Worldwide Satellite Magazine March 2021

Home , NewSpace India Limited, Rocket Lab Neutron

Worldwide Satellite Magazine SatMagazineSatMagazine March 2021 Publishing Operations InfoBeam Features Silvano Payne, Publisher + Executive Writer ISRO 4 Creating “Ordinary” As “Extraordinary” 28 Simon Payne, Chief Technical Officer by Dirk Wallinger, York Space Systems Hartley G. Lesser, Editorial Director Rocket Lab 6 Pattie Lesser, Executive Editor Musk Vs. Bezos: The Battle Continues… 30 Donald McGee, Production Manager Kleos Space 9 by Chris Forrester, Senior Contributor

Teresa Sanderson, Operations Director Executive Spotlight: Sir Richard Branson, 32 Sean Payne, Business Development Director Spire Global 10 Virgin Galactic + Dan Hart, Virgin Orbit Dan Makinster, Technical Advisor Orbit Fab + Benchmark Space Systems 12 Interview by Chris Stott, Mansat

Senior Contributors The Perfect Fit For Satellite IoT 38 Fact.MR 14 Chris Forrester, Broadgate Publications by Rajesh Suseelan, ST Engineering iDirect

Karl Fuchs, iDirect Government Services Emcore 15 Light At The End Of The Tunnel 40 Bob Gough, Goonhilly Earth Station by GateHouse Satcom Rebecca M. Cowen-Hirsch, Inmarsat Magdrive 16

Ken Peterman, Viasat Staying Out Of Terrestrial Trouble 42 Giles Peeters, Track24 Defence Sateliot 18 by Kevin Korte, Univention North America Koen Willems, ST Engineering Newtec Comtech Telecommunications Corp. 20 Inside NASA’s Perseverance 44 This Issue’s Authors by Maxar Spaceﬂight, Inc. 20 Chris Forrester Is AI The Answer To Interference Problems? 46 Ursa Space Systems 22 by Helen Weedon, Satcoms Innovation Group (SIG) Kevin Korte

OQ Technology 24 IoT + Secure Information Exchange 48 Jaume Sanpera by Jaume Sanpera, Sateliot Capanet Communications + Kymeta 25 Chris Stott

L3Harris 26 Rajesh Suseelan

Dirk Wallinger Advertisers Helen Weedon Advantech Wireless Technologies, Inc. 7 Airborne, Inc. 9 APSCC (Asia-Paciﬁc Satellite Communications Council) 19 AvL Technologies 11 Comtech EF Data 25 CPI SatCom Products 13 DH Satellite (DH Antenna) 15 Es’hailSat 17 Hughes Network Systems 21 Mission Microwave 27 ND SATCOM Products GmbH 23 Radeus Labs, Inc. 5 Satellite Innovation 2021 50 Satnews Digital Editions 29 SpaceBridge 3 ST Engineering iDirect 1

SatMagazine is published 11 times a year by Satnews Publishers, 800 Siesta Way, Sonoma, CA, 95476 — USA. Phone: (707) 939-9306 / Fax: (707) 939-9235 © 2020 Satnews Publishers We reserve the right to edit all submitted materials to meet publication content guidelines, as well as for grammar and spelling errors, or to move articles to an alternative issue to accommodate publication space requirements, or remove content due to space restrictions or unacceptable content. Submission of articles does not constitute acceptance of said material by Satnews Publishers. Edited materials may, or may not, be returned to author and/or company for review prior to publication. The views expressed in Satnews Publishers’ various publications do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of Satnews Publishers. All rights reserved. All included imagery is courtesy of, and copyright to, the respective companies and/or named individuals.

SatMagazine Page 2 March 2021 CONNECTING PEOPLE TO THEIR MISSIONS

Cellular IIoT, ATM, SCADA, HTS Broadband SATCOM On Government & Managed Backhaul Oil & Gas Consumer & The Move Military Services Enterprise

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Photo of the Satash Dhawan Space Center, First Launch Pad, with PSLVC51 awaiting launch. Photo is courtesy of ISRO. PSLVC51/Amazonia1 is the first dedicated commercial mission of NewSpace India Limited (NSIL), a Government of India company under Department of Space. The 18 copassenger satellites onboard PSLVC51 included four from IN- SPACe and 14 from NSIL. Out of the four satellites from INSPACe, three were UNITYsats designed and built as a joint development by Jeppiaar Institute of Technology, Sriperumbudur (JITsat), G.H.Raisoni College of Engineering, Nagpur (GHRCEsat) and Sri Shakti Institute of Engineering and Technology, Coimbatore (Sri Shakthi Sat) and one was Satish Dhawan Sat (SDSAT) from Space Kidz India. The 14 satellites from NSIL carried were the commercial satellites from India (1) and USA (13).

The ISRO PSLVC51 mission launch. Image is courtesy of ISRO.

PSLVC51, the first dedicated launch for NSIL, successfully launched Amazonia1 and 18 copassenger satellites from Sriharikota, India. India’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle PSLVC51 successfully launched Amazonia1 along with 18 copassenger satellite son February 28, 2021, from Satish Dhawan Space Centre SHAR. PSLVC51 lifted off from the First Launch Pad of SDSC SHAR at 10:24 hours (IST) as planned. After a flight of about 17 minutes 23 seconds, the vehicle injected the Amazonia1 into its intended orbit and in the succeeding 1 hour 38 minutes, all of the 18 copassenger satellites successfully separated from PSLVC51 is the 53rd flight of PSLV and 3rd flight of PSLV in ‘DL‘ configuration the PSLV in a predetermined sequence. (with two, strapon motors). This was the 78th launch vehicle mission from Amazonia1 is the optical Earth Observation (EO) satellite of SDSC SHAR, Sriharikota. National Institute for Space Research (INPE). This satellite With this launch, the total number of customer satellites from foreign would further strengthen the existing structure by providing remote countries placed in orbit by PSLV is 342 from 34 countries. sensing data to users for monitoring deforestation in the Amazon region and analysis of diversified agriculture across the Brazilian territory.

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Contact us today for a site visit! radeus Contact Us SALES (858) 602-1255 | [email protected] | Radeuslabs.com labs, inc. (858) 391-1210 • 12720 Danielson Court • Poway, CA 92064 USA InfoBeam Rocket Lab SPAC's Up To Become A Publicly Traded Company + Unveils Their New Launch Vehicle, Neutron

Artistic rendition of Rocket Lab's Photon spacecraft. Rocket Lab’s Photon spacecraft family delivers a satelliteasaservice solu tion that eliminates the typical high cost, time and complexity customers face when building their own satellites. With Rocket Lab, customers can buy a launch, satellite, ground services and onorbit management as a turnkey package, resulting in a disruptive reduction in cost and time to orbit. Rocket If you happened to attend the recent SmallSat Symposium 2021, Lab has an operational Photon in orbit, with additional missions to the you know that one of the "hot' topics for keynotes, panels and Moon, Mars and Venus planned. discussions targeted the information regarding the Special Purpose Acquisition Companies (SPAC) and the associated funding possibilities for satellite and space companies. Now, Rocket Lab USA, Inc. and the Vector Acquisition Corporation (Nasdaq: VACQ) (“Vector”) SPAC backed by technology investor Vector Capital have entered into a definitive merger agreement that will result in Rocket Lab becoming a publicly traded company. The transaction is estimated to be completed in Q2 2021 and, at that ti me, Vector will change its name to Rocket Lab USA, Inc., and the combined company will trade under the Nasdaq ticker symbol RKLB. Rocket Lab is transforming the way space is used and accessed by delivering endtoend solutions across the launch and space systems markets. Since the Company’s first orbital launch in 2018, the firm's Electron launch vehicle has become the secondmost frequently launched U.S. rocket Photon is a family of spacecraft designed to meet unique mission requirements and is available in LEO configurations through to each year. To date, Rocket Lab has delivered 97 satellites to orbit for more interplanetary exploration models. than 20 public and privatesector organizations and technologyleading constellation operators. In 2021, Rocket Lab will employ Rocket Lab’s customer base is evenly split across government and Electron and Photon to launch a commercial organizations that include NASA, the NRO and DARPA, as well satellite to lunar orbit for NASA to as commercial satellite leaders. As the first company to deliver regular serve as a precursor for Gateway, a and reliable dedicated launch services for smallsats, Rocket Lab has also Moonorbiting outpost that is part of played a leading role in catalyzing the growth of the commercial small NASA’s Artemis program to return satellite industry. humans to the lunar surface. The satellites launched by Rocket Lab enable operations in national security, Earth Observation (EO), space debris mitigation, weather and climate monitoring, communications and scientific research. Rocket Lab has an established space systems business that develops satellite and spacecraft solu tions for a range of commercial and government missions, from LEO constellations to highcomplexity,deep space and interplanetary missions.

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Rocket Lab also unveiled their of the transaction, the Company will continue to be led by Founder and CEO mediumlift Neutron rocket — an Peter Beck. Alex Slusky, CEO of Vector and CIO and Founder of Vector advanced, new generation, reusable, Capital, will join Rocket Lab’s Board of Directors alongside Sven Strohband of launch vehicle with an 8ton payload Khosla Ventures, David Cowan of Bessemer Venture Partners, Matt Ocko of li ft capacity that is tailored for mega DCVC and Mike Griffin, independent director. constellations, deep space missions Peter Beck, CEO and Founder of Rocket Lab, said, “In and human spaceflight. Neutron will the history of spaceflight, Rocket Lab is one of only two be able to lift more than 90% of all private companies that has delivered regular and satellites forecast to launch through reliable access to orbit. Not only are we the leader in 2029 and introduces highly small launch, we are the second most frequently disruptive lower costs to the high launched rocket in the U.S. annually and the fourth most growth constellation market by frequent launcher globally. Space has defined some of leveraging Electron’s heritage, humanity’s greatest achievements,and it continues to shape our future.The launch sites and architecture. satellites we build and launch are keeping countries connected and borders Rocket Lab’s inhouse launch and protected, monitoring weather and managing waste, providing insights on space systems capabilities provide climate change, and helping us manage resources for future generations. significant competitive advantages in Since day one, our talented Rocket Lab team has demonstrated stellar entering the highgrowth space execution and a keen ability to seize growth opportunities. Now, we are applications market that comprises thrilled to build upon this momentum and welcome Alex Slusky, a seasoned approximately $320 billion of the technology investor and public company director to our Board as we come current $350+ billion space industry together with Vector to become a publicly traded, pureplay, endtoend TAM. Having reached these space company. This milestone accelerates Rocket Lab’s ability to unlock the milestones — and considering the full potential of space through our launch and spacecraft platforms and unprecedented commercial catalyzes our ambition to create a new multibilliondollar business vertical investment and government in space applications.” expenditures driving rapid growth in Alex Slusky, CEO of Vector and Founder and Chief the space economy — Rocket Lab Investment Officer of Vector Capital, said, “Rocket Lab is and the firm's Board of Directors a onceinageneration company that is democratizing believe that this proposed access to space through its constant innovation, leading transaction is the appropriate next technology and proven execution. Peter is a true step to position the Company for visionary who has built a worldclass company with continued success. discipline and grit. Rocket Lab is ideally positioned to On March 1, 2021, Rocket Lab con tinue to capture market share in the rapidly entered into a definitive merger expanding space launch, systems and applications markets. Vector Capital agreement with Vector. The transaction reflects an implied pro forma has a nearly 25year track record of identifying and building highgrowth enterprise value of $4.1 billionfor Rocket Lab, representing 5.4 x 2025 technology businesses and we are thrilled to partner with Peter and Rocket projected revenue of approximately $750million.The transaction is expected Lab’s talented team to support the Company’s next generation platforms and to result in pro forma cash on the balance sheet of approximately capabilities.Vector is thrilled to partner with Rocket Lab as it seeks to $750million through the contribution of existing cash estimated to be on capitalize on unprecedented commercial and government spending in the Rocket Lab’s balance sheet prior to close, up to $320 million of cash held in burgeoning space economy.” Vector Acquisition Corporation’s trust account(assuming no redemptions by Additional information about the proposed transaction, including a copy Vector’s public shareholders), and a concurrent, approximately $470 million of the merger agreement and investor presentation, will be available in a PIPE of common stock, priced at $10.00 per share and led by Vector Capital, Current Report on Form 8K to be filed by Vector with the Securities and BlackRock and Neuberger Berman, among other toptier institutional Exchange Commission and also on Rocket Lab’s investor website. investors. The transaction, which has been unanimously approved by the Boards of Directors of Rocket Lab and Vector, is subject to approval by Vector’s shareholders and other customary closing conditions. Following the closing

SatMagazine Page 8 March 2021 InfoBeam

Kleos Space’s Polar Vigilance The KSF1 Polar Vigilance Mission satellites are scheduled for a mid- Mission Smallsats Complete Hardware CDR 2021 launch onboard a SpaceX Falcon 9,under a rideshare contract with Spaceflight Inc. The satellites will be Kleos Space S.A.- 26 and will be launched into a 500 to 600 km SSO, complementing Kleos’ Scouting Mission 37° orbit, which successfully launched in early November of Kleos Space S.A. (ASX: KSS, 2020 and those satellites are in the commission and test phase. Frankfurt: KS1,) a company Kleos’ satellites will detect and geolocate radio frequency that offers pacepowered, transmissions to provide global activity-based intelligence, enhancing Radio Frequency the intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities of Reconnaissance, Dataasa governments and commercial entities when tracking systems are Service (DaaS) company, has defeated, imagery unclear or targets out of patrol range. now confirmed their second Kleos Space CEO Andy Bowyer said, “We are satellite cluster, the Polar excited to be progressing our second satellite cluster with Vigilance Mission (KSF1), ISISPACE – a leader in the small satellite market. Entering has successfully completed a the assembly and verification phase of the satellites is a hardware critical design review milestone for a launch midyear crucial developmental milestone and ensures we are on onboard a SpaceX Falcon 9. schedule to launch in mid2021. The KSF1 satellite cluster Satellite developer ISISpace, conducted the design progress in the will complement our Scouting Mission satellites, increasing Netherlands. Passing this milestone ensures that these mission satellites the value of our geolocation maritime intelligence data.” can enter the assembly and verification phase. This stage leads to final integration, testing and delivery of the satellites for launch.

