission for regulating a surge of non-geostationary orbit (NGSO) satellites.
https://spacenews.com/bipartisan-legislation-seeks-to-reform-fcc-satellite-licensing-rules/

Phase Four wins DARPA contract to test novel propellant
by Debra Werner — February 16, 2022 [SN]


Phase Four won a U.S. Air Force AFWERX contract in 2021 to test iodine propellant in its electric thrusters. Credit: Phase Four

SAN FRANCISCO – Phase Four won a Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency contract to demonstrate the California startup’s radio frequency thruster technology with a new propellant.

“We’ve been working with DARPA to explore how we can apply our thruster to use low-cost, low size, weight and power propellants to further the development of mass manufactured satellites and larger constellations,” Jason Wallace, Phase Four vice president of advanced development, told SpaceNews.
https://spacenews.com/phase-four-darpa-contract/

ABB gets $30 million order for EarthDaily imaging payloads
by Jason Rainbow — February 16, 2022 [SN]


ABB built the imagery payload for GHGSat’s Hugo satellite, which will help the Canadian operator monitor greenhouse gas emissions. Credit: GHGSat

TAMPA, Fla. — Switzerland-based technology provider ABB said Feb. 16 it is supplying multispectral imaging systems for EarthDaily Analytics’ (EDA) planned fleet of 10 satellites.

The $30 million deal is ABB’s largest space hardware order to date from a private customer, according to Frederic Grandmont, technology and business development manager for ABB Space and Defense Systems.
https://spacenews.com/abb-gets-30-million-order-for-earthdaily-imaging-payloads/

Copernic Space unveils platform with sale of lunar payload
by Debra Werner — February 17, 2022 [SN]


Copernic Space is selling payload capacity on Lunar Outpost's first rover headed to the moon's south pole. Credit: Copernic Space

SAN FRANCISCO – Copernic Space, a Los Angeles startup, unveiled its blockchain-powered platform for selling space assets. First up on the auction block is payload on a lunar rover traveling to the moon’s south pole courtesy of Lunar Outpost.

“This sets a digital commercialization standard for payload/cargo while creating a new revenue model for space by turning its ownership into a space asset available for the retail market,” Copernic Space CEO Grant Blaisdell told SpaceNews by email.
https://spacenews.com/copernic-unveils-platform/

[Orionid]

Eutelsat pushes back return-to-growth forecast amid satellite delays
by Jason Rainbow — February 17, 2022 [SN]


Artist's rendition of Eutelsat's Konnect VHTS satellite. Credit: Thales Alenia Space

TAMPA, Fla. — Eutelsat said Feb. 17 it expects a revenue slump to stretch into 2023 as it awaits the launch of two delayed satellites critical to a turnaround.

The French satellite operator had previously forecast a return to growth when its new fiscal year begins July 1. But that was before pandemic-related issues delayed delivery of Konnect VHTS and Eutelsat 10B, pushing out the introduction of the two connectivity-focused satellites.
https://spacenews.com/eutelsat-pushes-back-return-to-growth-forecast-amid-satellite-delays/

Terran Orbital touts military and defense contracts ahead of going public
by Sandra Erwin — February 17, 2022 [SN]


Rendering of Terran Orbital's PredaSAR synthetic aperture radar satellite constellation. Credit: Terran Orbital

Terran Orbital executives told investors the company is heavily weighted toward government work and expects significant revenues from defense and intelligence contracts

WASHINGTON — Terran Orbital, a manufacturer and integrator of small satellites based in Boca Raton, Florida, announced Feb. 17 it won a contract from the U.S. military’s top contractor Lockheed Martin to produce and launch three spacecraft for a product demonstration.
https://spacenews.com/terran-orbital-touts-military-and-defense-contracts-ahead-of-going-public/

State Fight: A coast-to-coast battle to bring home the space jobs
by Debra Werner — February 17, 2022 [SN]


SpaceNews illustration by Robin McDowall

With California losing its luster as the aerospace industry’s golden state, a coast-to-coast competition for space companies is heating up

Cities, counties and states offer grants, tax incentives, land, facilities and workforce training to convince space companies to move.

“California will still and forever remain the startup capital of the world just because of the venture capital ecosystem,” said Sean Casey, former Silicon Valley Space Center managing director and co-founder of the New York Space Alliance. “You’ll always pull them in based on Silicon Valley, but can you hold onto them?”

In many cases, the answer is no. Companies leave California to open offices and production facilities in states with plentiful engineering talent, proximity to government customers and a lower cost of living.
https://spacenews.com/state-fight-a-coast-to-coast-battle-to-bring-home-the-space-jobs/

Florida’s Space Coast is busier than ever, but there’s room for more
by Sandra Erwin — February 17, 2022 [SN]


A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches 53 Starlink satellites Nov. 13 from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida. Credit: U.S. Space Force

Eastern Range commander Brig. Gen. Stephen Purdy: “We are prepared for a huge jump in activity”

The past year saw 135 successful orbital launches worldwide, surpassing a record that had stood since 1967. While China edged out the United States 53 to 48, Florida’s Space Coast set a one-year launch record of its own.

Thirty-one rockets reached orbit from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and NASA’s neighboring Kennedy Space Center in 2021 — one more than SpaceX and United Launch Alliance combined to launch in 2020 from the Eastern Range to break Florida’s personal best of 29 successful orbital launches set in 1966.
https://spacenews.com/floridas-space-coast-is-busier-than-ever-but-theres-room-for-more/

State Fight: Colorado wages international campaign in space sector
by Debra Werner — February 18, 2022 [SN]


Aerospace Day 2020 at the Colorado Capitol. Front row center: Colorado Governor Jared Polis and Lt. Governor Dianne Primavera. Credit: Colorado Citizens for Space Exploration

Competition to attract space companies is going global.

“Obviously, we are competing with our fellow states, but there’s even more competition for those companies that are looking for a U.S. location,” said Vicky Lea, aviation and aerospace director for the Metro Denver Economic Development Corp.

In recent years, Astroscale, the Japanese space sustainability company, Kleos Space, a radiofrequency-monitoring firm based in Luxembourg, and ground station operator Kongsberg Satellite Services of Norway have opened offices in Colorado.
https://spacenews.com/state-fight-colorado-wages-international-campaign-in-space-sector/

State Fight: Space sector is humming in Huntsville, Alabama
by Debra Werner — February 18, 2022 [SN]


Blue Origin opened a factory in Huntsville, Alabama, in 2020 to build engines for its own vehicles and for ULA's Vulcan rocket. Credit: Madison County Chamber of Commerce photo

Rocket city doesn’t intend to give up its title.

“Huntsville will continue to be a really important place for space in many regards, obviously on the propulsion and launch vehicles side of the house,” said Mike Ward, Huntsville Chamber of Commerce senior vice president for government and public affairs.
https://spacenews.com/state-fight-space-sector-is-humming-in-huntsville-alabama/

State Fight: New Mexico’s growing reputation as a space state
by Debra Werner — February 19, 2022 [SN]


SpinLaunch’s suborbital accelerator at Spaceport America. Credit: SpinLaunch

Federal space funding flows to New Mexico. The state is home to the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory, the U.S. Space Systems Command Innovation and Prototyping Directorate, the U.S. Space Force Rapid Capabilities Office and the U.S. Army White Sands Missile Range. Additional space-related research is conducted at the Energy Department’s Sandia and Los Alamos National Laboratories.

Still, New Mexico was not often in the conversation about key space states until Virgin Galactic named Spaceport America its flight operations center in 2009. The nonprofit NewSpace New Mexico was established in 2018 to encourage the growing commercial space ecosystem.

“New Mexico has a lot of research and development, but it needs to be put into play to help companies move from concept to products to sales to money,” said Casey DeRaad, NewSpace New Mexico founder and CEO.
https://spacenews.com/state-fight-new-mexicos-growing-reputation-as-a-space-state/

State Fight: SpaceX brings business to Brownsville, Texas
by Debra Werner — February 19, 2022 [SN]


Maxar Technologies’ WorldView-3 satellite captured this image of the Starship 10 rocket on the test stand in Boca Chica, Texas, hours before a March 3, 2021 test flight. Credit: Maxar Technologies

At the outset of the coronavirus pandemic, city officials in Brownsville, Texas, anticipated double-digit declines in sales and property tax revenues. To their surprise, residential property values, sales tax collections and hotel tax revenues have continued to climb.

Much of the credit goes to SpaceX. The Hawthorne, California-based rocket builder has been steadily expanding the workforce at its nearby Boca Chica launch site for the Starship spacecraft and Super Heavy booster. SpaceX started ramping up activities at Boca Chica beach in 2016.
https://spacenews.com/state-fight-spacex-brings-business-to-brownsville-texas/

State Fight: Shoring up Florida’s Space Coast
by Jason Rainbow — February 20, 2022 [SN]


Terran Orbital announced an agreement with Space Florida in September to establish a manufacturing facility on Florida’s Merritt Island large enough to produce more than 1,000 satellites per year. Credit: Terran Orbital

The Sunshine State’s efforts to lure commercial space ventures began well before the sun set on the Space Shuttle era.

When Terran Orbital was looking for a spot to build smallsats by the thousands, Florida offered the California company a $300 million financing package to open a massive new factory at Kennedy Space Center’s Launch and Landing Facility.

Terran Orbital, which is going public this quarter by merging with a special purpose acquisition company, expects to break ground this year on a 660,000-square-foot facility billed as the world’s largest. The state’s incentive package is likewise large, but the payoff could be huge: approximately 2,100 new jobs by the end of 2025.
https://spacenews.com/state-fight-shoring-up-floridas-space-coast/

State Fight: Michigan economic plan emphasizes satellite communications
by Debra Werner — February 20, 2022 [SN]


Michigan Aerospace Manufacturers Association rendering of planned vertical launch site in northwest Michigan. Credit: Michigan Aerospace Manufacturers Association

Michigan colleges and universities offer extensive instruction in aerospace research and engineering. After college, though, many graduates leave the state for jobs in California, Florida and Texas.

“We’re looking at building an entire ecosystem of value that supports growth and the retention of that talent that’s being trained here,” said Gavin Brown, executive director of the Michigan Aerospace Manufacturers Association.
https://spacenews.com/state-fight-michigan-economic-plan-emphasizes-satellite-communications/

Connecting the Dots | Viasat sails uncharted waters to Inmarsat acquisition
by Jason Rainbow — February 20, 2022 [SN]

Consolidation among satellite operators is a notoriously tricky and rare affair.

Even when market conditions strongly suggest a merger would create significant financial and operational advantages, it is often seen as a non-starter in an industry rife with unique regulation and nationalistic protectionism.
https://spacenews.com/connecting-the-dots-viasat-sails-uncharted-waters-to-inmarsat-acquisition/

Washington state space economy more than doubles
by Debra Werner — February 22, 2022 [SN]


Washington state is the world leader in production of satellites currently operating in orbit thanks largely to SpaceX, which manufactures Starlink broadband satellites in Redmond. Credit: SpaceX

SAN FRANCISCO – Washington state’s space economy is booming.

Between 2018 and 2021, the state long associated with aviation thanks to Boeing noted a 61 percent jump in economic activity tied to the space sector, according to a report released Feb. 22 by the Puget Sound Regional Council.

In 2021, Washington’s space economy generated $4.6 billion compared with $1.8 billion in 2018. Space-related jobs, meanwhile, surged to 13,103 from 6,221.

“While the development of launch vehicles and related activities by Blue Origin has been one source of growth, the advancement of satellite manufacturing and satellite-related services” by SpaceX’s Starlink, Amazon’s Project Kuiper and LeoStella “has also been a major source of new regional employment,” according to “Washington State’s Space Economy: 2022 Update.”
https://spacenews.com/washington-state-space-economy/

Lynk reveals mobile network contracts
by Debra Werner — February 23, 2022 [SN]


Lynk is building satellites to provide communications for unmodified smartphones that lack access to terrestrial cell towers: Lynk screenshot

SAN FRANCISCO – Lynk Global announced contracts Feb. 23 with mobile network operators serving Pacific and Caribbean Island nations in the wake of the volcanic eruption that decimated Tonga’s communications infrastructure.

Falls Church, Virginia-based Lynk revealed commercial contracts with mobile network operators, including Telikom PNG in Papua New Guinea and bmobile in the Solomon Islands, that provide coverage for seven island nations.
https://spacenews.com/lynk-reveals-mobile-network-contracts/

NOAA seeking information on commercial space situational awareness data
by Jeff Foust — February 23, 2022 [SN]


NOAA is looking for information on commercial sources of space situational awareness data that could be included in the open architecture data repository (OADR) it is developing for civil space traffic management services. Credit: NOAA

WASHINGTON — The Commerce Department is seeking information on commercial sources of space situational awareness (SSA) data to augment its own space traffic management capabilities.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration issued a request for information (RFI) Feb. 16 seeking details about commercial data for tracking space objects. NOAA is interested in observations of debris and satellites, trajectory information and conjunction assessments. Responses are due to NOAA March 21.
https://spacenews.com/noaa-seeking-information-on-commercial-space-situational-awareness-data/

AE Industrial Partners to acquire stake in Firefly from Noosphere
by Jeff Foust — February 24, 2022 [SN]


Firefly Aerospace halted preparations at Vandenberg Space Force Base in December while Noosphere Ventures worked to sell its stake in the company, but continued testing of the two stages of the second Alpha launch vehicle in Texas. Credit: Firefly Aerospace

WASHINGTON — AE Industrial Partners is buying the part of Firefly Aerospace currently owned by Noosphere Venture Partners, which previously announced it was being forced by the federal government to sell its stake in the launch vehicle developer.

