Startup OrbitFab is working to make orbital refueling a reality and the firm has secured a new contract from the National Science Foundation’s early stage, deep tech, R&D initiative America’s Seed Fund to further the company’s goals.

The contract is specifically for development of a solution that provides rendezvous and docking capabilities in space, managing the end-to-end process of connecting two spacecraft and transferring fuel from one to the other. OrbitFab unveiled its connector hardware for making this possible last October at Disrupt, which it now refers to as its Rapidly attachable Fluid Transfer Interface (RAFTI).

16U tanker and global array with RAFTI closed.
Artistic rendition is courtesy of OrbitFab.

The RAFTI is designed as a replacement for existing valves used in satellites for fueling and draining propellant from spacecraft, but would seek to establish a new standard that provides easy interoperability both with ground fueling, and with in-space refueling (or fuel transfer from one satellite to another, depending on what’s needed).

Already, OrbitFab has managed to fly twice to the International Space Station (ISS) — last year, the firm became the first ever private company to supply the orbital lab with water. OrbitFab is not resting on its laurels and this new contract will help it prepare a technology demonstration of the docking process it’s RAFTI facilitates in their own test facilities this summer.

Longer-term, this is just phase one of a multi-par funding agreement with the NSF. Phase one includes $250,000 to make that first demo, and then ultimately that will lead to an inaugural trial of a fuel sale operation in space, which OrbitFab CMO Jeremy Schiel said should happen within two years. He noted this will involve two satellites, the company’s tanker and a customer satellite in a low LEO docking, exchanging fuel, and decoupling, and then repeating this process as many times as is possible to demonstrate the company’s capabilities.

Article source: NZE News — read the rest of the story at this direct infolink…

Astroscale is still pushing forward toward the company’s mission of sustainable orbits and have completed studies for the Cabinet Office (Japan) and Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry to assess Space Situational Awareness (SSA) capabilities and architectures.

What exactly is SSA and why is Astroscale involved?

SSA refers to the tracking of objects in orbit and predicting where they will be at any given time. The data allows users to accurately interpret and characterize the activity of satellites, improving operational safety and reducing the risk of collisions. With increased congestion in orbit, there have been a growing number of commercial and civil use cases for SSA, such as asset investment protection, insurance claims, and safety of flight. Now with active debris removal and in-orbit services missions gearing up, SSA is becoming an important part of operational services.

Artistic rendition of the Elsa-d mission.
Image is courtesy of Astroscale.

At Astroscale, work continues toward the launches of the firm’s ELSA-d and ADRAS-J missions and get closer to fully operational services, the company is developing a clearer understanding of SSA needs for future servicing missions.

The use of SSA data has been making global headlines recently with the most notable from LeoLabs when they announced a close approach in late January between two large, inactive satellites. It turned out to be an extremely close call, and one with high potential of impact due to the sizes of the defunct satellites. Thankfully, the two objects passed each other and we narrowly missed seeing thousands of new pieces of debris added to our orbits. But the worrying part is that these near-miss events happen all the time. That very same week there were several other close approaches. In other words, we are on borrowed time as our orbits become more crowded.

Benjamin Franklin once stated that “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” and Astroscale believes this applies perfectly to mitigating space debris. It is necessary to have actionable SSA information, timely de-orbit of satellites that can conduct collision avoidance and removal of larger defunct objects from space before they become thousands of smaller and harder to clean pieces of junk.

Together – SSA (understanding), mitigation (prevention), and remediation (cure) – are key elements of the space sustainability puzzle. The space community should apply these elements in a way that exceeds minimum standard practices, increases transparency among operators, and delivers a sense of urgency.

Astroscale is working on all these pieces of the puzzle for spaceflight safety and orbital sustainability for the benefit of future generations.

Additionally, like the rest of the world, Astroscale has been following the growing COVID-19 pandemic with increasing concern.  It is precisely at times like this, when there is so much uncertainty and fear, that it is most necessary for us all to pull together as a community.  The global Astroscale family is working to do what it can to reduce the spread of the virus and highlight the importance of connectivity to the future.

In response to the growing pandemic, Astroscale has now temporarily shut down the offices in Japan, the UK, the US and Singapore.  The firm’s global staff of more than 100 people are now all working from their homes but continuing to stay in close contact. The company is not certain when each of the offices will reopen but will keep all informed as updates occur.

