Posted at the Advanced Television infosite is a report that OneWeb has announced a new distributor partnership with Pacific Dataport (PDI), a company founded by Microcom, a supplier of satellite communication systems, in Alaska.

The collaboration will enable delivery of OneWeb’s high speed, low latency, communications services across Alaska. This agreement marks a key milestone in service-readiness for OneWeb’s Network and its commitment to bring high-speed internet to the Arctic region.

PDI’s distribution agreement with OneWeb ensures that customers in the Arctic will enjoy OneWeb services as early as Q4 2020. Alaska’s unique qualities mean that it is a center for economic growth, and OneWeb’s seamless global network will be a key enabler of regional initiatives such as the collection of climate data, and the growth of a digital economy.

PDI was founded to bring connectivity to all of Alaska and it has a strong commitment to local community projects such as Alaska Seeds of Change, Alaska Healing Hearts, and several other local initiatives. OneWeb shares with PDI this ethos of local collaboration; Alaska is the home of one of the six remote schools chosen to enjoy free OneWeb connectivity.

Artistic rendition of a OneWeb satellite.

Campbell Macfarlane, President OneWeb Enterprise, said, “Working with PDI has been a fabulous collaborative experience.Their knowledge, deep customer relationships and prominence in Arctic commercial regions make it a natural fit to accelerate take-up of OneWeb’s Enterprise propositions. PDI immediately recognized the potential of OneWeb’s solutions to deliver high throughput, low latency services to customers in a broad range of markets.”

Chuck Schumann, CEO Pacific Dataport, added, “PDI is proud to sign Alaska’s first significant LEO service agreement with OneWeb as a network service provider. PDI is at the forefront of the satellite industry, continually looking ahead and implementing the very latest technologies available in the market for our customers. We are delighted to be working with OneWeb, who will provide us with high-speed broadband coverage to serve our customers in Alaska and the Arctic. PDI now has the advantage of being one of the first to be able to demo OneWeb’s service in Alaska and in the Arctic region from the end of this year, and already the enthusiasm from our customers to test and trial OneWeb services has been significant.”

Jonathan Yaney, Founder and CEO of SpinLaunch, Inc., has announced that the company has received an additional investment of $35 million for continued development of the world’s first kinetic launch system, designed to provide the lowest-cost, environmentally responsible orbital launch system to serve the rapidly growing smallsat industry.

The responsive launch system uses a large mass accelerator to provide on demand launches of smallsats in virtually any weather at an order of magnitude lower cost and higher frequency than any existing or proposed launch system.

SpinLaunch Headquarters, Long Beach, California, USA.

Photo is courtesy of the company.

In January 2019, SpinLaunch relocated to a new 140,000 square foot facility in Long Beach, California, and funds will be used for the buildout of this corporate headquarters and investing in equipment and machinery to be a world-class R&D manufacturing facility. In addition, the company is hiring additional talent for both its Long Beach headquarters and Spaceport test facility. the first flight test is expected later this year.

SpinLaunch is re-imagining space launch by revisiting fundamental physics and leveraging proven industrial technologies to create a system that accelerates the launch vehicle to hypersonic speeds using ground-based electricity. Applying the initial performance boost from a terrestrial-based launch platform will enable the company to provide a substantially lower cost launch to orbit, multiple times per day.

Investors include Airbus Ventures, GV, KPCB, Catapult Ventures, Lauder Partners, John Doerr and Byers Family. The funds from this investment will be used to scale the SpinLaunch team and technology, and continue to build out SpinLaunch’s new corporate headquarters in Long Beach, California, and complete the flight test facility at Spaceport America in New Mexico.

CEO Yaney said the company’s team at SpinLaunch greatly appreciates the continued support of this formidable syndicate of investors, who share the firm’s vision of enabling low-cost and frequent launch of imaging and communications constellations that will protect the planet and humanity. Later this year, SpinLaunch aims to change the history of space launch with the completion of the first flight test mass accelerator at Spaceport America.

The “Nanosatellite and Microsatellite Market by Component (Hardware, Software & Data Processing, Launch Services), Type (Nanosatellite and Microsatellite), Application, Vertical (Government, Defense, Civil), and Region – Global Forecast to 2024” report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com’s offering.

The global nanosatellite and microsatellite (smallsat) market size is expected to grow from $1.5 billion in 2019 to $3.6 billion by 2024, at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 19.8% during the forecast period. The satellites are used for several applications, such as communication, earth observation and remote sensing, scientific research, biological experiments, academic training, reconnaissance, and various other applications by the defense, intelligence, civil, commercial, and/or government users. Continuous advancements in the miniaturization of technologies, such as electronics; low-mission costs; and the increasing use of satellite constellations are major drivers of the market.