The companies announced Feb. 24 that AE Industrial Partners (AEI) was taking a “significant stake” in Firefly by purchasing it from Noosphere. The companies did not disclose the value of the deal or other terms.
https://spacenews.com/ae-industrial-partners-to-acquire-stake-in-firefly-from-noosphere/

SpaceLink adds smaller satellites to data-relay constellation
by Debra Werner — February 24, 2022 [SN]


SpaceLink awarded OHB System AG a contract valued at more than $300 million to manufacture four satellites for its commercial space data relay constellation. Credit: SpaceLink

SAN FRANCISCO – SpaceLink announced plans Feb. 24 to establish an initial constellation of smaller satellites than previously planned, a move designed to slash the cost and speed up the rollout of initial data-relay services.

“We’re inserting a set of smaller satellites into our constellation roadmap,” SpaceLink CEO Dave Bettinger told SpaceNews. “That will allow us to maintain the full capability of what we were launching before but with less capacity.”
https://spacenews.com/spacelink-adds-smaller-satellites-to-roadmap/

Xplore banks $16.2 million for space-as-a-service
by Debra Werner — February 26, 2022 [SN]


Xplore is best known for its plans to develop Xcraft, a multi-mission ESPA-class spacecraft. ESPA is a secondary payload adapter for launch vehicles. Credit: Xplore

SAN FRANCISCO – Space-as-a-service startup Xplore has brought in $16.2 million to date including venture capital funding and contracts, the company announced Feb. 24.

“Xplore’s funding is being used to support the aggressive growth of our team and enable us to meet our development milestones,” Lisa Rich, Xplore co-founder and chief operating officer, told SpaceNews by email.
https://spacenews.com/xplore-banks-16-2-million-to-date/

Lockheed Martin plots U.K. satellite manufacturing base
by Jason Rainbow — March 1, 2022 [SN]


An artist rendition of a Lockheed Martin-built GPS 3F satellite. Credit: Lockheed Martin

TAMPA, Fla. — Lockheed Martin is looking to set up a satellite manufacturing base in the United Kingdom to expand its global space business, the U.S.-based aerospace and defense giant said March 1.

The facility could potentially focus on building entire satellites, their parts or ground networks for government and commercial customers, according to Nik Smith, Lockheed Martin’s U.K. and Europe regional director for space.
https://spacenews.com/lockheed-martin-plots-u-k-satellite-manufacturing-base/

CesiumAstro raises $60 million in Series B funding round
by Debra Werner — March 2, 2022 [SN]


Shey Sabripour, CesiumAstro founder and CEO, holds one of the startup's active phased array communications payloads. Credit: CesiumAstro

SAN FRANCISCO – CesiumAstro Inc. raised $60 million in a Series B funding round led by Airbus Ventures and Forever Ventures. L3Harris Technologies also participated in the round alongside existing CesiumAstro investors: Kleiner Perkins, Lavrock Ventures, Franklin Templeton Blackhorse Fund and Heico Corp., an aerospace and electronics company based in Hollywood, Florida.

Austin, Texas-based CesiumAstro has raised nearly $90 million since it was founded in 2017 to develop and manufacture active phased array communications payloads for satellites and airborne platforms.
https://spacenews.com/cesiumastro-raises-60-million-in-series-b-funding-round/

[Orionid]

Privateer unveils technology for improved tracking of space objects
by Jeff Foust — March 4, 2022 [SN]


Privateer's Wayfinder is a visualization tool for various sources of space situational awareness data and a demonstration of the platform the company has developed to provide more specialized services to operators. Credit: Privateer

WASHINGTON — A new venture that emerged from stealth this week promises better information about objects in orbit and more tailored space situational awareness services for satellite operators.

Privateer, based in Maui, Hawaii, unveiled its first product March 1, a visualization tool called Wayfinder that combines data from several sources, including data from U.S. Space Command and data provided directly by satellite operators.
https://spacenews.com/privateer-unveils-technology-for-improved-tracking-of-space-objects/

Beames becomes SpiderOak’s chairman of the board
by Debra Werner — March 8, 2022 [SN]


Charles "Chuck" Beames is the former president of Vulcan Aerospace and former Defense Department principal director for space and intelligence systems. Credit: SpaceNews/Kate Patterson.

SAN FRANCISCO – SmallSat Alliance Chairman Charles Beames is taking the helm of cybersecurity firm SpiderOak as chairman of the board.

After meeting SpiderOak executives through the SmallSat Alliance, Beames became intrigued by the firm’s zero-trust software.

“By far and away, the biggest threat to our satellites is cyberattack,” said Beames, a retired U.S. Air Force colonel and former Defense Department principal director for space and intelligence systems. “A lot of companies are trying to attack this problem.”
https://spacenews.com/beames-joins-spideroak/

SatixFy to go public through latest space SPAC deal
by Jason Rainbow — March 8, 2022 [SN]


Satixfy builds the chipsets for its antennas in house, an approach the company says enables low-cost production of full user terminals for satellite communications. Credit: Satixfy.

TAMPA, Fla. — Satellite communications equipment maker SatixFy said March 8 it has agreed to go public by merging with a special purpose acquisition company, shrugging off market uncertainty that helped dash weather startup Tomorrow.io’s SPAC plans the day before.

Israel-based SatixFy expects to raise up to $230 million in gross proceeds by merging with Endurance Acquisition Corp, depending on how many of the SPAC’s shareholders ask for money back ahead of closing the deal this year, instead of shares in the combined company.
https://spacenews.com/satixfy-to-go-public-through-latest-space-spac-deal/

Voters block agreement for planned Georgia spaceport
by Jeff Foust — March 10, 2022 [SN]


By a nearly three-to-one margin, residents in Camden County, Georgia, voted to terminate an agreement the county had to purchase land for the proposed Spaceport Camden, putting the project in jeopardy. Credit: Spaceport Camden

WASHINGTON — Voters in a Georgia county have dealt a potentially fatal blow to a proposed spaceport, a move that may provide lessons for other prospective spaceports.

In a special referendum held March 8 in Camden County, Georgia, 72% voted in favor of terminating an agreement between the county government and Union Carbide to purchase property that the county intended to use for Spaceport Camden, a vertical launch site. About 17% of the county’s registered voters participated in the election, with that issue the only one on the ballot.
https://spacenews.com/voters-block-agreement-for-planned-georgia-spaceport/

Kymeta secures $84 million to scale up antenna production
by Jason Rainbow — March 15, 2022


Kymeta's antennas use thousands of individual metamaterial elements. Credit: Kymeta

TAMPA, Fla. — Antenna maker Kymeta said March 15 it has raised $84 million to expand manufacturing facilities ahead of deploying its first flat panel, electronically steered user terminals for low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites this year.

Source: https://spacenews.com/kymeta-secures-84-million-to-scale-up-antenna-production/

Spire to build space situational awareness satellites for NorthStar
by Jeff Foust — March 16, 2022 [SN]


Before the Spire agreement, NorthStar was working on a series of satellites called Skylark being built by Thales Alenia Space. Credit: Northstar

WASHINGTON — NorthStar Earth & Space, a company planning a satellite constellation to collect space situational awareness (SSA) data, is working with Spire to field an initial fleet of spacecraft.

The companies announced March 16 that Spire will develop three 12-unit cubesats for launch in 2023 that will carry sensors for collecting SSA data for NorthStar. They did not disclose financial terms of the deal but said that the agreement includes options for dozens of additional satellites.

Source: https://spacenews.com/spire-to-build-space-situational-awareness-satellites-for-northstar/

Telesat mulls downsizing delayed LEO plan as costs mount
by Jason Rainbow — March 18, 2022 [SN]


Rendering of Telesat’s planned 298-satellite Lightspeed constellation. Credit: Telesat

TAMPA, Fla. — Telesat is considering ordering fewer satellites for its planned low Earth orbit broadband constellation as inflation and supply chain woes drive up the price tag and push out its completion to 2026.

Source: https://spacenews.com/telesat-mulls-downsizing-delayed-leo-plan-as-costs-mount/

Focus for early-stage space companies turning to workforce challenges
by Jason Rainbow — March 21, 2022 [SN]



A growing number of space ventures have been merging with blank check companies to trade on public stock exchanges like the Nasdaq. Credit: Nasdaq

WASHINGTON — Attracting and retaining talent is becoming a bigger concern for the space industry than securing investments, according to early-stage space investors speaking at the Satellite 2022 trade show here.

Source: https://spacenews.com/focus-for-early-stage-space-companies-turning-to-workforce-challenges/

Lockheed Martin to launch new satellite bus aimed at mid-size market
by Sandra Erwin — March 21, 2022 [SN]


Rendering of Lockheed Martin's LM400 satellite bus. Credit: Lockheed Martin

Lockheed plans to offer the bus as a lower cost alternative to its traditional bespoke designs, said executive vice president Robert Lightfoot

WASHINGTON — Lockheed Martin plans to launch to orbit later this year a new satellite bus the company designed for both the commercial and government markets.

Source: https://spacenews.com/lockheed-martin-to-launch-new-satellite-bus-aimed-at-mid-size-market/

Beyond Gravity doubles production capacity for satellite dispensers
by Beyond Gravity — March 21, 2022 Sponsored Post [SN]


Beyond Gravity (formerly RUAG Space) is ramping up its production of satellite dispensers in Linköping, Sweden, with the construction of a new facility. Completion of the new facility is scheduled for 2023. (Visualization of the future production facility). © Aspehof Fastigheter, Beyond Gravity.

Beyond Gravity (formerly RUAG Space) is doubling its production capability of satellite dispensers in Linköping, Sweden, with the construction of a new facility.

Beyond Gravity is the world’s leading manufacturer for dispensers used for satellite constellations where multiple satellites of the same design are launched into orbit in quick succession. Beyond Gravity has successfully placed more than 1,100 satellites into orbit – from the European Galileo satellite navigation constellation, the OneWeb internet constellation, the TerraBella Earth Observation satellite constellation to the Canadian Radarsat Earth Observation constellation. All Beyond Gravity dispensers and separation systems are manufactured in Linköping, Sweden.
https://spacenews.com/beyond-gravity-doubles-production-capacity-for-satellite-dispensers/

As pandemic abates, war and inflation raise new issues for satellite industry
by Jason Rainbow — March 21, 2022 [SN]

COVID-19 continues to take a toll on satellite production timelines, even as mask mandates and other pandemic-related restrictions ease worldwide.

Eutelsat, Hughes, Viasat and Ovzon are among operators that have announced fresh satellite delays in their most recent quarterly financial updates.

Two years into the pandemic, these delays underline continuing uncertainty around COVID-19’s lingering effect on the space industry.
https://spacenews.com/connecting-the-dots-as-the-pandemic-abates-russias-ukraine-invasion-higher-energy-costs-and-inflation-raise-new-issues-for-the-satellite-industry/

SES to acquire Leonardo DRS satcom business for $450 million
by Sandra Erwin — March 22, 2022 [SN]


SES is a provider of multi-orbit satellite networking capabilities for commercial and government customers. Credit: SES

The acquisition is expected to double SES's government sales

WASHINGTON — Leonardo DRS, a provider of satellite communications services to the U.S. government, announced March 22 it is selling its satcom business to commercial satellite operator SES in a $450 million deal.

Source: https://spacenews.com/ses-to-acquire-leonardo-drs-satcom-business-for-450-million/

Firefly raises $75 million as it prepares for second launch
by Jeff Foust — March 23, 2022 [SN]


Firefly says it’s preparing for a second launch of its Alpha rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base in the spring. Credit: SpaceNews/Jeff Foust

WASHINGTON — Launch vehicle developer Firefly Aerospace has raised $75 million in a new funding round as the company, now under new ownership, prepares for a second launch of its Alpha rocket this spring.

Private equity firm AE Industrial Partners, or AEI, announced March 22 that it led the $75 million Series B round in Firefly, a month after it announced it was acquiring the “significant stake” of the space transportation company that had been owned by Noosphere Ventures for an undisclosed sum. AEI said in the statement that it has closed that acquisition.
https://spacenews.com/firefly-raises-75-million-as-it-prepares-for-second-launch/

Ursa Space raises $16 million in Series C round
by Debra Werner — March 23, 2022 [SN]


Ursa Space, based in Ithaca, New York, is a geospatial intelligence company that draws data from hundreds of Earth-observation satellites. Credit: Ursa Space

WASHINGTON – Geospatial intelligence company Ursa Space raised $16 million in a Series C investment round led by Dorilton Ventures.

Existing investors who participated in the round include Razor’s Edge Ventures, RRE Ventures and Paladin Capital Group.

Ursa creates products and services with data from electro-optical, synthetic aperture radar (SAR) and radio frequency monitoring constellations. With funding from the round announced March 21 at the Satellite 2022 Conference, Ursa will expand its staff and invest in speeding up delivery of analysis-ready satellite data, Adam Maher, Ursa CEO and founder, told SpaceNews.
https://spacenews.com/ursa-space-series-c/

Universal connectivity requires extensive collaboration
by Debra Werner — March 23, 2022 [SN]


Mobile connectivity panel at the Satellite 2022 Conference from left to right: Sulaiman Al Ali, Thuraya Telecommunications CEO, Globalstar CEO David Kagan, Neil McRae, BT Group chief architect, Ignacio Sanchis, Hispasat chief commercial officer, Sara Spangelo, Swarm Technologies CEO and Jay Yass, Omnispace chief commercial development officer. CompanyCredit: SpaceNews/Debra Werner

WASHINGTON – Within a decade, satellite mobility providers expect to offer customers seamless transitions between terrestrial and satellite networks.

Spanish satellite operator Hispasat, for example, envisions “a fully interoperable 5G- based network, melding terrestrial and multi-orbit satellite infrastructure into a single network” within five to 10 years, Ignacio Sanchis, Hispasat chief commercial officer, said during a March 22 panel at the Satellite 2022 conference.
https://spacenews.com/ubiquitous-connectivity-satellite-2022/

Boeing eyes investment candidates at Satellite 2022
by Debra Werner — March 23, 2022 [SN]


Boeing CST-100 Starliner crew capsule. Credit: United Launch Alliance

WASHINGTON — Boeing executives are meeting with startups at the Satellite 2022 conference with an eye toward investment and collaboration.

