Can satellite operators change the narrative of DTH decline?

VVVolVolVolVol ol.6 ol.6 66 No.NoNo. No78 No. No. 55 5 11 November 2018 2020

AFRICA

Nigeria AFRICA Will indigenous SPECIALspace REPOR activitiesT scale down Chinese involvement?

C O N T E N T S Vol. 8 No. 11

Review of Africa’s space frontiers Editor in-chief Aliyu Bello How SatADSL is helping Africa unleash its digital potential Executive Manager Tonia Gerrald KSA awards nanosatellite development SA to the editor in-Chief Ngozi Okey grants to local universities Head, Application Services M. Yakubu Human Settlements tracking for improved Editorial/ICT Services John Daniel service delivery during and post a pandemic Usman Bello Inmarsat's Carolina Orqueda among Alozie Nwankwo TechWomen100 shortlist Juliet Nnamdi Can satellite operators change the narrative of DTH decline? Client Relations Sunday Tache Celebrating World Space Week 2020 Lookman Bello Cairo Film Festival to honour Mona Zaki Safiya Thani with FatenHamama award Marketing Offy Pat 5 reasons why Ethiopia chooses Eutelsat Tunde Nathaniel Europe, NASA partnership to deliver Wasiu Olatunde new lunar mission Media Relations Favour Madu More than half of climate variables Khadijat Yakubu can be observed only with satellites Zacheous Felicia Arianespace versus SpaceX Finance Folarin Tunde Algeria celebrates anniversaries of Alsat missions COVID-19: Adoption of cloud computing Space Watch Magazine is a publication of rising Communication Science, Inc. All correspondence should Cover source: ANRT be addressed to editor, space Watch Magazine. Abuja office: Plot 2009, Awka Street, UTC Building, GF 11, Area 10, Garki, Abuja, Nigeria Tel: 234 80336471114, 07084706167, email: [email protected]

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EDITORIAL

Review of Africa’s space frontiers

.The African Union has elected to be active space arena they have grown from hosting the world's first equatorial launch in space exploration as part of its Agenda producing their first small satellite to platform. Kenya has a good education and 2063, African Space Policy and Strategy commissioning a geostationary satellite information infrastructure, and acts as an (ASPS), and has taken steps towards and now plan towards sending an economic hub in the region, thus laying the creating an African Space Agency. There astronaut to orbit. backbone for a developing space nation. are also various space-related activities Nigeria's National Space Development Slowly, governmental arrangements are already underway within some member and Research Agency (NASRDA) was made for the establishment of an own space states which the African Union may leverage established in 2001. In December 2004, agency, and the country has recently since active participation and initiation of the Nigerian government contracted with launched its first satellite. There are already space-related activities in Africa will make CGWIC to build the country's second many collaborative institutions in the progress towards meeting the continent's satellite, NigComSat-1. In 2006, Nigeria's country. Although still dependent on socio-economic challenges. Ministry of Finance signed an agreement international collaborations, the critical with the China Export and Import Bank for mass needed to sustain an autonomous South Africa has historically been very US$ 200 million in preferential buyer's space industry has almost been achieved! active on the continent of Africa and this credit to help fund the project. Nigerian Space technology and research offers factor coupled with its strategic geographic scientists and engineers traveled to unique opportunity for African states to position has placed it in an advanced China to receive training and participate realize their socio-economic and position regarding the early development in satellite design and construction.32 In environmental development agendas. and application of space resources and a n t i c i p a t i o n o f t h e l a u n c h o f Ghana has always been an ambitious state engagement in space activity. This resulted N i g e r i a ' s — a n d A f r i c a ' s — f i r s t in achieving her developmental needs in South Africa engaging in earth segment communications satellite, NigComSat-1, through scientific and technological activities and scientific research since the a private spin-off from NASRDA was advancement. Realizing her development early part of the Cold War. During the late incorporated in 2006 to provide fixed needs in curbing challenges of natural stages of the Cold War the country also satellite services to much of Africa and disasters, illegal gold mining, combating engaged in research and development of Italy. The satellite launched from Xichang climate change, improving agricultural non-human space flight capabilities that Satellite Launch Center in Sichuan, productivity, enhancing natural resource were eventually cancelled as the country China, in May 2007. Beginning in mid- management and global connectivity, she moved to a new political dispensation. Post- 2008, technical errors in its solar arrays entered the space arena. Cold War and post-1994 after entering a caused the satellite to fail, and it was de- new political era, research in, development orbited in November 2008. However, the Morocco is one of the leading emerging and launch of satellites first came from the satellite's insurance funded a second space actors in North Africa, with three university sector. The government followed contract with CGWIC to build the satellites placed in orbit since 2001. Two of up the initiative, followed by private replacement satellite, NigComSat-1R. these, the pair of Mohammed VI satellites, companies and this has now resulted in the Some technical improvements were were launched since 2017 to strengthen the development of satellites by a mix of actors made to address the issues with the country's Earth observation efforts. Morocco in South Africa: government, universities previous version, and NigComSat-1R has also historically been one of the most and private companies. Ground-based launched again from Xichang in 2011. active African states in the United Nations space activities have also escalated with Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer various astronomy projects like MeerKAT Space and is the only one thus far on the and the Square Kilometre Array. The sum Algeria is one of Africa's leading states in continent to ratify all five core outer space total of these space activities already the space arena. Its space agency treaties. Morocco has a clear and robust presents a force for good in South Africa's Agence Spatiale Algérienne (ASAL) was space posture that focuses on remote economy. formed in 2002 to contribute to economic, sensing in particular to support national social, and cultural development, the development objectives, and a clear upward Space weather is a naturally occurring protection of the environment, the trajectory is visible as the country ramps up phenomenon produced by the sun that can management of natural resources, and its space-related capabilities and heavily disrupt human activities. Solar flares the safety and wellbeing of Algeria's involvement. and corona mass ejections are bursts of people. ASAL's actions are guided by the The rapid economic and political growth of high-energy radiation from the sun that can Programme Spatial National (PSN), Angola has sparked a recent and most destroy satellites and possibly disable which runs until 2020. Thus far, six vested interest in space activities. Against a power systems for weeks, compromising Algerian satellites have been placed in b a c k d r o p o f c i v i l - w a r a n d s e l f - modern societal life. South Africa is orbit, and a strong emphasis has been determination, the country has become a particularly vulnerable as a developing placed on using space applications to leading entity in the telecommunications country. Fortunately, the South African support sustainable development in line market in central Africa. Her partnerships National Space Agency has advanced with ASAL's mandate. Overall, Algeria with Russia and China has brought about space weather monitoring capabilities such has a robust space posture that, while the AngoSat Project; the launching of as ionosonde and magnetometer stations, predicated on cooperation, actively cutting-edge satellites to provide technical and South Africa has a chance to position places space at the service of national independence and prestige for the country, itself as and expert in this niche market, and development efforts, particularly in the as well as support the development goals partner with other African countries and the gaining of critical skills and capabilities. set by the AU. Commanding a fully rest of the world. This sharing of data could As such, the country has shown a clear functional satellite control station and eventually enable a worldwide early- upward trend in its technical autonomy trained personnel, the country is in a unique detection system that could prevent and capabilities, and Algeria is set to position to assist others in advancing their catastrophes caused by space weather. remain one of the African leaders in space own infrastructure.

Nigeria is one of the leader's in the African Kenya has had a long history in space by