Hardware is the core of smallsats, which are readily available with vendors for easy integration and plug-and-play processes. These hardware contribute to the complete mass of the satellites and based on the weight of these hardware; smallsats are categorized as nanosatellites or microsatellites. The hardware segment includes subsystems, such as payloads, structures, telecommunications, on-board computers, power systems, attitude control systems, and propulsion systems. The growth in this segment is significant with a number of players offering low-cost hardware and manufacturing services.

Smallsats have brought novel opportunities for Earth Observation (EO) and remote sensing using inexpensive craft to capture images of the Earth and gather specific data. Nanosatellites and microsatellites are expected to play a major role in remote sensing missions, due to their enhanced computational and communication capabilities, along with competencies in taking decisions about the time and data to be shared. Successful programs to develop and examine advanced hyperspectral imaging systems compatible with nanosatellite and microsatellite missions enable small satellites to generate high-quality complex images.

North America leads in the adoption of smallsats and provides great opportunities for growth of the overall market. The region has always been an early adopter of new technology or software, and the North American market grows at a faster rate initially as compared to any other region. The demand for nanosatellites and microsatellites in North America is being driven by the booming digitalization across industries along with a surging demand for EO satellites, which offer extremely high resolution earth images and videos, as close as 1 meter or less, of the Earth’s surface

TriSept Corporation has procured a full mission aboard an Orbex Prime launch vehicle that is set to lift off in the fall of 2022 from the UK’s first spaceport in Sutherland, Scotland.

With its expansion into the UK space market already underway, TriSept is building a multiple spacecraft manifest for a dedicated rideshare mission aboard the reusable Orbex Prime smallsat launcher. TriSept is a long-time go-to launch integration provider in the U.S. space market, enabling the launch of more than 200 satellites on 70 different missions aboard 20 different launch vehicles from 13 launch sites across the globe

The Harwell Space Campus in Oxford, England.

TriSept announced last month it will have a full-time presence at the Harwell Space Campus in Oxford, England, starting this year. Designed and developed by UK-based Orbex, the Orbex Prime launch vehicle offers a payload capacity of 150 kg. to SSO, ideally suited for a broad range of commercial, government and scientific missions lifting off from Europe.

In December of 2019, Orbex revealed the advanced engineering techniques and materials that it is using at its factory in Forres, Scotland, to create the next generation of renewable-fueled European launch vehicles.The Orbex Prime, which is as much as 30 percent lighter than other small launch vehicles, uses bio-propane, a clean-burning, renewable fuel that cuts carbon emissions by 90 percent compared to traditional hydrocarbon fuels.

TriSept helped shape the very rideshare and smallsat missions it supports today with one of the space industry’s most experienced launch integration teams. TriSept played a lead role in early rideshare innovations aboard the SpaceX Falcon 1 in 2009 and, most recently, the Rocket Lab Electron and the NASA ELaNa XIX mission that lifted 10 cubesats into orbit in December 2018.

Recently selected to continue providing launch integration and management support of NASA’s cubesat missions through 2025, TriSept is working with all of the leading traditional and new space satellite manufacturers and launch vehicle providers.

With $40 million in project financing, Orbex is focused on bringing new innovations and efficiencies to the micro-launcher industry in order to offer faster, better and less expensiv e access to space from Europe. In December, Orbex’s disruptive potential was recognized when the company was included in the 2019 Sunday Times Fast Track Disruptors to Watch: 10 Companies Changing The World. The accolade was based on research across a cross-section of UK industries that examined factors such as business model, management team, investor credibility and total funds raised. Orbex is the only manufacturer to be included in the shortlist.

Rob Spicer, TriSept President and CEO, said the company is honored to add Orbex Prime to the firm’s growing launch portfolio, as TriSept expands into the European space market and prepare sto fill an exciting and diverse manifest aboard one of the most innovative and efficient launch vehicles in the world. TriSept is already deep in discussions with spacecraft developers and a broad range of upcoming missions about securing rideshare slots aboard the Orbex rocket, which we expect will carry a complement of eight to 20 smallsats into orbit in 2022.”

Chris Larmour, Orbex CEO, added that this exciting mission with the company’s first U.S. customer entering the European market will be a major milestone for the Orbex Prime launcher. By bringing together Europe’s leading private launch services company and the launch integration and management leadership of TriSept, this is surely a mission to watch as the UK’s first spaceport emerges onto the global stage.

China launched on January 15 a new optical remote-sensing satellite for commercial use into planned orbit from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in north China’s Shanxi Province.

The satellite, belonging to the Jilin-1 satellite family (also named Red Flag-1 H9) was launched by a Long March-2D carrier rocket at 10:53 a.m., Beijing time. The new satellite, developed by the Chang Guang Satellite Technology Co., Ltd., has a super-wide coverage and a resolution at the sub-meter level and is also capable of high-speed data storage and transmission.