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SatMagazine Page 9 March 2021 InfoBeam

ISISPACE’s CEO Jeroen Rotteveel stated, “We are pleased to design and build this second satellite cluster for Kleos, to be completed on a fasttrack schedule made possible by building on our extensive nanosatellite expertise and heritage. Despite the challenging timeline due to the current global situation, we are keen to enter this next crucial phase of satellite assembly and validation and bringing our design to reality.”

The Board of Directors of each of Spire and NavSight have unanimously approved the transaction “Proposed Transaction.” The Proposed Transaction Artistic rendition of the 6U cubesat platform, courtesy of Kleos Space. will require the approval of the stockholders of Spire and NavSight, and is subject to other customary closing conditions, including the receipt of certain regulatory approvals. The Proposed Transaction is expected to close A SPAC For Spire Global in summer of 2021.

Spire Global, Inc. (“Spire” or the “Company”) and SPAC company NavSight Holdings Inc. (“NavSight”) (NYSE: NSH) have entered into a deﬁnitive merger agreement for a business combination that would result in Spire becoming a publicly listed company. Spire collects spacebased data using a proprietary constellation of multi purpose smallsats called LEMUR (Low Earth MultiUse Receiver). The company’s software analytics generate proprietary data, insights and predictive analytics for its global customers through a subscription model. Spire monetizes this information across a broad and growing number of industries including weather, aviation, maritime, and government, with global coverage and near realtime data that can be easily integrated into customer business operations. Spire is also pioneering an innovative “spaceasaservice” business Assuming no redemptions by NavSight stockholders, the Proposed model. Leveraging the company’s fully deployed infrastructure and large Transaction is expected to deliver up to $475 million of gross proceeds, scale operation, customers can operate their own payloads on orbit through including the contribution of up to $230 million of cash held in NavSight’s Spire’s API and can begin receiving data in less than a year and a simple trust account. The Proposed Transaction is further supported by a $245 subscription agreement. million fully committed PIPE anchored by Tiger Global Management, BlackRock Advisors, Hedosophia, Jaws Estates Capital, and Bloom Tree Partners.

SatMagazine Page 10 March 2021 CONNECTING YOU TO THE FUTURE

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Spire stockholders will retain 100 percent of their equity holdings in the Orbit Fab and Benchmark Space Systems Team to Establish combined company. Spire’s existing stockholders will hold approximately 67 In-Space, High-Test, percent of the fully diluted shares of common stock immediately following Peroxide-based Refueling, the closing of the business combination, assuming no redemptions by Servicing Infrastructure NavSight’s existing public stockholders.

Additional information about the Proposed Transaction, including copies of certain documents related to the Proposed Transaction, including the investor presentation, will be provided in a Current Report on Form 8K to be filed by NavSight today with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) and available at www.sec.gov. The investor presentation can also be found on Spire’s website at https://www.Spire.com and NavSight’s website at https://www.NavSight.com. In addition, NavSight intends to file a registration statement on Form S4 with the SEC, which will include a proxy statement/prospectus/information statement (the “Registration Orbit Fab, the Gas Stations in Space™ company, and Benchmark Statement”), and will file other documents regarding the Proposed Space Systems (BSS), a provider of inspace mobility solutions, Transaction with the SEC. announced a green, hydrogenperoxidebased refueling and servicing infrastructure partnership to extend satellite missions and “Spire was founded nearly a decade ago to help lead, provide the essential fuel for the evolving ecosystem in space. inspire, and create the business of spacebased data. Today, our proprietary data and solutions help customers solve some of earth’s greatest challenges, including Net Zero and Climate Change adaptation. It has been immensely inspiring to see customers from all over the world turn to Spire’s solutions to help them make decisions about their business with confidence and speed and we are excited about the continued growth ahead. This transaction funds these growth plans and allows us to pursue, on a more aggressive timetable, this massive and growing longterm opportunity ahead of us,” said Peter Platzer, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Spire, “I am thrilled to partner with Bob and Jack from NavSight.” As part of the teaming, Orbit Fab will bundle their RAFTI fluid transfer “Peter and the outstanding Spire leadership interface with Benchmark’s Halcyon thruster system to offer an integrated team have deep domain expertise. They have built a refillable, nontoxic propulsion package. The innovative refueling solution is company that delivers exceptional value to their global set for a technical demonstration at the SpaceX launch pad and in space commercial and government customers. Spire is leading aboard Orbit Fab’s first operational fuel depot to be lifted into orbit on a the way with its modern SaaSbased approach to meet Falcon 9 later this year. the significant, growing demand for spacebased data,” said Bob Coleman, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NavSight. “We look forward to working together to build longterm value for Spire stockholders.”

Orbit Fab will bundle its RAFTI ﬂuid transfer interface with Benchmark’s

Halcyon thruster system to oﬀer an integrated reﬁllable, nontoxic propulsion package (image credit: Bryan Versteeg/Spacehabs.com)

SatMagazine Page 12 March 2021 InfoBeam

Benchmark Space Systems will use Orbit Fab’s Satellite Gas Cap™ fluid CPI GaN BUCs transfer interface, known as RAFTI, to fuel Orbit Fab’s Tanker001 Tenzing on the ground. Benchmark will also offer the RAFTI HalcyonRAFTI bundle: Benchmark Space Systems interface as an and Orbit Fab provide integrated refueling and option with its propulsion component. Halcyon and Peregrine propulsion solutions for onorbit refueling. Benchmark recently announced an exclusive services agreement with Space flight to provide a full range of nontoxic chemical propulsion solutions designed to accelerate satellite rideshare deployments to prime orbital locations aboard the firm’s nextgeneration Sherpa OTVs. Astro Digital is integrating Orbit Fab’s fuel tanker — including Benchmark 's Halcyon system — for positioning and steering along with other customer payloads being hosted by Astro Digital on an AD Corvus Micro Satellite bus launching to Sun Synchronous Orbit (SSO). Orbit Fab intends to operate The last word in solid state many satellite tankers with HTP and has agreed to use Benchmark as their propulsion system provider for these future missions. from the 昀rst name in HPAs. Orbit Fab’s Tanker001 Tenzing will store HTP propellant in SSO where it will be available to satellite servicing vehicles and other spacecraft as they need to • Ef昀cient solution for all satellite be refueled. Hydrogen peroxide is an environmentally friendly and costeffective uplink applications fuel that is particularly effective for inspace thrust and maneuverability. • Up to 160 W in Ka-band • Up to 200 W in X-band • Up to 100 W in C-band • Up to 80 W in Ku-band • 1,000 W C-band transceiver

Tenzing approach picture: Mobile Gas and Service Stations are Redeﬁning 80 W Ku-band BUC 160 W Ka-band BUC Missions in Space (image credit: Bryan Versteeg/Spacehabs.com)

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SatMagazine Page 13 March 2021 InfoBeam

“We expect the bundled hightest peroxidebased systems, which is fueling both increased demand for existing electric propulsion package will become an essential building block propulsion systems and the production of new components. for the inorbit ecosystem for satellite servicing, national The industry is expected to see many more operators choosing all security, and space commercialization,” said Daniel Faber, electric satellite solutions as part of their future and current missions, with CEO of Orbit Fab. “Together with Benchmark Space the prospect of low weight and longer mission lives attracting the Systems, we share a longterm perspective and commitment in order to operator’s attention. establish a sustainable inspace infrastructure that enables spacecraft to Electric propulsion’s appeal is its ability to drastically lower a ‘maneuver without regret.’ And we benefit tremendously from the maturity spacecraft’s wet mass, or the mass of the spacecraft and its propellant, of the Benchmark propulsion system, which is already flight qualified.” because of the lowmass (and volume) of electric propellants. Compared “Our nontoxic, hydrogenperoxide fueled propulsion to chemical propulsion, an allelectric satellite can weigh 50 percent less. systems provide the thrust levels, precision and control Satellite operators can use that free space to pack more payloads on the required for a broad range of rendezvous and proximity operations (RPO), and our integration with Orbit Fab’s spacecraft bus, or shrink the satellite for a lowercost launch. RAFTI fuel port opens the door to a safe, sustainable They produce more drag in some cases, certainly for thrusters versus, infrastructure for inspace mobility,” said Ryan say, pure ion thrusters. They can also engender erosion of surface McDevitt, Benchmark Space Systems CEO. materials, which likewise would put deposits on your spacecraft surfaces. “Spaceflight Inc.’s Sherpa Orbital Transfer Vehicle is a They also have potential electrodynamic interference effects that all great example of the immediate and fielded customer base we see for have to be accounted for, and likewise they are also very expensive Orbit Fab’s refueling depots and our HTP propulsion package that opens compared to a heritage chemical system. However, even with all those the door to an exciting new ecosystem in space.” features, they have become quite a key offering now among many FACT.MR Reports ThatAll satellite prime contractors. Electric Satellites are The commercial communication application segment holds a notable Witnessing a Promising Uptake Across Globe share of more than 30 percent in the global allelectric satellite market. With the increasing demand for satellite oriented services such as inflight connectivity, seafaring broadband services along with growth in the telecommunications sector, the demand for allelectric satellites in the commercial communication segment is anticipated to be the highest. The introduction of emerging technologies such as reconfigurable on board processors (onboard digital processing payloads) and onboard switching techniques is expected to further improve satellite communication with allelectric satellite technology and protocol implementations. Currently, the regional segment of North America holds the most The global allelectric satellite market is consolidated in nature with a considerable share in the global allelectric satellite market. The few industry giants such as Airbus SE, The Boeing Company and Ariane presence of notable space organizations such as National Group acquiring the top shares. Allelectric satellites are expected to Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is a key driving perform exceptionally well with respect to being economic. factor behind such growth. Allelectric satellite manufacturers are now trying to figure out how to Nonetheless, with the increasing demand for communication services in maximize their share of the electric propulsion market, while not ignoring the APAC, it is anticipated that the region will increase investments in more conventional customers. Nevertheless, the allure of economies of communication satellites during the forecast period and will exhibit a scale and less reliance on foreign suppliers in the allelectric satellite highly promising growth rate. Countries such as India, China and Japan, industry makes vertical integration difficult to bear. among others, account for the majority of the demand for sectors such as military and commercial communication. This is due to government Obtain a sample copy of this report via this link... promotional policies to make their aeronautical, maritime and military industries healthier. Allelectric satellites are increasingly becoming the solution of choice for propulsion systems on board many types of satellite platforms over the last few years. The most notable indication of this phenomenon is the ever growing inclusion of allelectric satellites for telecommunication

SatMagazine Page 14 March 2021 InfoBeam

Removing the Growing Pain

As the requirement for more centralization within teleports con tinues to grow and the pressure to reduce operational cost increases, more and more companies are looking at fiber optics as an alternate solution to RF over coax/copper to connect their Remote Antenna Farm to their Central Operations Room. Although the benefits are quite tangible, justification of this capital investment must be made and, as such, making a system that is completely scalable over time is a critical consideration. Emcore has developed their Being in business for more than 30 years, EMCORE has their own, inhouse, Optiva Platform to address such concerns and allow fiber network laser fabrication facility to build the fiber optic transmitters and receivers architecture to grow seamlessly as requirements grow. from scratch. The company provides a massive range of frequency options for a network. Emcore's family of Optiva SNMP managed products provides high performance fiber optic transmission from 1 MHz to 60 GHz.