5 APPOINTMENTS

ManSat appoints U.S. space assets,” said Cowen-Hirsch. “I including Baraja, Cochlear and the am excited and humbled by my selection to Australian Department of Defence, Katherine Gizinski as the Executive Committee, and look forward DrWinnall will drive product development, group CEO to representing SpEC's membership in the oversee testing and data delivery critical, ongoing dialog regarding operations at Myriota. acquisition of commercial capabilities, as DrWinnall will report to Myriota's CEO and ManSat has appointed Katherine Gizinski well as building and solidifying relationships co-founder, Dr Alex Grant, and will work as its group Chief Executive Officer. with U.S. Space Force leadership and the closely with Myriota's developer partners to Katherine Gizinski, Mansat's new Chief DoD Undersecretary for Research and serve a growing global customer base Executive Officer Previously the group's Engineering.“ across industries including agriculture, Chief Commercial Officer, Katherine will With more than 30 years of industry defence, mining, utilities and transport & continue to work closely with Chris Stott, experience, Cowen-Hirsch oversees logistics. ManSat founder, in his new role as Inmarsat's strategic direction, policy and Dr Grant said that the team was excited to Executive Chairman as she leads the advocacy with respect to the U.S. add DrWinnall's experience in producing company. Chris Stott said: “Katherine is a government. and commercialising complex products and smart, driven leader backed by the superb communications technologies. team at ManSat. Change is the only Jordi Hereu, new president “In hiring for this role we were looking for constant in our industry and when you find someone with a vision and belief in someone better than yourself to lead the of HISPASAT Myriota's global growth, as well as a company then it's a natural step to hand passion for creatively solving problems and over the reins. Katherine has the full The Board of Directors of HISPASAT, the big thinking. Steve's deep industry support of myself and the ManSat Board Spanish satellite communications operator, knowledge, understanding of market of Directors.” approved the appointment of Jordi Hereu as needs, and customer-focused approach is Katherine added: “I'm excited to lead the company's new president yesterday. the ideal mix of ability to both lead the ManSat into its next phase of growth, The appointment took place after an engineering team and help realiseMyriota's building on more than twenty years of extraordinary Shareholders' Meeting in vision of global expansion. We're looking excellence in serving our clients. I thank w h i c h t h e S o c i e d a d E s t a t a l d e forward to Steve playing a significant role in Chris and the Board for their invaluable ParticipacionesIndustriales (SEPI), which the future of scaling global connectivity at support and trust. Our immediate focus holds 7.41% of HISPASAT's shares, Myriota,” Dr Grant said. will be on providing steadfast guidance to proposed Hereu to preside over the our existing clients during this unusual c o m p a n y r e l i e v i n g R o s a r i o NGMN announces new time and continuing to offer differentiated MartínezManzanedo. services while implementing our forward- A graduate in Business Management and Chairman and Board looking strategy.” Administration, Hereu also holds an MBA Members from ESADE. He started his career in 1991 Inmarsat Gov's Rebecca in Port 2000 and CILSA, linked to protecting the Logistics Activity Zone (ZAL) of the Port T h e N e x t G e n e r a t i o n M o b i l e Cowen-Hirsch elected to of Barcelona.Since 1999 he has held Networks(NGMN) Alliance announces its Space Enterprise several positions in the Barcelona City new Board Chairman and changes to the Consortium Executive Government, serving his functions as the Board Members for the new term 2020- council member for the Les Corts district 2022. ArashAshouriha, SVP Group Committee until 2004, and as a councillor for Security Technology Innovation, Deutsche Telekom and Mobility of the Barcelona City and NGMN Chairman Emmanuel Inmarsat, the world leader in global, Government until 2006. After two years in LugagneDelpon, Group CTO of Orange mobile satellite communications, today this last position, Jordi Hereu was and former Chairman of the NGMN Board, announced that Rebecca Cowen-Hirsch, appointed the fifth deputy mayor of the hands over the reins to the new Chairman Senior Vice President for Government Barcelona City Government and was the ArashAshouriha, SVP Group Technology Strategy and Policy, was named to the mayor of Barcelona from 2006 to 2011. Innovation, Deutsche Telekom. Space Enterprise Consortium's Executive After his time in public administration, Jordi Committee. Cowen-Hirsch will serve a Hereu co-founded the company Fledge Under Emmanuel LugagneDelpon's two-year term on the Executive Barcelona and presides over IdenCity and direction, NGMN successfully initiated the Committee, beginning on October 1, Barcelona PlataformaEmpresarial, both enhancement of 5G within the ecosystem 2020. Rebecca Cowen-Hirsch, Senior specialising in strategic consulting. and, among others, initiated and published Vice President for Government Strategy HISPASAT's new president is now taking on the 5G White Paper 2. Emmanuel and Policy. a new professional challenge and LugagneDelpon said: “It has been a commitment to reach the company's goals, pleasure heading the NGMN Alliance as The Space Enterprise Consortium is a ensuring its growth and creating value for its many operators launched 5G. As we collection of industry leaders, academic shareholders and interest groups. continue to deploy and further develop 5G research institutions and innovative early- to maximize the benefit of its potential, our stage and non-traditional companies Myriota hires Dr Steve goal is to remain at the forefront of next working together to build partnerships generation mobile networks. Therefore, I between the commercial industry, the civil Winnall as first VP of gladly hand over the leadership to my highly space sector and the U.S. government. It Engineering driving respected colleague ArashAshouriha, who strives to increase flexibility and agility, will continue to strengthen and drive the reduce costs, improve technology and innovative product NGMN Alliance forward.” capability insertion, and decrease cycles development ArashAshouriha said: “I am honoured to be in the development and deployment of Dr Steve Winnall has been appointed to the taking over as NGMN Board Chairman next-generation space technologies. newly created role of Vice President of during these challenging but very exciting “Inmarsat is proud to be a member of the Engineering at Myriota, the leader in low- times for our industry. My goal is to continue Space Enterprise Consortium and to work cost and long battery life satellite enabling network operators to unleash the with likeminded innovative companies to connectivity for the Internet of Things (IoT). full 5G potential and to lead the Alliance into streamline acquisition processes and With over 20 years' experience developing the future of next generation mobile strengthen the diversity and resiliency of cutting edge technology for organisations networks.” AFRICA REPORT How SatADSL is helping Africa unleash its digital potential

The telecoms market in Africa has taken great over the past decade. We are now enables self-installation thanks to a pointing strides in improving its digital connectivity in expanding into the enterprise market assistance system. recent years – and there are encouraging signs through our cloud-based services delivery There's no need for a software or driver, so for its future. Africa has seen the fastest platform (C-SDP). the user can start browsing right away. The percentile growth in accessing the Internet of data is transmitted from the modem to the all continents over the past 15 years, rising Ka-band enters enterprise satellite via an encrypted radio signal. The from 2.1% in 2005 to 24.4% in 2018. Yet there satellite then bounces the data down to a hub is further progress to be made as it seeks to market station located in Europe. The latter is provide accessible, affordable and reliable Ka-band, usually seen as a consumer connected to the IP backbone through internet access to all of its 1.3 billion product, is now entering the enterprise reliable, high data-rate connections. From inhabitants. market with SatADSL. The high availability – then, the end user can access any server This target is underlined by the Digital 99.5%, which is similar to Ku-band – of the connected to public networks and available Economy Initiative for Africa's aim to “ensure new Ka-band HTS satellites combined with on the cloud. that every individual, business and SatADSL's innovative cloud platform, C- government in Africa will be digitally enabled by SDP, now allows local ISPs in Africa to offer 2030”, as it looks to satisfy a growing to enterprises tailored services with E-Learning in Africa dependence on internet access. The cost of guaranteed bandwidth in Ka band on the SatADSL has developed a high-value such a project is estimated to be $ 100 b. AVANTI Hylas4 and Yahsat AYal3 satellites solution targeting e-learning applications in Moreover, from recent studies, it appears that (and will be exclusively available for rural areas. Indeed after serving financial investments on telecom infrastructure in Africa professional solutions via SatADSL). The i n s t i t u t i o n s , c o r p o r a t e s , p u b l i c have the highest return on investment in excellent quality of value-added services administrations, mining and forestry comparison to all others infrastructure integrated into SatADSL's C-SDP are now companies, ONGs and so many other sectors investments. available to businesses using Ka-band, active in very remote locations in Africa, making SatADSL the 'specialist in Ka-band SatADSL also gained multicasting experience within the radio and TV Leveling the digital landscape business connectivity for the enterprise market'. broadcasting sector. Reaching that level of connectivity doesn't Through the platform all services offered by SatADSL's complete and innovative solution come without its challenges, not least SatADSL are now available with Ka-Band. for e-learning brings education in a seamless geographically. Isolated, rural and sometimes This includes online payment of vouchers, way to the most remote schools in Africa, remote regions, as well as the urban c o n t e n d e d s e r v i c e s , a n d thanks to sophisticated yet proven powerhouses within the continent's 54 SatADSL'sVNOFlex service – allowing technology.SatADSL set-up a VNO countries, are spread out over a land area of Service Providers to dynamically allocate (mutualisation of the bandwidth) allowing the 11.7 million square miles – three times greater their VNO capacity among several sites that operation of the videoconferencing (e- than that of the United States – underlining the they manage. This demonstrates how this learning) application as well as providing need for satellite connectivity. unique solution provides some of the most Internet access in both the Studio and advanced characteristics available in the classrooms in the entire territory. Each school Among its key benefits, satellite can cover vast marketplace today. i s e q u i p p e d w i t h a s a t e l l i t e geographical areas of varied terrains, allow for Whether its connecting the home or the telecommunication equipment, for direct a quick and easy deployment of services and, business, it's simple with SatADSL. At the educational purpose, a PC with educational importantly, is cost-effective. As a market end user office, a PC or LAN can be content and interactive chat room, a leading managed satellite service provider, connected to the SatADSL modem with an projector/screen/loudspeakers set, a camera SatADSL is widely recognized for providing Ka- Ethernet cable. In the office, the end user – and microphone and solar panels. Each band satellite services in Africa's consumer with the help of a partner-distributor if school runs the videoconferencing (e- market where it has established 80 local ISP needed – will install the antenna on the roof learning) application and has access to the partners and distributors across the region of the premises. The Point & Play tool Internet. AFRICA REPORT