“We’re looking for those technologies that would make our platforms and programs better,” Teresa Segura, Boeing’s Applied Innovation leader, told SpaceNews.
https://spacenews.com/boeing-satellite-2022/

SES beat multiple bidders for Leonardo DRS satcom business
by Sandra Erwin — March 23, 2022 [SN]


A Leonardo DRS display at the Satelllite 2022 conference in Washington, D.C. Credit: Sandra Erwin/ SpaceNews

“It was very much a competitive process,” said Dave Fields, senior vice president and general manager of Leonardo DRS Global Enterprise Solutions

WASHINGTON — Leonardo DRS sold its satellite communications business to SES for $450 million after considering bids from several interested buyers, a company executive said.

“It was very much a competitive process,” Dave Fields, senior vice president and general manager of Leonardo DRS Global Enterprise Solutions, told SpaceNews at the Satellite 2022 conference.
https://spacenews.com/ses-beat-multiple-bidders-for-leonardo-drs-satcom-business/

Millennium Space to launch to orbit a 3D printed satellite structure
by Sandra Erwin — March 24, 2022 [SN]


3D printed satellite structure designed by Millennium Space Systems. Credit: Sandra Erwin/ SpaceNews

Jason Kim: 'The hardest part of the design for a structure is withstanding the launch vibration and loads'

WASHINGTON — Millennium Space Systems plans to launch to orbit a 3D printed metal flight structure the company intends to use to build its next generation of satellite buses.

About the size of a small dorm refrigerator, the structure has been tested in simulators and the next step is to demonstrate it can withstand the stresses of space launch, Millennium Space CEO Jason Kim told SpaceNews at the Satellite 2022 conference.
https://spacenews.com/millennium-space-to-launch-to-orbit-a-3d-printed-satellite-structure/

Panelists agree hiring remains the biggest challenge
by Debra Werner — March 24, 2022 [SN]


Mynaric CEO Bulent Altan, Chief Commercial Officer Tina Ghataore, and CTO Joachim Horwath hold a mockup of the CONDOR Mk3 laser terminal. Credit: Thomas Kimmell

WASHINGTON – Hiring remains the most serious challenge space companies face.

The industry has ambitions goals that it can accomplish, “but getting the manpower and getting people with the right niche talents into our companies to execute on these ideas is a huge challenge right now,” Cara Sindir, Airbus U.S. Space and Defense chief operations officer, said at the Satellite 2022 conference. “The other part of that challenge is obviously the inflation of salaries. How can we all afford all of these people and how does that play into our business cases?”
https://spacenews.com/biggest-challenge-hiring/

Terran Orbital stock cleared for trading on NYSE
by Debra Werner — March 25, 2022 [SN]


Terran Orbital plans to establish the world's largest satellite manufacturing plant at the Space Florida Launch and Landing Facility. Credit: Terran Orbital

WASHINGTON – Shares in satellite manufacturer Terran Orbital Corp. were cleared to begin trading Monday on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol LLAP, Live Long and Prosper, the Vulcan greeting from the Star Trek television series.

The merger of the special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) Tailwind Two Acquisition Corp. and Terran Orbital was completed March 25, after a March 22 shareholder vote.

Terran Orbital announced gross proceeds of approximately $255.4 million from the SPAC and a concurrent private investment in public equity (PIPE) round that includes equity and debt.
https://spacenews.com/terran-orbital-merger-completed/

SES orders software-defined replacement satellite from Thales
by Jason Rainbow — March 28, 2022 [SN]


Artist view of SES-26, a software-defined satellite SES ordered to replace NSS-12 at 57 degrees East.

TAMPA, Fla. — SES said March 28 that it ordered a software-defined geostationary satellite from Thales Alenia Space to extend content and connectivity services across Europe, Africa and Asia.

SES-26, the third satellite the Luxembourg-based fleet operator has ordered from Thales Alenia Space since November, will carry a communications payload that can be reprogrammed in orbit to adapt to changing mission needs.
https://spacenews.com/ses-orders-software-defined-replacement-satellite-from-thales/

[Orionid]

Pixxel raises $25 million for hyperspectral imaging constellation
by Jason Rainbow — March 29, 2022 [SN]


Pixxel says its hyperspectral imagery will have greater resolution and more bands than other systems. Credit: Pixxel

TAMPA, Fla. — Indian startup Pixxel said March 28 it has raised $25 million for a hyperspectral imaging constellation that plans to deploy its first satellite this week.

Canadian early-stage investor Radical Ventures led the Series A round, bringing Pixxel’s total funding to $33 million to date.

Awais Ahmed, Pixxel’s CEO and co-founder, said proceeds will support plans to launch two satellites this year and six in early 2023 for the constellation.

The startup aims to provide five-meter resolution imagery across 150 spectrum bands for agriculture, energy and other markets it believes are hungry for more data-rich Earth imagery.
https://spacenews.com/pixxel-raises-25-million-for-hyperspectral-imaging-constellation/

SES to work with NorthStar on space situational awareness
by Jeff Foust — March 31, 2022 [SN]


SES says it will work with NorthStar to develop SSA data products tailored for its satellite network using data from NorthStar's future satellite constellation. Credit: SES

WASHINGTON — Satellite operator SES announced March 31 it is working with Canadian startup NorthStar Earth & Space on developing space situational awareness (SSA) data products to support its fleet of communications satellites.

The companies announced a partnership that will use data collected by NorthStar’s future fleet of spacecraft that will track objects from low Earth orbit to geostationary orbit. The companies will work together to develop SSA products “tailored to benefit SES’s satellite operations and fleet management,” they said in a statement.
https://spacenews.com/ses-to-work-with-northstar-on-space-situational-awareness/

Telesat gets security clearance to serve US government directly
by Jason Rainbow — April 4, 2022 [SN]


Telesat's headquarters are located in Ottawa, Canada. Credit: Telesat

COLORADO SPRINGS — Canada’s Telesat said April 4 it has gained the security clearances it needs to sell directly to U.S. government customers.

The approval for the satellite operator’s U.S.-based Telesat Government Solutions subsidiary is an important milestone for the company’s low Earth orbit (LEO) ambitions, according to the business unit’s new president Tom Eaton.
https://spacenews.com/telesat-gets-security-clearance-to-serve-us-government-directly/

Telesat adjusts polar satellite design to tackle supply issues
by Jason Rainbow — April 4, 2022 [SN]


Telesat CEO Dan Goldberg said last month he’s considering cutting back the number of satellites on order for the Lightspeed broadband constellation. Telesat is also scrapping plans to use a smaller, two-antenna satellite for the quarter of the constellation bound for polar orbits. Only the four-antenna design will be built. Credit: Thales Alenia Space

COLORADO SPRINGS — Telesat has upgraded a quarter of its planned low Earth orbit constellation as supply chain issues force it to consider ordering fewer satellites for the delayed broadband network.

The Canadian company’s plan to double the antennas onboard Telesat Lightspeed’s first 78 satellites brings the constellation back to a single satellite design that, according to a company executive, will help cut costs as production delays push out the service’s debut a year to 2026.
https://spacenews.com/telesat-adjusts-polar-satellite-design-to-tackle-supply-issues/

Space investors predict more acquisitions to combat hiring challenges
by Jason Rainbow — April 4, 2022 [SN]


Space investors discussed using acquisitions to overcome hiring challenges at the 37th Space Symposium. Credit: SpaceNews

COLORADO SPRINGS — Hiring challenges in the space industry will lead to more acquisitions as way for companies to access talent and expand their workforces, investors said during an April 4 space finance session at the 37th Space Symposium here.
https://spacenews.com/space-investors-predict-more-acquisitions-to-combat-hiring-challenges/

Xplore acquires Kubos and Major Tom software
by Debra Werner — April 4, 2022 [SN]


Kubos' Major Tom is cloud-based software designed to handle a variety of tasks including ground station scheduling, satellite tasking and telemetry monitoring. Credit: Kubos screenshot

COLORADO SPRINGS – Space-as-a-service startup Xplore Inc. announced the acquisition April 4 of spacecraft software developer Kubos Corp. including Major Tom, Kubos’ flight control software platform.

More than a dozen government and commercial satellites in orbit plan and conduct mission operations with Major Tom, cloud-based software designed to handle a variety of tasks including ground station scheduling, satellite tasking and telemetry monitoring.
https://spacenews.com/xplore-acquires-kubos/

Benchmark to triple production capacity to meet demand
by Debra Werner — April 5, 2022 [SN]


Benchmark CEO Ryan McDeviitt stands near fueling equipment at company's Burlington, Vermont manufacturing plant. Credit: Benchmark Space Systems

COLORADO SPRINGS – Satellite propulsion startup Benchmark Space Systems announced plans April 5 to triple production capacity to meet growing demand for its Starling and Halcyon propulsion systems.

Over the next 18 months, Burlington, Vermont-based Benchmark plans to produce more than 150 propulsion systems for government and commercial satellites destined for low Earth, geostationary and cislunar orbit.

The whole industry has seen a transition from the early stage of constellations, where customers were building one or two of these satellites, to customers “now scaling up to build 10, 50 or 100,” Benchmark CEO Ryan McDeviitt told SpaceNews. “We’re building out to support those customers.”
https://spacenews.com/benchmark-triples-production/

York Space to triple satellite production to meet military and commercial demand
by Sandra Erwin — April 5, 2022 [SN]


(From left to right) Dirk Wallinger, CEO and president of York Space Systems; Frank Kendall, secretary of the Air Force; Derek Tournear, director of the Space Development Agency; and Charles Beames, executive chairman of York Space Systems tour York's new manufacturing facility on April 4, 2022. Credit: Leslie Van Stelten for York Space Systems

The company plans to open a second manufacturing facility in Denver where it will produce 540 satellites per year

COLORADO SPRINGS – Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall, Space Development Agency Director Derek Tournear and other defense officials on April 4 toured the manufacturing facilities of Denver-based York Space Systems, one of three companies selected to build satellites for the Defense Department’s internet-in-space constellation.

DoD’s Space Development Agency awarded York Space a $382 million contract to produce 42 satellites for the Tranche 1 Transport Layer. The company will build these satellites on its LX-class commercial bus.
https://spacenews.com/york-space-to-triple-satellite-production-to-meet-military-and-commercial-demand/

Space industry CEOs pledge to create more inclusive workforce
by Sandra Erwin — April 5, 2022 [SN]


Industry networking event at the 37th Space Symposium in Colorado Springs. Credit: Tom Kimmell Photography

Companies said they will 'significantly increase the number of women and employees from underrepresented groups'

COLORADO SPRINGS – Top executives from the space industry on April 5 signed a pledge to advance diversity across the workforce.

At the 37th Space Symposium, 23 executives committed to “diversity equity and inclusion,” a term used to describe policies and programs that promote the representation and participation of different races and ethnicities, genders, religions and cultures.
https://spacenews.com/space-industry-ceos-pledge-to-create-more-inclusive-workforce/

Speedcast sees a dearth of satellite capacity ahead
by Jason Rainbow — April 5, 2022 [SN]


Speedcast is hunting for bridge capacity to meet increasing demand for bandwidth. Credit: SpeedCast

COLORADO SPRINGS — Demand for satellite communications has outstripped supply in markets recovering from the pandemic, according to satcoms provider Speedcast CEO Joe Spytek.

Spytek told SpaceNews the company is “about nine full satellites short” for meeting demand it sees next year across cruise, energy and other markets that were hit hard by COVID-19.

“There hasn’t been a lot of GEO satellites being launched, plus we have some C-band capacity that’s going away,” he said, referring to the spectrum satellite operators were required to sell to terrestrial 5G operators.
https://spacenews.com/speedcast-sees-a-dearth-of-satellite-capacity-ahead/

New SEC rules could dampen SPAC activity
by Debra Werner — April 5, 2022 [SN]


AST SpaceMobile was one of the few space companies that went public through SPAC deals in 2021 with stock trading above $10 on April 4, 2022. Credit: AST SpaceMobile

COLORADO SPRINGS – Proposed Securities and Exchange Commission rules that would make special purpose acquisition company mergers more like traditional initial public offerings could have a significant impact on space sector financing.

“I would imagine SPACs will be a lot more narrowly used,” Jim Lee, Maxar Technologies senior vice president and general counsel, said April 4 during the 37th Space Symposium Space Law Workshop.
https://spacenews.com/sec-spac-rules/

Tory Bruno: Amazon’s launch order a ‘big deal’ for the West’s competitiveness
by Sandra Erwin — April 6, 2022 [SN]


A booster liquid oxygen tank that will be used on Vulcan Centaur’s first flight is being completed at United Launch Alliance’s factory in Decatur, Ala. Credit: ULA

Bruno: Amazon's launch contracts will help ensure that the West is never again dependent on Russia for launch services

COLORADO SPRINGS – Amazon’s record-breaking deal to purchase up to 83 launches from Arianespace, Blue Origin and United Launch Alliance is “a big deal” in the context of recent geopolitical developments, ULA’s CEO Tory Bruno said April 5. These contracts are not just significant for the companies themselves, he said, but also for the industrial competitiveness of Western nations following Russia’s unceremonious exit from the global launch market.
https://spacenews.com/tory-bruno-amazons-launch-contracts-a-big-deal-for-u-s-and-allies-industrial-competitiveness/

Antonov shortage threatens delivery delays for the biggest satellites
by Jason Rainbow — April 7, 2022 [SN]


ESA's CHEOPS expoplanet telescope is loaded into an Antonov cargo aircraft in 2019 for transport to Europe’s launch center in French Guiana. Credit: Airbus photo by P. Masclet

COLORADO SPRINGS — A shortage of Ukrainian Antonov aircraft raises the prospect of more delays for satellite projects already bogged down by supply chain issues.