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Frequency Band Options Ethernet card that allows you to control your remote site from your main station. • LBAND: The most cost-effective entry point in the • OPTICAL AMPLIFIERS: High power lasers (typically 11dBo) industry with our new budget L-Band cards operating from allow us to achieve very long distances without the need for 5 MHz to 3 GHz. a mid-point cabinet. We also have chassis-based pre & post • DUAL LBAND: Where chassis space is limited, we can EDFA (up to 23 dBm amplifiers) that we can put either end double the number of links with our two-channel card. This of the link to enhance the link performance. can provide up to 30 L-Band links in one 3RU rack. • DISPERSION COMPENSATION: We can provide dispersion • 6.5 GHz & 8.5 GHz: A new budget 6.5 GHz card allowing compensation spools to stop the back reflection of light us to carry 5G signals and C-Band traffic at a similar cost of within the fiber due to the required high launch power of the traditional L-Band links. We are also looking to extend the transmitter when going long distances. capabilities of this card to 8.5 GHz to serve the military X-Band market. • DEDICATED SATELLITE BANDS: Dedicated satellite cards for Fiber vs. Traditional Coax Cable The Benefits Are Well Known up and down links in native S, C, X, Ku, DBS and Ka bands. Simplified installation of the cable run as fiber is 1/10th the weight and size • HIGH FREQUENCY WIDEBAND: Transmitters and receivers of coaxial cable that cover frequencies from 1 GHz to 18 GHz, 22 GHz and 40 GHz. • Long distances are possible (from 10 m to 100 km) • Q & V BAND: A new Q/V-Band transmitter and receiver • Ability to keep the signal in the native satellite card allowing signal transmission up to 60 GHz for the new frequency reduces signal errors caused by up and down series of satellite transponders. conversion • Customers can run multiple signals over a single fiber Live Operational Requirements with CWDM and DWDM technology Along with the widest range of frequency options in the industry, we also • Cleaner path with much simplified architecture and have a strong focus on true live operational requirements that include: redundancy switching • Fiber has great EMI immunity to avoid hum and • CHASSIS OPTIONS: A range of different chassis options distortion of the signal from a simple desktop unit, through to a 1RU and 3RU rack- • Fiber is much less expensive than coaxial cable over any mount unit to a fully temperature controlled outdoor unit. reasonable distance • REDUNDANT POWER SUPPLIES: Our rackmount unit • Fiber optics provide a higher level of protection and includes dual power supplies that mirror each other allowing security; lighting protection and virtually impossible to “tap” a hot-swap facility if one fails meaning no down-time. • NMS CONTROL: Full SNMP control allowing remote Next Generation Plasma Thruster interrogation of the whole system along with APIs to Now In Development By Magdrive integrate to most of the main high-level teleport management systems. RF AMPLIFIERS: The ability to have RF pre- and post-amplifiers up to 35 dB on the optical transmit and receive cards allowing a completely flat RF response across the link. • FULL REDUNDANCY: We have a variety of inter-chassis RF splitters and RF switches to allow seamless redundancy in either auto-switch mode or under SNMP control. • MULTIWAVELENGTH: Where connectivity between sites is limited, we have optical multiplexers and demultiplexers to allow multiple signals (wavelengths) to be carried over a single fiber. • ETHERNET CONNECTIVITY: If a separate IP connection is not available between sites, we have an “in-band” Gb

SatMagazine Page 16 March 2021

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The rapid increase of smallsats being launched into Earth’s orbit is Satellites are just the start for Magdrive, as Mark Stokes has much greater increasing at a phenomenal rate. From a total of 385 smallsats ambitions. He said, “Just as the jet engine transformed the aviation industry, launched in 2019, the expectation now is that more than 6,000 will the Magdrive will be the catalyst for a new space age. We want to open up be launched during 2023, including SpaceX’s Starlink and Amazon’s the space industry to completely new types of missions that were not Project Kuiper. possible before without resorting to much larger, expensive and heavier As satellites are evolving to be chemical thrusters. Fast and affordable interplanetary space, operations in smaller, the development of agile Very Low Earth orbit, and laying the foundation for orbital manufacturing propulsion technology to serve them and asteroid mining are all within reach. We plan to scale up our technology effectively has not kept up. Magdrive to power larger manned spacecraft once in orbit, to long distance has the answer to address the need destinations such as the Moon and Mars. Our system would present a much for a breakthrough in satellite propulsion. more affordable option than a chemical or nuclear solution, due to the huge Magdrive is led by CEO Mark reduction in fuel costs.” Stokes, a mechanical and deep learning engineer with a career in Sateliot’s First Smallsat deep tech and aerospace, and CTO, Is Ready to fly Dr. Thomas Clayson, a plasma physicist and pulsed power electronic engineer. Magdrive has just closed $2 Left to right: Magdrive’s Mark Stokes, million in seed funding from investors CEO, and Dr. Thomas Clayson, CTO. that include Founders Fund, who is a major investor in SpaceX. The company is currently working on an engineering model and currently speaking with prospective partners for On Orbit Demonstrations. The combination of high thrust and high specific impulse delivered by the Magdrive thruster are a generational leap ahead of any other propulsion systems. Other similar sized electric propulsion systems will typically produce less than 10mN of thrust, whereas Magdrive is looking to provide a colossal 100mN, providing small spacecraft with increased agility and control, sufficient for closeproximity operations and obstacle avoidance. The Magdrive thruster consists of several magnetic coils, arranged to create a magnetic chamber. These coils confine and direct the hot plasma exhaust, provided by the Sateliot will launch a constellation of smallsats to democratize IoT pulsed plasma injectors. The unique with 5G coverage and has verified with Alén Space that the element is the efficiency with which transmission equipment that will be on board its first smallsat is Magdrive manipulates the magnetic now ready to fly. fields to direct the plasma to Once the design and manufacture of the flight model of the payload that provide thrust. The high Artistic rendition of a will be on board 3B5GSAT — Sateliot’s first smallsat that will serve as a test temperature of the plasma Magdrive prototype. bench — has been completed, both companies have worked on its guarantees high efficiencies and integration into the satellite structure and its flight model, validating all its specific impulses, while the high plasma density creates a high thrust. functionalities through strict tests and quality procedures. Magdrive are on an exciting trajectory since forming in September of Sateliot is relying on The Space Alliance formed by Thales Alenia Space 2019. The company was accepted into Entrepreneur’s First in April, accepted (TAS) and Telespazio for the development of this constellation of smallsats to into the European Space Agency Incubator in June and secured the backing ensure the company’s IoT connectivity is compatible with the 5G standard. of Founders Fund. These procedures, which have included tests of the complete system including the IoT terminals to be deployed on Earth, the satellite with the payload and the operating and data processing software, have concluded

SatMagazine Page 18 March 2021 InfoBeam that everything is working optimally and that the satellite is now entering first nanosatellite brings us closer to our goal of having up to 100 the final phase prior to its launch, which is scheduled for March 20 from the nanosatellites in service by 2025”. Baikonur space base in Kazakhstan. Sateliot is the first satellite telecommunications operator to provide With the launch of the first nanosatellite, Sateliot will enter a new global and continuous connectivity to all the elements that will make up the technological phase, which will allow the company to perform field tests in IoT universe under the 5G protocol. real environments, providing very useful information for the evolution and Alén Space is a Spanish company specialized in consulting, design, design of its constellation of up to 100 nanosatellites that is scheduled to manufacturing and operation of small satellites for all kinds of applications. start and offer commercial service from 2022. Alén Space has a highly qualified team of engineers with more than 12 years Alén Space, which signed an agreement with Sateliot as part of its R&D of experience in the development of nanosatellite missions, with the investment, is also already working on the new version of the payload to be necessary technological solutions and capacity to help those companies that carried on board the constellation’s next nanosatellites. The company will want to develop business in space. Quality and technology have been the take advantage of the information collected by the first smallsat and will hallmark of the Alén Space team since 2008. allow the implementation of a first version of the system capable of supporting a precommercial version of NBIoT. This payload will be the hardware support on which the new standard defined by 3GPP for nonterrestrial networks will be implemented. In this context, Sateliot is working closely with both Alén Space and Gatehouse and I2CAT in the development and integration of the software needed to implement the new standard in the payload. According to Jaume Sanpera, cofounder and CEO of Sateliot, “Despite the challenges and limitations posed by the pandemic in recent months, the development of our

APSCC 2021 WEBINAR SERIES Live play out on Tuesdays 09:00 HKG l SNG Time (UTC+8) All episodes available on demand

SatMagazine Page 19 March 2021 InfoBeam

next 12 months. The purchase agreement also provides for an earnout payment of up to an additional $9.0 million (payable in cash and/or common stock at Comtech’s option) if certain agreed upon sales milestones are reached over an eighteenmonth period. Approximately 1.0 million shares of Comtech’s common stock were issued at closing in respect of the initial payment and escrow arrangements under the terms of the purchase agreement. Comtech is not purchasing UHP’s sister company headquartered in Moscow; however, Comtech will be able to immediately market and sell UHP Comtech Telecommunications Corp. (“Comtech”) (NASDAQ: CMTL), products to customers in that region. Except for five months of incremental a global leader in the advanced secure wireless communications amortization of intangible assets that is expected to approximate $1.0 market, announced today that it has closed the acquisition of UHP million, the acquisition will not materially impact Comtech’s fiscal 2021 Networks Inc. (“UHP”), a leading provider of innovative and consolidated net sales or Adjusted EBITDA guidance previously issued on disruptive satellite ground station technology solutions. Founded in December 9, 2020. 2011, UHP is based in Canada and has developed revolutionary Fred Kornberg, Chairman of the Board and Chief technology that is transforming the growing Very Small Aperture Execu tive Officer of Comtech said, “The acquisition of Terminal (“VSAT”) market. UHP fits perfectly with our strategy of offering the most UHP’s unique time divisional multiple access (“TDMA”) technology used robust and advanced wireless communications solutions in its VSAT platforms has software defined network functionality that offers for our global customers. We are delighted to acquire bestinclass support for very large networks. With over 3 billion people UHP and expect use of its incredible technology to globally who are not connected to any wireless services, the UHP acquisition expand globally for many years to come.” allows Comtech’s customers to costeffectively provide service to endusers with the quality and reassurance of the Comtech brand and service offerings. Spaceflight Inc. Signs Multiple Launch Agreements to Start 2021

All UHP employees are expected to join Comtech, including Vagan Shakhgildian, the President of UHP, who will also assume the role of Senior Vice President of Network Products, leading Comtech’s eﬀorts to expand the presence of both HEIGHTS™ and UHP’s solutions in the mobile backhaul, maritime, enterprise and defense/government markets, which all have a growing need for highspeed satellitebased networks.

