Relativity Space has closed a $140 million Series C funding round, led by Bond and Tribe Capital.

With this $140 million funding round, Relativity is now fully funded to become the first company in the world to launch an entirely 3D printed rocket to orbit and to enter commercial service in early 2021. The Series C round includes participation by new investors Lee Fixel, Michael Ovitz, Spencer Rascoff, Republic Labs, and Jared Leto, with participation from current investors Playground Global, Y Combinator, Social Capital, and Mark Cuban.

Relativity Space’s Stargate factory.

Photo is courtesy of the company.

Relativity is the only aerospace company to reinvent  the rocket and the entire manufacturing value chain. The company is developing the Stargate factory, the first and only aerospace factory to integrate machine learning, software, and robotics with metal 3D printing technology, enabling Relativity to build and launch rockets in days instead of years. Built from raw material to launch-ready in less than 60 days with a payload capacity up to 1250 kg., Relativity’s Terran 1 rocket is now upgraded to a 3-meter payload fairing with 2x larger volume than before, making it the most competitive in its class and providing unique flexibility to satellite customers. Both the Stargate factory and Terran 1 are completely designed, built, and operated in the United States.

Since closing a Series B fundraising round in March 2018, Relativity has achieved key milestones across product development, government partnerships, and business momentum and is on track to commence commercial service in 2021. The company advanced its groundbreaking Stargate factory to expand print production capacity 4x and developed several larger next-generation Stargate 3D printers with optimized controls and software, improving scalability and adaptability to evolving customer needs.

Among the technology milestones achieved are building fully printed first and second stage structures, printing and assembling a second stage, successful and intentional burst testing of Stargate printed stage structures to demonstrate ability to hold pressure, completion of first turbopump tests, completion of more than 200 engine hotfire tests at NASA Stennis Space Center, completion of the avionics architecture and hardware testing, and completion of the Terran 1 vehicle system design and coupled loads analysis.

Relativity Space also deepened its pioneering partnership with the U.S. Government. Relativity became the first venture-backed company to secure a launch site Right of Entry at Cape Canaveral Launch Complex-16 from the U.S. Air Force, secured a 20-year exclusive-use Commercial Space Launch Act (CSLA) agreement for five NASA test sites including E3 and E4 and a 20-year exclusive use lease for a 220,000 square feet factory at NASA Stennis Space Center, and became the only venture-backed company on the National Space Council User’s Advisory Group advising the U.S. White House. Relativity expects to secure a polar and Sun Synchronous Orbit (SSO) capable launch site by the end of 2019.

Relativity also accelerated growth of its Terran 1 customer manifest, including leading global satellite operators, commercial companies, and government payloads. The company announced customer contracts with Telesat, the renowned global satellite operator, to support their LEO constellation; mu Space, the innovative Thai satellite and space technology company to launch their first LEO satellite; Spaceflight Industries, the leading satellite rideshare and mission management provider, to launch Spaceflight’s dedicated smallsat rideshares; and Momentus, the provider of in-space shuttle services, to launch Momentus’ small and medium satellite customers to GEO.

To scale operations for first flight, Relativity increased infrastructure from 10,000 square feet to more than 280,000 square feet of operations, production, testing, and launch facilities, and is on track to reach over 480,000 square feet of infrastructure in 2019. Since last year, the company increased team size 8x from 14 to 110 employees, and hired a senior executive team of renowned experts and seasoned leaders from top private space and technology companies, including Distinguished Engineer Tim Buzza, VP of Government Business Development Josh Brost, VP of Launch Vehicle Development David Giger, VP of Operations Tobias Duschl, VP of Avionics and Software Brandon Pearce, and General Counsel Laura Lariu.

Tim Ellis, Co founder and CEO of Relativity Space, said the company was founded with the long term vision of 3D printing the first rocket made on Mars and expanding the possibilities for human experience in our lifetime. With the close of this Series C funding, Relativity Space is now one step closer to that vision by being fully funded to launch Terran 1 to orbit as the world’s first entirely 3D printed rocket. Bond and Tribe are unrivaled partners in leading this funding round and the firm is excited to build this important future together with our entire team.