With many of us in self-quarantine, satellite services are taking on increased importance as we not only continue to move our mission forward, but also check in on loved ones virtually, stream movies to pass the time, or monitor the footprint of the coronavirus spread across the globe. Our reliance on space is now greater than ever and one thing is abundantly clear – protecting each other, and maintaining sustainability of orbital services which keep us connected as a global community, is more crucial than ever.

This temporary shutdown will not delay Astroscale as the firm continues to move forward with steps to secure long-term spaceflight safety and orbital sustainability for the benefit of future generations. The company’s initial technology demonstration mission, ELSA-d, is still planned for launch in late 2020 and all is on schedule to deliver the spacecraft to the launch site on time.

Stay safe out there everyone and look out for each other.

The RT infosite has filed a report that OneWeb filed for bankruptcy less than a week after launching another batch of internet satellites, as the company failed to raise more funds for their program amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

The London-based venture, as well its affiliates, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Friday, March 27, saying that the proceedings are aimed at pursuing “a sale of its business in order to maximize the value of the company.”

Since the beginning of the year, OneWeb had been trying to obtain more investments. The company says that it was close to obtaining the necessary financial support, but talks failed due to market turbulence that was triggered by the coronavirus outbreak.

While the statement does not directly point at any particular investor that turned its back on the satellite internet provider, earlier reports said its largest backer, Softbank, which had already invested $2 billion in the company, refused to provide more capital. Market rout has apparently spooked other investors, such as Qualcomm, Airbus, Virgin Group, Coca-Cola, and Intelsat among others.

Bankruptcy filings reveal that OneWeb owes their launch partner Arianespace, by far, the most money (more than $238 million). Qualcomm, Deloitte and Deutsche Bank are also among top five largest creditors with unsecured claims.

Russian state space corporation, Roscosmos, is one of OneWeb’s contractors. OneWeb has already put 74 satellites in LEO, a small portion of the company’s hundreds-strong network to provide global internet coverage, with the last two launches occurring from the Baikonur Cosmodrome. The latest mission, carrying 34 satellites aboard a Russian Soyuz rocket, was successfully launched on March 21.

“Our current situation is a consequence of the economic impact of the Covid-19 crisis,” OneWeb CEO Adrian Steckel said.

Chris Forrester

OneWeb’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy (under the SEC’s ‘debtor in possession’ rules) on Friday, March 27, was shocking, given that the company had just launched an extra 34 satellites into orbit on March 21.

One can only imagine the nightmare – and no doubt deep depression — taking place at OneWeb’s various offices during the intervening six days.

Adrian Steckel

Following the Baikonur launch, OneWeb’s CEO Adrian Steckel said, “In these unprecedented times following the global outbreak of Covid-19, people around the world find themselves trying to continue their lives and work online. We see the need for OneWeb, greater now more than ever before.”

Steckel also spoke optimistically of more launches during the year, saying, “We think it is inevitable that there will be delays to our launch schedule and satellite manufacturing due to increasing travel restrictions and the disruption of supply chains globally. Therefore, we made the difficult decision to eliminate some roles and responsibilities as we work to focus on core operations.  We are sorry to have had to take this step and we’re doing everything we can to support those affected.”

Now the company, with its ‘debtor in possession’ bankruptcy, is actively seeking a buyer for its 74 orbiting assets and what’s left of the tarnished dream of founder Greg Wyler.

One investment banker, speaking on March 30, suggested that a potential buyer could be Eutelsat, given that the Paris-based geo-operator has no LEO plans.

However, its tough imagining how any satellite player would want the challenge of launching another 600 satellites, with the massive manufacturing obligations and with the even bigger challenge of mounting a sales and marketing campaign.

In a note on March 30, investment bank Exane/BNPP’s Sami Kassab said, “We note that Eutelsat has no broadband LEO constellation project and believe it might find an interest in looking at OneWeb for its orbital rights and market access licenses could be of value for the French operator.”

Of course, while OneWeb’s principle backer, Japan’s SoftBank, was instrumental in bringing OneWeb to its knees by declining further bail-outs, there are other investors in OneWeb who might have the deep pockets to mount a rescue, not the least if which is chip-developer Qualcomm (Q1/2020 revenues $5.07 billion) or even India’s Bharti Airtel (2020 revenues expected to be above $1 billion).