Spaceflight Inc. has started the year by signing several significant launch agreements with a wide range of organizations including growing constellations needing routine and reliable launch schedules, smaller payloads requiring affordable buslike options to popular orbits, firms needing regulatory and logistical guidance, as well as those seeking a personalized taxi service from loading dock to final orbital destination. Organizations that recently signed launch deals with Spaceflight include Lynk, Astro Digital, Kleos, BlackSky, Umbra, Orbit Fab and several, The initial upfront payment of approximately $24.0 million was paid in undisclosed, U.S. government payloads. shares of Comtech common stock. An additional payment of $5.0 million (payable in cash and/or common stock at Comtech’s option) is due upon certain conditions being met, all of which are expected to occur within the

SatMagazine Page 20 March 2021

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In November 2020, Spaceflight supported the successful launch of the Kleos “ Spaceflight Inc. played an important role in the success Scouting Mission satellites (KSM1) and is now helping Kleos Space prepare of Kleos’ first satellite mission and proved to be a for the launch of its second cluster of satellites in mid2021. The second proactive and flexible partner, which is essential to the cluster — KSF1 Polar Vigilance Mission satellites will launch into a 500 success of the new space industry,” said Andy Bowyer, kilometer SSO aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9, under a rideshare contract with Kleos Space CEO. “They went above and beyond the call Spaceflight Inc. Kleos’ satellites will detect and geolocate maritime radio of duty to get our scouting satellites launched in the frequency transmissions to provide global activitybased information, middle of a pandemic. We are grateful to have enhancing the intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities Spaceflight's expertise and experience at our disposal as we prepare for the of governments and commercial entities. launch of our second cluster." Most recently, Spaceflight coordinated its first fully dedicated PSLV mission, successfully deploying its largest customer satellite to date, Ursa Space Systems Names Nicole Amazonia1, a nearly 700kilogram Earth observation satellite. The Robinson As The Firm’s President company also successfully deployed 14 spacecraft from its first nextgen OTV (SherpaFX) on the recordbreaking SpaceX Falcon 9 Transporter1 launch in January. In the coming months, Spaceflight is managing two dedicated rideshare missions on Rocket Lab Electron vehicles and a deployment from the International Space Station for several U.S government spacecraft. The company is preparing several ESPAclass OTVs complete with electric and chemical propulsion for missions later this year along with many traditional rideshare missions for a total of approximately 10 launches in 2021. Spaceflight has also signed an exclusive business development agreement with Mitsui Bussan Aerospace Co., Ltd., the leading aerospace trading company in Japan. The new alliance enables Mitsui Bussan Aerospace to expand its services to now offer Spaceflight’s global rideshare and integration services in the APAC region, capitalizing on its regional and cultural expertise. Celebrating 10 years of providing launch services, Spaceflight has launched nearly 350 satellites across 37 missions on eight different launch vehicles, including the Falcon 9, Electron, PSLV, and Vega. It has orchestrated several industry firsts, including the first fully dedicated rideshare with 64 smallsats about the historic SSOA mission and the firstever rideshare mission to GTO with a lunar lander. “While the pandemic initially stalled many launch deals, we’ve really seen a tremendous resurgence in organizations coming to us to handle their very diverse launch needs,” said Grant Bonin, Senior Vice President of Ursa Space Systems (Ursa Space) has appointed Nicole Robinson as Business Development at Spaceflight, Inc. “In addition to the firm’s President. With support and direction from this new traditional, costeffective rideshare options, we’re also leadership role, Ursa Space plans to expand its product offerings for offering proven OTV solutions to satisfy a variety of orbital needs including both commercial and government customers. GTO and beyond, many new dedicated launches, as well as expertise in many Nicole brings more than 15 years of satellite industry of the often overlooked but critical services like licensing, integration and expertise, leadership skills, and business development logis tics. We’re committed to ensuring the first mile of our customers’ launch experience to her role as President at Ursa Space. is as wellexecuted as the last because both are equally critical to success.” Previously at global satellite operator SES, she served as Senior Vice President of Global Government and is currently the President of the largest professional space industry association, SSPI.

SatMagazine Page 22 March 2021

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Alongside current CEO and CoFounder, Adam Maher, Robinson will con tinue expanding Ursa Space’s commercial and government business relationships on a global scale. Maher will remain CEO, with plans to devote more time to thought leadership, satellite community and partnership building as well as creating unique opportunities for the company. In 2020, Ursa Space successfully expanded its commercial offerings across a number of market verticals and has plans to further grow its product lines in 2021. demonstrating advanced 5G IoT services in strategic satellite frequencies and “At a time referred to as the ‘golden age’ of SAR satellites, it’s clear for different endcustomers. we’re embarking on the ‘platinum age’ of data analytics, at the head of OQ Technology has been on the quest of providing global IoT and which are the brilliant men and women of Ursa Space,” Robinson said. “I machine communication through satellites. What makes OQ’s offering am thrilled to join Ursa Space at this important inflection point for the different from others is that their technology follows the global 3GPP industry and our customers; it’s an honor to join such innovators.” standard of cellular communication with a large ecosystem which allows to reduce the cost of ownership for end users as they can use the same cellular hardware with satellites instead of buying a proprietary expensive OQ Technology To Manage + Operate The MACSAT Mission satellite modem. For ESA The technology is also highly secure and scalable making millions of devices capable of connecting to the satellite network. OQ Technology has developed under this program (contrast to buying black box foreign IP) essential software layers of the cellular base station payload on the satellite giving them control over the performance of the system to ensure high quality of service for endusers. “The MACSAT project represents stateofthe art development and first in the world agile nanosatellite mission dedicated to 5G technology in low earth orbit. Thanks to the technical management of the European Space Agency and businessoriented support of Luxembourg Space Agency we have advanced in a short time Narrowband IoT technology on all levels (space and ground) to be a new and attractive solution in the world of satellite communication, we are very grateful to the teams involved and happy to kick off 2021 with this collaboration,” said Omar Qaise, Founder OQ Technology recently signed a 2 million euros contract with the and CEO, OQ Technology. European Space Agency as part of the Luxembourg National Space program (“LuxIMPULSE”) for the onorbit pathfinder mission (MACSAT). The contract aims to foster Luxembourg and European space partnerships and involves the development of a 6U smallsat, an advanced flight payload and user terminals and their software stack. OQ Technology will manage and operate the mission, procurement of the satellite, and also continue development and testing in lab and on orbit of satellitebased, narrowband, IoT software and algorithms (the wireless technology proposed for 5G machine communication), while EmTroniX (Luxembourg based company) will be responsible for the payload hardware and user hardware. OQ Technology is the prime contractor and is currently in talks with candidate satellite manufacturers that would be announced soon. OQ Technology will also install a ground station in Luxembourg to run its spacecraft flight operations from its control center in Leudelange (LU). The mission is planned for launch in 2021/2022 and will be a flagship for

SatMagazine Page 24 March 2021 InfoBeam Kymeta’s Global Satellite Network To Be Optimized By Capanet Communications

network performance and uatiliz tion the Ops Suite provides will help us Capanet Communications has announced that Kymeta Corporation op timize network engineering and spending, forecast future capacity needs, has selected the firm’s network operations management software and ensure top quality of service availability for Kymeta™ Broadband to optimize its global satellite network. Kymeta will leverage the Capanet Ops Suite platform under a multiyear deal to provide cri tical insights into its network performance. The cloudbased software solution integrates seamlessly with the Kymeta network to provide Hit Your Target a holistic view of network utilization, distribution, and remote usage. The Capanet Ops Suite offers a robust network analysis engine and reporting framework that provides the network operation team realtime information to make datadriven decisions on network provisioning and cona figur tion. The solution offers Kymeta the visibility it needs to optimize the network and reduce network costs making satellite connectivity more affordable for everyone. Kymeta’s communications solutions are built specifically for mobility and designed to meet the needs of global defense, government, public safety, and commercial customers. In addition to delivering the world’s only commercially available, electronically steered, flat panel antenna with no moving parts, the Kymeta™ u8, the company also offers Kymeta™ Broadband, a global satellite network tailored to extremely small aperture antennas. The integration of Capanet’s Ops Suite will At Comtech EF Data, our diverse quiver of satellite communications products allows you to address a wide variety of applications across various vertical markets. Are you looking to meet throughput demands enable optimal efficiency in operating the and provide 昀rst-rate quality of experience? Or, do you want to better utilize satellite resources and network, maximizing available bandwidth and improve pro昀tability? ensuring Kymeta customers experience bestin Contact us today. Let’s explore how the ef昀ciencies and 昀exibility of our solutions can help you hit class quality of service. your target! “We are excited to add the Capanet Ops Suite to our platform of network monitoring and customer support tools,” said Victor Jimenez, Director of Network +1.480.333.2200 [email protected] Operations at Kymeta. “The level of visibility into www.comtechefdata.com NASA’s Evolutionary Xenon Thruster; Image: NASA

SatMagazine CEFD_SatMag 2_3_Target_2020.inddPage 25 1 March12/10/19 2021 1:13 PM InfoBeam L3Harris To Develop Ground System Command + Control for NOAA’s Space Weather Follow On Observatory

Photo of the L3Harris ABI, courtesy of the company.

The SWFO spacecraft will collect space weather data, such as continuous data from coronal mass ejections and solar flares, that can damage In February of 2021, L3Harris was selected to develop and deploy spacecraft and disrupt electrical power grid and communications and will the ground system command and control (C2) for NOAA’s provide an advanced warning for such events. environmental satellite program, Space Weather Follow On (SWFO). Scheduled to launch in 2025, the SWFO mission is planned as a ride share The SWFO program is comprised of two projects: CCOR on the GOES U with the NASA Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe. spacecraft and the Space Weather FollowOn L1 mission (SWFOL1). Plus, in related news, L3Harris delivered the Crosstrack Infrared Sounder (CrIS) instrument for NOAA’s Joint Polar Satellite System2 (JPSS2) in January of 2021. The advanced CrIS instrument provides detailed, threedimensional temperature and moisture data from both the Suomi National Polarorbiting Partnership and JPSS/NOAA satellites. JPSS2 is the second of NOAA’s latest generation of U.S. polarorbiting, nongeosynchronous, environmental satellites. More information on NOAA’s SWFO mission is available at this direct link… Left: A CAD rendering of the CCOR instrument. Right: A CAD rendering of the CCOR instrument’s placement on the GOESU satellite. Imagery is courtesy of NOAA. “The Space Weather Follow On (SWFO) L3Harris will perform up to two years of operations support for the SWFO Command and Control observatory as part of this contract. The SWFO mission will use the ground contract awarded to system for NOAA’s Geostationary Operational Environmental SatellitesR L3Harris Technologies (GOESR). L3Harris’ Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI) is the primary payload confirms NOAA’s ongoing onboard GOESR and the company designed and built the scalable ground con fidence in us to deliver a system for the satellite. missionrelevant capability which meets their needs,” said Rob Mitrevski, Vice President and General Manager, Spectral Solutions, Space and Airborne Photo of the L3Harris CrIS instrument, Systems, L3Harris. “L3Harris courtesy of the company. initially designed the GOES R ground system as an Enterprise Solution scalable to efficiently add new missions, such as SWFO, and deliver critical data to a variety of end users.” Artistic rendition of the GOES R satellite onorbit.

SatMagazine Page 26 March 2021

Op-ED Creating “Ordinary” As “Extraordinary”

By Dirk Wallinger, Chief Executive Officer, York Space Systems

What most people don’t realize is that the most exciting part of with focus and dedication, companies can achieve what entire countries today’s space economy isn’t ﬁreballs and Martians, but rather how still have not. it has gone from a ﬁeld wherein many toiled behind the scenes to The space business ecosystem is transitioning to a trusted, high- produce spectacular space missions to one that is becoming an speed, secure, self-reliant future. The zeitgeist of today is earned and “ordinary” market-driven economy in just a few, short years. trusted partnerships and fleeting relationships of convenience to win a government bid are on the way out. Why is that statement exciting? First, entrepreneurs are now being With a growing and ever-robust commercial sector, the government rewarded for the initiative and value they inject into the broader is gaining confidence in nontraditional companies, buying our products economy. Second, like other technology transitions in the past, the fate and services “off the shelf,” and slowly becoming comfortable in of progress is no longer written by a government committee, but by a allowing the market needs to decide how best to execute. Again, a new vision for the future which is finally being allowed to prosper. positive direction that lowers costs and liberates greater innovation will When I began my own career as an engineer about 20 years ago, improve day-to-day life for everyone from the CEO to the newest the options were limited for those eager to work in the space sector. engineer at the company. For the most part, you either worked for the government, one of a Replacing the jobs lost during the COVID-19 pandemic with even handful of satellite primes who were really just an extension of better-paying private sector jobs is what will bring us back stronger than government or for one of their suppliers. ever. This new generation space economy is estimated to grow to The ultimate customer was always the government, so every detail almost $3T in the next twenty years. Our ability to leverage it, will of the system’s design and performance was dictated in detail by determine the fate of America’s position in the space economy forever. government requirements. It was honorable work, but there were many The commercial products that drive that growth, which are very engineers (like me) who yearned to be more connected to a design, similar in capability to what I designed and built in a government-led plan, and vision of what unfettered engineering could really do. industry so long ago, are selling at prices 95 percent lower and taking The ways of the past are changing rapidly before our eyes. More months instead of years to deliver. significant than the momentary elation over the successes the new When the government buys them, instead of designing and making generation companies have, is the feeling of freedom to decide which their own, it reduces the burden on the taxpayer — by billions of dollars. ideas, customers, and business strategies to pursue, and to dictate what The private sector growth employs thousands of people today, and will matter now, and what will matter tomorrow. And at least as millions in the coming decades with professional salaries as engineers, significant is sharing in the success with partners, suppliers, and technicians, and operations that would not otherwise exist. customers that we work with every day. The sky is no longer the limit for the American entrepreneur. The Do we like to compete? Of course we do, and we wouldn’t want it burgeoning industry is truly unbounded and that is why something so any other way. However, we’re also all in this together, not so different ordinary —– space becoming a true market economy as part of a from the handful of companies that built the early American west. vibrant U.S. economy — is so amazingly extraordinary. Entrepreneurs are becoming the heart and soul of America’s space sector. Every week, I read about or talk to others who are striking out www.yorkspacesystems.com on their own journey at this pivotal time in American history. Data analytics companies seem to develop new ideas to better use existing space data to enhance our lives every week. Brand new space Author Dirk Wallinger is a Board Director, President and the CEO of data concepts emerge daily that will elevate the welfare of everyone in York Space Systems. The company was founded in 2012 to radically the coming decades. Next-generation space companies are being improve spacecraft affordability and reliability, transforming and created and existing companies are becoming more efficient and enabling next generation space mission operations worldwide. profitable, to the benefit of everyone on Earth. Today, York Space Systems is one of the most innovative aerospace To start out or expand in this sector no longer requires billions… or companies, specializing in the manufacture of spacecraft platforms, end-to- even millions… of founder capital. It turns out that, when executed end customer space collection solutions, cloud-based spacecraft development wisely, many may only need a small amount of private investment, tools, and real-time web-based mission tasking based out of Denver, bypassing the proverbial “vulture capitalists” altogether. A great idea, Colorado. Mr. Wallinger believes in the strategic opportunity of space as an a sound business plan and a lot of hustle is often all it takes today to intrinsic global collection frontieras well as offering the exciting potential for become spacefaring and that is truly extraordinary. Today in America, space to improve terrestrial life.