Rocket Lab has revealed that Astro Digital will be the customer for Rocket Lab’s ninth Electron mission, and fifth mission of 2019.

Astro Digital’s Corvus platform, a modular and scalable collection of satellite subsystems.

Image is courtesy of the company.

The mission is named ‘As The Crow Flies’ in a nod to Astro Digital’s Corvus Platform, which provides flexible and cost-effective solutions across a wide range of applications and mission profiles on bus variants ranging from 6U and 16U CubeSats to ESPA Class. Corvus is also a widely-distributed genus of birds which includes crows.

Rocket Lab’s Senior Vice President – Global Launch Services, Lars Hoffman, said the mission is a perfect example of the tailored, responsive and precise launch service sought by an increasing number of small satellite operators and that the company is honored Astro Digital has selected Rocket Lab as the launch provider for their dedicated mission.

Mr. Hoffman noted that ‘As The Crow Flies’ has been moved forward in Rocket Lab’s 2019 launch manifest, after a customer originally slated for launch in the coming weeks requested a later launch date. By manufacturing standard Electron launch vehicles, rather than rockets tailored to specific missions, Rocket Lab can facilitate rapid manifest changes that support the responsive needs of small satellite operators. Rocket Lab augments this flexibility by operating the world’s only private orbital launch range, providing small satellite customers with unmatched launch schedule control.

Announced today during the 8th Space Forum Adelaide, the Californian company will move into Lot Fourteen, the innovation neighborhood already home to the Australian Space Agency and a growing list of space industry startups.

Tyvak partnered with South Australian space startup Myriota in February to develop and launch multiple satellites in 2019, taking Myriota another step towards its goal of having a constellation of 50 nanosatellites.

Myriota’s Dr Alex Grant and Dr David Haley have partnered with Californian company Tyvak Nano-Satellite Systems, which will set up a base in South Australia. Photo: Rosina Possingham.

Each satellite will run Myriota’s patented software, which provides reliable, direct-to-satellite Internet of Things (IoT) connectivity for millions of users worldwide.

Tyvak also established their first Australian ground station antenna at Nova Systems in Peterborough, South Australia in August.

Tyvak Australia Director Dr. Marco Villa said the company planned to grow its local workforce to 30 people within the next two years. 

“By hiring local talent, tapping into local resources and applying our agile aerospace processes, we aim to accelerate commercial and defense space missions while growing the local supply chain and national space ecosystem,” Dr. Villa said.

South Australia has been a significant player in the nation’s space industry and is home to major Tier 1 defence companies and several emerging space startups.

The space industry in South Australia received a further boost in April when it was announced the $245 million national SmartSat CRC would be headquartered at the University of South Australia.

Tyvak is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Terran Orbital Corporation, a global leader in the miniaturization of space technologies.

South Australain Premier Steven Marshall said Tyvak would establish itself in the Defence and Space Landing Pad at Lot Fourteen to further cement South Australia’s title of Australia’s space state.

“It’s clear that South Australia is now driving the growth of Australia’s space sector and defense industry, creating high-tech jobs and generating interest from interstate and overseas,” Premier Marshall said.

The Premier used the Space Forum to invite more space industry companies to apply to join the Defence and Space Landing Pad at Lot Fourteen. 

The space industry has a dedicated building in the neighborhood which will be home to the Australian, Space Industry, SmartSat CRC, Mission Control Centre and Space Discovery Centre. 

Australia aims to grow the space market segment from AU$3.9 billion to AU$12 billion by 2030 and double space industry employment to 30,000.

By Jim Plouffe, From the LeadsSouthAustalia

At the Advanced Television infosite, journalist Chris Forrester is reporting that LeoSat is planning to girdle the planet with between 78 to108 satellites, each equipped with laser-based connectivity for ultra-fast low-latency communications; however, raising sufficient cash has proven to be a major challenge.

Mark Rigolle is the company’s CEO and he has past expertise as the CEO at SES-backed O3b and, prior to that position, he was the CFO at SES itself — he has been with LeoSat since 2015.

Journalist
Chris Forrester.

