Blue Origin has opened their new headquarters and R&D facility in Kent, Washington.

The facility is Blue Origin’s hub of operations as the firm continues to grow their team. Below are excerpts from remarks given by Blue Origin CEO Bob Smith at the ribbon cutting event.

“2019 was a great year of progress and preparation for us, and 2020 is going to be even more remarkable – so we’re growing quickly. We grew by a third last year and we’re going to continue to grow at a rapid pace.

“We named this building the O’Neill Building after Gerard O’Neill, a physicist who envisioned millions of people living and working in space for the benefit of Earth. Gerard O’Neill was one of the visionaries who thought about how we go out into space in a quick and sustainable way so that we can preserve our planet.

“For those of you that are Washington State residents, what is exciting is we’re going to be doing all this work from a headquarters based here in Kent. It’s a remarkable statement to say that we’re going to fly humans to space, we’re going to build and design large engines and a large orbital rocket, and we’re going to go back to the Moon – all through work centered here.

“We’re excited to continue to see this growth in this new facility. We broke ground on this facility in January of 2019 and it came up in just 11 months. It houses approximately 1,500 people. The building sits on a 30-acre plot of land, and we’re using 13 of those acres for a wildlife habitat and flood storage, as well as protecting against invasive species. This is a very sustainable building with better insulation and better energy consumption than a traditional building. And it all came together very quickly.

“This couldn’t have been done without our great partners. Thanks to Sprung Instant Structures, our architect Nelson, our general contractor Sierra Construction, civil engineering group Barghausen Consulting Engineers and our environmental consultants Soundview Consultants.

“We want to recognize Congressman Smith, Congressman Kilmer and Congressman Heck for joining us here today, thank you for your support. We also want to give a huge thank you to the City of Kent and Mayor Dana Ralph for their tremendous support and leadership.”

Described as “nearly four years of secretive research and development,” Umbra, located in downtown Santa Barbara, is preparing to launch its first Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) microsatellite.

Umbra states that they have developed the world’s only microsatellites capable of generating high resolution imagery from space. Umbra can build a scalable constellation which supports high revisit rates. Average hourly revisits are achievable with 12 satellites while maintaining 1 meter resolution (NESZ ≤ -18 dB). 

Founders of Umbra, David Langan (CEO) and Gabe Dominocielo (CSO), long-time friends born and raised in Santa Barbara, wanted to start a space company there. Dominocielo said that Santa Barbara is well known as a tourist destination, few realize that is has a century long legacy of aerospace industry. They are proud to be a part of it and participate in the development of its next stage. 

Umbra’s microsatellite weighs about 50 kg (110 lbs) and is launched into space in a rideshare volume of a rocket such as SpaceX’s Falcon 9, reducing the costs of the mission. Once in space, Umbra’s antenna expands into a parabolic dish larger than the side of a small school bus, allowing Umbra to achieve unparalleled performance.

The company’s 10,000 square foot facility recently welcomed local public officials including Santa Barbara Mayor Cathy Murillo, City Council members Jason Dominguez and Kristen Sneddon. Wendy Motta, representing Congressman Salud Carbajal, a member of the U.S. House Committee on Armed Services were in attendance. 

Santa Barbara Mayor Cathy Murillo said that Umbra’s microsatellite offers an incredible capability [.25 meter single look imagery] which is unlike anything else she has seen before. 

During the tour of Umbra’s Mission Operations Control (MOC), Councilmember Kristen Sneddon, a geophysicist with an expertise in radar technology, noted, they are building a SAR satellite, it is very exciting to have this technology [high-resolution SAR] developed and directed locally within the city. SAR data can be very useful in the Santa Barbara area, specifically to monitor shifting topography, fires, water aquifers, oil leaks/spills and overall environmental monitoring and more.

