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23 June 21. USAF xperimental football field-sized satellite ends operations. With booms spreading almost the length of a football field, the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Demonstration and Science Experiments spacecraft is the largest self-supporting satellite ever placed on orbit. Last month, nearly two years after it launched and a year after its mission was expected to end, AFRL decommissioned the satellite.
Although the DSX satellite launched in 2019, work on the experiment actually began in 2003. AFRL wanted to conduct research on the harsh radiation environment of medium Earth orbit, defined as the massive space between 1,243 miles and 22,236 miles above sea level. Emissions from the Van Allen radiation belts in MEO are particularly challenging and can damage satellites. The lab wanted a purely scientific experimental satellite to collect data on that radiation, helping the Department of Defense understand and predict it and develop durable spacecraft that can withstand it. Those plans eventually resulted in DSX.
Equipped with a suite of technologies, sensors and antenna booms, DSX used very low-frequency radio waves to study the radiation. With one deployable boom measuring 80 meters and a second measuring 16 meters, DSX was one of the largest deployable structures built to operate on orbit. After years of work, the satellite launched with a one-year mission. However, AFRL ended up keeping the satellite in operation for nearly two years, using it to conduct more than 1,300 experiments.
Finally, AFRL completed end-of-life processes for DSX on May 31. The lab did not give details on what happens to the shut-down satellite.
“When I think about DSX there are several things that come to mind,” AFRL Director of Space Vehicles Col. Eric Felt said in a June 7 statement. “First, there is the abundance of science data collected that our nation and allies will be evaluating for years to come — DSX has been the epitome of a science mission. Second, the perseverance of this team has been amazing — the lab preserved for 18 years, seeing the spacecraft from birth to death with many difficulties along the way — commitment to the long-haul has paid off.”
Even though the satellite is no longer operating, its legacy will continue with scientists work through the data it collected.
“We will be working the science from this mission for the remainder of our careers,” said DSX principal investigator William Johnston. “DSX’s contributions in understanding the environment of space are profound to our nation and the DoD.” (Source: C4ISR & Networks)
24 June 21. ICEYE Expands Satellite Offering in Japan, Makoto Higashi Joins as General Manager for Local Business Operations. Mr. Higashi has a more than 40-year track record of leadership in satellite data, aerospace and business operations
“What ICEYE has accomplished in satellite operations and services for its government customers is remarkable. My intent is to continue on that path to help provide crucial information and dedicated services with radar satellite data to the Japanese satellite data market,” said Makoto Higashi, General Manager, ICEYE Japan. “Only those satellite data companies that have withstood the strict requirements of government customers have prospered. ICEYE is very well-respected in this regard worldwide. The Japanese market has an opportunity to access remarkable aerospace capabilities with the data products ICEYE has to offer.”
The insurance organization Tokio Marine & Nichido Fire Insurance is among ICEYE’s Japan-based customer base. The organization receives ICEYE’s insights from its global flood monitoring solution to serve its insurance customers with significantly faster claims payments after natural catastrophes.
“ICEYE’s advanced technology in SAR image acquisition & near real-time data analysis brought our long-term business goals to reality and even has potential to transform beyond our claim service operation,” said Hidenori Kobayashi, Deputy General Manager at Tokio Marine & Nichido Fire insurance.
ICEYE Japan offices are opening in Tokyo within the next 12 months, with initial recruitment focusing on local commercial operations. ICEYE has so far launched 10 radar satellite missions since early 2018, including dedicated satellites for customers. The company has gathered $152m in financing to date, with offices in Finland, Poland, US, UK, Spain, and Japan. For 2020, ICEYE has reported $50m in signed contracts for the year. (Source: PR Newswire)
23 June 21. Leaders Discuss Space-Based Sensors That Can Track Missiles. The Space Development Agency and the Missile Defense Agency are collaborating on new space-related activities, including missile tracking and targeting.
Derek M. Tournear, SDA director; and Walter S. Chai, director of Space Sensors and director of the Missile Integration and Operations Center at the MDA, provided remarks at the Defense One Tech Summit yesterday.
There are three main missions that need to be done for missile defense in the sensing aspect, Tournear said.
- Global coverage to detect missile launches from anywhere.
- Tracking, to detect missiles as they maneuver.