The would-be satellite operator has been working with Thales Alenia Space on the design of the satellites and their orbital constellation. Its investors to date include Hispasat of Spain and Japan’s SkyPerfect JSAT, and the initial budget for the constellation was to be some $3.5 billion. It is understood that neither Hispasat or SkyPerfect wish to expand their existing investments, and industry reports say that Rigolle is trimming those budget demands to nearer $3 billion.

Unfortunately, LeoSat has only until January 2021 to “bring into use” frequencies allocated to it by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU). ITU rules state that if frequencies are not activated then their company’s rights to those frequencies lapse.

LeoSat wanted to speedily-built satellites to be launched to secure those frequencies, but reportedly is now looking to scale back its ideal plans including smaller — and less expensive — satellites that would also be cheaper to launch into orbit.

Rigolle stated that LeoSat has firm Letters of Intent worth $2 billion in long–term contracts to use its service.

Australia’s rebooted space industry is positioning itself as a world leader in the development of smart satellites and associated technologies that will streamline communication, drive the Internet of Things, enhance Earth Observation and shape the defense forces of the future. 

The Australian Government backed SmartSat CRC — or Cooperative Research Centre — is playing a leading role during “Space Week” in the South Australian capital, which includes the 8th Space Forum (formerly South Australia Space Forum) and the 19th Australian Space Research Conference.

Supported by the Australian Space Agency and the SmartSat CRC, the week began on Thursday. The 8th Space Forum is on at the Adelaide Convention Centre on Monday, September 30 and includes a panel session hosted by SmartSat CRC Industry Director Peter Nikoloff about the opportunities and challenges facing Australia’s newest major space organization.

The 19th Australian Space Research Conference will be held on Tuesday and Wednesday (October 1 & 2).

The A$245 million SmartSat CRC was awarded in April and has established a headquarters in Adelaide to co-ordinate its 99 industry and research partners.

Nikoloff, who is also a co-founder of Adelaide-based defense and space company Nova Systems, said the panel discussion would focus on highlighting the research and application of intelligent technologies to space systems and opportunity for Australia’s growing space industry.
He said the panel will seek to identify niche areas of autonomous systems and how the participating universities, industry and defense members could potentially exploit those opportunities.

“The intelligent systems from our perspective aren’t just what’s on a spacecraft, we’re looking at the whole chain that goes from the spacecraft down to the ground stations and the applications of how that information is being presented,” Nikoloff said.

Nikoloff said developing applications to process data and streamlining data transfer before sending it to Earth is critical as the sensing capabilities aboard satellites became more complex and data intensive.

“We need to look at processing data on board the satellite through the integration of big data and AI systems rather than sending all of the data down and then deciding what’s useful,” he said. This is important as data download via the Radio Frequency Spectrum is the bottleneck as the majority of the spectrum is licenced to big business and governments.

“The smaller spacecraft are very constrained on power availability and have numerous technical challenges such as heat dissipation, limited space availability and suitable space qualified processors. These are the areas we need to consider in developing advanced intelligent processing in orbit for smaller class spacecraft and a number of our partners are already starting to look at those areas of applications.”

“With the announcement of the program with NASA going to the moon, one of the areas of strong interest from the (Australian) space agency is around autonomous/intelligent and off-planet mining and the benefits that technology improvements would have for the Australian mining sector, which is already a world leader in autonomous mining. The SmartSat CRC will be working with the space agency to ensure we maximize Australia’s space research activities across the Australian space sector. ”

The panellists for Monday’s SmartSat CRC — Building Australia’s Space Industry session include Australian Space Agency Executive Director Aude Vignelles, BAE Systems Australia Chief Technology Officer Brad Yelland and UNSW Canberra Chief Engineer Dr Doug Griffin.

Australia aims to grow the space market segment from AU$3.9 billion to AU$12 billion by 2030 and double space industry employment to 30,000.

The Australian Space Agency was officially launched in Adelaide in July 2018.

Jim Plouffe, From NewsLeads

Royal Thai Air Force emblem.

The Royal Thai Air Force has awarded a contract to ISIS – Innovative Solutions In Space B.V. — to realize their next satellite mission, based on an ISISpace 6U cubesat.