The location of the company in Santa Barbara joins part of an aerospace legacy such as Loughead Aircraft Manufacturing Company was founded in 1912, by Allan Lockheed who later formed Lockheed Aircraft Company, one of the companies that formed today’s Lockheed Martin. Jack Northrop began as a draftsman for Loughead Aircraft Manufacturing Company and later founded what became Northrop Grumman. Other innovative aerospace companies have established offices in Santa Barbara County, including, Astro Aerospace, AEC-Able, DSS and Raytheon.

Umbra currently employs about 20 people and has raised capital from CrossCut Ventures, Hemisphere Ventures, Starbridge Ventures, PonValley and Champion Hill Ventures. 

Japan’s Tsubame satellite, known for its ultra-low orbiting capabilities, has been recognized in the Guinness World Records as achieving the “lowest altitude by an Earth observation satellite in orbit,” according to the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).

Artistic rendition of the Tsubame satellite.

Image is courtesy of JAXA.

As part of the satellite’s test mission, Tsubame, flew at an orbital altitude of 167.4 km. from December 23, 2017, to October 1, 2019. This compares to the 600 to 800 km. range in which regular Earth Observation (EO) satellites usually operate.

Using a combination of gas-jet thrusters and a special ion engine system designed by JAXA, Tsubame kept its record low altitude for seven days and captured high resolution images as well as collected atmospheric-related data. The satellite’s ultra-low orbit enabled it to capture more detailed information on the Earth’s surface, but required it to deal with more atmospheric resistance, JAXA explained.

At such a low altitude, the satellite will be exposed to “1,000 times more atmospheric resistance than those at usual altitudes and concentrated atomic oxygen that would accelerate the deterioration of satellite parts,” the space agency here said.  JAXA also said that the materials it developed to ensure Tsubame would be able to withstand being exposed to atomic oxygen for lengthy periods, could help the future of satellite technology.

Masanori Sasaki, the Super Low Altitude Test Satellite project manager at JAXA, stated that the organization would like to make use of this achievement toward future science, technology and satellite utilization and contribute to helping solve as many social issues as possible.

Article source: Xinhua

The Rokot rocket launch from the Plesetsk cosmodrome.

The launch photo is courtesy of TASS/Andrei Morgunov.

On December 27 at 2:11 a.m., Moscow time, the Russian Briz-KM upper stage delivered to orbit a military satellite plus three Gonets-M communication smallsats, according to the Russian Defense Ministry.

In a statement from the ministry, they said that the Rokot light carrier rocket was launched from the Plesetsk cosmodrome (Arkhangelsk region) and delivered three Gonets-M communications spacecraft and the spacecraft of the Russian Defense Ministry to the orbit at the assigned time.

The launch of the Rokot rocket and delivery of the spacecraft to the orbit were carried out in the routine mode, the ministry added.

Artistic rendition of a Russian Gonets-M satellite.

The defense ministry said that JSC Gonets SatCom has assumed control over the Gonets-M satellites, adding that after delivery to the orbit, the control over the Gonets-M spacecraft was transferred to the operator, who will continue controlling them throughout the orbital flight.

These smallsats were built by Reshetnev Information Satellite Systems and weight approximately about 300 kilograms — their life expectancy on-orbit is five years. No information, as of this writing, has been offered regarding the Russian military satellite payload.

This is the second launch of the Rokot rocket from Plesetsk in 2019. The previous Rokot launch was successfully carried out on August 30. Moreover, combat crews of the Space Forces of the Russian Aerospace Forces have launched six more Soyuz-2 carrier rockets from the Plesetsk cosmodrome during 2019.

Apple Headquarters, Cupertino, California.

SATCOM continues to draw increased interest by major technology actors… in the case of Apple, this interest is… according to several reports by major news outlets… to drive comms directly to the firm’s devices from on-orbit satellites and the project has apparently been in the firm’s development pipeline since 2017.

This is definitely becoming a somewhat crowded market, with the Amazons and SpaceXs of the world driving new LEO constellations to service the entire globe and bathe the previously unconnected with beams of cyberspace connectivity.