However, the challenges ahead are huge. A year ago, SES CEO Steve Collar was blunt, saying he doubted whether any of the would-be mega-constellation operators could fund the cost of finding subscribers.

Plus, the current debts are significant.  Examining the OneWeb Chapter 11 ‘debtor in possession’ documents, it is Arianespace that is the company’s top creditor and is owed $238 million in unsecured claims. OneWeb signed a contract worth $1.1 billion back in 2015 for a total of 21 launches using Ariane’s Soyuz rocket.  Three of those launches have happened, the most recent at the beginning of March when 34 satellites were orbited.

However, OneWeb also has contracts in place with Arianespace for the maiden flight of its all-new Ariane 6 rocket and has also signed options for two further Ariane 6 launches.

The company is understood to have laid off some 85 percent of its staff and has some $1.7 billion of debt.

OneWeb’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy petition to the Court seeks a “Restructuring to execute sale process.” The company, in its statement, stated, “OneWeb is actively negotiating debtor-in-possession financing, which, if acquired and approved by the Bankruptcy Court, will ensure OneWeb is able to fund additional financial commitments as it conducts a sale process under Section 363 of the US Bankruptcy Code. Together, these actions will allow OneWeb to meet post-petition obligations to its remaining employees and certain vendors in the ordinary course.”

Should a buyer not come forward and a full bankruptcy follow, then the 74 satellites already orbiting could fall into the hands of the UK government, along with the licenses held by OneWeb/WorldVu.

OneWeb’s shareholders are listed as:

• Softbank: 37.41%
• Qualcomm: 15.93%
• Greg Wyler*: 11.94%
• Airbus: 8.5%

*Greg Wyler 1110 Ventures LLC

OneWeb’s main backer, SoftBank, saw its share price plunging 10 percent in trading on March 30. Other investors, in addition to the listed shareholders, include Coca-Cola, Bharti Airtel, Virgin Group and others.

OneWeb’s Associated companies, also in Ch 11 bankruptcy, include…

•    Network Access Associates Limited
•    OneWeb ApS
•    OneWeb Chile SpA
•    OneWeb Communications Limited
•    OneWeb G.K.
•    OneWeb Global Limited
•    OneWeb Holdings LLC
•    OneWeb Limited
•    OneWeb Ltd
•    OneWeb Network Access Holdings Limited
•    OneWeb Norway AS
•    WorldVu Australia Pty Ltd.
•    WorldVu Development LLC
•    WorldVu JV Holdings LLC
•    WorldVu Mexico, S. DE R. L. DE C.V.
•    WorldVu Satellites Limited
•    WorldVu South Africa (Pty) Ltd.
•    WorldVu Unipessoal Lda  1021823 B.C. LTD

Not specifically itemized is OneWeb’s Florida joint-venture (OneWeb Satellites) with Airbus, which is building the company’s satellites.

In addition to Arianespace, other key creditors include…

• Qualcomm: $8.0m
• Deloittes: $6.8m
• Hughes Network Sys.: $5.3m
• Deutsche Bank:  $5.2m*
• Wipro: $2.5m
• Willis Towers: $1.9m
• Viasat: $1.2m
• Nokia: $988,000
• Redapt: $662,275
• Rockwell Collins: $596,775

*Disputed claim

It is expected that Chapter 11 will affect OneWeb’s London-based parent company (OneWeb Communications Ltd.) and its Jersey (Channel Islands) businesses OneWeb Ltd. and WorldVu Satellites Ltd.  The company’s latest Consolidated Financial Statements were filed in London on October 10 of  last year (for the year to December 31, 2018, the financials show that OneWeb had secured about $3.3 billion in equity and debt financing.) KPMG are the company’s auditors.

There are numerous formal Financial Charges listed against the company, notably with SoftBank Group Corp. on March 18, 2019, which granted SoftBank a Charge over the entire issued share capital of the company (both ordinary and preferred shares).

This failure is a major body-blow to the satellite industry and it will take time to unravel the complexities of the business. There is also a joint-venture in place with Airbus for a satellite-building facility in Florida near the Kennedy Space Centre.