SatMagazine Page 28 March 2021

COLUMN

Musk Vs. Bezos: The Battle Continues...

By Chris Forrester, Senior Contributor

The planet’s two richest individuals, Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos, are Elon Musk also Tweeted on January 26 saying, “It does not serve the involved in a bitter slanging match over their satellite broadband public to hamstring Starlink today for an Amazon satellite system that mega-constellations. is at best several years away from operation.” Hours later, Amazon bounced back with its response — “The facts Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos and their two rival businesses, SpaceX and are simple. We designed the Kuiper System to avoid interference with Project Kuiper, have lodged almost daily tit-for-tat filings with the Starlink, and now SpaceX wants to change the design of its system.” Federal Communications Commission (FCC), with SpaceX saying that Bezos’s team added, “Those changes not only create a more Amazon’s Kuiper is guilty of “stifling competition.” dangerous environment for collisions in space, but they also increase On February 4, Amazon’s satellite internet project clarified its radio interference for customers. Despite what SpaceX posts on Twitter, position in response to recent accusations from Elon Musk and SpaceX it is SpaceX’s proposed changes that would hamstring competition that Jeff Bezos’ company is attempting to stifle competition in the among satellite systems. It is clearly in SpaceX’s interest to smother sector. Amazon argues – perhaps cheekily — that the FCC should competition in the cradle if they can, but it is certainly not in the consider Starlink as a “newly designed system” and include it in a public’s interest.” broader regulatory processing round that was opened when SpaceX SpaceX insists that the modifications it is carrying out would not submitted a modification request last year. cause significant increased interference. SpaceX says that its In other words, SpaceX/Starlink should, perhaps, start from scratch. competitors (which also include Viasat) “misrepresent the true results Amazon argued that while it supported the ability of operators to of the modification.” modify their systems, what Starlink was requesting was too significant. SpaceX also threw in one major claim. “Amazon lacks standing SpaceX is already asking the FCC to reduce the heights of some of because its system is not authorized to launch.” These is not quite its Starlink satellites. Project Kuiper stated that if the FCC agrees to the correct in that Kuiper is authorized by the FCC (July 30, 2020), although request, then the new orbits will interfere with Kuiper’s plans. the Commission requires that SpaceX deploys at least half of its planned The actual heights are crucial. Musk’s SpaceX request is to orbit fleet (some 1600 craft) by July of 2026. 3,000 satellites at heights between 540 to 570 kms (and could wind up The FCC, on July 30 last year, stated that the Kuiper system would in orbits 30 km above or below their licensed orbits). However, Project advance the public interest… and increase the availability of high-speed Kuiper’s existing plan is to orbit its fleet at about 590 kms. Kuiper is broadband service to consumers, government and business. arguing that at these close distances, there is a risk of collision and that SpaceX in its filing to the FCC stressed the upside benefits of today’s Musk’s Starlink’s will interfere with Kuiper’s transmissions. 100 Mb/s downlink and growing to 10 Gb/s (future) download speeds. SpaceX brushed off these concerns in the company’s January 22 The company reminded the FCC that it remains committed to launching letter to the FCC from David Goldman (Director Of Satellite Policy at about 120 satellites per month and that the constellation is the “lowest SpaceX) arguing that Project Kuiper had “cherry-picked” its data and LEO system with autonomous collision avoidance.” was ignoring the modifications SpaceX is proposing in its request for SpaceX also repeated a previous commitment that once Kuiper permission. The letter detailed three telephone conversations that reached its Phase IV (>1800 satellites), it would not operate at more SpaceX officials had held with FCC staffers. than 580 kms.

SatMagazine Page 30 March 2021 Just before the Christmas holiday season last yeaer, Amazon’s SVP of Starlink had also tested successfully voice services over the system and Devices and Services, David Limp, speaking at the Tech Crunch Space that voice connectivity would be available to users with charges 2020 event, told delegates that Kuiper was “launch agnostic” and joked “reasonably comparable to urban rates.” Emergency services – to 911 that if there was anyone out there with a spare rocket then to give him for the US – would also be available. a call! The SpaceX filing was in support of the company’s classification as “One of the reasons we thought the time was right to do a an Eligible Telecommunications Carrier (ETC) and the Rural Digital constellation now is because of some of the dynamics happening in the Opportunities Fund. Starlink is looking for the FCC to grant permission launch industry. Every day, we see a new demonstration of reusability, by June 7. SpaceX has qualified for $885 million in Federal funding for every day we see new demonstrations of breakthroughs in better a 10-year period and serving 35 US states. engines, whether that’s Raptor [which is SpaceX’s engine] or BE-4 [Jeff SpaceX reminded the FCC that Starlink already has the Bezos’ Blue Origin],” he added. authorizations necessary to offer consumer mass-market service. Mr. Limp explained that Kuiper’s own plans did not depend wholly SpaceX told an Australian parliamentary committee that much of on the Blue Origin-based rockets. He said that Blue Origin would Australia will be covered by the Starlink fleet in “early 2021” and the provide some launch capacity, but there would be other suppliers. Australian outlying islands by the end of 2022. “Certain more proximate “When you have to put 3,200-plus things into space, you will need lots islands within the external territories, notably the Ashmore, Cartier, and of launch capacity,” he said. “Our hope is that it’s not just one provider, Coral Sea Islands, could be served by early 2022, when SpaceX has that there will be multiple providers.” more fully populated its satellite constellation with ongoing launches The clock is ticking… there are no satellites as of this writing, and and with the establishment of gateway earth stations at proximate while Kuiper has talked about its consumer terminals being able to mainland locations.” manage transmission of up to 400 Mb/s — and more down the line — Other countries have also licensed Starlink services, although it is they have yet to be tested in ‘real space’ LEO environments although worth remembering that the FCC has only licensed Starlink in the they have been tested on transmissions from geostationary craft. United States for an initial one million user terminals. Other jurisdictions Kuiper said, “[Our] single aperture phased array antenna that have granted approval, including the UK, Greece, Canada, Germany, measures 12 inches in diameter, making it three times smaller and Australia and elsewhere, and with an application pending in India. proportionately lighter than legacy antenna designs. This order of The fact that both Musk and Bezos can easily finance their rival magnitude reduction in size will reduce production costs by an businesses helps that the systems will launch and provide competition equal measure, allowing Amazon to offer customers a terminal that for consumers. However, it is by no means certain that Musk’s ‘first is more affordable and easier to install.” mover advantage’ will prove to be the winning formula. After all, Kuiper talks about the unit’s ability to handle 4K television Amazon has a global relationship with millions — and probably billions streaming material. — of users. Then there’s OneWeb and the promised Telesat schemes Then Jeff Bezos stepped aside from his day-to-day management at just to throw further competition into the mix. Amazon. How much time this will give him to work with his Kuiper — These highly competitive marketing and sales elements might turn and Blue Origin teams — is yet to be seen. out to be crucially important in certain countries (Telesat in Canada, Meanwhile, SpaceX is well on its way to global coverage. Some OneWeb in India, for example). 1,100 craft on-orbit, and being added to at a rate of two launches per Meanwhile, the two billionaires are ensuring us humble mortals month, thus 120 extra craft. By mid-year, there could easily be 1,500 remain extremely amused! satellites on-orbit… and probably more. At the start of February, it was learned that Starlink’s broadband-by- Senior Columnist Chris Forrester is a well-known satellite service is now supplying capacity to more than 10,000 broadcasting journalist and industry consultant. He beta-users. The news emerged in a filing to the FCC. Moreover, SpaceX reports on all aspects of broadcasting with special says that it has registered “hundreds of thousands” of interested users emphasis on content, the business of television and without a dollar being spent in advertising. SpaceX says that demand emerging applications. He founded Rapid TV News and for its service is “strong and widespread.” has edited Interspace and its successor Inside Satellite TV The FCC filing stated that Starlink’s performance levels were meeting since 1996. He also files for Advanced-Television.com. In and exceeding 100 Mb/s down and 20 Mb/s up, with 95 percent of the November of 1998, Chris was appointed an Associate (professor) of the network managing round-trip latency at or below 31 milliseconds. prestigious Adham Center for Television Journalism, part of the American University in Cairo (AUC), in recognition of his extensive coverage of the Arab media market. Chris is a Senior Contributor for Satnews Publishers.

SatMagazine Page 31 March 2021 EXECUTIVE SPOTLIGHT

Sir Richard Branson, Founder, Virgin Galactic, + Dan Hart, President + CEO, Virgin Orbit

Interview Conducted During SmallSat Symposium 2021 Chris Stott, Interviewer

Chris Stott, Executive Chairman, Mansat, was the Sir Richard Branson (RB) moderator of this extremely interesting interview I’ve had quite a few tears in my eyes the last 12 months between Virgin of Sir Richard Branson, the Founder of Virgin Galactic and Virgin Orbit. I definitely teared up on this one. The team Galactic, and Dan Hart, the President and Chief have worked unbelievably hard the last four years to get to here. What Executive Ofﬁcer of Virgin Orbit, on Day Three of they were trying to achieve was not easy and we we’ll be able to launch the SmallSat Symposium. on numerous 747s from different parts of the world. We want to be able to build rockets and ship out quickly to different parts of the world. We Chris Stott want them to be able to go in to the right orbit or any orbit anywhere Chris Stott (CS) in the world. They ticked all of the boxes and I couldn’t be happier. Gentlemen, you are making the extraordinary look amazing. That launch was superb and that must have been quite a moment, I mean, CS that was the 17th of January, not quite a month ago, you hit all of the So, your timing on this was superb because there’s a lot of tough points on the curve. So, how did it go? What’s next for Virgin Orbit? competition in the launch services industry right now. You’ve had a couple of competitors launch recently. You’ve been at this for a while. Dan Hart (DH) So, how do you see yourselves in this competitive environment? It was an incredible day. It was picture perfect. We’ve now gone through the data review with and are still pinching ourselves. The orbit was RB perfect. Ten satellites in their place. We’re getting videos and pictures I think we’re operating a different proposition to most of the other from excited students and researchers as they activate their spacecraft. people. We can take up more weight than in the size of the satellite It went better than anybody could have ever dreamed. Every part of and we’re going to be building rockets that are much bigger than the the system came together. current rocket, as well. They’ll take up even more weight. There is an

SatMagazine Page 32 March 2021 Photo of Virgin Galactic’s WhiteKnightTwo on the tarmac. WhiteKnightTwo is Photo of the servicing of Virgin Orbit’s Cosmic Girl 747 on the tarmac. a custombuilt, fourengine, dualfuselage jet aircraft, designed to carry Image is courtesy of the company. SpaceShipTwo up to an altitude of ~50,000 feet. Image is courtesy of the company. brought a new capability… I mean, this is the first time a liquid rocket flew from an airport under the wing of a 747 or any airplane and enormous demand for the kind of project we are doing, i.e., the launch ended up in orbit. from a 747 anywhere in the world, both from commercial people to put And so the team really advanced space technology, proved it new satellites up. operational and we have, as Richard said, unique capability, both from I think what makes us particularly unique is our capability for the an affordability point of view and the economics of getting a rocket into U.S. Air Force or the British Air Force, the Canadian Air Force, French 35,000 feet before it has to do any work and the flexibility, the Air Force, all of whom have been encouraging and working with us resilience, and the deterrent that Richard mentioned. over the last two to three years to give them an extreme deterrent And the ability, you know, we have about 80 space agencies around capability so that if they were to lose satellites anywhere in the world, the world — I think the amount of countries that have launched within they can be replaced incredibly quickly. their sovereign shores right now can probably be counted easily on two If we do this cleverly, what 747 can take those satellites up, they hands and so there’s an enormous desire and opportunity to won’t know — we can convert enough 747s and it’s much more democratize our ability to have humanity get to space. difficult for an enemy power to know planes than just one ground based launch which they can take out in a minutes notice. We’ve got RB quite a range of things that this company is capable of. With COVID, it was not easy — everytime we were about to do something, one member got COVID so everybody had to climb down DH and then come back again and then somebody else got COVID, but If I can pipe in, I just want to shout out to the Virgin Orbit team. This somehow they got there, but it was, like every company in the world, it is a team that… I respect any team that can take a rocket and can get was a challenge and the team was no exception. to 17,000 mph or more. This is a team that came together and

Photo of Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo ﬂying a mission. Photo of Virgin Galactic’s Cosmic Girl releasing LauncherOne to carry SpaceShipTwo is a reusable, winged spacecraft designed to carry eight people payloads for release to orbit. Photo is courtesy of the company. (including two pilots) into space safely and with high frequency. Photo is courtesy of the company.