- Engagement of weapons systems against incoming missiles.
The SDA is focused on being able to do the warning and tracking aspect and is working very closely with MDA with their Hypersonic and Ballistic Tracking Space Sensor program, he said.
“[MDA] is focused on the ability to actually close that final aspect of the kill chain and be able to do that engage on remote,” he said. “And, so, we’re working together so that there is a unified joint architecture moving forward.”
Tournear provided a number of examples where SDA and MDA are collaborating.
SDA and industry partners are building a high bandwidth, low latency communication network that will have a low probability of being jammed or intercepted, he said. That network will connect platforms at sea, air and land with space sensors, thereby enabling the warfighters.
Another endeavor, he said, is using laser communications between satellites for greater speed and efficiency.
Chai said the MDA is working closely with the SDA as well as the Space Force.
The MDA is working hard to not only build a more effective and resilient space-based system, but also to build it more cost effectively, he said.
Regarding MDA’s HBTSS program, he said that competitors, China and Russia, are advancing hypersonic weapons that can evade terrestrial-based radar by flying low and are highly maneuverable. That’s why space-based sensors are so important.
The challenge for the MDA is tracking hypersonics or ballistic missiles using their heat signatures. However, that heat signature may be hard to track against the background of the climate. The other challenge is tracking a large number of incoming missiles simultaneously.
Both directors discussed their plans to launch and test hundreds of satellites that will form a mesh network in space beginning this year and continuing in the coming years. The space architecture should be operational by next year. (Source: US DoD)
23 Jun 21. Aboard Commercial Rocket, Space Defense Agency Sends Up Satellites for First Time. The Space Development Agency — charged with building the National Defense Space Architecture — will, for the first time, put satellites into orbit aboard SpaceX’s Transporter 2 commercial rocket when it launches Friday from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
The Falcon 9 mission will include five SDA satellites. These include a pair of “Mandrake II” satellites; two “Laser Interconnect Networking Communications System,” or LINCS, satellites; and a satellite carrying the SDA’s Prototype On-orbit Experimental Testbed, or POET, experiment.
The SDA is working now on delivering the National Defense Space Architecture, which includes hundreds of satellites delivered in “tranches” every two years; each tranche will provide more capability.
The NDSA’s network of hundreds of satellites will provide beyond line-of-sight targeting for ground and maritime time-sensitive targets and the same for enemy missiles already in flight. The system will provide the ability to detect those targets, track them, calculate a fire control solution and then deliver that solution down to a weapons platform so the target can be destroyed.
It’s expected that the NDSA’s hundreds of satellites will communicate with one another using a network of lasers through optical communication terminals, or OCTs. For this initial mission, Mandrake II will carry an OCT from SA Photonics while LINCS will carry an OCT from General Atomics.
Two of each type of satellite will go into orbit, and the SDA will evaluate the ability of each OCT to operate in space.
“We’re trying to figure out the acquisition, the pointing and the tracking,” said a senior SDA official. “Can we make the connection; can we hold that connection; and can we exchange data between two terminals in space with that connection?”
The official said the tests will put the satellites as far as 2,400 kilometers apart in order to test their ability to communicate via laser with an OCT.
“We’re going to try to send data essentially from D.C. to Denver at the speed of light,” he said. “And that’s what we’re going to bring to the warfighter over the next several years.”
SDA’s priority with the NDSA is staying on schedule and delivering capability to the warfighter as quickly as possible.
“The key thing is always to focus on getting these capabilities up and operational as rapidly as possible,” said SDA Director Derek M. Tournear during an online discussion last month with the Space Force Association. “We will trade performance for schedule to make sure that we can maintain that.
“No matter how good or how affordable a program or platform is, if it is not there when you need it, it’s worthless … we’re always focused on schedule,” Tournear said. “We’re going to get these capabilities up on time.”
As part of that focus on schedule — and cost — the SDA is hoping to build a “market” for the satellites it plans to put into orbit. It will buy a lot of those satellites and put them up regularly. Agency officials expect that a market for satellites would cause many vendors to compete regularly with their latest technology, and many would have compatible technologies.