KSA awards nanosatellite development grants to local universities

Amb. Dr Monica Juma

The Kenya Space Agency (KSA) has country. Although still dependent on evaluation by a panel of judges, the awarded a research grant to eight public international collaborations, the critical consortium of Taita Taveta University, universities for nanosatellite development mass needed to sustain an autonomous University of Eldoret and Dedan Kimathi and operational space weather study under space industry has almost been achieved! University of Technology was awarded a the Research Chairs (RC) programme. The objective of the Nanosatellite grant of $45,946.66 (Kshs 5,000,000). Following an evaluation by a panel of judges, Development project is to build capacity of the University of Nairobi, Jomo Kenyatta local university to develop space systems However, the University of Eldoret has University of Agriculture and Technology, and enhance their understanding of space been awarded Kshs. 5 million by the Technical University of Kenya, Moi science, technology and applications. Kenya Space Agency (KSA) to host the University and Kenyatta University were Following evaluation by a panel of judges, K S A N a n o s a t e l l i t e each awarded a research grant of $ 9,189.33 University of Nairobi, Jomo Kenyatta Development/Operational Space (Kshs 1,000,000). University of Agriculture and Technology, Weather Chair. The University leads a The Kenya Space Agency (KSA) is a State Technical University of Kenya, Moi consortium with other institutions that won Corporation that promotes, coordinates and University and Kenyatta University were this award. The purpose of this Research regulates space related activities in Kenya. each awarded a research grant of Kshs Chair is to catalyze and promote research The Agency intends to implement a 1,000,000. in Space Science, Technology and related Research Chairs (RC) Programme in applications. Kenyan universities to contribute towards In addition, the operational Space Weather Kenya launched its first satellite named Kenya's socio-economic development by project is to develop a Space Weather 1st Kenyan University NanoSatellite promoting capacity building and linkages monitoring network that will provide real- Precursor Flight (1KUNSPF) in May 2018. between academia and industry. In this time monitoring of space weather events to The satellite was a payload passenger regard, the KSA invited public universities to mitigate against adverse conditions in the onboard a SpaceX CRS-14 that was submit proposals to host Research Chairs in space environment. These events affect launched on a Falcon 9 rocket with help Nanosatellite Development and Operational aviation safety, global navigation satellite from the National Aeronautic and Space Space Weather. systems, electric power transmission grid, Administration. 1KUNSPF was deployed Kenya has had a long history in space by pipelines, radio communications and into orbit from the Kibo module of the ISS hosting the world's first equatorial launch surveying. Following evaluation by a panel on 11 May 2018. platform. Kenya has a good education and of judges, the consortium of Taita Taveta The Project will be coordinated by a team information infrastructure, and acts as an University, University of Eldoret and of experts led by Dr. Godfrey Ouma economic hub in the region, thus laying the Dedan Kimathi University of Technology Makokha, Dr. Bernard Alunda, Nashon backbone for a developing space nation. was awarded a grant of Kshs 5,000,000. Adera, Dr. Stella Munyole, and Eric Kinyua Slowly, governmental arrangements are These events affect aviation safety, global from (Taita Taveta University), Dr. Arthur made for the establishment of an own space navigation satellite systems, electric Sichangi from (Dedan Kimathi University agency, and the country has recently power transmission grid, pipelines, radio of Technology), and finally Prof. Joel launched its first satellite. There are already communications and surveying. Following Tonui, Dr. Cosmas Ronno and Jason many collaborative institutions in the Kanule from (University of Eldoret). IN THE NEWS

New SANSA/NASA Human Settlements tracking for improved project hopefully to service delivery during and post a pandemic start operations in The outbreak of COVID-19 late 2024 increased the need to fast track service delivery in The project for a new deep space network informal settlements to ensure ground station in South Africa, which is a a d h e r e n c e t o p h y s i c a l collaborative venture between the South distancing measures and African National Space Agency (SANSA) and b a s i c h y g i e n e . T h e its American counterpart, the National Government of South Africa Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), e s t a b l i s h e d s e v e r a l is still in its study phase, according to SANSA interventions to fast-track the Space Operations MD Raoul Hodges. The provision of shelter and project was formally approved by the South s e r v i c e s t o i n f o r m a l African Cabinet on May 27. The new ground settlements dwellers in efforts station is to be located in the Matjiesfontein area to curb the spread of in the Western Cape province. coronavirus. Data on the location of and targeted surveys whilst by informal settlements per “The current study phase should be concluded informal settlements is reducing delays in project administrative boundaries. in the next eight months,” he reports. “Then we traditionally collected through implementation time. The The information provided will know what the specifications will be and ground surveys – mainly National Department of on the dashboard can be where exactly in the Matjiesfontein region the during censuses. Censuses Human Settlements has used during planning of station will be. It's a collaborative effort, and been working with SANSA services required by SANSA will supply some of the infrastructure to are conducted every 5-10 enable NASA to erect its antennas. The exact years resulting in the data towards the development of communities and to track division of responsibilities and costs is still being being outdated whilst the human settlement products progress made on the determined.” collection of data for special and services to help create u p g r a d e o f i n f o r m a l projects results in incomplete situational awareness on the settlements.The dashboard The Matjiesfontein area was selected as the site data, as the survey will target location and status of also provides information for both its low radio frequency interference and only the area of interest. i n f o r m a l s e t t l e m e n t s . on informal settlements that its good weather conditions. Technically, Nasa Remote sensing technology S A N S A c r e a t e d a are closer to rivers and has not yet finally decided to establish a new provides an opportunity to dashboard using data w e t l a n d s . T h e s e station there, but it is highly probable that they map and monitor human derived from medium to high s e t t l e m e n t s m a y b e will do so. In terms of ground support for space settlement developments resolution satellite imagery. contributing to pollution or operations, South Africa's geographic location including informal settlements The dashboard shows the environmental degradation is very attractive, points out Hodges. Several over a larger geographic area spatial distribution of a n d h e n c e m a y leading space agencies and space companies more frequently. The data can informal settlements and r e q u i r e m e n t u r g e n t have found it very useful to have South African be used to support planning quantifies the area covered attention ground station support. NASA could require anything from one to four dish antennas, each with a diameter of 34 m, at the Matjiesfontein site. The number of staff that will be required to run it is not yet certain. That South Africa considers launching own will depend on how automated NASA and SANSA can make the station. But the aim is to internet satellite make the new station a 24/7 operation like SANSA Space Operation's current ground The satellite service would Lesotho, Zimbabwe and Madagascar, Mauritius, support complex at Hartebeesthoek (in essentially be offered to the E s w a t i n i . T h e 4 I R and Mozambique. African Gauteng province, west of Pretoria). The whole of the Southern diagnostics report was SKA partner countries also project will be implemented in stages, with initial A f r i c a n D e v e l o p m e n t p r e p a r e d b y a 4 I R include Botswana, Ghana, operating capability by late 2024. Community (SADC) region. commission constituted by Namibia, and Zambia. A report created by the t h e S o u t h A f r i c a n South Africa is perhaps “We have a great space history since 1958, in Fourth Industrial Revolution P r e s i d e n t , C y r i l unique amongst African terms of space operations ground support,” he nations for an explicit focus highlights. “This project means that our (4IR) commission, which Ramaphosa, towards was released to the public enhancing development in on astronomy and its collaboration with the international space sector commitment to advancing is well established. We've proven that our earlier this week, has the country, according to quality, service and skills are up with the best in recommended that South Space in Africa. The its data management the world. For NASA to trust us is a real feather Africa launch its own satellite would essentially system specifically for in our cap!” internet satellite to combat be able to bridge the gap astronomy purposes. “This discussion started in late 2014,” notes connectivity issues. between underprivileged Hodges. “It's a team that negotiates with NASA, The government believes communities and give them South Africa's government and I am extremely proud of my team. I hope we this will solve the issue of access to information and h a s a s s u m e d can see this come to pass, to build on South resources at no cost. r e s p o n s i b i l i t y f o r Africa's space heritage, for bigger things to connectivity, or lack thereof, in these areas. The satellite developing the MeerKAT come.” In addition, South Africa's telescope as a run-up to SANSA Space Operation's precursor agency, service would essentially be A f r i c a n S K A H u m a n offered to the whole of the SKA, which became the Satellite Applications Centre (of the Council Capital Development operational in July 2018 for Scientific and industrial Research) was S o u t h e r n A f r i c a n Program has awarded and is now the world's originally set up to provide ground support for Development Community more than 1,000 grants to NASA missions. This included support to ( S A D C ) r e g i o n . T h i s most powerful telescope of a d v a n c e s t u d i e s i n its kind. several of NASA'S crewed Apollo missions to includes other countries, a s t r o n o m y a n d the Moon in the late 1960s and early 1970s. s u c h a s B o t s w a n a , engineering in Kenya, EUROPE REPORT Inmarsat's Carolina Orqueda among TechWomen100 shortlist