A Long March-2D carrier rocket from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in north China’s Shanxi Province lofts China’s Red Flag-1 H9, along with three small satellites.

Photo is courtesy of Xinhua/Lu Xing.

It will work with the 15 satellites of the Jilin-1 family that have already been sent into orbit to form a constellation that will provide remote-sensing data and services for governmental and industrial users.

Via the same carrier rocket, three small satellites — including NewSat7 and NewSat8 developed by an Argentinian company — were also sent into space.

The Long March-2D carrier rocket was developed by the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology under the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation.

Wednesday’s launch was the 325th mission of the Long March series carrier rockets.

Article source: XINHUANET

“Book ’em”, and that’s what occurred when TriSept Corporation, provider of launch integration, management and brokerage services for commercial and government missions, announced it has procured a full mission aboard an Orbex Prime launch vehicle set to lift off in the fall of 2022 from the UK’s first spaceport in Sutherland, Scotland. TriSept is an integration provider in the U.S. space market, enabling the launch of more than 200 satellites on 70 different missions aboard 20 different launch vehicles from 13 launch sites across the globe.

Designed and developed by UK-based Orbex, the Orbex Prime launch vehicle offers a payload capacity of 150kg to Sun Synchronous Orbit (SSO), ideally suited for a broad range of commercial, government and scientific missions lifting off from Europe. In December 2019, Orbex revealed the advanced engineering techniques and materials that it is using at its factory in Forres, Scotland, to create the next generation of renewably-fuelled European launch vehicles. The Orbex Prime, which is up to 30 percent lighter than other small launch vehicles, utilizes bio-propane, a clean-burning, renewable fuel that cuts carbon emissions by 90 percent compared to traditional hydrocarbon fuels. 

Rob Spicer, TriSept’s President and CEO

Rob Spicer, TriSept President and CEO stated that TriSept is honored to add Orbex Prime to their growing launch portfolio, as they expand into the European space market and prepare to fill an exciting and diverse manifest aboard one of the most innovative and efficient launch vehicles in the world. TriSept is already deep in discussions with spacecraft developers and a broad range of upcoming missions about securing rideshare slots aboard the Orbex rocket, which we expect will carry a complement of eight to twenty cubesats and microsatellites into orbit in 2022.

Chris Larmour, Orbex CEOadded that this exciting mission with their first U.S. customer entering the European market will be a major milestone for the Orbex Prime launcher. By bringing together Europe’s leading private launch services company and the launch integration and management leadership of TriSept, this is surely a mission to watch as the UK’s first spaceport emerges onto the global stage.

TriSept helped shape the rideshare and smallsat missions it supports today with one of the space industry’s experienced launch integration teams. TriSept played a lead role in early rideshare innovations aboard the SpaceX Falcon 1 in 2009 and most recently the Rocket Lab Electron and the NASA ELaNa XIX mission that lifted 10 CubeSats into orbit in December 2018. Recently selected to continue providing launch integration and management support of NASA’s CubeSat missions through 2025, TriSept is working with all of the leading traditional and new space satellite manufacturers and launch vehicle providers. 

The Satellogic team is proud to share that the company has successfully delivered two new spacecraft into LEO — the satellites were launched via a Long March 2D rocket from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in China,  joining Satellogic’s eight other satellites that are already on-orbit.

This launch is but the first of many planned such events scheduled for 2020. Satellogic is excited by how the company has grown alongside the firm’s customers’ needs and has increased the capabilities of the fleet, allowing the firm to consistently improve what is offered to our customers in regard to geospatial analytics and insights for decision making.
 

Both satellites are equipped with two payloads: a multi-spectral camera with 1 meter resolution and a hyperspectral camera with 30 meter resolution. During launch, each stage was completed successfully and on schedule, as follows:

• 03:00 — 1st stage separation.
• 03:05:30 — Main payload separation.
• 03:06:00 — NewSat-7 separation, powered up for the first time in space. A new satellite was born: Sophie.
• 03:06:30 — NewSat-8 separation, powered up for the first time in space. A new satellite was born: Marie.
• 03:31 — First pass over Troll ground station in Antarctica, first telemetry packets received, Sophie and Marie are part of the Aleph constellation and welcomed to our space family! Early verification of satellites’ good health through beacons. Each subsystem responsible checked online telemetry.
• 07:25 — Later pass over Svalbard North Pole ground station, tests and verifications completed to understand satellite health. Early orbits stored telemetry download, analysis and maneuvers for satellite stabilization and verification process performed by the Operations and Commissioning team at the company’s Buenos Aires office.

OneWeb and SatixFy UK now have plans to add a digital technology pathway payload that will include a full digital payload into OneWeb’s launch schedule during 2021.

This new technology will pave the way for satellites with a higher level of flexibility to efficiently support peaks in demand without oversizing the constellation.