“SDA does not believe in the concept of incumbents,” the SDA official said. “SDA believes in building markets. We believe in building industrial capacity to do the kinds of things that we need to do. As we proliferate across [low-Earth orbit], we know beyond a shadow of a doubt that we can’t depend on a single vendor for a key technology. So, we want to make sure that multiple vendors have the capability of building the systems that we need and that the warfighter needs.”
The POET experiment will also go into space on June 25. While Mandrake II and LINCS will evaluate optical communication terminals, POET will be an experiment on how to process information in space so that time isn’t wasted sending it down to Earth to be processed.
The SDA official said POET is a “battle management capability” that will be in space.
“We’re going to actually load data and algorithms into that on orbit, and we’re going to test out data fusion in orbit for the warfighter,” the official said.
Having processing capacity on the ground means unnecessary latency in the process, which is unacceptable.
“The more processing that we can move into space, the better off we’re going to be,” he said. “POET is going to give us the first opportunity to actually do that, … so we’re really looking forward to getting some data out of this.” (Source: US DoD)
23 June 21. Kleos Space confirms Second Launch – 26th June 2021.
- Kleos’ four Polar Vigilance satellites will launch from Cape Canaveral in Florida aboard the Spaceflight SXRS-5/SpaceX Transporter-2 Mission
- Four Satellites to be Launched into a 525km Sun Synchronous orbit
- Polar Vigilance satellites increase Kleos’ coverage to the north and south of its Scouting Mission
- Development of Kleos’ third satellite cluster, the Polar Patrol Mission cluster, on track to launch in late 2021 onboard a SpaceX Falcon 9
Kleos Space S.A. (ASX: KSS, Frankfurt: KS1,) a space-powered Radio Frequency Reconnaissance data-as-a-service (DaaS) company advises that the launch of its second satellite cluster, the Polar Vigilance Mission, is planned for this Friday 25 June 2021 aboard the Spaceflight SXRS-5/SpaceX Transporter-2 Mission from Cape Canaveral.
Launch time: between Friday 2.56pm-3.54pm (Florida) / Saturday 4.56am-5.54am AEST
Launch site with live link : https://kleos.space/vigilance/
Deployed into a 525km Sun Synchronous orbit from Cape Canaveral in Florida, the Polar Vigilance satellites will enhance Kleos’ global coverage and data collection capability. It broadens the coverage range of the original 37-degree inclination of the Scouting Mission satellites, which successfully launched in November 2020. Meanwhile, development of Kleos’ third satellite cluster – the Polar Patrol Mission – is on track for launch in late 2021 aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9.
Kleos’ satellites detect and geolocate radio frequency transmissions to improve the detection of illegal activity, including piracy, drug and people smuggling, border security challenges and illegal fishing. Unlike conventional intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance datasets, Kleos’ technology is effective irrespective of the presence of positioning systems, such as Automatic Identification Systems (AIS), unclear imagery, poor weather, or targets being out of patrol range. Its global activity-based data is sold as-a-service with more than 160 governments and commercial entities interested in its independent geolocation intelligence.
21 June 21. FAA and Air Force sign agreement on commercial launches from Space Force bases. The Department of the Air Force signed an agreement with the Federal Aviation Administration designed to eliminate red tape affecting commercial rocket launches at U.S. Space Force ranges, the agencies announced June 21. The two parties said the memorandum finished June 15 removes duplicative processes and approvals for commercial space activities originating from or returning to Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida and Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. Essentially, the agreement states that the FAA will accept Department of the Air Force safety rules and processes as long as they satisfy FAA regulations. In return, the Air Force will accept FAA licensing decisions for commercial launches and not impose its own requirements for the flight and reentry parts of a launch, unless they impact national security space activities.
“Assured access to space is vital to our national security,” said acting Secretary of the Air Force John Roth in a joint press release with FAA Administrator Steve Dickson. “The launch licensing standards provided in the agreement will support a rapidly expanding commercial launch sector and strengthen our space industrial base, bolstering our economy and enhancing our security as a nation.”
“Building a streamlined regulatory approach for commercial space activities at these federal launch sites is the right thing to do for public safety and U.S. competitiveness,” added Dickson. “This agreement will help the burgeoning U.S. commercial space industry grow even faster and continue to lead the world in safety and innovation.”