Inmarsat's Carolina Orqueda has been shortlisted among TechWomen100 awards t h i s y e a r . S i n c e A u g u s t 2 0 2 0 , WeAreTechWomen has been searching the UK for the best female tech talent in the country. With the support of headline sponsor BAE Systems, WeAreTechWomen has now identified a shortlist of 200. The TechWomen100 awards are the first of their kind to focus solely on the female tech talent pipeline and to also recognise the impact of champions, companies and networks that are leading the way for future generations of tech talent. Highlighting the achievements of these women is part of WeAreTechWomen's campaign to shine a spotlight on 1000 future female leaders in technology by 2025. The shortlist showcases remarkable women within the technology and STEM sector, including Susan Jason, a Principal Systems Engineer and Head of Outreach at In-Space Missions, who led the final test phases of the F a r a d a y - 1 c o m m e r c i a l r i d e s h a r e nanosatellite; Charlene Hunter, who founded Coding Black Females, to inspire, provide opportunities and showcase the talents of black women in tech; and Heather Black, who founded Supermums, which helps upskill mums (and dads) back into flexible work in the Salesforce ecosystem. The awards also recognise Champions, Networks and Companies, who are all actively Carolina Orqueda supporting the progression of women in tech and STEM. New for this year, the Vanessa Vallely, Managing Director of industries and professions. Those highlighted TechWomen100 awards are also celebrating W e A r e Te c h W o m e n s a i d , “ A t include Joanna Monck, a Stonewall Schools women in tech from outside the UK, in the WeAreTechWomen, we have made it our Role Model and National Diversity Mentor, Global Award for Achievement category. personal mission to shine a spotlight on who works voluntarily as a hate crime The full shortlist includes individuals from women working in tech. Our strategic aim ambassador for Sussex Police; Anuradha leading firms such as Monzo Bank, IBM, is to highlight 500 female future leaders in Damale, UK Director of Women of Color Adobe, PayPal, Trainline, BT, Visa, Jaguar technology by 2022.” Advancing Peace and Security, an Land Rover and many more. “The response to this year's awards has organisation set up to advance the leadership Over the nomination period, we received over been fantastic and the calibre of entries and professional development of women in 700 nominations from across the UK and has been outstanding. I am so proud to see colour in the fields of international peace; Northern Ireland. The calibre of entries for so many women in tech recognised for Catherine Cobb, who lost her left leg to bone these awards was exceptional and all of the their achievements and really look forward cancer when she was seven, but realised her judges stated how difficult it was to arrive at the to seeing who our final winners will be in dream of becoming an engineer; and Dr Larisa shortlist due to the amazing achievements of November.” Corda, Obstetrician and Gynaecologist, and is our nominees. WeAreTheCity.com was founded in April ITV This Morning's and Channel Mum's Speaking about the awards, Theresa Palmer, 2008 and launched in September 2008, Fertility Expert. The Rising Star Awards were Global Head of Diversity & Inclusion, BAE with the aim of providing information to entered by over 1,000 individuals and were Systems Applied Intelligence, said, “Year after women who wish to progress in their judged by a panel of 45 independent judges. year we choose to partner with the careers via networking and events. The Over 35,000 public votes of support were WeAreTheCity organisation for one simple concept of the website is to provide received for the 200 shortlisted nominees from reason. They get it. The TechWomen100 services that not only help women develop 115 countries. awards offers on-going opportunities and themselves both personally and membership to a wealth of information and professionally, but also contributes to a The 2020 awards are headline sponsored by networking to a community of women at the wider strategy of supporting working Royal Bank of Canada. Category sponsors forefront of changing an industry globally.” women in the UK more broadly by bringing include an array of leading FTSE 100 “At BAE Systems Applied Intelligence we want together the charity sector and potential companies and industry leaders: 3M, to help drive that in any way that we can. Our entrepreneurs on to one common Accenture, Barclays, Bloomberg, British Army, industry depends on the best and brightest and platform. Cancer Research UK, C&C Search, Citi, CMI, supporting the growth and development of Elysian Search Consulting, Goldman Sachs, women in all roles across the technology In May, WeAreTheCity GSK, HSBC, Lloyds Banking Group, Lloyd's, industry. In a year when we can no longer see announced the winners of Mott MacDonald, Northern Trust, Oliver the diversity in our meeting rooms and client Wyman, Oxford Said Business School, Reed sites it seemed fitting to step up and headline our 2020 Rising Star Smith and Sage. such an important event. We see the value in Awards. celebrating what makes us unique and are The list of winners showcases remarkable very proud to be headline sponsor of the women within the UK from across 20 TechWomen100 awards.” categories representing different AFRICA REPORT Comtech receives $1.0m satellite ground station equipment order from Africa's MNO

Comtech Telecommunications Corp. Converters. The Mobile Network Operator contains statements that are forward- announced that during its first quarter of fiscal (“MNO”) will leverage the efficiencies looking in nature and involve certain 2021, its Tempe, Arizona-based subsidiary, provided by the Heights™ Networking significant risks and uncertainties. Actual Comtech EF Data Corp., which is part of Platform to enhance and improve its mobile results could differ materially from such Comtech's Commercial Solutions segment, backhaul capabilities and to launch forward-looking information. The received a $1.0 million order for satellite additional enterprise services. The Company's Securities and Exchange ground station equipment from the largest Heights™ Networking Platform is Commission filings identify many such telecommunications company in Africa. engineered to elevate services with risks and uncertainties. Any forward- unparalleled horsepower, efficiency and looking information in this press release is Comtech EF Data Corp. is a leading supplier intelligence. It combines Comtech EF Data's q u a l i f i e d i n i t s of communications equipment with a focus on most efficient waveforms, Heights Dynamic entirety by the risks and uncertainties satellite bandwidth efficiency and link Network Access (“H-DNA”), header and described in such Securities and optimization. The high-performance satellite payload compression engines, WAN & GTP Exchange Commission filings. c o m m u n i c a t i o n s g r o u n d optimization, multi-tier Quality of Service “It's an honor for Comtech to have been equipment is deployed globally to support (“QoS”), along with bi-directional Adaptive selected by the largest MNO in Africa to mission-critical and demanding applications Coding & Modulation (“ACM”) capability to upgrade and enhance its network,” said for government, mobile backhaul, premium provide the highest user throughput, highest Fred Kornberg, Chairman of the Board and enterprise and mobility. Service providers, availability, and lowest latency and jitter Chief Executive Officer of Comtech satellite operators, governments and available in the industry. Telecommunications Corp. “This MNO's commercial users wanting to optimize decision to introduce new services for both communications, increase throughput and Comtech Telecommunications Corp. mobile backhaul and enterprises using the delight customers, are leveraging the designs, develops, produces and markets full Heights™ Networking Platform suite is performance and flexibility of the Comtech innovative products, systems and services a testament to our investment in brand. The solutions are facilitating fixed and for advanced communications solutions. a multi-service platform capable of running mobile networks in 160+ countries and across The Company sells products to a diverse point-to-multipoint and SCPC services every ocean. customer base in the global commercial and under one common family of products.” The order specified the Heights™ Networking government communications markets. Platform and complementary Block Up Certain information in this press release INDUSTRY INSIGHT

Can satellite operators change the narrative of DTH decline?

“It's completely insane to give up on which are stable in video, with contracts Satellite operators argue that despite the video.” Eutelsat CEO Rodolphe Belmer that are spectacular. Even though OTT is narrative that DTH broadcasting is losing raises a passionate defense of what he booming, satellite penetration in our ground in some areas as viewers cut the still considers the “bread-and-butter” footprint continues growing.” cord and migrate to OTT options, video is satellite industry market. The facts and Belmer wonders why the markets don't still a key part of operatorsʼ revenues, and sentiments about the satellite Direct-to- recognize the stability Eutelsat has revenue from video can fund investment in Home (DTH) video market have achieved in video. “It's a bit frustrating,” other areas. diverged, he says. Yes, Over-the-Top he says. Yet, for the past few years, Growth in emerging markets (OTT) penetration is growing, but DTH satellite operator quarterly results have Eutelsat has made a splash in the past few penetration is growing as well. “Itʼs a stuck to a widely observed trend — the months by picking up a slew of DTH Euro-americano-centric point of view to percentage of revenues for video capacity deals in Africa with AfricaXP, RCS say Netflix works in the U.S. and in services is decreasing as the percentage G h a n a , S t r o n g R o o t s E t h i o p i a Europe and not in emerging markets of revenue for network services grows. Broadcasting Service and new Ethiopian and thatʼs why satellite is continuing to DTH platform from CANAL+, in addition to a exist in certain regions. Itʼs totally wrong. According to Euroconsult, video's share deal with BluTv, a new DTH broadcast If you read Netflix figures, you realize of total capacity revenues in 2019 was platform serving the Brazilian market from that their growth is phenomenal in the approximately 55 percent. The firm 1Sat Telecomunicaçoes. U.S., but also in Latin America, Europe, predicts that by 2022, wholesale revenue Belmer said Eutelsat has pivoted its [and the] Middle East,” Belmer says. “At for data applications will surpass video business toward emerging markets, where the same time, satellite continues to applications in the satellite industry, and demand for content in local languages is a grow in many regions of the world. ... by 2029, data market revenues will driving force for growth in Africa, and in the Quarter after quarter, we post figures represent nearly 80 percent of the Middle East, Central Asia, and Latin satellite connectivity market value. America. Latin America, for example, has INDUSTRY INSIGHT