The digital-transparent payload will demonstrate full Beam Hopping capability in both Forward and Return Links. It will include an On-Board-Processing subsystem capable of running independent links on the User and Gateway links on the ground with different capacities. Electronically Steered Multi-Beam Antenna with True Time Delay beam-forming, capable of pointing and switching multiple beams to multiple directions simultaneously, are an additional major feature.

This combination of features enables significantly higher throughput to designated areas within satellite coverage, while continuing to meet all national security concerns. Active areas are dynamically allocated much higher capacity than areas that do not require as much bandwidth and are just being scanned to gauge demand.

The Beam hopping capability also enables seamless handover for mobile devices, between beams and satellites. An example would be an Aero terminal for In-Flight Connectivity, able to operate on both LEO and GEO simultaneously and maintaining make-before-break connectivity between the rising and setting satellites. Maximum capacity can be directed from multiple sources to hot-spots like busy airports.

Advanced discussions are in progress for collaboration and support from the European Space Agency and the UK Space Agency.

OneWeb launched its first satellites in February 2019 and will shortly start a regular launch program to deliver global commercial broadband services at the end of 2021.

Yoel Gat, CEO of the SatixFy Group, stated the firm has designed several chip sets across the full satellite value chain, including terminals, payloads and gateways, creating a full eco-system based on the company’s own software. This new OneWeb satellite will demonstrate all of these capabilities.

Massimiliano Ladovaz, CTO at OneWeb, said this leading-edge satellite will be fully operational and is a great opportunity to showcase what can be delivered with the company’s payload technology. The improved performance, greater efficiency and targeted capacity, together with sophisticated ground infrastructure, puts OneWeb at the forefront of LEO communications network services.

In-Space Missions Limited (In-Space) and ESA have signed a Public Private Partnership (PPP) program worth 10 million euros to develop the Faraday 2nd generation capabilities to become a Service Mission Provider (SMP) and fly two smallsat validation missions in LEO — the PPP program is co-funded under the ESA ARTES Pioneer program and is part of the Partners Projects.

In-Space has had commercial success with the Faraday 1st Generation (F1G) service that has attracted large space primes, start-ups and academia as customers.

This turnkey service enables multiple 3rd party payloads to ‘rideshare’ on a single satellite platform and take advantage of the economies provided by sharing the infrastructure.

As satellite design, build, regulatory, launch and operations costs are shared across the customers, the typical price of flying with Faraday is around a third of the cost of buying a stand-alone satellite. The first Faraday 1st Generation satellite, incorporating seven distinct customers on a 6U cubesat, is now built and awaiting launch.

The ESA Pioneer program for Faraday 2nd Generation will significantly improve on F1G through an enhanced user-service development and the design and test of a new satellite platform, CubeScale, that enables dramatic performance improvements and cost reductions.

The service design and CubeScale approach will enable In-Space to offer flights on the Faraday service to LEO, including launch, regulatory and six months of operations, at market disrupting prices.  With a proposed flight every 3 to 6 months from 2022, the service will provide a ‘responsive space’ solution for a number of customers needing rapid in space technology and service validation.

The CubeScale platform takes the avionics or ‘brains’ of a low-cost cubesat and incorporates a scalable thermo-mechanical, power and precision AOCS solutions to deliver a high performance, low cost microsatellite platform with a payload carrying capability up to 80 kg. The novel flexible hardware and software interface design enables payload providers to contract with In-Space as late as three months prior to launch.

CubeScale is designed to be agnostic to the avionics solution and as such can incorporate the best in class of Europe’s cubesat capabilities.  While the ESA Pioneer validation missions will take place in low Earth orbit, the CubeScale architecture is readily extendable to medium Earth orbit, geostationary orbit and beyond.

While In-Space is leading the service development and delivery, the CubeScale platform is being developed by a world-class team of British companies. Magna Parva Ltd. is taking the lead on the novel flexible structure and extremely low shock launch adapter.  Bright Ascension Ltd. will drive on the space and ground software interfaces and design tools. In-Space will provide systems leadership to the CubeScale team and develop the AOCS solution.

Tony Holt, In-Space CTO, said this is a fantastic opportunity to bring together three great British SMEs with the goal of enabling many more organizations to demonstrate, prove and start to deliver new space based services.

Doug Liddle, the CEO of In-Space, said Faraday has proven to be a game-changer for the firm’s customers to date and this ESA Artes Pioneer program will give Europe a World beating capability in the rapid demonstration and early roll-out of new and advanced technologies, systems, services and applications. The CubeScale design allows us to fly large payloads alongside cubesat-sized payloads at a transformational price and performance not currently available to small missions. With this project, In-Space aims to further stretch its capabilities as a Space Mission Provider. In-Space will build and perform a flight demonstration with innovative satellite based on its novel and modular platform. A great achievement by the ESA and In-Space led team that kicked off this project.