Satellite manufacturers make heavy use of large cargo space on Antonovs to transport GEO spacecraft from factory to launch site.
https://spacenews.com/antonov-aircraft-shortage-threatens-more-delays-for-geo-satellites/

BlackSky looks to expand its military business amid growing interest in commercial satellite imagery
by Sandra Erwin — April 7, 2022 [SN]


Brian O’Toole, CEO of BlackSky (left) and Peter Beck, CEO of Rocket Lab (right) meet April 4 at the 37th Space Symposium in Colorado Springs. Credit: BlackSky

CEO Brian O'Toole: 'ISR is clearly becoming a priority and commercial capabilities have a role to play'
COLORADO SPRINGS – Amid a surge in demand for satellite imagery, BlackSky is looking to expand its national security and defense business, CEO Brian O’Toole told SpaceNews.

“The Defense Department is interested in tactical ISR [intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance] from space,” he said. “There’s quite a bit of opportunity there. ISR is clearly becoming a priority and commercial capabilities have a role to play.”
https://spacenews.com/blacksky-looks-to-expand-its-military-business-amid-growing-interest-in-commercial-satellite-imagery/

Japanese satellite laser-comm startup Warpspace draws bead on U.S. market
by Sandra Erwin — April 9, 2022 [SN]


Rendering of the WarpHub InterSat inter-satellite communications system. Credit: Warpspace

The company is developing an optical inter-satellite data relay service in medium Earth orbit called WarpHub InterSat
WASHINGTON – Warpspace, a Japanese space startup developing an inter-satellite laser communications system, is establishing a U.S. presence to partner with American companies and compete for government and military contracts.

“Warpspace USA Inc. was recently incorporated in Delaware,” chief strategy officer Hirokazu Mori told SpaceNews.
https://spacenews.com/japanese-satellite-laser-comm-startup-warpspace-draws-bead-on-u-s-market/

ULA orders 116 Aerojet Rocketdyne engines for Vulcan’s upper stage
by Sandra Erwin — April 11, 2022 [SN]


A Vulcan Centaur upper stage powered by two RL10 engines. Credit: Aerojet Rocketdyne

Each Vulcan Centaur upper stage will use two RL10C-X engines

WASHINGTON — Aerojet Rocketdyne announced April 11 it has received an order from United Launch Alliance for 116 engines for the upper stage of ULA’s Vulcan Centaur rocket.

Aerojet said this was the company’s largest ever contract for the RL10 engine.

The large purchase of rocket engines comes on the heels of Amazon’s announcement April 5 that it selected Arianespace, Blue Origin and ULA to launch up to 3,236 satellites for its Project Kuiper broadband constellation.
https://spacenews.com/ula-orders-116-engines-from-aerojet-rocketdyne-for-vulcans-upper-stage/

SatixFy architect Yoel Gat dies amid SPAC merger plans
by Jason Rainbow — April 11, 2022 [SN]


Satixfy builds the chipsets for its antennas in house, an approach the company says enables low-cost production of full user terminals for satellite communications. Credit: Satixfy.

TAMPA, Fla. — Satellite communications equipment maker SatixFy said April 10 that cofounder and outgoing CEO Yoel Gat has died, days after announcing a leadership transition that would seat a new CEO in June amid plans to become a public company.

Gat founded Israeli satcoms specialist Gilat Satellite Networks and had been CEO of SatixFy since its 2012 creation. The 69-year-old died April 8 from cancer, according to a spokesperson for Israel-based SatixFy.
https://spacenews.com/satixfy-architect-yoel-gat-dies-amid-spac-merger-plans/

Moog opens spacecraft-integration facility
by Debra Werner — April 11, 2022 [SN]


Moog Inc. held a ribbon-cutting ceremony April 4, 2022, for a new integrated space vehicles production facility in Arvada, Colorado. Credit: Moog

COLORADO SPRINGS — Moog Inc. is quadrupling the size of its Colorado space vehicle production capacity as the New York-based company long known as a spacecraft component supplier expands its role as a space vehicle integrator.

“It’s a proud moment for our company,” Maureen Athoe, Moog Space and Defense Group president, told SpaceNews. “This step takes us to the mission level. We’re going to hear from our customers about what they need not just with components, but with the actual mission.”
https://spacenews.com/new-moog-facility/

How sherpas guide startups through government contracting terrain
by Debra Werner — April 12, 2022 [SN]


Credit: SpaceNews/Stock Photo

U.S. defense and intelligence agencies are eager to tap into commercial innovation, and many startup founders are eager to win government funding. The problem is the two groups often have trouble communicating.
https://spacenews.com/how-sherpas-guide-startups-through-government-contracting-terrain/

Accelerators offer startups an introduction to government markets
by Debra Werner — April 13, 2022 [SN]


U.S. Air Force officers, prime contractor executives and entrepreneurs discuss intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance during a 2019 Catalyst Space Accelerator panel. Credit: Catalyst Space

When Daniel Bock and Istvan Lorinz founded Morpheus Space in 2018, they knew the German university spinoff’s propulsion technology might appeal to U.S. government customers, but they knew little about government contracting.

“We had no idea how it worked,” said Lorinz, Morpheus president. “We started from zero, literally.”
https://spacenews.com/accelerators-offer-startups-an-introduction-to-government-markets/

[Orionid]

Intelligence official says U.S. government is not micromanaging commercial imagery
by Sandra Erwin — April 13, 2022 [SN]


Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence Stacey Dixon (right) speaks with Nina Easton, senior associate at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, April 13, 2022. Credit: CSIS livestream

Stacey Dixon: Companies are 'independently wanting to be able to share more of what's happening in the world'
WASHINGTON – Many of the commercial companies that are openly sharing satellite imagery of Ukraine work with the U.S. government but are not restricted in what they can share, Stacey Dixon, principal deputy director of national intelligence, said April 13.
https://spacenews.com/intelligence-official-says-u-s-government-is-not-micromanaging-commercial-imagery/

Dirk Hoke to lead propulsion startup Plasmos
by Debra Werner — April 13, 2022 [SN]


Plasmos CEO Ali Baghchehsara (left) with Dirk Hoke, the former CEO of Airbus Defence and Space who has agreed to join Plasmos as chairman of the board. Credit: Doris Hoke

SAN FRANCISCO — Dirk Hoke, the former CEO of Airbus Defence and Space, is joining propulsion startup Plasmos Inc. as chairman of the board.

Beginning Sept. 1, Hoke will lead the startup founded in September by entrepreneur Ali Baghchehsara to develop and additively manufacture spacecraft propulsion systems that combine elements of electric and chemical engines.
https://spacenews.com/hoke-joins-plasmos/

Capella unveils automated tasking products
by Debra Werner — April 14, 2022


Capella Space's Vessel Detection product relies on artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms to highlight and identify a range of maritime vessels in boxes overlaid on the image as shown above. Credit: Capella Space

SAN FRANCISCO — Capella Space unveiled three products April 14 that automate tasking of the company’s constellation of synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellites.

Capella’s online platform, the Capella Console, is designed to allow customers to task the constellation of SAR satellites to acquire imagery with 50-centimeter resolution.

With the new products, Vessel Detection, Change Detection and Global Change Monitoring, “repeat tasking or monitoring is now automated,” Dan Getman, Capella vice president of product, told SpaceNews. “You can specify a location and say, ‘I would like to get an image of this location every day, once a week or once a month,’ and we automatically capture that for you.”
https://spacenews.com/capella-3-new-products/

Kepler validates intersatellite data-relay terminal
by Jason Rainbow — April 14, 2022 [SN]


Kepler Communications plans to sell terminals to other satellite operators so they can tap into a data-relay constellation it expects to start deploying next year. Credit: Kepler Communications

TAMPA, Fla. — Kepler Communications has successfully tested inter-satellite links with a terminal designed to tap into the Aether data-relay constellation it plans to start deploying early next year, an executive for the Canadian company said.

Two of the four satellites SpaceX launched Jan. 13 to support Kepler’s current business, which provides low-data-rate services with a total 19 satellites to devices out of range of terrestrial networks, are equipped with the S-band terminal for the upcoming system.

Kepler “successfully transferred the first [data] packet from one satellite to the other” four days after launch, CEO Mina Mitry said in an interview.
https://spacenews.com/kepler-validates-intersatellite-data-relay-terminal/

Seeking growth in unpredictable times: A conversation with SES CEO Steve Collar
by Jason Rainbow — April 18, 2022 [SN]


SES CEO Steve Collar. Credit: SES

SES announced plans March 22 to buy U.S. government satcoms provider Leonardo DRS as demand for connectivity in the defense market grows in the wake of Russia’s war in Ukraine.

However, the war is also adding more economic pressures on a space industry still grappling with a pandemic that has clogged up supply chains, delayed satellite projects and disrupted skilled workforces worldwide.
https://spacenews.com/seeking-growth-in-unpredictable-times-a-conversation-with-ses-ceo-steve-collar/

Rivada hopes its LEO plan will rise above Kleo Connect legal battles
by Jason Rainbow — April 18, 2022 [SN]


Rivada Space Networks plans to start deploying a constellation of 600 Ka-band satellites from 2024. Credit Rivada Space Networks

TAMPA, Fla. — German satellite startup Kleo Connect’s majority shareholders are challenging a deal they say minority investors illegally devised to give its spectrum to Rivada Networks, which plans to use the frequencies for its own low Earth orbit (LEO) constellation.

U.S.-based technology firm Rivada announced plans March 21 to use Kleo as a springboard for deploying 600 broadband satellites after acquiring EightyLEO, a European investment vehicle with a minority stake in the German startup.
https://spacenews.com/rivada-hopes-its-leo-plan-will-rise-above-kleo-connect-legal-battles/

NASA selects six companies to demonstrate commercial successors to TDRS
by Jeff Foust — April 21, 2022 [SN]


NASA selected six commercial satellite operators for awards to demonstrate capabilities intended to eventually succeed the existing TDRS satellite network. Credit: NASA

PITTSBURGH — Six companies, including both traditional satellite operators and constellation developers, have won NASA awards to demonstrate services that could ultimately replace the agency’s existing fleet of communications satellites.

NASA announced April 20 the Communications Services Project (CSP) awards, totaling $278.5 million, to test how commercial satellites in both low Earth orbit and geostationary orbit could support missions that currently use the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS) constellation of NASA-owned spacecraft that have provided service since the 1980s.
https://spacenews.com/nasa-selects-six-companies-to-demonstrate-commercial-successors-to-tdrs/

Planet Pelicans to offer high resolution and revisit rates
by Debra Werner — April 21, 2022 [SN]


Image designed to simulate the resolution expected from Planet’s future Pelican constellation. This 40 centimeter per pixel, true-color image of the USS Midway Museum in San Diego was created with high-resolution orthorectified imagery from the U.S. Geological Survey and cropped to fit the space. Credit: Planet

SAN FRANCISCO – Six months after unveiling its next generation Pelican satellite constellation, Planet shared details April 21 on the 32-satellite constellation designed to offer higher resolution Earth imagery with more frequently updates than the San Francisco company’s SkySat constellation.

“As you get more operational with your customers, they want more capacity and they want it faster,” Robbie Schingler, Planet co-founder and chief strategy officer, told SpaceNews.
https://spacenews.com/planet-pelican-details/

Iridium in talks to launch more backup satellites this year
by Jason Rainbow — April 21, 2022 [SN]


An Iridium Next satellite undergoes pre-launch preparations at a SpaceX facility at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California. Credit: Iridium

TAMPA, Fla. — Iridium expects to take advantage of a rideshare opportunity this year to launch up to five of the six spare satellites it has been storing in Arizona.

The satellite operator expects to make a formal announcement about the potential $35 million launch deal in “the next couple weeks,” company spokesperson Jordan Hassin said.

Matt Desch, Iridium’s CEO, first disclosed plans to deploy ground spares in the company’s April 19 earnings call for the first quarter of 2022.
https://spacenews.com/iridium-in-talks-to-launch-more-backup-satellites-this-year/

Copernic Space welcomes Kevin O’Connell to advisory board
by Debra Werner — April 22, 2022 [SN]


Kevin O'Connell, former director of the Office of Space Commerce, has been advising startups since he left the U.S. Commerce Department in 2021. Credit: SpaceNews/Jeff Foust

SAN FRANCISCO — Copernic Space, the latest company to bring Kevin O’Connell onto its advisory board, is unlike other ventures the former director of the U.S. Office of Space Commerce has joined.

In contrast to the space situational awareness and space traffic management startups O’Connell tends to work with, Copernic Space has the lofty ambition of creating what the startup calls “the economic operating system for space in the digital economy.”
https://spacenews.com/oconnell-works-with-copernic-space/

Iridium and General Dynamics submit joint bid for Space Development Agency contract
by Sandra Erwin — April 23, 2022 [SN]


Rendering of Iridium NEXT constellation. Credit: Iridium Communications

The companies are teaming up to compete for an SDA contract to operate the Transport Layer Tranche 1 constellation
WASHINGTON – Communications satellite operator Iridum and General Dynamics Mission Systems submitted a joint bid to operate and manage the Space Development Agency’s low Earth orbit constellation.
https://spacenews.com/iridium-and-general-dynamics-submit-joint-bid-for-space-development-agency-contract/

Space startups argue for more agile business models
by Sandra Erwin — April 23, 2022 [SN]


Space industry panel at Miami Tech Week (from left to right): Space entrepreneur Mo islam; John Gedmark, CEO of Astranis; Chris Power, CEO of Hadrian Automation; Delian Asparouhov, co-founder of Varda Space Industries and Kevin Weil, president of Planet. Credit: Miami Tech Week livestream

Companies pursuing emerging technologies are getting funding from venture investors but also are looking for U.S. government support

WASHINGTON – The U.S. government could address supply chain problems by embracing nontraditional business models and manufacturing approaches, space entrepreneurs said April 22 at the Miami Tech Week conference.
https://spacenews.com/space-startups-argue-for-more-agile-business-models/

Kleos unveils dedicated, taskable RF monitoring missions
by Debra Werner — April 25, 2022 [SN]


Kleos Space operates a constellation of RF reconnaissance satellites. Credit: Kleos Space

DENVER – Kleos Space announced plans April 25 to offer customers dedicated, taskable radio frequency monitoring capabilities.
https://spacenews.com/kleos-mission-as-a-service/

Orbital Insight brings Satellogic data into its platform
by Debra Werner — April 25, 2022 [SN]


Satellite image of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam. Credit: Satellogic

SAN FRANCISCO – Geospatial intelligence company Orbital Insight announced plans April 25 to bring high-resolution imagery from Argentine Earth observation firm Satellogic into its geospatial intelligence platform.