had mostly pan-continental channels in continue to watch a lot of television. Indonesia and Malaysia may show less the past, in Spanish and Portuguese. But Broadband is very expensive and growth because of competition from Eutelsat is seeing local bouquets doesn't reach a lot of people in these regional platforms. Measatʼs Associate emerging in every Latin American countries, and satellite television is the Vice President of Sales, Ganendra country, including Peru and Colombia. most appropriate broadcasting Selvaraj says satellite prevails in several “There is increasingly, a development for technology in order to get video signals emerging markets in Asia that have poor offering content and channels in local to a number of these viewers,” Mathur terrestrial infrastructure or are languages, which creates a very strong says. geographically dispersed. underpinning force for growth and for expansion,” Belmer says. The Eutelsat While Mathur says there are still “As on-demand content consumption CEO says that while OTT already has a hundreds of millions of people that do becomes more popular, coupled with the hold in emerging markets, satellite not have access to multi-channel Pay C O V I D - 1 9 p a n d e m i c a f f e c t i n g continues to grow because of its ability to TV, as market penetration gets in the economies, slow-down in the broadcast reach 100percent of populations in a range of 50 percent to 70 percent of market is expected but we do not see a geographic area, and groups who speak households in emerging markets, there major change to our business over the a common language outside of national will be a leveling off of growth. SES sees next few years,” Selvaraj says. “This is boundaries. “In many countries, the Africaʼs Pay TV and Free-to-Air (FTA) primarily because many areas in the borders do not correspond well with the DTH market adding about 7 percent to 8 regions that we operate in lack reliable language spoken. In many emerging percent growth over the next few years, broadband. In any case, MEASAT is markets, you have diasporas, you need and about 3 percent growth per year cognizant to the growing broadband infrastructure to cover more than the through 2025 in the Asia Pacific region, demand and evolving viewing habits and footprints of terrestrial telco which are driven mostly by demand in Myanmar, hence focused on building High ubiquitous in urban areas, [but] donʼt Indonesia, the Philippines, and India. Throughput Satellite [HTS] capacity cover 100 percent of the population,” Dimitri Buchs, senior consultant for suitable for broadband services in the Belmer says. Euroconsult, says the situation in region.” emerging markets is less dynamic for For another major operator SES, the satellite TV than it was five years ago. Selvaraj says that for Video-on-Demand company saw the most significant Where there used to be 10 to 15 new (VOD), the future looks exciting HTS increase in 2019 in households in Latin DTH platforms launched each year in satellites and terrestrial 5G will America, where its reach grew by 8 emerging countries, he said the past complement each other and allow million up to 42 million TV homes. This few years has seen only four to five per services to reach subscribers even was due to the SES-14 satellite which year. There have also been failures, and deeper into previously unserved regions, was launched in 2018, accelerating the number of platforms is not growing. increasing consumption of video and data market penetration. Deepak Mathur, He says as it becomes easier and in areas once thought uneconomical. executive vice president of Global Sales cheaper for small TV channels to move Measat challenges the idea that video and and SES Video says that growth is to OTT, satellite operators will either network services are mutually exclusive. coming from emerging markets in Latin have to decrease capacity prices, or “While we do see a shift in growth in a very America, Asia Pacific region (APAC), and focus on maintaining Tier 1 and Tier 2 traditional sense from video to networks, Africa. customers. invariably video is fuelling the growth and For Asian regional operator Measat revenue of our networks business. Not “They are organically growing markets, Satellite Systems, India and South Asia only do we expect this trend to continue, they're young markets. [People there] remain promising DTH markets, while we expect satellite technology to continue INDUSTRY INSIGHT

to play a key role in ensuring video content is the U.S. In addition, Pay TV operators in consumer behavior between sports, delivered to end users,” Selvaraj says. often bundle OTT services along with which require delivery in real time, and linear TV, which can give European entertainment, which does not. “Trying viewers the best of both worlds. to create live streaming bundles that “Theyʼre still quite well positioned, even combine sports and entertainment sort Trouble in the US Market though they're losing subscribers might Satellite TV is a tough sell in the U.S., says of missed the point. That's not the way so I would say there's still quite people want to consume entertainment leading U.S. telecom analyst, Craig Moffett, competitive, at least we're expecting founding partner of MoffettNathanson. He anymore,” he says. this to continue to be the case in the Broadcast networks “aren't ready to says satellite TV offered better picture quality next five years or so. But they're losing and more HD channels than cable TV in the admit the obvious — that entertainment ground to OTT which is no surprise right and sports are going in an entirely early 2000s, but as cable closed that gap and and IPTV as well is growing a bit in offered bundle discounts on internet service, different direction,” Moffett says. He Europe.” sees a sports tier in the future with satellite lost its value proposition. Cord- Eutelsatʼs Belmer says Europe remains cutting has only added to these challenges, sports and news that is live and real- a strong, robust market for satellite DTH time, and a plethora of on-demand and now satellite TV only makes sense in overall, representing about 30 percent rural areas, he says. services that deliver entertainment of broadcast households and is slightly programming. eroding, by one to two percentage For the two companies providing satellite TV points every two or three years. He “The idea that we have hundreds of service to customers — AT&T which owns points to the resiliency of the physical DirecTV, and Dish Network — Moffett says channels of live TV will eventually be an satellite dish, which a customer has anachronism that people think of as they have taken different approaches to paid for and is already installed on their managing the decline. Moffett says Dish antiquated,” Moffett says. Mathur is home, as a customer incentive to also optimistic for the future, and says Network, coming from the position of a continue satellite TV service. satellite operator, understands the business, while there is no question that viewers and hasnʼt done anything to make the are consuming more content online and In addition, Eutelsatʼs main markets in on demand, there will always be a place situation worse. He says AT&T is managing Europe are Italy, Poland, and Greece, cash flow as the business declines, and for satellite TV. He believes the Pay TV and beyond that, Turkey and Russia, operator whether it is DTH or cable raising prices to offset subscriber losses, which are well-suited for satellite TV which makes subscribes more likely to leave. provides the most vibrant bundle with because terrestrial infrastructure, for n e w s , s p o r t s , a n d g e n e r a l “AT&T feels for all the world like a death economic and geographic reasons is spiral,” Moffett says. entertainment, while cord-cutters may rolling out more slowly than countries have to subscribe to a number of like Germany, France, and the U.K. platforms which can add up in price. Even the days of two satellite TV providers in SES has recently signed an interesting the U.S. are likely limited. AT&T President broadcast deal in Europe, with BBC “The remarkable news is that the and COO John Stankey told investors in Studios (BBCS) and its subsidiary March that the company is only marketing amount of linear consumption is not UKTV to manage the playout and dropping off. People are watching more DirectTV to customers in rural areas, and distribution of over 50 linear channels, instead putting its marketing muscle behind stuff, or watching two things at the same and associated Video on Demand time. For a long time, it was not totally streaming service AT&T TV. And Dish (VOD) services. Mathur says this deal is Network Chairman Charlie Ergen said in the clear whether OTT would cannibalize an example of SES moving into the linear viewership. Everything that we're companyʼs recent quarterly results call with value chain, trying to get a better investors that he sees a merger with seeing in the statistics, everything that understanding of the change in TV our customers are telling us is that DirectTV as “inevitable.” And if Congress consumption from purely linear to linear dedicates more money for rural broadband linear television delivered over satellite and OTT. He says SES has done a remains incredibly relevant, and it has funding ”if rural broadband really does number of other deals like this, and it will become ubiquitous, the need for satellite been enriched, or added to by the OTT be an increased focus for SES as the delivery.” [TV] will wane even faster,” Moffett says. company looks to allow its customers to provide the best experience to their In Eutelsatʼs most recent full year In 10 to 15 years, Moffett says satellite TV in users. the U.S. could go the way of the pager financial results, video made up 61 percent of the operatorʼs revenues, but industry which still exists, just for a small “What weʼre doing is actually managing subset of customers who need it. “It's hard to as Eutelsat makes investments in and preparing content and channels satellite broadband, data, and mobility imagine there will be two separate before we deliver these channels to companies because I don't think the services, Belmer predicts that multiple takers of that content. We're connectivity will represent the same opportunity is big enough to keep two lining up that content in a manner that it companies out of bankruptcy,” he says. amount of revenue for the company in can go onto a linear satellite or into a the medium to long-term. “Thatʼs how nonlinear OTT environment. We're we see the transformation of our enabling the engine for the BBCS to be business,” he says. “Transformation Steady prospects in Europe able to deliver that [content and doesn't mean we were to cut one of our In Europe, Euroconsult analyst Buchs says channels] to the BBCSʼs partners for legs, we want to continue to preserve satellite TV subscriptions are decreasing like the final distribution to any platform or that [video] business as long as we can. in the U.S., but the decrease is less screen,” Mathur says. We think that for the foreseeable future, significant than in North America in terms of video will be there and will be much subscribers and revenues. Buchs points out more than instrumental to enable us to that in Europe, there are fewer OTT options Satelliteʼs future in Video develop ourselves in the new verticals.” than in North America. And the price for Moffett says one problem the overall satellite TV in Europe is much cheaper than Pay TV industry hasnʼt solved is the split REPORT

Celebrating World Space Week 2020

By resolution 54/68 of 6 December 1999, the General Assembly proclaimed World Space Week, to celebrate the contributions of space science and technology to the betterment of the human condition.