This will be the second Earth Observation (EO) satellite of the Royal Thai Air Force, with the objective to further strengthen their independent space operations for Public Protection and Disaster Relief (PPDR) purposes.

Artistic rendering of the ISISpace 6U EO cubesat.

Image is courtesy of the company.

ISISpace, in its role as mission prime, will work closely with several components and service partners, such as Simera Sense and Kubos Corporation, to fulfill Royal Thai Air Force’s mission objectives. The satellite is planned for launch through ISISpace’s ISILaunch Services onboard a Soyuz launch in 2020.

Abe Bonnema, ISISpace’s Marketing Director, stated that the company is very proud to continue working with the Royal Thai Air Force for their next satellite mission and to further support them in achieving their long-term space operational goals. This contract follows the recent completion of the first satellite mission, ready and waiting for launch, and confirms the determination of the Royal Thai Air Force to keep expanding their space-based resources and capabilities”.

ICEYE and Kongsberg Satellite Services (KSAT) have signed an extended cooperation agreement on providing Near Real-Time (NRT) SAR data services for government and commercial customers.

The newly signed contract covers further data purchases and extended operations of ICEYE’s Near Real-Time SAR processor within the KSAT Ground Network, resulting in an extremely fast delivery chain for data and value-added products for customers.

The collaborative solution between KSAT and ICEYE enables streaming satellite data directly to the ICEYE SAR processor running on the KSAT local infrastructure. This unique setup enables information extraction immediately from the arrival of the first data bytes of satellite data, resulting in delivery times of vessel detection results in less than 15 minutes.

KSAT has installed the ICEYE SAR processor for direct downlink capabilities, offering customers an unparalleled access to ICEYE SAR satellite constellation data. The KSAT stream currently supports the current ICEYE SAR satellite constellation of 3 satellite units, and the new system architecture is designed to handle increasing volumes of data from the growing ICEYE SAR satellite constellation.

KSAT has, for more than 20 years, pioneered the market when it comes to Near Real-Time applications such as oil spill detection, vessel tracking and ice information, currently providing more than 1000 products per week to customers all over the world.

Rolf Skatteboe, President and CEO of Kongsberg Satellite Services and Rafal Modrzewski, CEO and co-founder of ICEYE.

The KSAT Lite ground network is an important component in the ICEYE constellation’s total ground services solution, which provides easy access to the company’s satellites through a network of KSAT ground stations. As of September 2019, ICEYE is already supported from a large number of geographical locations on the KSAT Global network, including Svalbard, Puertollano, Troll, Cordoba, Greece, South-Africa and New-Zealand.

Marte Indregard, VP of Energy, Environment and Security in KSAT, said the company has already used ICEYE satellites for critical maritime operations that the firm has supported. KSAT is impressed with the quality of the data and the company is looking forward to fully integrate future satellite units from the ICEYE constellation into the firm’s services. The SAR sensor is a truly unique tool as it sees in the dark, penetrates clouds and while covering large areas, and is able to detect what needs to be seen. The SAR sensor is a key component in all of the company’s operative maritime monitoring services. To meet the increasing demands for timely information and frequent updates from existing and future customers, the ICEYE SAR constellations provides a valuable addition to the KSAT portfolio.

Steve Young, VP of Business Development and Sales at ICEYE, added that working closer with KSAT is an exciting opportunity that helps the firm develop the full use of our constellation. Working with KSAT helps ICEYE deliver a capability that is only going to get better and better as the company’s constellation evolves. KSAT is a very supportive partner and ICEYE is looking forward to delivering the benefits of affordable, fast revisit, and high quality SAR data to users around the world.

For all involved in the satellite and space industry and the various market segments that add value to these dynamic environments, the 2020 SmallSat Symposium is truly worth your consideration for attendance.

The SmallSat Symposium is hosted by Satnews Publishers which, since 1983, has been a provider of a satellite news, media and events. This information packed forum was created to enable you and your company to secure a larger portion of market share as well as to take part in the next stages of your company’s or organization’s growth.

The personal connections at the SmallSat Symposium enable attendees to network with established organizations, subject-matter experts as well as ‘New Space’ entrants.