The agreement will help cooperation between the two government bodies in responding to commercial requests for relief from safety regulations, conducting environmental reviews, and publishing launch activity materials. The six-page document replaces the last memorandum of agreement between the two organizations, signed in 2014.
Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and Vandenberg Space Force Base each have four FAA-licensed commercial launch providers operating on-site. Together, the two ranges supported 24 of the 39 commercial space launches licensed by the FAA in 2020.
The announcement comes in the middle of the Space Force’s reorganization of its entire launch enterprise in anticipation of a growing launch cadence at the ranges involved. Earlier this year, the Space Force redesignated the 30th Space Wing at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, and the 45th Space Wing at Patrick Space Force Base, Florida as space launch deltas, which operators say flatten communications and eliminate an unnecessary echelon of command.
On a broader scale, the Space Force is planning to unify its launch enterprise — launch operations, range operations and acquisitions — under a single office within its new field command: Space Systems Command. Under that construct, the SSC deputy commander will oversee all launch activities and will be known as the Assured Access to Space leader within the force. Space Systems Command is expected to replace the Space and Missile Systems Center as the Space Force’s primary acquisitions organization later this summer, after Congress approves a general to lead the new field command. (Source: Defense News)
21 June 21. Southern Launch gets approval for SA launch campaign. SA-based aerospace business Southern Launch has received approval to construct the infrastructure necessary to support a test launch campaign at the tip of the Eyre Peninsula.
The State Commission Assessment Panel granted its approval despite calls for the government to consider potential environmental impacts.
The development will include the construction of a temporary rocket launch pad on already cleared land.
The launches will gather valuable scientific data to determine noise and vibration modelling information from the site, according to the press release.
“This is a huge milestone for Australia as we once again become a sovereign space-faring nation. Southern Launch has spent the past eight months working closely with government and independent agencies,” Lloyd Damp, Southern Launch CEO, said.
“With construction approvals in hand, the whole Southern Launch team are overjoyed and is excited about the future of launch in Australia. We look forward to breaking ground shortly.”
The initial proposal was to launch rockets roughly 10 meters tall from the site, carrying a minimal payload. This would then potentially lead to the approval of the Whalers Way Orbital Launch complex’s approval, sending satellites into orbit.
The Launch Complex covers around 1,200 hectares of open land with over six kilometres of ocean frontage.
The approval encompasses three conditions to guarantee there will be no environmental damage, ensuring only three launches will occur from the site, that no infrastructure will be ruined or changed, and that the launch pad will build upon cleared land to avoid native vegetation removal.
However, before SCAP approved of these plans, the agency received 277 submissions from the public about the launch proposal, and 88 were in opposition.
The submissions were from the Conservation Council of SA, Zoos SA, the National trust, Birds SA, and Nature Conservation Society SA.
They warned the launch pad is home to various federal-listed threatened bird species, including the white-bellied sea eagle, eastern osprey, Eyre Peninsula southern emu-wren, and the white-fronted whipbird.
Liberty Olds, Zoos SA’s conversation manager wrote in the submission: “Zoos SA is supportive of a space industry in South Australia, and the future economic benefits and profile such could bring to the state.
“However, this particular location is of known conservation value and the proposed experimental, industrial rocket launching facility, either temporary or permanent, poses significant risk to its environmentally sensitive nature.”
The other groups submitted similar concerns, however, the locals in support of the proposal believed this would boost economy and jobs within South Australia.
The conservationists hope that the government will not approve future permanent launch sites, despite approval of the test site.
Southern Launch has expressed they are working closely with the Department of Environment and Water to ensure the launch pad will not be detrimental to the existing flora and fauna.
The company has also prepared an operational environmental management plan, in line with 46B of the Development Act 1993. (Source: Space Connect)
16 June 21. Spaceport Cornwall + Sierra Nevada Corp.’s Sierra Space Sign An MoU. Spaceport Cornwall, the UK’s horizontal launch site, and Sierra Nevada Corporation, which will be engaging through its wholly owned subsidiary Sierra Space, have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to explore future collaboration opportunities following the completion of UK Space Agency funded Concept of Operations for Sierra Space’s Dream Chaser® spaceplane.
Spaceport Cornwall and Sierra Space have a shared vision to democratize space – increasing space sector participation by lowering the cost of access to space and communicating the vital role satellites can play in combating some of the global challenges.