International days are occasions to educate promotion of sustainable development, means of achieving that synergy. The the general public on issues of concern, to the protection of human rights, and the effectiveness of the Meeting has been mobilize political will and resources to guarantee of international law and further enhanced by the holding, since address global problems, and to celebrate humanitarian action.In its resolutions, the 2004, of an open informal session and reinforce achievements of humanity. The General Assembly usually explains what immediately after the end of the Meeting, existence of international days predates the prompted it to proclaim the International as a means of engaging Member States, in establishment of the United Nations, but the DayAbimbola. Alale a direct and informal setting, in important UN has embraced them as a powerful space-related developments in the United advocacy tool. Satellites improve life Nations system. The agenda of the Inter- Each international day offers many actors the 2020 World Space Week is dedicated to Agency Meeting is reviewed at each opportunity to organize activities related to satellites and their broad benefits under session and adapted to current operational the theme of the day. Organizations and the theme “Satellites improve life.” With needs. offices of the United Nations system, and this theme, the World Space Week will UN and Space most importantly, governments, civil society, show the importance of satellites in daily From the very beginning of the Space Age, the public and private sectors, schools, life and how our lives are affected by the United Nations recognized that outer universities and, more generally, citizens, satellites such as in communications, space added a new dimension to make an international day a springboard for environmental monitoring, transportation, humanity's existence. The United Nations awareness-raising actions. weather forecasting, telemedicine, family strives continuously to utilize the World Space Week is the largest annual science, and in many other ways. unique benefits of outer space for the space event in the world. the weeks helps On 4 October 1957, the launch into outer betterment of all humankind. build up the workforce of tomorrow by space of the first human-made Earth Recognizing the common interest of inspiring students; demonstrates visible satellite, Sputnik 1, opened the way for humankind in outer space and seeking to public support for the space programme; space exploration. A decade later, on 10 answer questions on how outer space can educates the public about space activities; October 1967, theTreaty on Principless help benefit the people's of Earth, the and fosters international cooperation in Governing the activities of states in the General Asssembly adopted its first space outreach and education. Exploration and Use of Outer Space. resol;ution related to Outer space on of the Each year a theme is selected by the World including the Moon and Other Celestrial Peaceful Use of Outer Space". Space Week Association Board of Directors Bodies entered into force. On 10 October 1967, the "Magna Carta of in close coordination with the UN Office of Space science and technology and their Space", also known as the Treaty on Outer Space Affairs. The theme provides applications are increasingly being used Principle Governing the Activities of States broad guidance to World Space Week to support a wide range of United Nations in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space participants on the content of their activities. At least 25 United Nations including the Moon and Other Celestrial programmes. The theme is selected to entities and the World Bank Group Bodies entered into force. increase the impact of World Space Week on routinely use space applications. They Today, the United Nation office for Outer all humanity further, by using a uniform theme make important and sometimes essential Space Affairs A) is the United Nations globally. contributions to the work of the United office responsible for promoting Nations, including in the implementation international cooperation in the peaceful Who chooses them and how? of recommendations of major world uses of outer space. UNOOSA serves as It's the most representative organ of the conferences and those of the Third United the secretariat for the General Assembly's Organization, the General Assembly, that Nations Conference on the Exploration only committee dealing exclusively with designates a particular date as an and Peaceful Uses of Outer Space international cooperation in the peaceful International Day International days are UNISPACE III (, as well as support toward uses of outer space: the United Nations proposed to the UN General Assembly by sustainab;e development Committee on the Peaceful Use of Outer Member States. The General Assembly then Space UOS). decides by consensus whether to adopt the As a consequence, coordination, UNOOSA is also responsible for resolution establishing the particular day. cooperation and synergy are essential for implementing the Secretary-General's The themes of international days are always those activities to be effectively carried out responsibilities under International space linked to the main fields of action of the United by the United Nations system. The annual law nd maintaining the United Nations Nations, namely the maintenance of sessions of the Inter-Agency Meeting on Register of Objects Launched into Outer international peace and security, the Outer Space Activities are the main Space. IN THE NEWS

Intelsat brings space Swedish Space Corporation to launch STEM to students in satellites from Esrange Space Center Africa The Swedish government potential, strengthening countries with capability to Intelsat is now partnering with XinaBox to deliver announced a decision to space-focused STEM learning tools to teenagers Sweden's position as a launch small satellites. We establish capability to prominent space nation are very proud of having across the African continent. Intelsat is launch small satellites from sponsoring scholarships, each worth hundreds within the European and taken this decision,” said Esrange Space Center in global space sector. Matilda Ernkrans, Swedish of dollars, for 20 students in Africa to access northern Sweden. The XinaBox's dedicated space STEM kits and The new testbed at Esrange Space Minister, during her announcement is the third provides a platform for visit at Esrange . educational programs, which culminate in step in an extensive students designing, building and launching European and global space “We are pleased that the m o d e r n i z a t i o n o f t h e sector to develop next Swedish government has satellites into space. infrastructure at Esrange to “Building the pipeline of the next generation of g e n e r a t i o n r o c k e t now decided to establish meet the growing demand of technologies. This will now the capability to launch satellite engineers begins with our partnership testing and launching with XinaBox,” said Christell Meyers, Intelsat's be supplemented with satellites from Esrange. capability in the space additional infrastructure The decision means that Sales Director in Africa. “Sparking that tech sector and was made today interest at such a young age inspires future needed for launching small Sweden will become a by the Swedish Space satellites from Esrange. launching state, providing leaders who will soon lead the way with Minister Matilda Ernkrans advancements we never dreamed possible.” a capability that only a few during the inauguration of a The first rockets tests will be countries have, of great XinaBox (pronounced “X in a box”) removes new testbed facility for next barriers to participation in the growing STEM conducted by ISAR and RFA importance for research, g e n e r a t i o n r o c k e t later this autumn, both technology development academic field and economy. Its XinaBox Kits technology at Esrange. provide a rapid hardware development platform, already established at the a n d e x p a n d e d specifically designed and manufactured for site. The European Space i n t e r n a t i o n a l Esrange Space center is A g e n c y ' s r e u s a b i l i t y collaboration”, said Stefan STEM applications in schools and universities. already one of the most Using commercial standard electronics programme Themis will Gardefjord, CEO at SSC. active and versatile launch conduct its first reusability This is a further major step components, students are able to design and sites in the world and the build circuits, code using multiple formats and test flights in 2022 from in an extensive plan to latest decision allows SSC Esrange, in a collaboration m o d e r n i z e t h e conduct experiments, without specialist to proceed with its goal to be equipment or lab. b e t w e e n S S C a n d infrastructure at Esrange able to launch small ArianeGroup supported by Space Center to meet the satellites into orbit by 2022. Through building, experimenting, and creating ArianeWorks (an innovation growing demand on the The announcement follows unit formed up by the French market for both testing and working electronic devices, crafters, students the overall ambition defined and tinkerers learn critical STEM skills, including Space Agency CNES and launching capability. SSC in the Swedish space A r i a n e G r o u p ) . S S C ' s a n d t h e S w e d i s h coding, electronics, data gathering and analysis, strategy decided upon in control, and all the principles of Internet of Things ambition is to launch the first government have so far co- 2 0 1 8 . T h e s t r a t e g y satellites in 2022. invested approximately 30 (IoT), while engaging with the sensory underlines the importance of environment around them. This approach million USD in the project. further developing Esrange “This means that Sweden uniquely bridges the virtual worlds of software, in order to fully utilize its the cloud, and big data, with students' real-world will be one of the very few surroundings. “When the Intelsat team suggested supporting African students on our flagship program, we were excited and inspired. Our primary goal is to SpaceCom, Ignite Power partner to provide give access to space for all,” noted Judi Sandrock, one of the co-founders of XinaBox. connectivity solutions for e-Health in Africa “Intelsat's values and ours are totally aligned, with the students and their futures at the core. Intelsat's support will allow the XinaBox Space SpaceCom and Ignite Saharan Africa. opportunity to improve their STEM program to accelerate as we move into Power put technology at SpaceCom will provide knowledge of new medical 2021.” the service of health in high-speed connectivity for treatments and procedures. Intelsat is sponsoring 20 XinaBox Space STEM Africa. By combining the its AMOS-17 satellite while Dan Zajicek, CEO of program scholarships, with successful h i g h - s p e e d i n t e r n e t Ignite Power will provide its SpaceCom, said that “ candidates meeting the following criteria: connectivity of the AMOS- o ff - g r i d s o l a r e n e r g y p r o v i d i n g I n t e r n e t Between 15 and 18 years of age; Born and 17 satellite from one to the solutions and sustainable connectivity to rural areas in currently living on the African continent solar-powered electricity d i a g n o s t i c s y s t e m s . Africa is a major pillar of Demonstrates a passion for, and knowledge of, grid of the other, they are Combined, they will form an SpaceCom's strategy to science, technology, engineering and determined to provide e- effective basic infrastructure bridge the digital divide mathematics (STEM); Has a clear interest in all health solutions in rural for the delivery of digital ”.He explained that the “ things “space”; Access to the internet, and a areas. m e d i c a l s e r v i c e s t o partnership with Ignite smart device for virtual workshops, i.e. can run a communities and rural Power is a big step forward browser-based collaboration tool (camera not Israeli telecom satellite areas. to have a pan-African essential); and Browser skills Proficient in operator SpaceCom and impact. Together, no place English (the first program will be delivered in Ignite Power (the pan- Local populations and is too far away for us. It is an English). African developer and medical teams will then honor to be able to make a Students with an interest in the scholarship who financier of solar solutions) have immediate access to difference in people's lives meet these criteria are encouraged to apply announced the signing of a medical specialists around and it is invaluable to see before the deadline: November 30, 2020 at 5 strategic cooperation the world, as well as to the level of appreciation for p.m. SA. The application process requires agreement on October 13, cloud-based data analytics. something that seems trivial completing an online form, a space quiz and 2020. The two companies With the support of medical to most submitting a short explanation building the case have agreed to collaborate experts around the world, for why you should be selected for this unique to provide connectivity doctors and nurses in rural program. solutions for e-health in sub- Africa will also have the IN THE NEWS