More details will emerge as the bankruptcy process rolls on. CEO Steckel’s statement on March 27, which accompanied the liquidation announcement, was candid, but hopeful. He said, “OneWeb has been building a truly global communications network to provide high-speed low latency broadband everywhere. Our current situation is a consequence of the economic impact of the COVID-19 crisis. We remain convinced of the social and economic value of our mission to connect everyone everywhere. Today is a difficult day for us at OneWeb. So many people have dedicated so much energy, effort, and passion to this company and our mission. Our hope is that this process will allow us to carve a path forward that leads to the completion of our mission, building on the years of effort and the billions of invested capital. It is with a very heavy heart that we have been forced to reduce our workforce and enter the Chapter 11 process while the Company’s remaining employees are focused on responsibly managing our nascent constellation and working with the Court and investors.”

One might say that the two remaining major mega-constellation operators, SpaceX’s Starlink and Jeff Bezos’ Project Kuiper, both have very deep pockets. They’ll need them!

Note: Additional information about OneWeb’s Chapter 11 cases can be found at this direct infolink…

Virgin Orbit has developed a new mass-producible bridge ventilator to help in the fight against the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

The Virgin Orbit team has been consulting with the Bridge Ventilator Consortium (BVC), led by the University of California Irvine (UCI) and the University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin), a group formed to spawn and nurture efforts to build producible, simple ventilators to aid in the current COVID-19 crisis.

Pending clearance by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Virgin Orbit aims to commence production at its Long Beach manufacturing facility in early April, sprinting to deliver units into the hands of first responders and healthcare professionals as soon as possible.

As the COVID-19 crisis worsens and the paucity of medical equipment becomes more and more clear, the Virgin Orbit team is strongly motivated to do all that we can to help. On a normal day, the firm is building rockets and other equipment for space launch; the company’s teams are not medical doctors nor is Virgin Orbit usually a manufacturer of medical devices. However, the company does have a team of incredibly innovative and agile thinkers — experts in designing, fabricating, programming, testing — who are eager to lend a hand.

After contacting Governor Gavin Newsom last week, Virgin Orbit was directed by his office to the California Emergency Medical Services Authority (CEMSA) and put in contact with the BVC. The BVC is a team of brilliant doctors, medical device experts, and researchers at UCI and UT Austin who are working around the clock, sharing ideas across a broad national and international network to share best practices and design insights and to accelerate progress on solutions to this equipment shortage.

Today, complex, high-end, ICU-capable ventilators are sometimes the only option available for moderate cases — for people who don’t necessarily need intensive care or have partially recovered. By supplying “bridge” ventilators, Virgin Orbit’s device can free up those critical resources for the most ill.

Virgin Orbit engineers have taken rapid scaling into account from the beginning of the design process, taking advantage of the most common and robust manufacturing and assembly processes. The company’s aim is to have a functioning, deployable bridge ventilator in production in early April. Virgin Orbit would continue on to rapidly scale up to mass production in its Long Beach facility, in addition to potentially activating other manufacturers as soon as the new device is reproducible and production-ready.

Dr. Brian J.F. Wong, Assistant Chairman of Otolaryngology at UCI, said the nation faces a slow-motion Dunkirk, and getting ventilators out there is very important to save lives. The demand outstrips supply, so it is important the government, industry, academia, non-profits, and the community work together to identify solutions, and design and construct them as fast as possible.

Virgin Orbit CEO Dan Hart added that the company is heartbroken each night as the news is turned on and see the predicament facing doctors and nurses as they heroically work to save lives. Dan has never seen the company’s team working harder and has also never seen ideas moving quicker from design to prototype. Virgin Orbit is hopeful that this device can help as all prepare for the challenges ahead.

A compressed preview image of ICEYE radar satellite imagery,
originally acquired at 25 cm resolution, showing oil tanks
in Rotterdam, Netherlands.

ICEYE has unveiled their latest capability of 25 cm. resolution imaging with synthetic-aperture radar (SAR) smallsats, using the company’s current on-orbit, commercial SAR satellite constellation.

With this very high resolution imaging capability, ICEYE SAR data achieves the same resolution class provided by larger, conventional commercial SAR satellites operating at their highest performance.

ICEYE successfully launched its first SAR satellite in January of 2018, ICEYE-X1, which achieved 10×10 meter resolution data capabilities, while also becoming the World’s first SAR satellite mission under 100 kilograms (220 pounds) in launch mass. With the company’s latest development of 25 cm. imaging from its current commercial SAR satellite constellation of three spacecraft, ICEYE data achieves the finest classification of resolution in the commercial SAR market.