Through the partnership, Satellogic will feed high-resolution satellite imagery and full-motion video into Orbital Insight’s platform, providing Orbital Insight customers with access to higher quality data, improved revisit rates and lower cost analytics.
https://spacenews.com/orbital-insight-satellogic-partnership/

Capella raises $97 million to expand radar constellation
by Debra Werner — April 25, 2022 [SN]


This Capella Space image of the December 2021 Marshall Fire in Boulder County, Colorado. The image was captured through smoke, clouds and heavy snowfall. Credit: Capella Space

SAN FRANCISCO – Capella Space raised $97 million in a Series C investment round led by NightDragon. Existing Capella investors Data Collective Venture Capital and Cota Capital also participated in the funding round announced April 25.

With the additional funding, Capella will expand its seven-satellite constellation, enhance its Capella Console data platform and expand its staff to meet growing demand for synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imagery and data.
https://spacenews.com/capella-series-c/

A boom in Earth observation satellites creating new demands for intelligence
by Sandra Erwin — April 25, 2022 [SN]


Dawn to dusk analytics and imagery captured on April 18, 2022, over Josep Tarradellas Barcelona-El Prat Airport, Spain, show new aircraft type classification. Credit: BlackSky

Crises such as the covid pandemic, climate change and the war in Ukraine are fueling demand for geospatial information

DENVER – Elon Musk earlier this month opened a new Tesla assembly plant in Austin, Texas, and predicted it will produce as many as 500,000 vehicles annually by next year.
https://spacenews.com/a-boom-in-earth-observation-satellites-creating-new-demands-for-intelligence/

ManTech tracking foreign influence using open-source intelligence
by Sandra Erwin — April 25, 2022 [SN]


Screenshot from ManTech's Project Syracuse, used to track foreign influence in Ukraine and other countries. Credit: ManTech

The company developed a model that uses open-source intelligence to measure the level of foreign influence in any country

DENVER — Foreign influence operations, including covert actions by foreign governments to influence political sentiment or public discourse, can increasingly be predicted and tracked using open-source information, industry experts said.
https://spacenews.com/mantech-tracking-foreign-influence-using-open-source-intelligence/

ACT to embed thermal management in Carbon Mapper structures
by Debra Werner — April 26, 2022 [SN]


Advanced Cooling Technologies of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, specializes in satellite thermal management. Credit: Advanced Cooling Technologies

SAN FRANCISCO – Advanced Cooling Technologies, a thermal management specialist, announced a contract with Planet to design and build structures for the first two Carbon Mapper methane-monitoring satellites.

Lancaster, Pennsylvania-based ACT manufacturers ammonia-based heat pipes for a variety of space programs including NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope and Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover (VIPER) lunar rover.
https://spacenews.com/act-carbon-mapper/

Ligado Networks critics step up opposition as service launch nears
by Jason Rainbow — April 26, 2022 [SN]


Ligado Networks plans to start operations with part of its L-band spectrum on or after Sept. 30. Credit: Ligado Networks

TAMPA, Fla. — Ligado Networks faces renewed calls to block its terrestrial wireless plans over GPS interference concerns as the company prepares to turn part of its network on as early as Sept. 30.

Satellite operators Iridium, PlanetiQ and GeoOptics joined a group of 90 companies, organizations and associations hoping to overturn the regulatory approval Ligado secured two years ago for the network.
https://spacenews.com/ligado-networks-critics-step-up-opposition-as-service-launch-nears/

Synthetic data helps train algorithms to spot rare objects
by Debra Werner — April 26, 2022 [SN]


CosmiQ Works and AI.Reverie released a high-resolution dataset in 2020 called RarePlanes, to help people test the value of synthetic data. Maxar WorldView-3 satellite imagery is shown in the top two rows. The bottom rows contain AI.Reverie synthetic data. Credit: CosmiQ Works and AI.Reverie

DENVER – In spite of ever-expanding geospatial databases, certain objects like specific submarines are rarely spotted in satellite imagery. In those cases, synthetic imagery can help.

“Subject matter experts to identify objects in scenarios are still very important,” Mark Munsell, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency deputy director of data and digital information, told SpaceNews. “We anticipate they will be supplemented by synthetic moving forward.”
https://spacenews.com/synthetic-data-geoint/

Dixon calls for greater transparency and data interoperability
by Debra Werner — April 26, 2022 [SN]


Stacey Dixon, U.S. deputy director of national intelligence, speaking at the 2022 GEOINT Symposium in Denver. Credit: U.S. Geospatial Intelligence Foundation

DENVER – Spurred by policymakers, intelligence agencies declassified information on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine “first for our allies and then for the public, allowing others to better understand what our intelligence was telling us,” Stacey Dixon, U.S. deputy director of national intelligence, said April 26 at the 2022 GEOINT Symposium here. “Commercial industry enabled that sharing and has continued to update the public as the war has raged on.”
https://spacenews.com/dixon-calls-for-transparency-interoperability/

[Orionid]

DalBello to lead Office of Space Commerce
by Jeff Foust — April 27, 2022 [SN]


Development of the open architecture data repository (OADR) for space traffic management is a top priority for the Office of Space Commerce. Credit: NOAA

WASHINGTON — The Commerce Department has hired a veteran of government and industry to be the next director of the Office of Space Commerce (OSC).

Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo announced April 27 that Richard DalBello will be the next director of the office, effective May 9. The office, located within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, is responsible for a range of commercial space policy activities, from the licensing of commercial remote sensing systems to development of civil space traffic management capabilities.
https://spacenews.com/dalbello-to-lead-office-of-space-commerce/

Arabsat orders first fully software-defined satellite
by Jason Rainbow — April 29, 2022 [SN]


An artistic depiction of Arabsat 7A, Arabsat's first fully software-defined GEO satellite. Credit: Thales Alenia Space

TAMPA, Fla. — Saudi Arabian fleet operator Arabsat has ordered its first fully software-defined geostationary satellite to provide flexible coverage across the Middle East, Africa and parts of Europe.

The company said April 29 it signed a contract for Arabsat 7A with Europe’s Thales Alenia Space, which will build the satellite based on its Space Inspire platform.
https://spacenews.com/arabsat-orders-first-fully-software-defined-satellite/

Vyoma agrees data management partnership for SSA constellation
by Jason Rainbow — May 2, 2022 [SN]


Vyoma currently provides tracking services and data quality assessments through third-party networks of ground-based sensors. Credit: Vyoma

TAMPA, Fla. — German startup Vyoma said April 28 it has partnered with European IT giant Atos to build a database of tiny space objects that it plans to track with its own satellites from next year.

Their partnership aims to develop solutions for delivering space situational awareness (SSA) data to satellite operators to help them avoid costly collisions and unnecessary spacecraft maneuvers.
https://spacenews.com/vyoma-agrees-data-management-partnership-for-ssa-constellation/

AST SpaceMobile licensed to connect test satellite to US cellular phones
by Jason Rainbow — May 3, 2022 [SN]


An artistic rendering of a BlueBird satellite. Credit: AST SpaceMobile

TAMPA, Fla. — AST SpaceMobile secured an experimental license May 2 to test services in the United States from BlueWalker 3, the prototype satellite slated to launch this summer for its planned cellphone-compatible broadband constellation.
https://spacenews.com/ast-spacemobile-licensed-to-connect-test-satellite-to-us-cellular-phones/

EchoStar says Jupiter-3 won’t be ready for 2022 launch
by Jason Rainbow — May 5, 2022 [SN]


Jupiter-3 will have 500 Gbps of capacity covering the Americas. Credit: Maxar Technologies

TAMPA, Fla. — EchoStar says satellite builder Maxar Technologies won’t deliver its long-awaited Jupiter-3 satellite in time for its end-of-year launch on a Falcon 9 rocket.

The head of EchoStar’s Hughes Network Systems said in a May 5 earnings call that the satellite, which it badly needs to relieve broadband capacity constraints in the Americas, won’t launch before the first quarter of 2023.
https://spacenews.com/echostar-says-jupiter-3-wont-be-ready-for-2022-launch/

Globalstar agrees terms with “global customer” for terrestrial connectivity
by Jason Rainbow — May 9, 2022 [SN]


An undisclosed customer is also helping Globalstar replenish satellites its existing fleet, the last of which were launched in 2013. Credit: Globalstar

TAMPA, Fla. — Globalstar has signed a term sheet with a “large, global customer” to start deploying some of its spectrum for terrestrial use “in the U.S. and beyond,” the satellite operator said May 5.

The mystery customer is looking to use frequencies Globalstar holds in a part of S-band dubbed Band 53, the operator said in an earnings release.
https://spacenews.com/globalstar-agrees-terms-with-global-customer-for-terrestrial-connectivity/

Spire Global adding high-capacity Ku-band antennas to satellites
by Jason Rainbow — May 10, 2022 [SN]


Spire satellites track maritime, weather, and and aviation data from space. Credit: Spire Global

TAMPA, Fla. — Spire Global said May 10 it is installing Ku-band antennas from fellow smallsat operator Kepler Communications on at least three satellites to offer higher capacity data services beginning next year.

Their deal enables Spire to add high-speed Ku-band capabilities to its fleet in low Earth orbit under Kepler’s existing regulatory licenses, and includes an option to scale up to 50 satellites.

U.S.-based Spire currently provides weather and tracking services with more than 100 satellites in LEO that transmit data in UHF, S and X-bands.
https://spacenews.com/spire-global-adding-high-capacity-ku-band-antennas-to-satellites/

Maxar eyes customers for mobile terminals that downlink satellite imagery in the field
by Sandra Erwin — May 10, 2022 [SN]


Maxar's tactical access terminal displayed at GEOINT 2022. Credit: SpaceNews

"Tactical access terminals" can downlink electro-optical imagery from Maxar’s satellites and radar imagery from Radarsat-2

WASHINGTON — As Maxar continues to see high demand for satellite imagery, the company is looking to attract customers for its mobile terminals that give users direct access to the company’s imaging satellites.

Maxar, a provider of Earth imaging and space infrastructure services, is offering a “tactical access terminal” that military units could deploy in the field to downlink electro-optical imagery from the company’s satellites and radar imagery from Radarsat-2, operated by the Canadian company MDA.
https://spacenews.com/maxar-eyes-customers-for-mobile-terminals-that-downlink-satellite-imagery-in-the-field/

Orbex unveils prototype of rocket preparing for UK’s first vertical launch
by Jason Rainbow — May 11, 2022 [SN]


Prime is designed to launch payloads with masses of 10-180 kilograms. Credit: Orbex

TAMPA, Fla. — British microlauncher startup Orbex unveiled a full-scale prototype May 11 of what it hopes will be the first-ever vertical rocket launched to orbit from British soil.

The 19-meter two-stage Prime orbital rocket was successfully integrated and delivered to its dedicated pad on the north coast of Scotland, paving the way for tests ahead of the company’s maiden flight slated this year or early 2023.
https://spacenews.com/orbex-unveils-prototype-of-rocket-preparing-for-uks-first-vertical-launch/

SES mulls direct-to-handheld 5G satellite business
by Jason Rainbow — May 12, 2022 [SN]


Artist’s rendition of the O3b mPower constellation, SES's next-generation MEO constellation. Credit: SES.

TAMPA, Fla. — SES is considering plans to provide 5G services directly to handheld devices after rescuing spectrum rights for 62 proposed satellites that were about to expire.

Luxembourg’s government filed an application in 2015 to international regulators at the ITU for the constellation, dubbed Cleosat, but faced losing it until SES used at least one of its satellites to secure the frequencies May 10 — two days before the deadline.
https://spacenews.com/ses-mulls-direct-to-handheld-5g-satellite-business/

Arctic connectivity competition is heating up
by Jason Rainbow — May 13, 2022 [SN]


OneWeb antennas installed at the Svalbard archipelago between mainland Norway and the North Pole are hosted by KSAT, a Norwegian ground services provider. Credit: OneWeb/KSAT

Satellite operators are venturing into the Arctic to improve connectivity as the changing atmospheric and geopolitical climate drives demand for more bandwidth in one of Earth’s last remaining frontiers.

Fledgling and established operators alike see a growing market for capacity in areas best served by satellites in non-geostationary orbit (NGSO).
https://spacenews.com/arctic-connectivity-competition-is-heating-up/

Inmarsat agrees to move ground station out of the Netherlands
by Jason Rainbow — May 13, 2022 [SN]


Inmarsat's London headquarters. Credit: Inmarsat

TAMPA, Fla. — Inmarsat is seeking permission from Greece to move a ground station there from the Netherlands, which wants to sell the C-band spectrum the site uses for maritime safety services to 5G wireless operators.

The British satellite operator previously argued that moving out of the northern Netherlands village of Burum was unnecessary because it was possible its services could share the spectrum band with 5G operators.