The SmallSat Symposium will focus on new technologies and the business environment that is shaping the implementation of smallsat constellations, smallsat launchers, the challenges facing the smallsat developer and actors as well as the enormous benefits of these advanced technologies that will benefit our world.

This event assembles more than 100 diverse speakers, all of whom possess deep industry experience. Additionally, numerous opportunities exist to mingle and network with peers while enjoying exceptional, complimentary meals and refreshment breakfast.

Learn more at this direct link…

U.S. Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM) expanded the space situational awareness (SSA) program to academic institutions by signing the first such agreement with California Polytechnic (Cal Poly) State University.

President Jeffrey D. Armstrong

Rear Adm. Richard Correll, director of plans and policy for USSTRATCOM

Rear Adm. Richard Correll, director of plans and policy for USSTRATCOM, and Jeff Armstrong, president of Cal Poly, signed the agreement joining over 100 commercial and foreign nations working together to expand situational awareness within the space domain.

“Academic partnerships such as these provide a foundation for research in space,” said Correll. “Improving SSA, through technical advancements and increased sharing, grows our collective ability to avoid collisions by rapidly detecting, warning, characterizing and attributing natural or man-made phenomena affecting space systems and the space environment.”

Cal Poly already works closely with Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, providing data to support space flight safety for their mini-satellites, known as CubeSats.

“Cal Poly is honored to be the first academic institution to enter into an official partnership with U.S. Strategic Command,” said Armstrong. “This first-of-its-kind partnership will allow current and future Cal Poly students to gain hands-on experience working with our four CubeSats currently on orbit and how they affect, and are affected by, other satellites on orbit. These invaluable experiences will prepare our graduates for successful careers in the space and technology industries.”

Cal Poly joins 20 nations — Australia, Japan, Italy, Canada, France, South Korea, the United Kingdom, Germany, Israel, Spain, the United Arab Emirates, Belgium, Norway, Denmark, Brazil, the Netherlands, Thailand, New Zealand, Poland and Romania; two intergovernmental organizations — the European Space Agency and the European Organization for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites; and more than 80 commercial satellite owner/operator/launchers already participating in SSA data-sharing agreements with USSTRATCOM.

U.S. Strategic Command expanded the situational awareness (SSA) program to academic institutions by signing the first such agreement with California Polytechnic State University.
(Photo by USSTRATCOM)

“Universities play a vital role in the exploration and understanding of space,” Correll said. “The future of space is reliant on research and the advancement of technology to enhance overall space-flight safety and the long-term sustainability, stability, safety, and security of the space environment.”

SSA data-sharing agreements enhance multinational space cooperation and streamline the process for United States’ partners to request specific information gathered by Air Force Space Command’s 18th Space Control Squadron at Vandenberg AFB. The information is crucial for launch support, satellite maneuver planning, support for on-orbit anomalies, electromagnetic interference reporting and investigation, satellite decommissioning activities and on-orbit conjunction assessments. With the establishment of the 11th combatant command, future SSA agreements will be signed and facilitated by U.S. Space Command.

USSTRATCOM has global responsibilities assigned through the Unified Command Plan that include strategic deterrence, nuclear operations, joint electromagnetic spectrum operations, global strike, missile defense, and analysis and targeting. 

Eutelsat Communications (Paris:ETL) has unveiled their ELO constellation project that targets the Internet of Things (IoT) market.

The upcoming IoT market boom in sectors as diverse as transport, oil and gas, and agriculture means that tens of millions of objects will need to communicate with each other in areas unserved by terrestrial infrastructure. Eutelsat’s ELO constellation will offer global IoT coverage enabling objects to transmit data, irrespective of their location.

The construction of this Eutelsat smallsat constellation will begin with a first series of four satellites from Loft Orbital (ELO 1 and 2) and Clyde Space (ELO 3 and 4). With expected launch dates between 2020 and 2021, these four satellites will enter commercial service as soon as they are delivered into orbit. If this new initiative proves successful, other satellites will be added to the constellation, to reach a total of 25 satellites operational by 2022.

The investment required for the constellation is included in Eutelsat’s existing CAPEX outlook. The cost associated with each satellite will not exceed 1 million euros.