SatMagazine Page 33 March 2021 CS working and developing a system and other systems. We see an If you can pull this off in regular time, that is extraordinary. To do this evolution for the company obviously through launch, through in these times of historic moment with COVID is astoundingly good distributed launch, both for the national security community as well as and it speaks volumes to the people you have working with you. You the international community of Allies, and then there are a plethora of have that ability to not just launch in the United States and I think space adjacencies, whether its in other aspects of national security, or you’ve got a launch coming up… at some point, you’re going to be in the commercial turnkey kinds of systems like Sky & Space Global is the first launch in the United Kingdom. Is that correct? going after.

DH CS Yes, that’s exactly right, in Cornwall. We’ve been working with Is it just limited to satellite communications or is it a broader look at Cornwall for a couple of years now and the project is moving along anything that goes into orbit with Virgin Orbit? well and we look forward to next year to doing our first launch at Cornwall Airport Newquay. DH We have a pretty expansive evolution of the company planned. We’re RB evaluating right now with this success there’s lots of possibilities and, Many happy memories of Cornwall, a beautiful part of Britain. frankly, we’re getting lots of queries.

CS RB: You’ve recently started to expand what Virgin Orbit has been doing. I think something I would like to encourage the company to do and is You took a stake in a satellite communications company, Sky & Space more than welcome to take this onboard is that there will be a lot of Global. Could you please talk us through that? people who do approach the company with wonderful ideas to put satellites in space. It’s just that they can’t afford it. What we can also DH now start doing is helping them get their projects off the ground, You know, launch is a cornerstone of, obviously, space access and the maybe take a stake in the company, and get their satellites to orbit. whole space ecosystem. Our ability to flex into adjacencies is a natural. We’re entrepreneurs through and through and that’s the kind of Sky & Space Global is an initial step there. We really look forward to entrepreneurial thing that Virgin Orbit should be doing. If there are

SatMagazine Page 34 March 2021 people out there that have great ideas, you know, put something in the biggest fitness chain outside America — that wasn’t a good idea space but they can’t afford to do it, then we could maybe do it in terms — including South Africa — we had hotels around the world — that of a stake in the company. wasn’t a good idea — and so it goes on. So, the one shining light has been Galactic and Orbit and thank God CS we did diversify into space. I didn’t diversify into space thinking I am Fascinating. I would imagine then that they would have to reach out going to make lots of money out of space. I diversified into space to Dan? because I love space, I love connecting people, I love the idea of giving people the opportunity to become astronauts who could never DH (laughing) generally afford to become astronauts, I love creating things. I think my phone is starting to ring now! I love my granddaughter, who is two, looking up at the sky. After Dan’s rocket went into space, and pointing up and saying Pappa’s CS rocket’s on the moon. Pappa’s rocket is on the moon. Anyway, there’s Don’t put your email up, Sir Richard. What is this group you are lots of reasons, but if it can help pay the bills to a varying degree, we building? How do you see all of the space companies working are very, very grateful to space. together? And where does space fit into the Virgin brand? DH RB I would also add that from the other side being in a space company Virgin Galactic and Virgin Orbit don’t fit together in a sort of too that’s part of Richard’s creation of Virgin, there are some special obvious a way, which is why we split the companies into two separate elements — and Richard touched on some of them — you know, this entities, one putting satellites into space and the other putting people feeling of purpose, that we’re in this to make a difference, and as well into space. But they’re both incredibly important to the Virgin Group. as the agility kind of thing that Richard expressed a little while ago for Obviously they came along and saved the Virgin Group. an entrepreneurial company, our sights are set high and we’re agile… I’m a great believer in diversification, so that, if something like SARS it doesn’t take a lot of discussions and meetings when a good idea or COVID hits you, or 9-11 or whatever, you’re diversified enough to comes to say let’s go for it. Those are things that I’m continually be able to help the companies that are in trouble and when COVID hit, reminded of through discussions with Sir Richard and the team that he we launched our Cruise line the day before COVID hit — that wasn’t a has built at Virgin. great idea — we had two airlines — that wasn’t a great idea — we had

Photo of Virgin Galactic’s Cosmic Girl with LauncherOne attached to the 747’s wing preparing for ﬂight. Photo is courtesy of the company.

SatMagazine Page 35 March 2021 Photo of Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo at Spaceport America. Photo of Virgin Orbit’s LauncherOne rockets during the integration process. Photo is courtesy of the company. Photo is courtesy of the company.

CS the industry or in their first decade of work and then people who have Sir Richard and Dan, you both just talked about the importance of been around for a few extra years like myself, and combining that and people. I’m an entrepreneur myself — I keep tabs —- and you have doing it well I think is absolutely key. The next group who are going to some great quotes on people. “Employees come first. If you take care take us to planets and to different capabilities around the world are here of your employees, they will take care of the flow.” And that’s and it i s really exciting to see them rising and making the system real. something we’ve always done at our company, ManSat, and its always because we followed your lead on that. Sir Richard, how do choose RB your teams? How do you choose your people? In the process of what you’re doing and there’s no fun in doing something unless people are going to be inspired by it and believe in RB it. A lot of our lives are spent at work and its critical that you don’t waste First of all you need somebody like Dan who genuinely cares about your life and say you’ve got to create something with real purpose. people, who cares about the cleaning lady or cleaning man as much as they care about their fellow directors, who look for the best in people, CS who praises and doesn’t criticize. If somebody messes up, doesn’t jump Sir Richard, is space the hardest thing you’ve ever done? down their throats. When I was a kid, if I ever said anything ill of somebody, my parents RB would stand in front of the mirror for ten minutes and tell me how badly Yes. But then again, if you’d have asked me the same question 36 years it reflected on myself. I think it’s that kind of approach is really important ago when we had one, second-hand, 747 flying between London and if you are running companies. The kind of people we take on are people New York with British Airways with 300 planes I suspect I would have who are great with people first and then we look for the other skills. It said yes, yes to Virgin Atlantic. We have set ourselves some quite big seems to work well at certain companies. challenges and that’s made it tremendous fun, trying to overcome those challenges and trying to deal with some much bigger competitors. CS Dan, you’ve just taken on a whole bunch of new people. You’ve CS demonstrated your great with people and teams and you can achieve Dan, you spent 34 years at Boeing, one of the largest aerospace your milestones but you are just taking on so many people, so what corporations in human history, and you left and joined a startup? do you look for? DH DH I started when I was 12 (laughing). It was really a great transition and, Obviously you want to have some good level of skill but the positivity, honestly, I had a wonderful career with Boeing and McDonnell Douglas the feeling of wanting to move forward and work together, is probably that was part of that in the early years. I got to do incredible things the most crucial part of pulling a team together, especially when you’re there, whether it was space labs or missile defense, or satellites, Delta going to take on a hard job and working together, sometimes in rockets, but when I got the call, there’s an opportunity to work with stressful days, and the ability to laugh, the ability to shake off a setback Virgin and Sir Richard and do something new for space launch, there and move forward, it is absolutely critical. was no turning that down. And I think our company is a great mix of people who are new to It’s been a great learning experience, honestly, on different ways,

SatMagazine Page 36 March 2021 different cultures, different ways to operate, the speed of which I into reality. There’s so many extraordinary breakthroughs taking place learned up front. In my old job, sometimes you would have a number these days and we’re looking to the next one and our doors are open. of meetings to make a decision. I think the first time I had a big decision and I asked Richard, he looked at me and said, you’re doing DH that, aren’t you? I would just say lock on to that dream, that purpose, know that it’s going to take time and you’re going to have great success and you’re going CS to have failures along the way and be ready for them. Use both success The power of delegation. We’ve got about three minutes and I have and failures as lessons to propel you forward. three very quick questions. Sir Richard, you look prescient when you did a SPAC… you were the first in the space industry to do a SPAC RB back in October of 2019. Now everyone’s talking about them. What You’ll be young when you start and you’ll be old when you led you down that path to be the first to go do a SPAC for space? finish (laughing).

RB CS I’m impatient.The SPAC gets through all of the rigamarole of public Sir Richard, you’ve always said your dreams don’t scare you, they’re companies. Yes, I thought, that’s great, let’s do it. too small. What’s next for Virgin Galactic?

CS RB Well, it worked, that’s great. Gentlemen… before a launch, before Well, we have another milestone hopefully in Virgin Galactic’s history something big is about to happen, how do you center yourself? on Valentine’s Day. I’m delighted to say we’ve managed to get a What is your moment of Zen? How do you, kind of, stay focused? thousand messages, love messages, from people who have been following Galactic on board and I just got the message that they RB managed to pack a thousand in and we’ll be on the edge of the seat I was lucky enough to have five grandkids running around me so think watching this test flight go up — I mean, every test flight is there to try that kept me distracted, which is what I think I needed. Poor Dan didn’t and see if it takes everything up and then we’ll have one more test flight have that chance. He was out there on the firing line. for this and then I’m ready, fit and healthy and got my passport and waiting, waiting to go up. DH Well, I mean, for me there was a schedule of things I needed to do and CS people I needed to interact with, whether it was with the flight line with Sir Richard and Dan Hart, thanks so much for everything you do. And the launch team, greeting the flight crew as they came or interacting with that, thank you your participating in this year’s SmallSat with the mission control folks, so luckily I had things to do. I will say I’ve Symposium 2021. never before done a launch where I was in a room by myself, which is where I ended up. We were distributed because of COVID and I’ve Chris Stott is the Chairman of ManSat, the company he cofounded with his never experienced anything like that. father, Bryan, in 1998. In 2000 he left his position as Director of International It was very interesting sitting by myself, listening to the countdown, Commercialisation and Sales with Lockheed Martin Space Operations to and interacting with the team. I sometimes thought the room should become ManSat’s President. Prior to his work with Lockheed Martin, Chris was have been padded because of the intensity of the situation. That’s how an executive with the McDonnell Douglas and the Boeing Company working in we interacted. We were virtual and it worked, but none of those normal International Business Development on the Delta Launch Vehicle program. queues that you usually get with a countdown, you’re nodding at each Chris received his Masters degree (MSc) from the International Space other, having little sidebar discussions, none of that. It was all business. University in Strasbourg, France in 1996, where he has served on Faculty since 2003 and is a former Co-Chair of the School of Management and Business. He CS also serves as Faculty at Singularity University and is a Guest Lecturer for the Virtual high fives… gentlemen, what advice do you have for TED Fellows program. entrepreneurs in the space industry? Chris is a long time supporter of Space and S.T.E.M. education and serves in this capacity on the Boards of the Society of Satellite Professionals RB (laughing) International (SSPI), the International Space University (ISU), the Challenger Good luck! Dream big and if you come up with an extraordinary idea, Foundation, the Conrad Foundation, the United Space School, and the there will be people like myself or Dan who will most likely help turn it International Institute of Space a Commerce.