However, the company said May 13 it is working with authorities in Greece to secure a license following recommendations from an external committee, which was appointed by the Dutch government to find ways to sell the operator’s 3.5 GHz frequencies without interfering with safety services.
https://spacenews.com/inmarsat-agrees-plan-to-move-ground-station-out-of-netherlands/

Redwire warns of volatility in commercial space markets
by Jeff Foust — May 14, 2022 [SN]


Redwire uses its earnings call to discuss work like the iROSA solar arrays (right) being installed on the International Space Station, while cautioning that volatility in commercial space markets could affect growth. Credit: NASA

WASHINGTON — Space technology company Redwire said that while it still sees the commercial sector as its biggest prospect for long-term growth, volatility among its customers may cause delays.

Redwire, which went public through a SPAC merger last year, reported revenue of $32.9 million in its first quarter earnings release May 12. The company had a net loss of $17.3 million and an adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) loss of $4.7 million in the quarter.
https://spacenews.com/redwire-warns-of-volatility-in-commercial-space-markets/

Spacecom plots maritime expansion after netting first customer
by Jason Rainbow — May 16, 2022 [SN]


Spacecom provides capacity from four satellites covering Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Asia. Credit: 4iG

TAMPA, Fla. — Israeli satellite operator Spacecom is adjusting its business to serve maritime customers as the market shows signs of recovering from the pandemic.

Spacecom said May 12 it has redirected a Ku-band beam on its AMOS-17 satellite to the Indian Ocean for future growth opportunities after securing its first maritime customer.

This customer is using AMOS-17’s Ka-band to connect superyachts in the Indian Ocean, according to a Spacecom executive, who said the redirected Ku-band enables the operator to provide up to 2 gigabits per second of capacity over the region.
https://spacenews.com/spacecom-plots-maritime-expansion-after-netting-first-customer/

ABL Space Systems completes acceptance testing of RS1 upper stage
by Jeff Foust — May 17, 2022 [SN]


ABL Space Systems said May 16 it completed acceptance tests of the second stage of its RS1 vehicle, four months after the original upper stage was destroyed in a test anomaly. Credit: ABL Space Systems

WASHINGTON — ABL Space Systems has completed testing of the second stage of its small launch vehicle, four months after a previous version of the stage was destroyed in a test accident.

In a video posted May 16, the company said it completed acceptance testing of the second stage of its RS1 vehicle at its Mojave, California, test site, including a static-fire test of the stage. The company has since shipped the stage to its launch site in Kodiak, Alaska.
https://spacenews.com/abl-space-systems-completes-acceptance-testing-of-rs1-upper-stage/

Operational AST SpaceMobile satellites could proceed without prototype
by Jason Rainbow — May 17, 2022 [SN]


AST SpaceMobile's BlueWalker 3 prototype satellite is due to launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket this summer. Credit: AST SpaceMobile

TAMPA, Fla. — AST SpaceMobile will start deploying operational satellites in 2023 “even in the event of any complication” with the BlueWalker 3 prototype slated to launch this summer, an executive for the cellphone-compatible broadband constellation said.

The startup’s operational BlueBird satellite program has been “advancing alongside” more than 700 ground tests performed on BlueWalker 3, AST SpaceMobile CEO Abel Avellan said during a May 16 earnings call.
https://spacenews.com/operational-ast-spacemobile-satellites-could-proceed-without-prototype/

Space Development Agency’s satellite contractors team up to deal with supply shortages
by Sandra Erwin — May 17, 2022 [SN]


Rendering of the Space Development Agency's Transport Layer low Earth orbit constellation. Credit: Northrop Grumman

SDA Director Derek Tournear said industry competitors agreed to share parts to help the agency meet the schedule
WASHINGTON — Facing a tight schedule to launch 28 satellites between September 2022 and March 2023, the Space Development Agency and its contractors have had to scramble to deal with parts shortages and other supply chain problems that have affected the entire space industry.
https://spacenews.com/space-development-agencys-satellite-contractors-team-up-to-deal-with-supply-shortages/

Foust Forward | Building a space industry in Steel City
by Jeff Foust — May 17, 2022 [SN]


Astrobotic CEO John Thornton unveils the Peregrine lunar lander at the NASA contractor’s Pittsburgh headquarters during the Keystone Space Collaborative’s inaugural conference last month. Credit: Astrobotic

Several years ago, John Thornton, chief executive of Astrobotic, presented his company’s plans to build lunar landers at a “pitch day” in the company’s hometown of Pittsburgh, an event where startups describe their businesses and look for investors and customers.

It didn’t go well. “The judges laughed the entire time during my pitch,” recalled Thornton. “They just couldn’t imagine there’s a space company in Pittsburgh.”
https://spacenews.com/foust-forward-building-a-space-industry-in-steel-city/

Kongsberg orders satellites for Norwegian maritime surveillance
by Jason Rainbow — May 18, 2022 [SN]


Kongsberg's initial spy satellites will use NanoAvionics' MP42 bus, shown here in assembly. Credit: Nanoavionics

TAMPA, Fla. — Norway’s Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace has ordered three microsatellites to keep tabs on vessels operating clandestinely in the North Sea.

Kongsberg ordered the satellites from Lithuania’s NanoAvionics for a 2024 launch.

The satellites will have instruments Kongsberg has developed to detect Automatic Identification System (AIS) transponders, which all passenger ships and most ocean-going vessels above a certain tonnage must carry by law.
https://spacenews.com/kongsberg-orders-spy-satellites-for-norwegian-maritime-surveillance/

Inmarsat uses ships as stepping stones in mesh network trial
by Jason Rainbow — May 19, 2022 [SN]


Inmarsat controls its satellite constellation from a network operations center in London. Credit: Inmarsat

TAMPA, Fla. — Inmarsat said May 19 it has successfully tested a mesh network that enables ships to switch from satellite to terrestrial connectivity by using other vessels as stepping stones to land-based signal towers.

The company plans to use the technology to offload its satellite capacity to terrestrial networks at ports and other congested areas, even if a ship is not close enough to connect directly to the shore.
https://spacenews.com/inmarsat-uses-ships-as-stepping-stones-in-mesh-network-trial/

[Orionid]

Telesat tests LEO broadband prototype in India
by Jason Rainbow — May 19, 2022 [SN]


Phase 1, Telesat’s first LEO satellite that launched in 2018, was supplied by SSTL. Credit: Telesat

TAMPA, Fla. — Telesat said May 18 it demonstrated high-speed connectivity in India last month using a four-year-old prototype satellite

The so-called Phase 1 satellite connected through a teleport operated by local satellite communications provider Nelco, which is part of Indian conglomerate Tata. South Korea’s Intellian supplied the 85-centimeter parabolic antenna used in the April 25-29 demo.
https://spacenews.com/telesat-tests-leo-broadband-prototype-in-india/

Lockheed Martin, Filecoin Foundation plan demonstration of decentralized data storage in space
by Sandra Erwin — May 23, 2022 [SN]


Filecoin Foundation and Lockheed Martin are collaborating to deploy the Interplanetary File System (IPFS) in space. Credit: Filecoin Foundation

Lockheed VP Joe Landon says critical infrastructure is needed in space for accessing and sharing data

WASHINGTON — Lockheed Martin is working with the Filecoin Foundation to demonstrate a blockchain network in space, the organizations announced May 23 at the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland.

Joe Landon, vice president of advanced programs development at Lockheed Martin Space, said the goal of the project is to develop a mission to demonstrate the Interplanetary File System, or IPFS, in space.
https://spacenews.com/lockheed-martin-filecoin-foundation-plan-demonstration-of-decentralized-data-storage-in-space/

Japan Air Self Defense Force awards contract to LeoLabs
by Debra Werner — May 24, 2022 [SN]


LeoLabs completed construction in 2019 of its Kiwi Space Radar to track objects in low-Earth orbit as small as two centimeters. The new radar is located in the Central Otago region of New Zealand's south island. Credit: LeoLabs

LONG BEACH, Calif. – Space mapping startup LeoLabs announced a multimillion-dollar contract May 24 to provide space domain awareness data, services and training to the Japan Air Self Dense Force.

“We are honored to be working with the Japan Ministry of Defense,” Dan Ceperley, LeoLabs CEO and co-founder, told SpaceNews. “This is actually the first allied ministry of defense that is using our commercial services in a big way. It sets a good precedent.”

The contract gives the Japan Air Self Defense Force access to data gathered by LeoLab’s global network of phased array radars as well as training on LeoLabs’ tracking, monitoring and collision-avoidance services.
https://spacenews.com/leolabs-contract-japan-ministry-of-defense/

Azure Space offers Custom Vision tools for satellite imagery
by Debra Werner — May 24, 2022 [SN]


NASA astronaut Anne McClain displays a spacesuit glove in 2019. The glove has several layers of material for extra thermal protection and comfort, plus heaters are embedded in each fingertip. Credit: NASA

LONG BEACH, Calif. – Microsoft is working with partners to identify commercial space applications for the latest software tools the tech giant has developed.

In one of the many applications being explored for Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s Spaceborne Computer 2, NASA is testing a Microsoft tool called Custom Vision to see whether it helps simplify the task of inspecting astronaut gloves to identify signs of damage after spacewalks.
https://spacenews.com/microsoft-custom-vision/

AWS picks 10 startups for 2022 space accelerator
by Jason Rainbow — May 24, 2022 [SN]


AWS picked startups from across the United States, Asia, and Europe for its space accelerator this year. Credit: AWS

TAMPA, Fla. — Amazon Web Services announced May 24 it has picked 10 startups to join its second annual space accelerator program, which helps early-stage companies learn how to grow their businesses with cloud and analytic technologies.

The startups come from across the Earth observation, space situational awareness (SSA), launch, propulsion and space exploration markets.
https://spacenews.com/aws-picks-10-startups-for-2022-space-accelerator/

Experts offer advice for space sector entrepreneurs
by Debra Werner — May 25, 2022 [SN]


Space industry executives and startup founders offered advice for entrepreneurs at the 2022 Space Tech Expo in Long Beach, Calif. Credit: SpaceNews/Debra Werner

LONG BEACH, Calif. – Becoming a space sector entrepreneur requires creativity, courage and stamina.

At the Space Tech Expo May 24, space industry executives and startup founders shared advice for fledgling startups.

Entrepreneurs need to understand their prospective customers, said Andre Doumitt, Aerospace Corp. Director of Innovation Development.
https://spacenews.com/advice-for-entrepreneurs/

Supply chain challenges also present opportunities for the space industry
by Jeff Foust — May 25, 2022 [SN]


Ron Faith of RBC Signals (right) discusses supply chain issues for the space industry with (from left) Steve "Bucky" Butow, Chris Winslett, Jeffrey Smith and Jordan Noone. Credit: SpaceNews/Jeff Foust

LONG BEACH, Calif. — Supply chain disruptions continue to pose a challenge for the space industry, but some see those disruptions as an opportunity for new approaches and innovation.

During a panel discussion on supply chain issues at Space Tech Expo here May 24, government and industry officials said the industry continued to feel the effects of broader supply chain issues that was slowing its growth.
https://spacenews.com/supply-chain-challenges-also-present-opportunities-for-the-space-industry/

Launcher wins Space Force contract to support engine development
by Jeff Foust — May 25, 2022 [SN]


Launcher has been testing the E-2 engine it is building for its Launcher Light vehicle at NASA's Stennis Space Center. Credit: Launcher/John Kraus

HAWTHORNE, Calif. — Launcher won a $1.7 million contract from the U.S. Space Force that will assist the company’s development of a high-performance rocket engine for its small launch vehicle.

Launcher announced May 25 it received the SBIR Phase 2B tactical funding increase, or TACFI, award from the Space Force earlier this month to accelerate work on the company’s E-2 engine. That includes full-duration testing of the engine’s turbopump and long-duration testing of the combustion chamber.
https://spacenews.com/launcher-wins-space-force-contract-to-support-engine-development/

Industry looks to decentralized approaches to space sustainability
by Jeff Foust — May 25, 2022 [SN]


Satellite operators, including companies that compete against each other, may be able to more effectively cooperate in space traffic management than government organizations. Credit: ESA

LONG BEACH, Calif. — As governments make slow progress on space traffic management systems, companies may be able work together more quickly to develop processes to support space sustainability.

In a panel at Space Tech Expo here May 24, industry officials said it is in the best interest of companies to collaborate on space traffic issues independent of efforts at national and international levels to develop space traffic coordination systems or rules of the road for space activities.
https://spacenews.com/industry-looks-to-decentralized-approaches-to-space-sustainability/

BlackSky, Maxar, Planet win 10-year NRO contracts for satellite imagery
by Sandra Erwin — May 25, 2022 [SN]

Imagery collected by a Maxar satellite May 12 shows the aftermath of Russian attacks that damaged Ukraine’s Grande Pettine hotel, located on the beach by the Black Sea. Credit: Maxar


The National Reconnaissance Office said the 10-year deals with three companies are the agency's largest ever commercial contracting effort

WASHINGTON — The National Reconnaissance Office announced May 25 it awarded BlackSky, Maxar Technologies and Planet Labs 10-year contracts to provide satellite imagery for U.S. intelligence, defense and federal civil agencies.

The NRO called these awards the agency’s “largest-ever commercial imagery contracting effort.”
https://spacenews.com/blacksky-maxar-planet-win-10-year-nro-contracts-for-satellite-imagery/

Space logistics experts broadly endorse standards
by Debra Werner — May 25, 2022 [SN]


Experts discussed space logistics at the 2022 Space Tech Expo. From Left: Lisa Kuo, Ramon Space vice president of strategic sales, SpaceLogistics President Robert Hague, Mike Lewis, Nanoracks chief innovation officer, Brian Roberts, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center director of the Exploration and In-Space Services Project division, Al Tadros, Redwire chief technology officer, and Karol Janik, Manufacturing Technology Centre technology manager. Credit: SpaceNews/Debra Werner

LONG BEACH, Calif. –  A panel of space logistics experts underscored the importance of open standards to encourage the growth of the market.