This constellation project follows on from an initial smallsat ordered by Eutelsat from Tyvak International last year. Planned for launch early next year, the objective of this test satellite will be to confirm the technical performance of various waveforms between a satellite in low Earth orbit and objects on the ground.

LEO is particularly suited for processing signals emitted by connected objects as it offers a ubiquitous satellite link, complementing terrestrial IoT networks, without increasing the cost or energy consumption of these objects.

Combining satellite technology with terrestrial IoT will be key to accessing the economies of scale required to deploy satellite IoT. Through ELO, Eutelsat’s aim is to position itself as the partner of choice for IT integrators and terrestrial operators seeking to offer their customers worldwide coverage.

Eutelsat has signed a strategic partnership with leading IoT player Sigfox, which runs a global narrowband network dedicated to this segment across 65 countries. Based on hybrid connected objects, whose data can be captured by terrestrial networks and satellite, Sigfox will integrate the global coverage provided by the ELO constellation into its existing range of IoT connectivity services. This enhanced network coverage will open the door to many new use cases in areas like maritime transportation or logistics, but also the safety of people in emergency situations.

Rodolphe Belmer, CEO of Eutelsat said the company is delighted to be completing the first steps of the ELO constellation project, aimed at positioning Eutelsat in the nascent IoT segment. This partnership with Sigfox enables worldwide coverage through the combination of satellite and terrestrial IoT. This relatively modest investment at Group level, which is fully scalable, enables Eutelsat to access an additional potential growth lever in the context of its connectivity strategy.

For all involved in the satellite and space industry and the various market segments that add value to these dynamic environments, the 2020 SmallSat Symposium is truly worth your consideration for attendance.

The SmallSat Symposium is hosted by Satnews Publishers which, since 1983, has been a provider of a satellite news, media and events. This information packed forum was created to enable you and your company to secure a larger portion of market share as well as to take part in the next stages of your company’s or organization’s growth.

The personal connections at the SmallSat Symposium enable attendees to network with established organizations, subject-matter experts as well as ‘New Space’ entrants.

The SmallSat Symposium will focus on new technologies and the business environment that is shaping the implementation of smallsat constellations, smallsat launchers, the challenges facing the smallsat developer and actors as well as the enormous benefits of these advanced technologies that will benefit our world.

This event assembles more than 100 diverse speakers, all of whom possess deep industry experience. Additionally, numerous opportunities exist to mingle and network with peers while enjoying exceptional, complimentary meals and refreshment breakfast.

Learn more at this direct link…

Leonardo and Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd. have been awarded funding from the UK’s Centre for Earth Observation Instrumentation (CEOI) to develop a new detector assembly for a low cost, world-leading Mid-Wave Infra-Red (MWIR) imager.

The MWIR imager will be designed to achieve 3.5 meter GSD and to fit into a small and low cost agile platform with a launch mass of approximately 130 kg. to address the future demands of the evolving Earth Observation (EO) constellations market.

The collaboration will exploit Leonardo’s leading material growth and hybridization techniques already employed in other space programs and SSTL’s extensive experience in the use of Commercial-Off-The-Shelf (COTS) technologies for commercial space missions. 

The detector assembly will make use of Leonardo’s MWIR detector, a high performance integrated detector cooler assembly with an array of pixels on an 8um pitch — the smallest thermal mid-wave infrared pixels commercially available in the world.  The detector will be re-configured with a longer life, lower vibration COTS split linear Stirling engine cooler and new electronics to provide the interface between the detector and the imager.   

DarkCarb technology demonstration mission flying low cost MWIR detector, targeted for 2021 launch.

Artistic rendition is courtesy of SSTL.

Successful completion of the detector assembly will enable it to be flown on a future demonstration mission from SSTL, targeted for a 2021 launch. 

The EO applications sector has grown in recent years with an increasing demand for high resolution and temporal imagery, however the majority of currently available satellite imagery is in the visible waveband and is captured at mid-morning or mid-afternoon local time due to reliance on good illumination conditions.  MWIR imagery overcomes this limitation as the detectable signal depends on temperature at the scene, enabling imaging at any local time.  It also provides the capability to differentiate between objects and surfaces of different temperatures, providing complementary information to traditional optical imagery and the opportunity to image into the night time.