Following standard industry definitions, the native slant plane resolution of the newly unveiled SAR data is 25 cm. in the azimuth direction, and 50 cm. in the range direction, before ground-plane adjustments are applied. The finest resolution data will be provided to customers in ICEYE’s standard product formats that are accessible with standard Geographic Information System (GIS) tools.

Pekka Laurila, CSO and Co-founder, ICEYE, stated that before, these resolutions have been exclusively reserved for the larger, traditional SAR spacecraft. This resolution is operationally expected to be available for ICEYE customers mid-2020 from the current on-orbit constellation.

Dr. Mark Matossian, CEO of the US subsidiary of ICEYE, noted that site activity monitoring based on very high resolution SAR data enables the firm’s customers to unlock new insights in virtually all use cases that use ICEYE’s current 1-meter resolution imaging.” — 25 cm. resolution SAR imaging is ground-breaking to come from the world’s smallest SAR satellites. Commercial and government SAR customers will be able to achieve very detailed change detection, perform improved object classification, and track ever smaller objects from orbit.

Kleos Space (ASX: KSS, Frankfurt: KS1), a space-powered Radio Frequency Reconnaissance data-as-a-service (DaaS) company, has appointed Sean McKay as senior business developer for US and Middle East operations.

Sean McKay

Sean McKay is a retired Colonel and a graduated Senior Materiel Leader with more than 22 years’ experience in program management for various Department of Defense (DoD), Foreign Military Sales, and Intelligence Community activities in command and control, intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, space, cyber, ground integration, operational systems and operational test.

Artistic rendition of Kleos Scouting Mission satellites on orbit. Image is courtesy of the company.

McKay is joint qualified with several years of experience in resource management, legislative affairs, as well as an extended deployment to Afghanistan in support of the joint service and coalition build-up of the Afghan National Army. Mr. McKay will engage with a large network of defense specialists in the US Air Force and Saudi Arabia.

Karyn Hayes-Ryan, Kleos Space Inc. Director said that Sean joins the Kleos team at a time of international crisis, where governments are acutely aware of the need for enhanced border security. The company has seen an increasing interest in Kleos’ data offerings and he is well equipped to develop business opportunities in the US and Saudi Arabia.

The Kleos Scouting Mission satellites are in Chennai, India, awaiting launch on Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) PSLV C49. The multi-satellite Scouting Mission system will form the foundation of a constellation that delivers a global picture of hidden maritime activity, enhancing the intelligence capability of government and commercial entities when AIS (Automatic Identification System) is defeated, imagery is unclear, or targets are out of patrol range. The first scouting mission is comprised of 4 smallsats that are flown in formation.

Rocket Lab has postponed the launch of its next mission in response to the COVID-19 situation. The company has posted the following…

In response to the evolving COVID-19 situation, we have paused launch preparations for our next mission to protect the health and safety of Rocket Lab team members, our families, and the wider community.

The mission was scheduled to lift off from Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand on 30 March UTC. Launch preparations have been paused, however, following the New Zealand Government’s announcement on 23 March NZDT to implement the Level 4 COVID-19 response which requires most businesses to close and instructs people to stay at home. We commend the government for taking this drastic but necessary step to limit the spread of COVID-19.

We have the full support of our customers in pausing operations and we are grateful for their understanding in these challenging times. We are working with the government, health officials, and our customers to determine when launch operations can resume. The launch vehicle and ground systems will remain in a state of readiness for launch as the evolving situation allows it. The majority of our team is working from home with the exception of a few essential personnel who are monitoring and maintaining critical systems.

In recent years, we have placed an increased emphasis on delivering responsive launch capability for our customers, which means having launch vehicles and pads ready for rapid call-up launch capability. As a result of this approach, we’re fortunate to have enough launch vehicles ready that we can effectively manage a pause in production and still have vehicles available for launch as soon as conditions allow.

In the days, weeks, and months to come, we’ll be following the advice of the government and health authorities to protect our teams in the United States and New Zealand.

Our deepest thanks go to the medical professionals, scientists and researchers, supermarket workers, and all those providing essential services in these trying times. We are grateful for all that you do.

Be safe and look out for each other.