Over the long term, open standards are necessary “if we really want to build infrastructure in space,” Karol Janik, technology manager for the Manufacturing Technology Centre, an independent U.K. research and technology organization, said May 25 at the Space Tech Expo here.
https://spacenews.com/space-logistics-space-tech-expo/

Economy could dampen growth of space industry
by Jeff Foust — May 26, 2022 [SN]


A Rocket Lab executive said broader macroeconomic issues, like supply chain disruptions and inflation, could slow investment into the space industry and slow its growth. Credit: Rocket Lab

LONG BEACH, Calif. — Broader economic issues as well as the performance of some space companies could slow the growth of the industry in the next few years, executives warn.

During a panel discussion at the Space Tech Expo here May 25, Lars Hoffman, senior vice president of global launch services at Rocket Lab, warned that the industry is not immune from broader economic issues like supply chain disruptions, inflation and growing concerns about a recession.
https://spacenews.com/economy-could-dampen-growth-of-space-industry/

General Dynamics wins ground systems contract for Space Development Agency’s megaconstellation
by Sandra Erwin — May 26, 2022 [SN]


Space Development Agency's low Earth orbit architecture. Credit: SDA

General Dynamics' partners in this contract include Iridium, KSAT, Emergent and Raytheon

WASHINGTON — General Dynamics Mission Systems won a $324.5 million contract to operate the ground systems and manage network operations of the Space Development Agency’s low Earth orbit constellation, the agency announced May 26.

The seven-year contract is for $162.9 million as a baseline, with $161.5 million in options to establish the ground operations and integration (O&I) segment for SDA’s Tranche 1 constellation, a mesh network projected to have as many as 166 communications, data-relay and sensor satellites to support military users around the world.
https://spacenews.com/general-dynamics-wins-ground-systems-contract-for-space-development-agencys-megaconstellation/

Analysts: NRO contracts will have long-term ripple effects on satellite imagery industry
by Sandra Erwin — June 1, 2022 [SN]


Satellite images and analysis captured over the Azovstal iron and steel works in Mariupol, Ukraine, May 16, 2022. Credit: BlackSky

Quilty Analytics: The NRO's 10-year deals “raise the credit quality and capital attractiveness of all EOCL awardees"

WASHINGTON — The contracts recently awarded by the National Reconnaissance Office to BlackSky, Maxar Technologies and Planet for commercial satellite imagery will likely reshape the market, says a new report from Quilty Analytics, a research and consulting firm.

The Electro-Optical Commercial Layer, or EOCL, contracts announced May 25 “reaffirmed Maxar’s position as the government’s anchor supplier of very high-resolution imagery, while also showing the heightened importance of smallsat constellations from Planet and BlackSky,” says the June 1 report.
https://spacenews.com/analysts-nro-contracts-will-have-long-term-ripple-effects-on-satellite-imagery-industry/

Sony launches space laser communications business
by Jason Rainbow — June 3, 2022 [SN]


An optical communications device Sony helped develop was installed on Kibo, the Japanese experimental module on the International Space Station, in 2020. Credit: NASA

TAMPA, Fla. — Sony has formed a company to develop laser communications equipment for small satellites, drawing on optical disc technology it pioneered for CD players and other devices.

The Japanese conglomerate said June 2 it founded Sony Space Communications (SSC) in San Mateo, California, to help companies avoid running out of radio waves as the number of satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO) soars.
https://spacenews.com/sony-launches-space-laser-communications-business/

Blue Canyon looks to demonstrate small-satellite performance at very low altitude
by Sandra Erwin — June 5, 2022 [SN]


The agile microsat known as AMS was developed by Blue Canyon Technologies for the MIT Lincoln Laboratory. The cubesat launched May 25, 2022, on the SpaceX Transporter 5 rideshare. Credit: BCT

Brad Tousley: There is growing interest from national security agencies in space missions in very low Earth orbit

WASHINGTON — Among the 59 small-satellite missions SpaceX launched on May 25 on the Transporter 5 rideshare was a shoebox-size cubesat designed to operate in very low orbit for an extended period of time.

The “agile microsat” known as AMS was developed by Blue Canyon Technologies for the MIT Lincoln Laboratory with U.S. Air Force funding. The goal is to test the ability of small spacecraft to maneuver and perform tasks in very low orbits — generally between 200 to 300 kilometers above Earth — where satellites have to fight atmospheric drag.   
https://spacenews.com/blue-canyon-looks-to-demonstrate-small-satellite-performance-at-very-low-altitude/

Xona to test GPS-alternative demo satellite with customer
by Jason Rainbow — June 7, 2022 [SN]


SpaceX launched Xona's Huginn test satellite May 25. Credit: Xona Space Systems

TAMPA, Fla. — Startup Xona Space Systems is preparing to demonstrate services from a test satellite to the first major customer for its planned navigation constellation.

Canadian GPS equipment and solutions provider NovAtel, which said May 31 it has signed up to be an early adopter of Xona’s proposed network of around 300 cubesats, plans to use the in-orbit test bed to configure its technology.
https://spacenews.com/xona-to-test-gps-alternative-demo-satellite-with-customer/

Northrop Grumman to boost production of solid rocket motors following big contract from ULA
by Sandra Erwin — June 8, 2022 [SN]


Northrop Grumman received a multi-year contract valued at more than $2 billion from United Launch Alliance for increased production of solid rocket boosters. Credit: Northrop Grumman

The company expects to produce more than 75 motors per year

WASHINGTON — Northrop Grumman on June 8 confirmed that it received a contract worth more than $2 billion over several years to produce solid rocket boosters for United Launch Alliance’s Atlas 5 and Vulcan Centaur launch vehicles.

Northrop Grumman’s CEO during a first-quarter earnings call in April said the company expected the contract to be signed in the second quarter of 2022.
https://spacenews.com/northrop-grumman-to-boost-production-of-solid-rocket-motors-following-big-contract-from-ula/

Xenesis signs launch pact with Evolution Space
by Debra Werner — June 10, 2022 [SN]


Evolution Space is developing, building and testing small rockets in Mojave, Calif. Credit: Evolution Space

SAN FRANCISCO – Launch startup Evolution Space signed a memorandum of understanding to launch a small satellite constellation for optical communications startup Xenesis.

Under the $120 million deal signed in May, Evolution will conduct five suborbital and 25 orbital launches for Xenesis beginning in 2025.

Mojave, Calif.-based Evolution is taking an iterative approach to developing small solid rockets to deliver 250 to 450 kilograms to low-Earth orbit.
https://spacenews.com/xenesis-signs-launch-with-evolution-space/

[Orionid]

Atlas wins Defense Innovation Unit Award for hybrid network
by Debra Werner — June 13, 2022 [SN]


Quintillion Networks and ATLAS Space Operations completed construction of a satellite ground station for polar orbiting satellites at 72 degrees latitude in Utqiagvik, Alaska, on the coast of the Arctic Ocean. The 3.7-meter antenna supports S and X band transmission. Credit: Atlas Space Operations

SAN FRANCISCO – Atlas Space Operations announced a Defense Innovation Unit contract June 8 to demonstrate a hybrid network linking Defense Department, civil government and commercial satellites.

For Atlas, “some of the tangible benefits will be the knowledge that we gain in the integration with the Department of Defense and our civil agent,” Ed McCarty, Atlas vice president of global sales, told SpaceNews. “They all do things a little bit differently.”
https://spacenews.com/atlas-diu-contract/

Okapi:Orbits raises 5.5 million euros in seed funding round
by Debra Werner — June 13, 2022 [SN]


Okapi: Orbits staff is based in Braunschweig, Germany. Credit: Okapi: Orbits

SAN FRANCISCO — Germany startup Okapi:Orbits raised 5.5 million euros ($5.7 million) in a seed funding round led by Munich Re Ventures with participation from Dolby Family Ventures, Herius Capital and APEX Ventures.

Okapi offers space traffic management software designed to help satellite operators reduce maneuvers, save fuel and limit downtime. More than 50 satellites in orbit already rely on Okapi software, Kristina Nikolaus, Okapi co-founder and CEO, told SpaceNews by email.
https://spacenews.com/okapi-seed-round-2022/

Planet reveals $146 million NRO award and quarterly revenues
by Debra Werner — June 14, 2022 [SN]


After weeks of shelling and fighting, fires broke out in the forests of western Luhansk Oblast, especially the area north of the cities of Rubizhne and Sievierodonetsk, Ukraine, as shown in this PlanetScope image from June 9, 2022. Credit: Planet

SAN FRANCISCO – Planet revealed the value of its largest contract to date, a $146 million award from the National Reconnaissance Office to provide imagery over two years, during the company’s June 14 earnings call.

Rather than disclosing the maximum potential value of the contract with options over 10 years like BlackSky and Maxar Technologies, the other two companies that won contracts in NRO’s Electro-Optical Commercial Layer (EOCL), Planet reported NRO’s initial commitment of $146 million for the first two years of SkySat constellation tasking, PlanetScope daily imagery and access to Planet’s imagery archive.
https://spacenews.com/planet-2023-q1-earnings/

Retired four-star general John Hyten joins Blue Origin as strategic advisor
by Sandra Erwin — June 15, 2022 [SN]


Retired Air Force general John Hyten. Credit: Blue Origin

As head of Blue Origin's Club for the Future, Hyten will focus on community outreach and educational activities
WASHINGTON — Blue Origin announced June 15 that former vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff John Hyten will join Jeff Bezos’ space company as executive director of the firm’s Club for the Future foundation and as a strategic advisor.

Hyten, who retired in November after 40 years of service in the U.S. Air Force, was the nation’s second highest-ranking military officer. As vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs, he ran the Joint Requirements Oversight Council that oversees all military acquisitions. He previously served as commander of the Air Force Space Command and U.S. Strategic Command. An advocate for space programs, Hyten was a long-time critic of the plodding ways of the Pentagon, particularly in the development of next-generation weapon systems.
https://spacenews.com/retired-four-star-general-john-hyten-joins-blue-origin-as-strategic-advisor/

Firefly co-founder Markusic to step down as CEO
by Jeff Foust — June 16, 2022 [SN]


Tom Markusic (left) is stepping down as CEO of Firefly Aerospace but will remain on the board and serve as chief technical advisor. Credit: Tom Kimmell Photography

PASADENA, Calif. — Firefly Aerospace announced June 15 that Tom Markusic, co-founder of the launch vehicle and spacecraft developer, will step down as its chief executive but remain with the company as it prepares for its second launch.

The company said that Markusic would shift from chief executive to a new role of chief technical advisor, effective June 16. He will remain a member of the company’s board and a “significant minority investor” in the company.
https://spacenews.com/firefly-co-founder-markusic-to-step-down-as-ceo/

Euroconsult anticipates growing demand for last-mile logistics
by Debra Werner — June 16, 2022 [SN]


Euroconsult's Space Logistics Market report anticipates significant growth in the sector. Credit: Euroconsult

SAN FRANCISCO – Euroconsult forecasts 120 orbital transport vehicles to be in operation by 2031, according to the consulting firm’s latest Space Logistics Markets report.

“We anticipate constellations to be the most likely customers, accounting for three-quarters of the demand for satellites in the 200- to 350-kilogram mass range,” said Maxime Puteaux, Euroconsult principal advisor and author of the report released in May.
https://spacenews.com/euroconsult-last-mile-logistics/

Quadsat gets ESA funding for ready-to-fly antenna testing kits
by Jason Rainbow — June 16, 2022 [SN]


Quadsat wants to pivot from traveling service provider to a seller of bundled drone solutions. Credit: Quadsat
TAMPA, Fla. — Danish startup Quadsat said June 16 it has secured European Space Agency funding to productize the drones it uses to calibrate and test satellite antennas.

At the end of the 10-month 500,000 euro ($525,000) ESA contract, Quadsat CEO Joakim Espeland said the company aims to launch its first drone that customers can operate themselves to test their networks.

Quadsat currently has to send technicians to the customers that want to use its quadcopters as stand-ins for satellites.
https://spacenews.com/quadsat-gets-esa-funding-for-ready-to-fly-antenna-testing-kits/

Impulse Space raises an additional $10 million for orbital transfer vehicles
by Jeff Foust — June 17, 2022 [SN]


Impulse Space is developing orbital transfer vehicles to quickly move satellites to their final orbits. Credit: Impulse Space

PASADENA, Calif. — In-space transportation company Impulse Space, which raised $20 million in a seed round earlier this year, announced June 17 it raised another $10 million to help accelerate work on orbital transfer vehicles.

Impulse Space said it raised $10 million from venture fund Lux Capital, which invests in “frontier technologies” like space. The company announced a $20 million seed round March 30 led by Founders Fund.
https://spacenews.com/impulse-space-raises-an-additional-10-million-for-orbital-transfer-vehicles/

Speedcast plotting major satellite capacity expansion
by Jason Rainbow — June 17, 2022 [SN]


Speedcast installed the first OneWeb customer demonstration antenna system at the end of May in Aberdeen, Scotland. Credit: Speedcast

TAMPA, Fla. — Remote communications provider Speedcast is preparing to buy another sizable chunk of satellite capacity as demand soars beyond pre-pandemic levels.

Speedcast added 13 gigabits per second (Gbps) of capacity from satellite operators to its international network in late May, giving it a record 30 Gbps of bandwidth to primarily serve cruise and energy markets.

“We’re looking at similar network growth over the coming months,” Speedcast CEO Joe Spytek told SpaceNews.
https://spacenews.com/speedcast-plotting-major-satellite-capacity-expansion/

Epsilon3 raises $15 million for space project management platform
by Jason Rainbow — June 20, 2022 [SN]


Sierra Space is using Epsilon3 software to manage its Dream Chaser spaceplane project. Credit: Sierra Space

TAMPA, Fla. — Software startup Epsilon3 said June 20 it has raised $15 million to expand its suite of space project management solutions.