With the numerous reports now filtering to the internet, Apple’s secret is “out”… Bloomberg News reporters, apparently infiltrating the hallowed halls of the computer, device and services company, indicated around 12 engineers have joined the form to work on this technology. Whether or not these folk are developing satellite to device beam technology, or Apple satellite builds, is unknown as of this writing. However, given the firm’s astounding monetary wherewithal, none of these arenas are outside the realm of possibility.

Bloomberg News filed a story also indicated that the former head of satellite engineer at Google and the founder of Ettus Research have been taken aboard the Apple ship in Cupertino, California. According to Fox Business, former technologists that worked at Skybox Images, prior to its acquisition by Google, are heading up this Apple mission, those being John Fenwick (the former head of Google’s spacecraft operations) and Michael Trela. Additionally, the company has allegedly been involved in a number of conversations regarding LEO satellite launches with Boeing.

Key motivation for these moves by the company could certainly be with the aim to reduce the influence of service providers to reduce consumer as well as Apple dependency on those firms as well as to increase Apple’s ability to provide better maps and location tracking. Mix in the burgeoning 5G environs for wireless connectivity and realize Apple, even if somewhat late to the game, has the capability to surmount numerous challenges to provide products that will be eagerly consumed.

SATCOM and 5G services provisioning are certainly within the firm’s technology purview and, if successful, could easily please consumers with advanced products, all the while generating higher atmospheric streams of revenue for Apple.

Satellogic has received $50 million in funding from new and existing investors — this announcement comes on the heels of Satellogic’s $38 million Dedicated Satellite Constellation (DSC) agreement with ABDAS to deliver access to a dedicated fleet of satellites providing them with high-resolution geospatial insights that will contribute to the monitoring of agriculture over the Henan Province in China and strengthen governmental decisions.

Existing investors, including Tencent and Pitanga,

Artistic rendition of a Satellogic satellite.

Image is courtesy of the company.

contributed approximately 40% of the $50 million in newly announced funding, with some existing investors requesting more than their pro rata share. The remaining capital comes from a number of new financial and strategic investors, including the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), through IDB Lab, the innovation laboratory of the IDB Group.

Pitanga, also based in the Latin American region, invests in innovative companies with high growth potential and is among the existing investors contributing to Satellogic’s newly announced funding.

Satellogic recently closed a $38 million agreement with ABDAS, a data science company established under the technical support of the Institute of Remote Sensing and Digital Earth. The agreement gives ABDAS access to a Dedicated Satellite Constellation and geospatial analytics that will provide them with multi-spectral imagery for monthly remapping of sites they define within their departmental territory and derive insights through their in-house data science capabilities. Through the partnership, ABDAS is able to leverage their constellation to strengthen and support key policy decisions in the province, with no capital outlay and no technical or operational risks.

Today, less than one-third of the countries in the world have their own satellites orbiting the Earth, limiting their ability to capture data about their policy implementation and infrastructure. However, that landscape is changing. One recent report valued the geospatial analytics market at $19.59B in 2018 and predicted that it will reach a value of $29.28 billion by 2024. In this report, government interest was noted as a key driver of growth. New investor, IDB Lab, sees an opportunity for Satellogic to have a meaningful impact in Latin America and the Caribbean in particular. IDB Lab’s financing will be specifically directed toward Satellogic’s development of user-end satellite imagery solutions in these sectors.

Tomás Lopes Teixeira, Senior Investment Officer at IDB Lab, said the company’s mission is to leverage innovation toward inclusion in Latin American and the Caribbean. The firm is excited to support Satellogic’s mission of democratizing access to geospatial analytics solutions, such as monitoring crop growth and preventing the spread of plagues in agriculture to help increase yields and livelihoods of a vast universe of small and medium-sized farmers caught in a low-productivity cycle in the region; improving the reaction time and accuracy in natural disaster response, which typically disproportionately impacts vulnerable populations; and preventing deforestation.