The signing of the MoU follows discussions between the two companies over the past two years and follows the completion of the concept of operations (CONOPS) undertaken by Sierra Space regarding the suitability of Spaceport Cornwall to be a return location for its runway landing Dream Chaser.
The conclusion of the study was Spaceport Cornwall was a favorable, potential, return location and is likely to lead to a more detailed landing site study ahead of Cornwall being named a planned return location for missions in the future.
Dream Chaser is designed to launch from a variety of vertical launch vehicles to LEO and return to a spaceport or airport runway similar to any large commercial aeroplane – the system is designed for multiple reuse, making it a more sustainable launch system.
The CONOPS, funded by the UK Space Agency as part of their Horizontal Launch Fund, investigated a number of factors including the operational requirements of Dream Chaser, the US/UK regulatory framework, return mission trajectory analysis, risk analysis, environmental and infrastructure review, as well as a consideration of present and future supply chain capability.
As well as considering spaceflight operational requirements, Sierra Space also offered insights into what additional facilities could be offered on site. These insights were incorporated into the currently under construction ‘Centre for Space Technologies,’ a multi-user cluster of buildings at Spaceport Cornwall including payload integration, launch and mission operations facilities, as well as shared workspace and laboratories to conduct scientific research, potentially immediately after payloads have returned from space.
With more than 30 years of spaceflight heritage and more than 500 space missions supported, Sierra Space is a world-leading space company and is a valuable second launch partner for Spaceport Cornwall, in addition to Virgin Orbit, who will achieve the UK’s first ever sovereign orbital launch from the site in 2022.
Collaborating with Sierra Space as a return location will not only generate further economic growth through Spaceport Cornwall, but will also create demand in the local supply chain for post mission services such as maintenance, repair, de-fueling, and academic research for on board scientific experiment payloads.
Melissa Thorpe, Head of Spaceport Cornwall, said, “We are delighted to welcome representatives from Sierra Space to Cornwall during the G7 Summit, and to announce the signing of the MoU. Spaceport Cornwall is a multi-user spaceport and it’s a great achievement to add an additional launch/reentry partner to our consortium a year ahead of first launch from the site in 2022. Satellite technology offers so much hope in combating many of the environmental challenges being discussed here this week, and we’re proud to be able to showcase the part Cornwall, and the UK is playing.”
Fatih Ozmen, CEO and owner of SNC, said, “Sierra Space envisions launching and landing a fleet of Dream Chasers around the world. Spaceport Cornwall is an excellent partnership to assist in our endeavour to make space travel globally accessible.”
Ian Annett, Deputy Chief Executive of UK Space Agency, said, “This exciting collaboration, enabled by funding provided by the UK Space Agency, will help Spaceport Cornwall realise their ambitions and support the growth of the UK spaceflight industry. As the UK builds back greener, the space sector will help us predict, mitigate and adapt to the effects of climate change. Dream Chaser is a sustainable concept that will bring economic benefits to the UK, create skilled jobs in the sector and ensure the UK thrives in the commercial space age.”
Councillor Steve Rushworth, Cornwall Council, said, “The signing of this MoU is another significant step forward for Spaceport Cornwall in the year leading up to the first launch. Not only will this lead to further diversification of Cornwall Airport Newquay, the economic benefit of a second partner will be wide reaching – increasing productivity and creating more job roles in what will be a multi-user spaceport.” (Source: Satnews)
14 June 21. An Independent, European-Centric SATCOM Constellation Plan. The new French SATCOM operator Rovial SAS is unveiling their plan to develop, build and operate an European-centric, secure, end-to-end, high-capacity, and scalable satellite constellation.
Rovial leads a consortium that will include several, cutting-edge, European companies to realize the satellite network that will establish an independent European communications backbone in space and contribute to Europe’s economic growth, safety, and security.
The constellation will serve a range of applications, including Internet-of-Things (IOT), autonomous vehicles, video/rich-data communications, and defense and humanitarian missions.
The foundational members of the consortium will also include Mynaric, a provider of in-space laser communications, Reflex Aerospace, a designer and manufacturer of various classes of satellite systems, and Isar Aerospace, a launch service provider for small and medium satellites.