Existing investor Lux Capital led the Series A funding round to support Epsilon3’s web-based platform, which provides collaboration tools that are tailor-made for spacecraft manufacturing and operations.

Engineering and operational teams behind a fifth of orbital launches from the United States in the year to date used Epsilon3 software, according to chief operating officer Max Mednik, who co-founded the startup 18 months ago.
https://spacenews.com/epsilon3-raises-15-million-for-space-project-management-platform/

SmallSat Alliance unveils Collegiate Space Competition
by Debra Werner — June 21, 2022 [SN]


NASA map showing groundwater and soil moisture conditions from the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment-Follow-On mission for June 2022. Small satellites also measure and monitor environmental conditions. The Collegiate Space Competition encourages students to harness the data to mitigate the adverse effects of climate change. Credit: NASA

SAN FRANCISCO – The SmallSat Alliance is inviting U.S. university students to propose space-related solutions for formidable technical and policy challenges as part of the Collegiate Space Competition.
https://spacenews.com/first-collegiate-smallsat-c/

Viasat shareholders approve Inmarsat acquisition
by Jason Rainbow — June 22, 2022 [SN]


Viasat's College Station, Texas location. Credit: Viasat

TAMPA, Fla. — Viasat said June 21 that its shareholders voted to approve its $7.3 billion plan to acquire British satellite operator Inmarsat.

Richard Baldridge, CEO of U.S.-based Viasat, said the deal received “overwhelming support” from shareholders, putting the transaction on track to compete later this year following regulatory approvals.
https://spacenews.com/viasat-shareholders-approve-inmarsat-acquisition/

Velo3D makes in-kind investment in Plasmos
by Debra Werner — June 22, 2022 [SN]


Plasmos rendering of the chemical-electric rocket engine the startup is developing. Credit: Plasmos

SAN FRANCISCO – Propulsion startup Plasmos is testing its first rocket engine thanks to a $250,000 in-kind investment from Velo3D, a metal additive manufacturing startup known for its work with SpaceX.

Benny Buller, Velo3D founder and CEO, decided to make the investment after meeting Ali Baghchehsara, Plasmos founder and CEO.

“I was for two years an investor before I started Velo3D,” Buller told SpaceNews. “Startups are, first and foremost, the people. Ali is one of those remarkable founders that you believe will prevail no matter what.”
https://spacenews.com/plasmos-velo3d/

Microsoft, Xplore and NOAA demonstrate cloud-based satellite operations
by Debra Werner — June 23, 2022 [SN]


The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's NOAA-18 polar-orbiting weather satellite was launched in 2005. This image was captured June 22, 2022 by the satellite's Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer. Credit:

SAN FRANCISCO – Over the last year, Microsoft and Xplore worked with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to show how commercial services could support operations of polar-orbiting weather satellites.

During a proof-of-concept demonstration, NOAA obtained data downlinked from NOAA-18 through an Azure Orbital ground station in Quincy, Washington, to the Azure cloud. Commands to the 17-year-old satellite were sent with Xplore’s Major Tom mission control software running in Azure Orbital.
https://spacenews.com/noaa-microsoft-xplore-noaa-18/

SatixFy names CEO to lead its public company transformation
by Jason Rainbow — June 23, 2022 [SN]


Satixfy builds the chipsets for its antennas in house, an approach the company says enables low-cost production of full user terminals for satellite communications. Credit: Satixfy.

TAMPA, Fla. — SatixFy named David Ripstein as CEO June 23 to lead the satcoms equipment maker’s planned transformation into a public company.

Ripstein is currently CEO of British automotive-focused telematics provider GreenRoad Technologies, and will assume his new role at Israel-based SatixFy June 27.
https://spacenews.com/satixfy-names-ceo-to-lead-its-public-company-transformation/

Orbion to supply propulsion for General Atomics weather satellite
by Debra Werner — June 24, 2022 [SN]


Houghton, Michigan-based Orbion Space Technology, founded in 2016, manufactures plasma propulsion systems for small satellites. Credit: Orbion Space Technology

SAN FRANCISCO – Orbion Space Technology will supply a propulsion system for a U.S. Space Force prototype weather satellite, under a contract with General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems (GA-EMS).

In February, the Space Force announced the selection of General Atomics and Orion Space Solutions to each develop and launch demonstration satellites to gather global weather imagery and data on cloud characteristics.
https://spacenews.com/orbion-ga-ems-weather-satellite/

Telesat requests UK license to connect Lightspeed terminals
by Jason Rainbow — June 24, 2022 [SN]


Phase 1, Telesat’s prototype LEO satellite that launched in 2018, was supplied by SSTL. Credit: Telesat

TAMPA, Fla. — Telesat has applied for a U.K. license to connect broadband terminals with Lightspeed satellites it plans to start deploying in 2025 to low Earth orbit.

The Canadian operator’s application says the first of 198 Lightspeed satellites will be launched in the third quarter of 2025, British telecoms regulator Ofcom said June 24.

This is a narrower launch window than Telesat has previously outlined since supply chain issues forced it to downsize plans for the constellation by a third earlier this year.
https://spacenews.com/telesat-requests-uk-license-to-connect-lightspeed-terminals/

Spectrolab electrifies space through advanced solar cell technology
by Boeing — June 28, 2022 Sponsored Post [SN]


A technician holds a germanium wafer at Spectrolab. High efficiency Ultra Triple-Junction gallium arsenide solar cells are “grown” onto the wafers using specialized machines called reactors.

For six decades, Spectrolab has been building the long-lasting solar cells that power satellites and spaceships. Next up: compact, ultra-powerful new solar arrays for the ISS.

Spectrolab’s office sits in a nondescript office park in California’s San Fernando Valley, just minutes west of Angeles National Forest. Positioned prominently in the main conference room hangs an iconic photo from the Apollo 11 moon landing.
https://spacenews.com/electrifying-space/

Sierra Space signs agreement with Turkish Space Agency
by Jeff Foust — June 29, 2022 [SN]


Neeraj Gupta (left), senior vice president and general manager of destinations at Sierra Space, meets with Serdar Hüseyin Yıldırım (center), president of the Turkish Space Agency, and Cem Ugur, director general for ESEN, along with a model of the company’s Dream Chaser vehicle. Credit: Sierra Space

WASHINGTON — Sierra Space announced an agreement with the Turkish Space Agency and an affiliated company June 29 that could lead to cooperation on human spaceflight and lunar missions.

Sierra Space said it signed a memorandum of cooperation with the Turkish Space Agency and ESEN Sistem Entegrasyon, a Turkish company affiliated with Sierra Nevada Corporation, spanning a broad range of potential partnerships among the organizations that could include use of Sierra Space’s Dream Chaser spacecraft and inflatable modules it is developing for the Orbital Reef space station.
https://spacenews.com/sierra-space-signs-agreement-with-turkish-space-agency/

Kepler books orbital transfer vehicle for next launch
by Jason Rainbow — June 30, 2022 [SN]


D-Orbit offers in-space transportation services with its ION Satellite Carrier. Credit: D-Orbit

TAMPA, Fla. — Canada’s Kepler Communications said June 30 it plans to use D-Orbit’s orbital transfer vehicle for the next two satellites in its low-data-rate constellation.

The Kepler-20 and Kepler-21 satellites will be boarded on the Italian space logistics company’s ION Satellite Carrier, which has booked a flight in the first quarter of 2023 on a rocket the companies declined to disclose.
https://spacenews.com/kepler-books-orbital-transfer-vehicle-for-next-launch/

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Agile to consolidate operations in new Colorado plant
by Debra Werner — July 1, 2022 [SN]


Agile Space Industries was incorporated in August 2019, after combining Agile Space Propulsion and Advanced Mobile Propulsion Test, a company formed in 2009 to offer testing services for commercial and government customers. Credit: Agile Space Industries

SAN FRANCISCO –Agile Space Industries is preparing to consolidate propulsion design, manufacturing and production this summer in a new 1,860-square-meter facility in Durango, Colorado.
https://spacenews.com/agile-consolidates-design-manufacturing-production/

Kongsberg to acquire majority stake in NanoAvionics
by Jeff Foust — July 5, 2022 [SN]


The first NanoAvionics MP42 smallsat in orbit, taken by a camera on a boom extended from the satellite. Credit: NanoAvionics

WASHINGTON — Norwegian company Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace will acquire a majority stake in NanoAvionics in a deal that values the smallsat manufacturer at 65 million euros ($67 million).

Under the terms of the agreement announced July 5, Kongsberg will acquire 77% of NanoAvionics, with the management of NanoAvionics holding the other 23%. AST SpaceMobile, which acquired a 51% stake in NanoAvionics in 2018, will sell its shares.
https://spacenews.com/kongsberg-to-acquire-majority-stake-in-nanoavionics/

L3Harris makes strategic investment in Mynaric
by Jeff Foust — July 6, 2022 [SN]


L3Harris, which has been using Mynaric terminals for airborne laser communications, will expand the use of that technology for space and other applications with its strategic investment in the company. Credit: Mynaric

WASHINGTON — L3Harris is making a strategic investment in laser communications company Mynaric with plans to make increased use of that technology for space and other applications.

The companies announced July 5 that L3Harris will invest 11.2 million euros ($11.4 million) into Mynaric, taking a 7.2% stake in the Munich-based company. L3Harris, which uses Mynaric’s HAWK terminals for airborne laser communications, said it would expand its use of Mynaric systems for other applications, including space.
https://spacenews.com/l3harris-makes-strategic-investment-in-mynaric/

Stellar Ventures unveils $23 million early-stage fund
by Debra Werner — July 7, 2022 [SN]


Xona Space Systems, a startup building a small satellite constellation to provide secure navigation and timing services, is a Stellar Ventures portfolio company. Credit: Xona Space Systems

SAN FRANCISCO — Stellar Ventures unveiled a fund July 7 with $23 million to invest in early-stage space-related startups.

“The cost of launch has come down so much that any person with an innovative idea can bring it to market,” Stellar Ventures co-founder Celeste Ford told SpaceNews. “It’s like the internet in the 90s. People didn’t know what they were going to do with it. Now, they can’t work if their internet is down.”
https://spacenews.com/introducing-stellar-ventures/

Space industry warned to prepare for impact from lurking recession
by Sandra Erwin — July 11, 2022 [SN]

A United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket sits on Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral for the United States Space Force (USSF)-12 mission. Credit: ULA


A United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket sits on Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral for the United States Space Force (USSF)-12 mission. Credit: ULA

Tory Bruno: 'I think we're really looking at a sea state change'

WASHINGTON — Some companies in the space industry may not survive the coming headwinds in the U.S. and global economies, United Launch Alliance CEO Tory Bruno said July 11.

“I think we’re really looking at a sea state change,” Bruno said at the Space Innovation Summit, an online event.
https://spacenews.com/space-industry-warned-to-prepare-for-impact-from-lurking-recession/

BlackSky and Esri unveil tasking through ArcGIS Online
by Debra Werner — July 12, 2022 [SN]


BlackSky and Esri released a cloud-based satellite tasking application called BlackSky Tasking for ArcGIS Online. This image shows the BlackSky Tasking interface focused on downtown San Diego, the location of the Esri User Conference 2022. Credit: BlackSky

SAN FRANCISCO — BlackSky Technology unveiled satellite tasking July 12 through Esri’s ArcGIS Online geographic mapping platform at the Esri User Conference in San Diego.

After working closely together, BlackSky and Esri released BlackSky Tasking, a cloud-based application that allows Esri and BlackSky customers to task a satellite and receive the imagery in ArcGIS Online.
https://spacenews.com/blacksky-esri-tasking/

Earth imagery companies reimagine satellite tasking
by Debra Werner — July 12, 2022 [SN]


PlanetScope near infrared imagery of the Braided River in eastern Russia's Chukotka Autonomous Okrug. Credit: Planet

SAN FRANCISCO – For years, consumers of Earth-observation data lamented the time required to task satellites to collect imagery of a specific site.

The lag between image order and delivery was typically measured in days and only achieved through lengthy phone conversations. That’s no longer the case.
https://spacenews.com/satellite-tasking/

DirecTV says 5G plan would degrade satellite TV reception
by Jason Rainbow — July 18, 2022 [SN]


An antenna for Starlink, which says its users would also be subjected to harmful interference in the U.S. if a plan to deploy 5G in the 12 GHz band goes ahead. Credit: Starlink

TAMPA, Fla. — DirecTV said July 18 its satellite TV customers face major disruption if broadcast rival Dish Network gets to deploy 5G wireless services in the 12 GHz spectrum band.

Mobile operations in the band “would cause extensive harmful interference” to millions of DirecTV receivers across the United States, the company told the Federal Communications Commission in a letter.
https://spacenews.com/directv-says-5g-plan-would-degrade-satellite-tv-reception/

Microsoft reveals Azure Space Partner Community
by Debra Werner — July 19, 2022 [SN]


In 2021, Microsoft offered partners an opportunity to use Azure Orbital to communicate with and control satellites, and to move data into the Azure cloud through Microsoft's own ground-stations and those of its partners. Credit: Microsoft Azure

SAN FRANCISCO – Microsoft is expanding its relationships with space companies through the Azure Space Partner Community, an initiative unveiled July 19 at the Microsoft Inspire 2022 conference.

“By launching the Azure Space Partner Community, we can enable our partners to deliver the most comprehensive and innovative offerings to our joint customers, and help shape the future of space technologies and services,” Stephen Kitay, Microsoft Azure Space senior director, told SpaceNews. “This is an ecosystem of space partners with exclusive access to technical support and scaling solutions.”
https://spacenews.com/microsoft-azure-space-partner-community/

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