SatMagazine Page 37 March 2021 Feature

The Perfect Fit For Satellite IoT

By Rajesh Suseelan, Senior Director, Strategic Business Development, ST Engineering iDirect

The Internet of Things (IoT) — an ever-expanding ecosystem of With respect to smart energy, IoT gives insight into the generation smart appliances, industrial sensors, and intelligence sharing assets and transmission of electricity. It enables asset management for mining — is being driven by vertical market applications for companies and construction companies. Agriculture raises several different use undergoing digitization for greater efﬁciency and transparency. cases, whether it’s tracking of cattle or proactive monitoring of Emerging applications such as connected manufacturing and smart environmental conditions. In maritime, there are a great deal of use communication are pushing the conversation on how to connect cases for buoy monitoring and monitoring fishing vessels given the the IoT up the agenda all in support of the Fourth Industrial number of small-scale fisheries that exist. There is a significant use case Revolution (Industry 4.0). for satellite in terms of monitoring catch and reporting fish, for example. The biggest benefit that these different applications have in As a steadily growing billion-dollar market — according to GSMA common is the process and productivity improvements that come with (Global System for Mobile Communications), there will be more than the implementation of an IoT strategy. 30 billion IoT devices connected to the information grid by 2025 — the size of the IoT is doubling that of the PC, smartphone, and connected Challenges To Overcome cars and wearables markets. So where does satellite fit in? Satellite’s reach widens the use cases for IoT and can help overcome a number of different challenges that we're facing with global IoT (Internet of) Things Are Looking Up connectivity at the moment. Terrestrial connectivity can be unreliable The IoT ecosystem requires different systems, data types, volumes, and/or unavailable – it’s not necessarily accessible where and when you latency, and speeds. While most M2M and IoT services currently require need it. only low bandwidth over the next decade some verticals will demand Cost is another factor — traditionally, satellite connectivity has additional bandwidth to support big data analysis, engine telematics, always come at a premium compared to the terrestrial options. That and live data streaming. limits the adoption for many use cases deployments. In many cases, For example, satellite’s ‘anywhere, anytime’ capability enables real- power needs to be monitored and users must react quickly when there time asset management through tracking of fleets (vehicle) or means is no power available. that fleet operators can monitor the condition of their assets. At industry Then, there's interoperability. How do you ensure that any sites, IoT sensors collect data in the field, measure air and water quality connectivity option that you deploy is able to retrieve that information and track weather and environmental circumstances. and your application at the collection point and is able to analyze and process it?

SatMagazine Page 38 March 2021 The final challenge is deployment. This encompasses a number of and very inexpensive satellite terminals with quick deployment for fast different factors, like ease of installation and ease of management, revenue generation and OPEX reduction. especially when these assets are being deployed in remote locations. At ST Engineering iDirect, we believe success in the IoT market at Satellite’s inherent capabilities, such as its ability to reach remote areas, large lies in a robust ecosystem of partners and the ability to deliver scale easily and to extend coverage for other providers, are driving specific applications for targeted use cases. It’s about technology down cost and introducing innovations that allow interoperability with alliances and working together to best address the challenges. It’s about other technologies. In short, satellite IoT is rapidly knocking these offering cost-effective connectivity solutions that take advantage of the hurdles down. advances in the satellite industry when it comes to new capacities, smaller, more cost-effective satellite terminals and very efficient Commercial Appetite transmission technologies. The Satellite IoT (satIoT) market is at the forefront of innovation. The ST Engineering iDirect has launched flexible IoT solutions built on industry at large is looking to make use of innovations such as 5G, these advances to supplement our highly successful platforms. We ease virtualization, automation, and orchestration to combine developments the entry of service providers into the IoT market by reducing the in both space and ground segment. A major application driving that upfront capital investments and operational complexity usually required change is IoT and the need to use satellite to connect everything and to launch an IoT platform and service. Our IoT offering provides provide ubiquitous coverage. customers with a complete connectivity solution for fixed and mobile The global commercial satIoT market is expected to grow with a IoT environments. CAGR of about 14 percent for in-service units and 6.6 percent for total Ultimately, it’s about impacting the end user’s bottom line — and retail revenues. By the end of 2028, the market is expected to grow to that’s what we help our customers achieve. about $1.407 billion. How do satellite service providers get their market share of the IoT? idirect.net/iot This is a high efficiency model and allows for a higher density of terminals on the network.

Trajectory To Success In connectivity cases, emphasis is placed on affordable, ultra-reliable, low latency connectivity systems with greater transparency and ease of operations. The success of today’s organizations and service providers lies with networks that are easy to plan, install and operate, yet provide affordable connections. This is made possible by highly efficient, small,

SatMagazine Page 39 March 2021 Feature

Light At The End Of The Tunnel

The international SATCOM industry took major leaps in 2020 with Smallsat Boom smallsats, game-changing 5G standardization on the rise,and The rise of smallsats has truly offered a glimmer of hope for the industry. satellite-to-cloud services as the biggest developments. That is why With nearly 1,100 spacecraft delivered to orbit in 2020, the total GateHouse Satcom is optimistic about the future and can sense a number of satellites launched has hit an all-time high, according to glimpse of light at the end of the tunnel, even though the figures from the industry analysts at Euroconsult. This has caused a coronavirus pandemic has taken its toll on the industry. boom in the market for Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites and, once again according to Euroconsult, the market is projected to reach $51 billion Many SATCOM companies have severely suffered from the Covid-19 at the end of the 2020s — that’s more than four times the market size crisis. Some have succumbed to the virus, especially those servicing the of the previous decade. aero industry as they have been under severe stress — others have This market growth is prompted by the development of new been able to find new business opportunities despite the corona technologies that allow for an increasing number of smallsat use cases darkness. Restricting traditional conferences and seminars, the — from Earth and space observation, environmental protection to IoT pandemic has also made it difficult for players in the industry to meet networks and security purposes. and discuss the future of SATCOM. Needless to say, the potential of smallsats seems limitless — However, despite the many hardships suffered during 2020, the year especially as the 5G network was introduced in 2020 and will gradually was not all bad for SATCOM. Heading into 2021, here are three reasons be rolled out to a plethora of users in the years to come. for optimism: In SATCOM, 3GPP is one of the driving forces behind the push for satellite-based 5G through the development of new network standards.

SatMagazine Page 40 March 2021 Earlier this year, the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) authorized Microsoft to perform tests connecting their cloud service, Azure, with ground stations. With the company’s new satellite-to-cloud service, named Azure Orbital, Microsoft is looking to challenge Amazon’s Web Service (AWS) that is already offering cloud connection via satellite. The overall purpose of satellite-to-cloud is to give users direct control over satellite communications, downlinks and to process satellite data. In this way, data from the satellite is made available through cloud services, and data centers can host websites, run applications and easily scale their operations without the necessity of owning or leasing ground With 5G, we expect that the entire SATCOM ecosystem will be station infrastructure. transformed. With 3GPP standards for 5G for both terrestrial and The satellite-to-cloud market offers great potential and the tech satellite networks, connectivity will be seamlessly accessible, no matter giants are looking to realize significant gaines from this technology. where a user is located. Cloud computing via satellite is projected to drive 52 exabytes of With the breakthrough of standardized 5G, satellite IoT and low traffic by 2029, generating a potential $16 billion in revenue from 2019 data-rate devices will be able to directly implement 5G into given to 2029 — with most of the revenue flow going to service providers networks. This will open up a vast market of millions, perhaps evenb and satellite operators, as indicated by a market report from billions of satellite-enabled IoT devices. Northern Sky Research. Within the next couple of years, 5G for non-terrestrial networks will This has turned SATCOM into a battleground for Big Tech. be released, changing the way devices will be consistently tracked. According to Gartner, Amazon is off to a head start, with a 45 percent This will be a real game-changer for many aspects of the SATCOM domination of the market in 2019 — Microsoft sits on 18 percent of this industry and all will be driven by standardization. market segment. This year will tell whether Amazon can maintain pole position or will be gradually be overtaken by Microsoft, that, in recent Public Sector Kickstarts the Satellite Industry years, has seen their cloud infrastructure outgrow other business areas, Attracted by global coverage, governments and public institutions have such as Windows and subscriptions to Office 365. started to take advantage of existing satellite services. The public sector Currently, a lot is going on in the SATCOM industry, and — knock is especially interested in data services for the exchange of images and on wood — the future certainly looks promising. Despite the fact that videos and the use of leased satellite capacity is also increasing. 2020 was a roller coaster ride, GateHouse SatCom glimpses significant These developments are also silver linings for various market light at the end of the tunnel. segments of the SATCOM industry. According to a report by ResearchAndMarkets, the commercial satellite imaging market was gatehouse.com valued at $3.09 billion last year and is expected to reach $5.75 billion by 2025 — prompted mainly by government support, e.g., the Australian government is investing $260 million in the development of satellite technologies and the creation of hundreds of jobs in the Australian satellite industry. For more than a decade, GateHouse SATCOM has provided the satellite communications industry with a range of market-leading software products Big Tech Battleground for commercial, government and military use. With deep knowledge and Cloud services are widely used in terrestrial systems and now cloud understanding of global communications infrastructures and platforms, services are literally reaching into the skies as satellite-to-cloud services GateHouse also offers consultancy services for software, hardware and system are gaining footholds. integration as well as the preparation and evaluation of international tenders.

SatMagazine Page 41 March 2021 Feature

Staying Out Of Terrestrial Trouble How Satellite Companies Can Take Effective Steps On The Ground To Improve Their Data Security

By Kevin Korte, President, Univention North America, Inc.

It was a slightly sensationalist headline that struck fear into the corporate networks relayed via satellite. He accessed not just the usual hearts of anyone involved in satellite communications: “How text files but also ships’ locations, crew and cargo details all the way to hackers could spy on satellite internet trafﬁc with just $300 of Wi-Fi sessions on airplanes. The researcher said he had exploited the home TV equipment.” fact that providers often skimp on encryption to keep latency down. “Attackers don't need perfect,” he said in an interview. “They just In 2020, a cybersecurity researcher from Oxford University in the UK need to find some sensitive information or one password from a target.” said he had been able to intercept the data traffic from various The underlying problem, in other words, lies more with lax data

Artistic rendition of GHGSat smallsats onorbit. Image is courtesy of the company.

SatMagazine Page 42 March 2021 security practices on the ground than with inherently insecure are secure, comply with password policies across all the company’s services communication platforms orbiting above us. and devices and are not susceptible to “man in the middle” attacks. Satellite providers have an obligation to keep their networks locked down, their users tightly managed and their data securely stored, no Keeping Carbon Footprint Reporting Safe matter whether they choose to do that in the cloud or on-premise. If As the Canadian company had the stated goal to retain as much control they transmit, handle or analyze sensitive client data, that obligation over its user management and client data as possible, they decided to becomes an ever bigger legal requirement that could come back to install a solution called Univention Corporate Server. Even we, who haunt them. programmed this open-source solution and were happy they wanted In other words, good IT security for satellite communications starts to work with us, weren’t allowed near their servers. on Earth. It revolves around keeping a close watch on digital identities Instead, we could only offer tips and advice from a safe distance. and preventing data leaks, or who is allowed to do what with what kinds The bottom line, according to GHGSat system administrator of apps on a network. Damien Clabaut, is an overall improved security picture, “We were A good case in point how companies in this industry can take some able to cut our overhead while ensuring compliance and security of simple yet effective steps to boost their security is the Montreal-based the environment.” monitoring and analytics company GHGSat. If everything goes according to plan, GHGSat will triple its satellite fleet within a year to nine orbiting smallsats and add monitoring planes, Securing Smallsats as well. As a result, the number of employees which currently stands at As the name implies, it is in the business of remote sensing of 100, will most likely go up, as will the data haul and the roster of clients greenhouse gas (GHG), air quality gas, and other trace gas emissions who rely on the provider to securely measure, collect and analyze their from any source in the world. To do that, the company is building a field data. small but steadily growing constellation of smallsats. That’s even more relevant as climate change data is quickly The third one took off on January 24th with a SpaceX Falcon 9 becoming a high-value commodity for companies large and small to rocket as part of a historic rideshare launch. track, report and audit their activities. Breaching or “doxing” one’s GHGSat’s key clients are in the oil and gas and mining industries. carbon footprint datastream can tarnish a company’s reputation and They need to remotely monitor and be alerted to even small methane have tangible economic consequences. and other emissions that can wreak environmental havoc and have Having sensors in orbit is a wonderful addition to improve data- serious financial and legal consequences. driven management, but it’s essential to start by steering clear of Satellite-based sensors that can pick up the signature wavelength of terrestrial trouble. methane or other gases with a resolution down to 25 meters are a game changer. They let industrial companies keep a watchful eye on their www.univention.com assets anywhere, certainly better than any human on the ground could. Plus, they produce reams of data that others would love to get their Author Kevin Korte studied computer sciences at the hands on as they speak volumes about a company’s industrial assets, Jacobs University in Bremen. He graduated as a Master of their productivity, maintenance needs, environmental compliance and Science in 2011. Afterwards, he worked in the Professional other key metrics. Services Team at Univention for two years. Since 2013, he Access to the company’s spacecraft, sensors, as well as its terrestrial has been President of Univention North America Inc. where servers and other parts of its IT infrastructure, is highly restricted and he is responsible for the company’s business development in regulated. So much so that GHGSat had, over the years, built and the USA. expanded its own secure system, which eventually led to several headaches as the business grew. Univention GmbH is a developer of Open Source software for the operation and How do you keep tabs on sensitive information when you have management of IT infrastructures and the administration of digital identities. Our multiple operating systems on your servers and run multiple user goal is to enable companies, government institutions and the education sector management systems with multiple log-in procedures and passwords? to keep their data, applications and IT systems under their own control, to use What GHGSat was ultimately looking for was a system that would them easily and to combine and further enhance them according to their needs. let them batten down the hatches on the ground to let no unwanted To this end, we have developed UCS as a complete solution for the eyes get access to their data in the sky. The answer was to centrally administration of IT infrastructures, applications, resources and users. Building on manage the digital identities and permissions for all users. UCS, the company offers UCS@school, an education-optimized platform that Another element on GHGSat’s priority list was to ensure that passwords provides and manages IT services for schools, school boards and states.