Rovial intends to broaden the consortium to include a second tier of European suppliers of subsystems and components. The consortium’s first major milestone is the launch demonstration satellites in 2022. The project has been designed to support the three great priorities of the European Commission:
- (1) “Autonomy and sovereignty”, by relying on European technology for key components such as
- (2) The “Green Deal“ by offering sustainability with a highly-scalable constellation capable of delivering early services with as few as eight satellites
- (3) “Digitization” by incorporating cutting edge and state of the art software engineering and other satellite and terrestrial technologies to ensure efficient, reliable, and low-cost services to customers and end users
“We are extremely excited to be progressing this opportunity with our highly-regarded consortium partners and other European companies and expect to address all technological and operational challenges and begin to launch our innovative commercial service in Europe in 2023-2024 in line with European Commission objectives” said Raghu Das, co-founder of Rovial, a Paris-based startup founded by commercial space industry veterans.
“Of course, this is not something that just came up overnight,” added Mynaric CEO Bulent Altan. “Matter of fact, there has been activity in the background on this ever since European Commissioner Breton started his initiative more than a year ago, and I am happy to see that the paths are converging today.” (Source: Satnews)
15 June 21. The USSF’s NROL-111 Launch Via Minotaur From NASA’s Wallops Heads To Orbit. The U.S. Space Force successfully launched a classified payload on June 15 for the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) aboard a Minotaur I rocket at 9:35 a.m. EDT from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility, Virginia. The NROL-111 mission is the third U.S. Space Force launch from Wallops and the NRO’s second Minotaur launch from Wallops. The launch vehicle, built and operated by Northrop Grumman Corporation, lifted off from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS) Pad 0B at NASA’s WFF and was visible in the morning sunrise. This launch signifies the fourth successful launch mission in less than a month that the Small Launch and Targets Division have supported.
“I am thrilled with today’s successful launch for our NRO mission partner, and look forward to future missions with Northrop Grumman,” said Lt. Col. Ryan Rose, chief of the Space and Missile Systems Center Launch Enterprise’s Small Launch and Targets Division. “We have launched 27 successful Minotaur missions, with our last Minotaur launch from Wallops in 2020. This success continues to reinforce that the Launch Enterprise has multiple paths to rapidly acquire agile launch services for small satellites and will continue to take advantage of the latest in small launch technologies.”
“Congratulations to the entire government and industry team on another successful launch for our NRO partner,” said Col. Robert Bongiovi, director of SMC’s Launch Enterprise. “I am very pleased with the active and continued engagement by Lt. Col. Rose’s team with the small launch community that continues to foster and develop new innovative launch capabilities all the while remaining focused on mission success.”
Mission information, including photos are available on the NRO, SMC, NASA Wallops, and Northrop Grumman Corporation website, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter sites.
Original news item
The U.S. Space Force’s Space and Missile Systems Center have successfully completed the Flight Readiness Review and remain on track to launch the National Reconnaissance Office Launch (NROL)-111 mission on June 15, 2021, from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS) Pad 0B at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia.
This mission is managed by SMC Launch Enterprise’s Rocket Systems Launch Program (RSLP) and was awarded under the Orbital/Suborbital Program (OSP)-3 Lane 1 capability.
“We look forward to the launch of NROL-111 for our NRO customer,” said Lt. Col. Ryan Rose, chief of SMC’s Launch Enterprise Small Launch and Targets Division. “This will be our third U.S. Space Force mission and the second Minotaur NRO mission from Wallops. As the U.S. Space Force looks to the future of the nation’s defense, small launch missions will continue to serve as pathfinders to build up the industrial base in support of the DoD’s needs. We look forward to continuing to launch national priority satellites for our NRO partner.”
Rose is responsible for the launch service that includes range support, launch vehicle integration, space vehicle interface and mating, and the launch service for this important mission.