A primary use for MWIR image data is expected to be for defence and security applications in conjunction with optical assets and change detection algorithms; for instance, with the right target location conditions it should be possible to derive information on recent activity in a scene to detect recently used or moved vehicles. 

The high resolution MWIR data will be of immediate use to many current spatial applications due to the overlapping resolution with visible data.  Applications include disaster support where for instance the effect of suppression and management of active fires can be monitored, and also mapping of urban areas to provide monitoring of heat, waste and pollution from industrial installations.    

Imaging systems with infra-red (IR) capability were identified as a key area of the National Space Technology Strategy 2014 and one of the key “Cross-Cutting Technologies” by the Ministry of Defence’s Defence Technology Strategy (2006). 

Andrew Cawthorne, Director of Business Development and Sales at SSTL said that this new technology is a game-changer for Earth Observation applications. Whereas previously the market has been focused on a fairly small range of wavebands, there is now increasing demand for mixed sensors and complimentary data sets. Building on the company’s successful Carbonite range of spacecraft, this new technology will enable us to do the same for thermal imagery as we have done for visible imagery — driving down the cost of entry.

A Leonardo spokesperson added that Leonardo’s IR detectors have the potential to make a substantial contribution to global environmental earth observation, due to their ability to yield highly accurate information which provides both quantitative and qualitative data. The detectors have already been successfully used for the measurement of the temperature and water vapor profiles of the Earth’s atmosphere for Meteorology, and can also be used to measure greenhouse gases, clouds, aerosols, ozone and trace gases. Leonardo can deliver improved accuracy and confidence in instrument data, since the current generation of detectors have emerged from a rich heritage of cooled and uncooled IR Detector production which spans over 60 years of innovation.

Additionally, three leading UK Space organizations, Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd. (SSTL), the University of Oxford and the Surrey Space Centre (SSC), have been awarded National Space Technology Program (NSTP) funding to develop a novel self-aligning deployable space telescope, designed for sub 1 meter ground sample imaging requirements in a small launch volume spacecraft.

With funding from the Centre for Earth Observation Instrumentation (CEOI), SSTL has already been working with the SSC to develop a telescopic deployable structure and has also worked with the Dynamic Optics and Photonics Group at the University of Oxford on an autonomous system to align the telescope on the ground for improved accuracy and efficiency.  The NSTP funding will see these projects progress to the build and test of a working demonstrator telescope designed to release from its stowed launch configuration, deploy to its full length, and then autonomously align ready for in-orbit image acquisition. 

The multi-billion dollar EO applications market continues to demand improvements in spatial and temporal resolution which requires both bigger apertures and more satellites. The aim of the Deployable Space Telescope project is to develop a telescope that addresses the market needs for better than 1 meter ground sample distance (GSD) imager in a small launch volume, typically achieving a one third reduction in imager length and volume.

Due to the physics of optics there is a direct relationship between the physical size of the optical system and the resolution that can be achieved.  Using a Cassegrain type telescope improves the resolutions achievable for imagery acquired by satellites in LEO but still has size and mass limitations, as the structure requires a large amount of volume between the primary mirror and secondary mirror.

With launch costs priced according to both volume and mass, the aim of the Deployable Space Telescope project is reduce the volume of the imager by holding the secondary mirror in a stowed configuration near the primary mirror for launch, and then deploying it once in orbit.  Fine alignment will then be required to achieve maximum image quality.  By reducing the overall volume of the spacecraft, this system will allow many identical satellites to be launched into a constellation from a single launch vehicle, providing a low-cost solution to rapid-revisit, high resolution imaging requirements.   The design is fully scalable and SSTL aims to develop a larger version which will offer a higher ground sample imaging resolution.    

CARBONITE-2, flight ready at SSTL December 2017.

Photo is courtesy of SSTL/Beaucroft Photography.

SSTL has already demonstrated low cost 1 meter resolution imagery from its CARBONITE-2 satellite, launched in 2018, and the new Deployable Space Telescope solution will provide the opportunity to build on this capability with a smaller and lighter form-factor imager.