Fernando Reinach, Partner, Pitanga Fund, added that as an investor that has continued to support Satellogic through multiple phases of growth and development, the company is excited to see the market dynamics shift toward what our team has been building since 2010. Governments and industry alike now recognize the power of geospatial analytics and Satellogic is a proven partner. When choosing where to invest and reinvest, Pitanga seeks to fund companies that have the potential to be disruptive and capture a significant portion of large markets in a short time. In this regard, Satellogic is the perfect archetype of the Pitanga portfolio.

Satellogic Founder and CEO, Emiliano Kargieman noted that the company is experiencing significant commercial momentum and the firm is grateful to have investors that want to fuel that growth and help Satellogic service the demand for the company’s Dedicated Satellite Constellation (DSC) and Dedicated Satellite Services (DSS) solutions. Given the commercial success with Satellogic’s DSC bookings and pipeline, in particular, the firm is fortunate to be in a position to use that cash flow to better leverage investor capital in executing the company’s business plan.

Artistic rendition of the CBERS-4A satellite on-orbit.

An Earth Observation (EO) satellite that was jointly developed by China and Brazil was launched into space on Friday, December 20, under a bilateral program that is seen as a template for broader cooperation among BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) nations.

The China-Brazil Earth Resource Satellite 4A was launched via a Long March 4B rocket from the northern Chinese province of Shanxi, the official Xinhua news agency reported.

This satellite was the sixth developed under the China-Brazil Earth Resources Satellite (CBERS) program that began in 1988. The satellites are designed for EO from orbit for non-military use. The CBERS 4A will support the Brazilian government’s monitoring of the Amazon rainforest and changes in the country’s environment, according to Xinhua.

An additional eight satellites were also placed into orbit by the same rocket, including a wide-range, multi-spectral, remote-sensing smallsat donated to Ethiopia.

The BRICS nations have been in talks on a framework agreement to create a constellation of satellites for Earth remote-sensing and to enable the sharing of data obtained by each others’ satellites. Each country will provide one to two satellites to the constellation, according to the China National Space Administration. The CBERS satellites would be included in the constellation program.

Currently, only South Africa in the BRICS bloc does not have satellites of its own on-orbit.

Article source: NDTV

On December 19, 2019, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) approved the application¹ of Space Exploration Holdings, LLC (SpaceX) to further modify their previously authorized 4,425 non-geostationary orbit (NGSO) fixed-satellite service (FSS) satellite constellation using Ku- and Ka-band spectrum.

Specifically, the agency has now authorized SpaceX to increase the number of orbital planes authorized for operations of SpaceX’s satellites at the 550 kilometer (km.) orbital shell, to reduce the number of satellites in each orbital plane and to reconfigure existing satellites in its constellation accordingly.  In doing so, the FCC denies petitions to deny or defer SpaceX’s application³.

Grant of this application will allow SpaceX to accelerate the deployment of their satellite constellation to deliver broadband service throughout the United States, especially to those who live in areas underserved or unserved by terrestrial systems.

On April 26, 2019, the FCC’s International Bureau (Bureau) granted SpaceX’s request to modify its initial authorization and allowed SpaceX to: (1) reduce the number of satellites in the constellation from 4,425 to 4,409; (2) operate 1,584 satellites previously authorized to operate at an altitude of 1,150 km. at the lower altitude of 550 km.; and (3) make related changes to the operations of the satellites in this new lower shell of the constellation.

To read the entire FCC’s Order and Authorization, please access this infolink for the PDF document…

¹Space Exploration Holdings, LLC, Request for Modification of the Authorization for the SpaceX NGSO Satellite System, IBFS File No. SAT−MOD−20190830−00087, filed August 30, 2019 (SpaceX Second Modification Application).