A smallsat launcher built by Astra “experienced an anomaly” Monday, March 23, on a launch pad at Kodiak Island, Alaska, forcing the cancellation of a planned orbital launch attempt this week, according to the company’s co-founder and CEO and reported at the KC4MCQ infosite.

An Astra rocket being prepared for launch. Photo is courtesy of the company.

The incident at the Pacific Spaceport Complex on Kodiak Island occurred during a pre-launch countdown dress rehearsal, and was first reported by KMXT, a local public radio station.

“I can confirm that the vehicle experienced an anomaly after an otherwise very successful day of testing in preparation for the launch,” said Chris Kemp, Astra’s co-founder and CEO, in an emailed statement late Monday. “Fortunately, our hardware was the only thing harmed, and the team is already working hard to understand the root cause so we can improve the design.”

Officials from Astra and the Pacific Spaceport Complex, which is run by the Alaska Aerospace Corp., said no one was injured during the mishap. Astra’s rocket was damaged, although the extent of the damage was unclear.

Astra was planning a launch attempt as soon as Tuesday to place a small payload into LEO. Astra’s first orbital launcher, named Rocket 3 or Rocket 3.0, is designed to carry up to 55 pounds (25 kilograms) of payload into a SSO polar orbit. Those plans were canceled after Monday’s anomaly, Kemp said.

“Unfortunately, we will not be attempting a launch this week,” he said. “We intend to wait until conditions with coronavirus improve before making another attempt.”

“I can confirm we had an anomaly on the launch pad,” said Mark Lester, CEO of Alaska Aerospace Corp., an agency of the state of Alaska. “We are executing our emergency checklist. We request everyone stay clear of the area to allow our crew to address the situation,” he told KMXT.

To read the entire article at the KC4MCQ infosite, please access this direct infolink…

When 34 Airbus OneWeb Satellites (OneWeb) launched onboard a Soyuz rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, on March 21, RUAG Space had critical mission products onboard that were customized for the mega satellite constellation.

This launch was the second time that OneWeb launched 34 of its satellites.

In February of 2020, the first 34 satellites had been launched and now, on Saturday, March 21, the next 34 satellites. In February 2019, OneWeb successfully launched the first six broadband satellites.

As a key OneWeb supplier, RUAG Space built the satellite dispenser, which functions as an interface between the Soyuz rocket and satellites. The dispenser is tailored to the need of a constellation like OneWeb, being able to deposit up to 36 satellites safely into space.

The RUAG built OneWeb dispenser includes a conical top structure, a “hat”, that has the capability to host up to four additional OneWeb satellites per mission. RUAG has developed a unique and cost effective solution that enables OneWeb to maximize the number of satellites per Soyuz launch. The top structure was developed within the contract with Arianespace for the OneWeb program.

RUAG dispensers, produced in Sweden, are especially suitable for spacecraft constellations such as OneWeb, where a high number of spacecraft need to be placed in orbit within a short time frame. At its lower interface the dispenser structure is bolted to the launch vehicle upper stage. Each satellite is attached to the dispenser in separation nodes. The RUAG dispenser provides a stiff connection in each node during launch, a safe release and an accurate separation provided by the four separation nuts and spring units.

Structures for satellites RUAG Space manufactures the satellite panels used by OneWeb Satellites in Titusville, Florida. The OneWeb structures (satellite back-bone) are manufactured using the Automated Potting Process (APM). The APM process—developed by RUAG Space—is a revolutionary production method that uses a pick and place machine to rapidly position special inserts filled with adhesive into the satellite structure’s sandwich panels.

In Austria, RUAG Space produced the multi-layer thermal insulation which protects the OneWeb satellites against the cold and heat in space from approx. minus 150°C to plus 150°C (-238 degrees F to 302 degrees F). The insulation consists of several layers of metal-evaporated polyimide film.

RUAG Space in Austria also built handle equipment and containers that OneWeb uses to transport the assembled satellites to the different launch sites as well as the corresponding handling at the launch sites. The high-tech, custom satellite containers are used to transport the satellites to the worldwide rocket launch centers. The containers are equipped with a specifically designed damping systems and climate-control.

RUAG Space EVP Peter Guggenbach said the company’s dispenser is super-light and includes state-of the art technology to safely place the satellites on orbit. With RUAG products, the company is contributing to this important project, which will enhance communication around the world.

A video of the RUAG Space Dispenser is available for viewing at this direct link…