Thuraya's new Ethiopia readies to launch second tracking and satellite monitoring service Ethiopia is in the final set to boost safety stages of launching its second remote-sensing and efficiency on satellite into space, with the help of China, as the fishing vessels country seeks to advance i t s s p a c e s c i e n c e Thuraya, the mobile satellite services subsidiary of d e v e l o p m e n t . I n a n the UAE's Al Yah Satellite Communication exclusive interview with Company (Yahsat), is collaborating with FrontM to The EastAfrican, the launch ThurayaSatTrack, a cloud-based tracking Director-General of the and monitoring service that significantly increases Ethiopian Space Science operational efficiencies on board fishing vessels. and Technology Institute Designed for the top-selling ThurayaMarineStar (ESSTI), Dr Solomon voice, tracking and monitoring solution, SatTrack Belay, said that the will be available to users very soon. country's second satellite quality images to its ETRSS-1, was launched on In spite of digitalization and increased influx of will be launched on command centre in Addis December 20, 2019. It is information, the high cost of integrating third-party December 20, 2020, from Ababa. used for weather forecast, services and solutions is limiting the growth of the China's Taiyuan Spacecraft "The major mission of the environment, and crop fishing industry. ThurayaSatTrack is a low-cost Launch Site. second satellite is on flood monitoring. turnkey subscription service that provides and disaster prediction," According to the officials, interactive, real-time fleet tracking to monitor Named ET-SMART-RSS, he said, adding that the data collected from vessels. It enables operations with detailed maps, t h e s e c o n d e a r t h " a g r i c u l t u r e a n d space is in high demand up-to-date weather layers and customized alerts observation nano-satellite environment are also its and is being used in with position reporting. ThurayaSatTrack helps was designed by Ethiopian secondary missions." universities and research MarineStar users stay in command, gain vital engineers in collaboration Further, the satellite is centres. Ethiopia is among market advantage and contribute to sustainable with China's Smart Satellite expected to collect data in several African countries fisheries by improving compliance with national Technology Corporation areas in Ethiopia not t h a t h a v e b u i l t a n d and international regulations. covered by the first one. launched satellites to Shawkat Ahmed, Chief Commercial Officer of under an initiative co- “The first satellite couldn't a d v a n c e e c o n o m i c Thuraya stated: “ThurayaSatTrack is an integral funded by both Ethiopia cover all territories of development and scientific part of our SeaLite service portfolio that provides and China. The satellite, fishing operators a competitive edge within the according to Dr Solomon, Ethiopia but the second innovation in line with the maritime industry. As the demand for compliance has improved resolution satellite will fill these African Union policy on and access to information soars, satellite features that would enable gaps," Dr Solomon said. s p a c e d e v e l o p m e n t connectivity and smart applications are the only it to capture and send high- The first satellite, named adopted in 2017. realistic and affordable means of ship-to-shore and inter-ship communications. By packaging SatTrack with ThurayaMarineStar, our aim is to provide partners and customers a multifunctional, Eutelsat's HOTBIRD selected by Kabelio reliable and affordable end-to-end solution that delivers significant cost savings from improved for new Swiss HD platform onboard safety and efficiencies.” ThurayaSatTrack provides critical updates about vessels anywhere within Thuraya's network that Eutelsat Communications' c o n t r a c t , Communications is one of covers 80% of the world's fishing hubs. H O T B I R D v i d e o ApostolosTriantafyllou the world's leading satellite Subscribers can also use it to remotely exchange neighborhood has been Eutelsat's Vice President of operators. With a global data, establish and monitor geofences as well as selected by Switzerland's Sales, DACH, CE & SE fleet of satellites and access fish-catch reports in real-time, thereby Kabelio AG for the launch of Europe said: “We are a s s o c i a t e d g r o u n d reassuring regulatory bodies and buyers that the a new Swiss direct to home delighted to welcome infrastructure, Eutelsat catch brought ashore is both legally caught and HD platform. This multi-year Kabelio aboard HOTBIRD enables clients across fresh. Besides guaranteeing crew safety, the contract will enable Kabelio and to support the launch of Video, Data, Government, SatTrack's alert mechanism makes it ideal for to leverage the unparalleled a new HD platform in F i x e d a n d M o b i l e search and rescue operations. Key beneficiaries reach of Eutelsat's premier Europe. This agreement Broadband markets to include civil defense agencies and organizations hotspot to launch a service highlights the unmatched communicate effectively to with varied maritime interests such as police, port targeting Swiss audiences r e a c h o f E U T E L S AT t h e i r c u s t o m e r s , authorities, coast guards, transport authorities, b o t h a t h o m e a n d HOTBIRD, as well as the irrespective of their location. coastal surveillance bodies, agriculture and throughout Europe. resilience of the European Around 7,000 television fisheries ministries. Launched mid-October, broadcast landscape.” channels operated by Lisa Moore, Vice President, Commercial Product Kabelio's new line-up Kabelio Chief Executive leading media groups are ThurayaSatTrack can be accessed through smart features both domestic and Officer, DamirKrilcic added: broadcast by Eutelsat to devices including PCs, laptops, smartphones and international channels, and “Kabelio's new platform o n e b i l l i o n v i e w e r s tablets. Ensuring a seamless user experience, its includes 34 premium TV aims to address Swiss DTH equipped for DTH reception dashboard features the required data on the channels in HD quality satellite households offering or connected to terrestrial MarineStar terminal. Third-party integrators can including entertainment, them a range of premium networks. Headquartered in further exploit ThurayaMarineStar's physical s p o r t , n e w s a n d channels many of which Paris, with offices and integration capabilities such as GPIO and Serial d o c u m e n t a r i e s , have not previously been teleports around the globe, Port for optimized operations through fuel supplemented by a range of offered by satellite. We are Eutelsat assembles 1,000 monitoring, minimized siphoning of fuel, dispatch free-to-air channels in excited to partner with men and women from 46 of critical onboard information for condition based v a r i o u s E u r o p e a n Eutelsat to launch this new c o u n t r i e s w h o a r e monitoring, with all activities reflected on the languages. service offering.” dedicated to delivering the SatTrack console. C o m m e n t i n g o n t h e Founded in 1977, Eutelsat highest quality of service. MIDDLE EAST REPORT

Cairo Film Festival to honour Mona Zaki with FatenHamama award

The Cairo international film festival is one of from December 2 to 10. Zaki started her 42nd edition”. Khalid Balkheyour only 15 festivals accorded as a category A career early in her teens. She played her On receiving the award, Zaki said that to be status by the international federation of film first role with the prominent actor and honoured with a great award from the Cairo producers association, it is the oldest and director Mohamed Sobhi in “Bel Arabi El- International Film Festival makes her feel only internationally accredited annually Faseeh”. proud, content, grateful and thankful for running film festival in the Arab world, Africa S o m e o f h e r f i l m s i n c l u d e every effort she has made in her career. “I and the Middle East. The history of Cairo SeidyfeGameaAmrekiya, Africano, will always be proud of my belonging to International film festival dated back to Taymour w Shafika, and Abu Ali. Among Egyptian cinema, and I hope that I have 1975, after a visit to the Berlin film festival, Mona's iconic roles is the one she played contributed even if just a small part to the late writer critic, Kamal El Mallak and a in Cinderella. She also played a complex support this important industry. I promise group of likeminded critics wondered why character of a kind and sweet femme the public that I will continue to do my best to such international film festival couldn't takes fatale in Afrah Al Qobba. Zaki won an work hard and help Egyptian cinema reach place in Egypt. award for her role in Dam El Ghazal, a level that is impactful not just locally but The country was still ridding the crest of where she portrayed the character of a also beyond our borders,” she said. Egyptian cinema golden age and contains a young underprivileged neighbourhood formidable and still the biggest in the Arab sweetheart living amidst political turmoil 15 film projects revealed at world, The Cairo international film festival and terrorism. Aside from her acting was launched in 1976 to enhance the role of career, Zaki is a UNICEF ambassador CAIR Egypt in the world of film making and cinema who has contributed to raising awareness The Cairo film connection team has and to serve as a bridge between cultures. on many national charity and advocacy revealed its selection of film projects that will The 1976 festival featured around films from campaigns, many child-related topics, take part in its seventh edition, to be held 33 countries, with 14 films from different including child labour, malnutrition, during the 42nd edition of Cairo countries in competition. In an effort to poverty, the effects of violence on children International Film Festival in November this celebrate the best of international cinema, and FGM. year. The Cairo Film Connection's selection the Cairo international film festival has “Mona Zaki is the quintessential star of her committees of key industry professionals proven its influence and versatility year after generation. Through her work she has have whittled down a list of 105 projects year and continues to act as a meeting point become a role model setting a great submission to a short list of 15 film projects, not for film makers and critics but also for example of success for women working in feature narrative films and documentaries in writers. Egyptian cinema,” said Mohamed Hefzy, development and in post-production from This year, the Cairo Film Festival will honour the festival's President. He also added, across the 12 Arab countries. So farm seven Mona Zaki with atenHamama award. Zaki is “With her daring and intelligent career feature narratives in-development have known for her roles in films including choices, she has been able to achieve the been selected, including four projects from 'SeidyfeGameaAmrekiya', 'Africano', difficult balance of both critical and Egypt The Llegend of Zainab and Noah by 'Taymour w Shafika', and 'Abu Ali'. The commercial success. “She always knows director Yousry Nasrallah, I can hear your Cairo International Film Festival has when to say no, and therefore she retains voice…. Still by director Sameh Alaa, announced that it will award Egyptian her glamour and stardom in addition to the Breakfast launch and dinner still by actress Mona Zaki with the FatenHamama respect and appreciation of the public Mohammed Samir, Snow white by Taghrid Award for Excellence during the opening even if she is absent for some time. Cairo Abuelhassan, in addition to passage in ceremony of the 42nd Edition in recognition International Film Festival is happy to Syria by Amr Ali Fog in Iraq/Lebanon by of her career and outstanding body of work. award her the FatenHamama Award for Ruba Atiyeh and Scheherazade goes silent The film festival is scheduled to take place Excellence at the opening ceremony of the in Palestine and Jordan by Amira Diab. 5 reasons why Ethiopia chooses Eutelsat