The U.S. Space Force’s Space and Missile Systems Center, located at Los Angeles Air Force Base in El Segundo, California, is the U.S. Space Force’s center of excellence for acquiring and developing military space systems. SMC’s portfolio includes space launch, global positioning systems, military satellite communications, a defense meteorological satellite control network, range systems, space-based infrared systems, and space domain awareness capabilities. (Source: Satnews)
16 June 21. Exolaunch’s Big One Ton Load Of Smallsats Sent Into Orbit via SpaceX’s Transporter-2. The EXOpod cubesat deployer is the most advanced cubesat deployment system on the market. EXOpod is available in 12U and 16U sizes, and can be configured with up to four independent slots. EXOpods have a number of features which expand the limits of the Cubesat Design Specification (CDS):
Exolaunch’s rideshare cluster includes payloads with cutting-edge technologies for IoT, Earth Observation and scientific applications, and satellites from its international customers such as Loft Orbital, NanoAvionics, ICEYE, and the TU Berlin. Exolaunch is also providing flight hardware, separation systems and integration services to support Satellogic’s four microsatellites on this mission.
This is the second dedicated rideshare mission of SpaceX’s SmallSat Rideshare Program and also the second of a series of rideshares Exolaunch is manifesting on Falcon 9 as part of a Multi-Launch Agreement the company signed with SpaceX in 2020. On SpaceX’s first record-breaking dedicated rideshare mission Transporter-1 earlier this year Exolaunch launched 30 contracted satellites. For every Falcon 9 launch procured through the Multi-Launch Agreement with SpaceX, Exolaunch ensures comprehensive rideshare mission management, satellite integration and deployment services for its customers.
“This is a powerful NewSpace transatlantic partnership between SpaceX and Exolaunch,” said Jeanne Medvedeva, Vice President of Launch Services at Exolaunch. “Being an integrator for Falcon 9 launches, with the advanced flight hardware and deployment technologies in our product portfolio, allows us to serve even the most demanding NewSpace customers who prioritize performance, reliability and innovation to procured launch services. This latest mission shows the trust our customers have in our vast experience in rideshare launches and ability to perform skillfully and professionally.”
Connor Jonas, Exolaunch’s Program Manager said, “This has been Exolaunch’s most demanding and technically sophisticated mission. For this mission we are using the full range of our product line: four EXOport adapters, ten CarboNIX separation systems and two EXOpod cubesat deployers. We have worked with the entire capacity of a SpaceX ESPA Ring to deploy one ton of customers’ payloads using only Exolaunch technology. This mission was challenging as we had to develop new technical solutions for such a large and diverse cluster, and find a way to deliver twice the hardware in half the time. Despite these challenges, our expert team delivered on time and pulled off an exceptionally smooth integration campaign at Cape Canaveral.”
To maximize payload capacity and cost-effectiveness for its customers of this mission, Exolaunch will use its recent product addition, EXOport, a flexible multi-satellite adapter designed to optimally accommodate microsatellites and cubesats on a single Falcon 9 ESPA port. The company will also utilize its proprietary flight-proven separation systems – CarboNIX, the next generation shock-free separation system for microsatellites, and the EXOpod, Exolaunch’s upgraded cubesat deployer with half a decade of flight heritage, to flawlessly deploy its customers’ satellites into the target orbit.
“‘Fingerspitzengefühl’ on Transporter-2 symbolizes Exolaunch’s vast experience in successfully deploying our customers’ satellites into orbit,” said Medvedeva. “It’s also a continuation of the individual mission names that started with ‘Zeitgeist’, literally ‘Spirit of the Time’, Exolaunch’s previous rideshare launch aboard SpaceX’s Falcon 9 in January 2021.”
Starting next year, due to entry of the Reliant orbital transfer vehicle into the space tug market, Exolaunch will be able to meet the most ambitious requirements of its customers wishing to deploy satellite constellations to custom orbits by adjusting altitude, inclination, LTAN/LTDN, and performing orbital phasing. It is designed to deorbit shortly after deployment completion, minimizing the risks of space collisions and reducing orbital debris. Future generations of Reliant will also be able to perform on-demand active debris removal. (Source: Satnews)
At Viasat, we’re driven to connect every warfighter, platform, and node on the battlefield. As a global communications company, we power millions of fast, resilient connections for military forces around the world – connections that have the capacity to revolutionize the mission – in the air, on the ground, and at sea. Our customers depend on us for connectivity that brings greater operational capabilities, whether we’re securing the U.S. Government’s networks, delivering satellite and wireless communications to the remote edges of the battlefield, or providing senior leaders with the ability to perform mission-critical communications while in flight. We’re a team of fearless innovators, driven to redefine what’s possible. And we’re not done – we’re just beginning.