²See Space Exploration Holdings, LLC, Application for Approval for Orbital Deployment and Operating Authority for the SpaceX NGSO Satellite System, Memorandum Opinion, Order and Authorization, 33 FCC Rcd 3391 (2018) (SpaceX Authorization).

³Petition to Defer of SES Americom and O3b Limited (filed Oct. 15, 2019) (SES/O3b Petition); Letter from Nickolas G. Spina, Counsel to Kepler Communications, Inc., to Marlene H. Dortch, Secretary, FCC (filed Oct. 15, 2019) (Kepler Letter).  Kepler’s Letter comprises (1) a petition for reconsideration of the SpaceX First Modification Order (as defined in n.4 below) (Kepler Letter, Recon Petition) (2) a petition to defer or deny this SpaceX Second Modification Application (Kepler Letter, Second Mod Petition), and (3) a petition to defer or deny SpaceX’s request for special temporary authority to launch its second tranche of satellites (Kepler Letter, STA Petition).

ABL Space Systems, a company founded by former SpaceX engineers, recently completed a successful test campaign of its E2 rocket engine at Spaceport America.

When operational, RS1 will fill an important role in the global launch vehicle market, providing bulk deployment of cubesats, deployment of three to six larger, more capable satellites, or dedicated launch of single satellites with aggressive mission requirements.

ABL CFO Dan Piemont said Spaceport America provided the perfect location and support staff for us to test the E2 rocket engine. The team did a great job rapidly activating the firm’s deployable test site and are happy with how E2 performed. This campaign was an important step toward bringing the RS1 launch vehicle to market.

Dan Hicks, Spaceport America CEO, said Spaceport America is providing testing support for a variety of commercial and government clients. With the company’s excellent staff, near perfect climate and restricted airspace, we are a leader in providing service for the space industry.

Rocket Lab has started construction on a new launch pad located at Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand.

The new pad will be the company’s third launch pad for the Electron launch vehicle, joining the existing pad at Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand and the newly opened pad at Launch Complex 2 in Virginia, USA.

Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1, Pad B.

Photo is courtesy of the company.

The new pad, to be named Launch Complex 1 Pad B, is the latest in a series of developments by Rocket Lab to support frequent and responsive launch capability for smallsats. As the world’s only private orbital launch site, Launch Complex 1 is licensed for as many as 120 missions per year. The addition of a new pad within the complex will bring that high-frequency launch cadence closer by eliminating pad recycle time and enabling launches just days apart.

Initially opened in 2016 with a single pad and vehicle hangar, Launch Complex 1 has grown to include extensive range control operations and vehicle integration facilities equipped to process two Electron vehicles simultaneously. The site is also home to two 100K class cleanrooms for payload processing on site, each with dedicated and private customer facilities.

Ground works on the Launch Complex 1 Pad B began in December of 2019 with construction due for completion in late 2020. Concurrent launches from Launch Complex 1 will be possible from the site within the next 12 months.

Pad B will replicate the layout and systems of the current operational Pad A, including a 7.6-ton strongback and launch mount for the Electron vehicle. Pad B will also make use of existing shared infrastructure, including the vehicle integration facility and range control. In the next 12-18 months, around 15 new roles will be recruited to support Launch Complex 1 across engineering and pad technicians, site operations and maintenance, launch safety, and administration.

Rocket Lab Founder and CEO Peter Beck said that responsive access to space is about more than the rocket – it also requires responsive launch pads. With the opening of Launch Complex 2 in the U.S. and now the addition of Pad B at Launch Complex 1, Rocket Lab operates three individual launch pads to provide unmatched launch frequency and responsiveness for small satellites.

Rocket Lab’s Vice President – Launch, Shaun D’Mello, added that by operating two pads at Launch Complex 1, the company eliminates the stand down period required between launches for a full pad recycle. Pad A at Launch Complex 1 has been a workhorse for the company with 10 Electron launches so far. Rocket Lab is now looking forward to expanding on that launch heritage with a new pad and growing launch team.