SatMagazine Page 43 March 2021 Feature

The combination of securing samples while also maintaining unprecedented biological cleanliness to protect the sample from possible Earthbased contamination makes the Sample Caching System the most complex integrated robotic subsystem ever built for Mars. Video Credit: NASA Inside NASA’s Perseverance How Maxar Robotics Will Enable A Historic Mars Mission

Mars rovers are a fan favorite when it comes to space exploration Enabling deep space exploration is one of the company’s many areas — we love them, we name them and we identify with their bold of expertise at Maxar. Maxar has built robotic arms for five previous personalities. But how do these rovers accomplish their missions? successful NASA Mars missions, including the Spirit, Opportunity and We must look inside the rover — at the guts. That's where Maxar Curiosity rovers as well as the Phoenix and InSight landers. Now, capabilities help NASA achieve its ambitious mission for exploring NASA’s Perseverance Rover brings a sixth Maxar robotic arm to Mars! the red planet.

[A closeup look at Maxar’s SHA robotic arm on the bottom side of the Perseverance Rover. Photo Credit: Courtesy NASA/JPLCaltech]

SatMagazine Page 44 March 2021 Perserverance Rover onboard instruments igraphic is courtesy of NASA.

Perseverance will investigate a site on Mars that is thought to have once Maxar’s SHA robotic arm completes the second and third phases just been habitable. The rover will search for signs of livable conditions and described. It takes the Martian materials out of the bit carousel and microbial life from the ancient past. moves them through volume-assessment, image-taking and, eventually, However, the Maxar influence isn’t immediately obvious by simply to sealing. It then replaces the cylinder containing the sample in a looking at Perseverance. To see Maxar’s work, you need to peer inside storage spot, all on its own, in the matter of a few hours. this resilient rover. Maxar’s robotic arm will have the final “touch” on these precious Maxar’s Sample Handling Assembly (SHA) robotic arm and the samples before hermetically sealing them in sterile, clean vessels, not rover’s camera focus system are two key internal mechanisms that will to be opened until an eventual historic return to Earth. enable this exploration. In addition to the SHA robotic arm, Maxar also built Perseverance’s The SHA robotic arm is attached under the forward end of camera focus system, part of the SHERLOC instrument and WATSON Perseverance. The arm is part of a Sample Caching System that imager, which will support this mission by enabling the rover to identify manipulates, assesses, encapsulates, stores and releases collected promising samples on the surface of Mars. Martian soil and rock samples. This system was seven years in the making, and Maxar hopes the world continues to cheer on Perseverance as the rover begins its historic How Does This All Work? investigations on Mars. There are three robots needed to enable the sample and caching systems. First, there’s a large arm at the front of the rover that pushes a drill www.maxar.com against the surface of Mars, allowing NASA to collect core samples. Next, the core samples are placed on a bit carousel and a second [email protected] robot takes the sample and move it through storage and documentation stations inside the rover. Then comes the most delicate part: the placement, measuring and securing of the core samples.

SatMagazine Page 45 March 2021 Feature

IS AI The Answer To Interference Problems? By Helen Weedon, Managing Director, Satcoms Innovation Group (SIG)

Over the years, the SATCOM and MILSATCOM market segments improving, thus increasing its value as a tool for various applications. have developed a whole host of tools and processes for dealing According to an article in Information Age, 2021 will see some with satellite interference. These range from proactive measures significant developments with AI being used especially in construction, such as employee training, bilateral coordination and antenna type to fight climate change, and in medical applications. But what about approvals, to reactive and proactive measures that enable the satellite industry? operators to detect and resolve the interference once it occurs. To date, the satellite industry has not really fully embraced the potential of AI. I find that surprising in many ways, because if there is Interference has certainly not gone away; however, operators are better one thing you need for AI to work well, it is good data, and that is equipped to manage it than they were just a few years ago. That said, something the SATCOM industry has in abundance, but perhaps that it continues to cause service degradation and cost operators precious lies in the complexity and sensitivity of the data. As the technology time and resources. How do we get better? Could Artificial Intelligence improves, maybe that is starting to shift. (AI) be the answer? There is certainly movement in the correct direction. Toward the end of last year, CGI was awarded a contract by ESA to develop an AI The Potential of AI enabled platform for global SATCOM. AI has long been touted as the next best thing for many applications, from resolving issues to creating efficiencies. While many people have seen its potential for a number of years, the technology is steadily

SatMagazine Page 46 March 2021 There have already been a number of research projects undertaken The Must Haves looking at its potential for SATCOM. I personally remember a number It is not enough to do AI for the sake of AI. There are a number of key factors of presentations at our various workshops with research into that need to be carefully considered before embarking on such a project. applications, mainly focused on error resolution. For example, the Centre Tecnològic de Telecomunicacions de Catalunya (CTTC) 1. Does the person operating the AI tool understand the manual process? presented how it has been using Signal Correlation, Machine Learning It is absolutely critical that the operator knows what they are (ML) and AI to compare RF signals for interference detection. doing manually. If that is not the case, they will not be able to easily spot any errors with the AI tool and they will not be able to react and manually carry out the process being automated without AI to Resolve Interference that. AI is the “digital assistant” to any operations. It is only useful When it comes to resolving interference, AI can have two major uses to if it is eventually used more often than it is ignored. help operators. On the one hand, it can be used for interference 2. Can the AI be manually overridden? prediction. This is about using data from both operations measurements The idea of AI being used in space and not being able to be or alarm systems and many external sources such as certain calendar overridden is quite frankly very scary. As well as ensuring the person operating the AI tool understands the manual process, it is events or decision making outside of SATCOM related topics to classify important to have an infrastructure in place to enable manual interference scenarios. intervention. If we push automation so far that decision making is As such, the system can raise an alert when the probability of a revoked, then the potential for it to go wrong is huge, and that is something we can ill afford in the satellite environment. certain event is imminent. Of course, this all starts with having usable 3. Is the data quality good enough? data (past and present) in the first place, analysing that data then using As mentioned above, in the satellite environment we certainly machine learning to build an interference scenario repository. It is at have a lot of data. That data used must be processed to produce that point we get to apply AI resolve the probabilities of scenarios reliable scenarios that an AI system can produce well qualified occurring and thus create an advanced warning system. results giving accurate and high probability of future events. For AI to be useful we need to avoid too much manual interaction — All over, we need to tell the AI algorithm what it shall look for and by definition for what ever reason. Once it could be that the input let it learn with that to answer further questions — but never fully data is of poor quality and the AI process can’t find a solution automatically, another time, it could be that the AI algorithm is not autonomously as we need to check upon the quality of decision making. performant enough for the issue in which we want AI to help us. This could go a step further and suggest possible ways to resolve a 4. Does AI make the process more efficient? particular interference scenario. Ultimately the entire point of using automation and AI is to make Such an approach has been successfully demonstrated by CTTC. It processes more efficient, free up time from your staff dealing with began by demonstrating automated GSM interference retransmission those difficult cases and save costs. It is important, therefore, to assess and compare how much efficiency is gained. If the increase detection based on I/Q samples and has since carried out projects to is not significant, there is not enough value to warrant the time identify other types of interference correlation, such as ASI and XPOL. and expense to implement an AI system. This means that interference detection and analysis can be done in the background without needing human intervention at that initial stage. The Future of Interference Mitigation While being able to predict interference issues faster is certainly There is certainly a great deal of potential for AI in interference scenario going to help reducing any impact and being able to proactively allow detection and prediction. Any tools developed must ensure maximum advanced warning of any likely situations from occurring in the first efficiency without removing human intervention. If we can harvest the place. For example, by correlation of the current situation with past huge volumes of data available of interference instances, we can similar events, looking at potentially probable future fixed events in eventually train AI algorithms to be extremely effective at spotting those the calendar. future event pattern probabilities by their own mathematics. Pilot projects have already been started to find the right mathematical correlation functions using the right input data we have. With enhanced satig.space techniques as ML, we are ready to take AI a step further. To get to that point, how do we translate those initial steps into reality now?

Author Helen Weedon is the Managing Director of the Satcoms Innovation Group (SIG)

SatMagazine Page 47 March 2021 Feature IoT + Secure Information Exchange... Ensured By A Dual, Smallsat Constellation

By Jaume Sanpera, Chief Executive Ofﬁcer, Sateliot

The history of telecommunications has shown that when standard Sateliot has evolved the originally planned constellation so that the solutions exist, private companies' own innovations are relegated smallsats will make it possible to connect IoT objects with 5G coverage to very small and almost insigniﬁcant market niches. This is why the — a system compatible with more than 70 mobile operators — and will development of a satellite constellation governed by the canons also ensure secure communication by introducing an end-to-end QKD set by 3GPP — the organization that brings together the main (Quantum Key Distribution) encryption device, the first quantum entities for the deﬁnition of telecommunication standards — is a technology that could be widely applied. This will make it possible to technological challenge, as it must be compatible with the protect vulnerable data such as money transfers, commercial standards previously agreed upon by the sector as well as with transactions, personal data or remote control of critical infrastructures terrestrial networks. from all types of external interference. By accomplishing this task, Sateliot opens a new avenue of business Sateliot has set for itself the dual objective of launching into space the with this dual constellation that will enable cost savings by sharing the first constellation of smallsats that are compatible with the 5G standard. infrastructure originally designed for IoT with this innovative system, which This constellation will also be able to share its structure to house a will be the key to ensuring the secure exchange of sensitive information system that enables the secure exchange of information. The company between organizations that are located thousands of kilometers apart. is working on this challenge that also involves a major investment in technological innovation.

SatMagazine Page 48 March 2021 Origins: The European Quango Project This is an efficient constellation in terms of operating and maintenance costs, which already has guarantees of success, as it is part of the European Quango project within which Sateliot participates together with research centers such as ICFO, as well as international universities in Malta, the Sorbonne in Paris or Padova in Italy, in addition to companies with expertise in the space sector. This project has been backed by the European Commission with funding of 2.1 million euros, given the importance that secure exchange of information between companies, banks, security agencies and governments around the world. The objective is the design and laboratory demonstration of a satellite with a dual payload To make this possible, Sateliot works hand in hand with technology that, on the one hand, will enable 5G connection and, on the other, centers and high level partners, such as Gatehouse or the I2Cat will introduce an end-to-end encryption device using the QKD Foundation, to ensure that the network architecture is in line with the technique that employs the laws of quantum physics to exchange protocols established by 3GPP. In accordance with these encrypted information. implementations and developments, the company plans to start deploying its constellation of as many as 100 smallsats in March of this A Key Impact On The Digitization Of The Economy. year with the launch of its first nanosatellite, which will start offering IoT All in all, the Sateliot constellation seeks to respond to two of the levers services on a global scale once it is on-orbit. considered key to economic recovery after the pandemic: digitization and sustainability. The constellation will allow IoT to be deployed in all sateliot.space productive sectors, resulting in a positive impact on the efficiency and profitability of economic activities such as agriculture, livestock, fishing, mining, construction, energy, transport and tourism. The constellation will also have direct applications between Author Jaume Sanpera is the Founder and CEO of governments and security agencies, ensuring the secure exchange of Sateliot. He has a background in information in Ministries that work with extremely sensitive data such Telecommunications Engineering, a Master in as Defense as well as between companies, municipalities and other Business Administration (MBA) and a Programme civil infrastructures. of High Management of Companies (PADE). His entire career has developed in parallel to technological development and entrepreneurship founding up to 9 companies which are specialized in high growth.

SatMagazine Page 49 March 2021 Satellite Innovation