Eutelsat continues to be Ethiopia's first choice in satellite entertainment provision. Due to Eutelsat's near-limitless reach, expanded content offering and quality service, this fact is unlikely to change for the near and far future.Eutelsat's 8°W position continues to lead the growing free-to-air TV market - here's why

With operating capacity on 38 satellites in- No.2 - Eutelsat offers more responded in kind. One example is the orbit between 117° West and 174° East, Free-to-Air channels recent launch of Sat.tv at 8° West, which broadcasting more than 6,800 television has improved the free-to-air user Viewers from across Ethiopia reported that channels, the Eutelsat is one of the experience, helping viewers and they most value the attractiveness of its Free- leaders in EMEA area for the provision of broadcasters optimise their user To-Air (FTA) line-up and the ability to receive Fixed Satellite Services (FSS). It mainly experience at the popular video international TV channels as an added value operates and supplies capacity for Video neighbourhood. Available on a new to Ethiopian media. The total number of Applications, Fixed Data, Government generation of low-cost satellite receivers, channels available to viewers is over 200, Services and Connectivity applications as Sat.tv's enhanced electronic programme including over 70 Ethiopian channels, 65 well in Connectivity applications guide lists all FTA channels with a detailed religious channels and 85 international especially fixed broadband and mobile preview of what viewers can expect. It also channels. The international channels include connectivity which have strong growth helps viewers to easily navigate channels BBC World, Beln sport, CNN, Sky News and potential. Via its fleet, the Eutelsat covers and find the content of their choice based on more. Many of these channels are exclusive the entire European continent, the Middle their country and favourite genre. The local to the 8° West orbital position. Competing East and North Africa, as well as sub- channel listing always highlights local providers who offer alternative orbital Saharan Africa and a large section of the media first, and tracks are presented with positions simply cannot provide the same Asian and American continents, logos and categories in a consistent amount of channels - which is why 90% of potentially giving it access to almost 100% manner, to help gain more exposure. The satellite homes in Ethiopia already point to of the world's population. innovative Sat.tv service is a first for Free- Eutelsat's 8° West. to-Air viewing, improving channel \ As one of the global market leaders in discoverability for broadcasters and satellite provision, and the leading No. 3 Eutelsat's service is viewers alike and enhancing their FTA operator in Sub Saharan Africa, Eutelsat highly reliable experience. continues to offer quality and service to Viewers and broadcasters can rest assured local broadcasters across Ethiopia. The that their ability to stream and enjoy content No.5 - Eutelsat reaches vibrant, growing market of local through Eutelsat's satellites will remain more homes broadcasters has near-unanimously uninterrupted. The 8 degree West orbital chosen Eutelsat to provide home Broadcasters and advertisers value one position maintains three satellites that provide aspect above all else - the number of entertainment to 84% of all TV homes in complete coverage over Ethiopia, offering the country. viewers and homes a service provider can industry-leading levels of security. This offer. With regards to the Ethiopian market, means that in the unlikely event of an issue Eutelsat's satellite service is the best option No.1 - 93% of Ethiopian with one of the satellites, there are two others for broadcasters and advertisers alike. viewers are satisfied with to provide backup service. In addition to this, Satellite TV is the primary mode of the Eutelsat 8 West B satellite located at 8° Eutelsat reception in Ethiopia; 86% of TV homes West has advanced anti-jamming choose satellite (vs 14% terrestrial) for its According to a recent research study precautions, mitigating the effects of extensive FTA line-up and exclusive and survey, nearly every TV viewer in interference from external sources or factors. channels. The majority of those channels Ethiopia has reported a high satisfaction On the viewer front, Eutelsat's powerful 8° come from Eutelsat's 8° West, which holds rate with Eutelsat's service. At 93%, this West satellites offer power levels of up to 52 the leading orbital position. figure points to over 3.7 million dBW, which means that Ethiopian viewers 8° West gives broadcasters access to 4 households. This is due to the many can receive channels with an inexpensive million TV homes in Ethiopia. That's 90% of attractive benefits that Eutelsat offers to antenna as small as 60cm. satellite TV homes in the country. In broadcasters and viewers. Eutelsat's addition, 8° West gives access to 60 million transmission quality is far more reliable No.4 - Eutelsat provides TV homes across the MENA region, and stable than many competing offers in robust support for viewers enabling broadcasters to reach citizens the region. In addition to this, Eutelsat living overseas. No other operator comes offers a mixture of premium local and and FTA channels, close to this level of reach, with penetration international broadcasting, much of which reinventing content rates limited to single-digit percentiles in is in high demand by Ethiopian viewers local neighbourhoods. such as religious and sports content. discovery with Sat.tv The Ethiopian population has shown a strong interest in FTA TV, and Eutelsat has EUROPE REPORT

Europe, NASA partnership to deliver new lunar mission

Despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic times that of European industry. This affecting global economy, there appears to average size ratio between the US and dominance was not necessarily founded European prime contractors was still 3:1. be no shortage of ambitious new comers on an overwhelming technical lead over nations and governments are seeking to European industry, but Stemmed from build up capabilities or to acquire extra the productive power of US companies UK, NASA signs planetary space capabilities. and the leverage afforded by a large international agreement Given the high cost of spacecraft integrated home market. development for extra planetary missions, Space is one of the successes of ahead of mission to the and the problematic economies at these European high technology, as the Moon times, these ambition, might seem Europeans helped to pioneer the The UK Space Agency, NASA and other perverse . However, there is a magic and Development of the space industry and partners have signed a historic romanticism surrounding extra-planetary have been responsible for some of its agreement on the principles for mission and their operations which help key innovations. For most European exploration, science and commercial superficially to explain this phenomenon. countries, international collaborations activities in space ahead of a future As a 1977 French Parliamentary report has become a routine response to mission to the Moon. NASA's Artemis asserted, 'more than in any other sphere of commercial and industrial problems, programme aims to land the first woman activities, space is a test of strength The current structure of the European and the next man on the Moon by 2024. between states in which each participant space industry has been the product of Commercial and international partners deploys his technical and political forces. a steady process of rationaslisation and will collaborate to achieve a sustainable Investments in extra planetary missions consolidation which has been underway presence on the lunar surface as a have formed part of regional policies in the at the National level since the 1950s and steppingstone to the first human mission US, UK, France, Germany, and India, has since assumed a transnational to Mars. China, Japan, and the UAE, amongst other dimension. The main process forcing The UK will play a key role in this mission. nations have cited extra planetary this change was the need to match the Businesses across the UK will be missions as a force for the upgrading of scale of American firms and the market involved in building the service module their technological development. opportunities afforded in the US and habitation module of the Lunar To these nations, space makes a vital industry, However, the differences in Gateway, a new space station orbiting the contribution to the civil and commerce. scale and resources available to the US moon, generating economic benefits and Since the end of Second world war, the industry is still marked. Europe only has high-skilled jobs. The UK has already global space industry has been dominated six of the world’s twenty largest committed over £16 million for the first by United States. Decades after, The total aerospace firms. More generally, the phase of the design of these elements. value of US Space industry was three EUROPE REPORT

Science Minister Amanda Solloway said: “The piece by piece in a near rectilinear halo propulsion system combining electric prospect of the first woman landing on the orbit (NRHO)* around the Moon. The propulsion for the cruise and spiral down Moon in the coming years will be a source of final configuration is still partly under final phases and chemical propulsion for Mars inspiration for thousands of young people consolidation, but it will mainly comprise orbit insertion. Upon arrival, it will provide across the UK who may be considering a habitation modules for the crew offering communications coverage for the NASA career in space or science. Today's historic docking capabilities for visiting vehicles Perseverance Rover and Sample agreement, backed by £16 million of UK and the Orion space capsule, logistics Retrieval Lander (SRL) missions, two funding, underlines our commitment to modules, communications with the Earth essential parts of the MSR Campaign. strengthening the UK's role in the global space and Moon, EVA airlocks for scientific For the second part of its mission, ERO will sector, building on our existing strengths in experiments and crew extravehicular have to detect, rendezvous with, and satellites, robotics and communications to activities (EVA), as well as a robotic arm. capture a basketball-size object called the grow our economy and improve life on Earth.” It is not intended for permanent Orbiting Sample (OS), which houses the While NASA is leading the Artemis occupancy, but will be able to host 4- sample tubes collected by SFR; all this programme, international partnerships with person crews for periods of one to three over 50 million km away from ground countries including the UK will play a key role months. Gaining new experiences on control. Once captured, the OS will be bio- in achieving a safe and sustainable human and around the Moon will prepare NASA sealed in a secondary containment system presence on the Moon. to send the first humans to Mars in the and placed inside the Earth Entry Vehicle UK Space Agency CEO Graham Turnock, coming years, and the Gateway will play (EEV), effectively a third containment who signed the Artemis Accords during a a vital role in this process. system, to ensure that the precious virtual ceremony at the International samples reach the Earth's surface intact Astronautical Congress (IAC), said: “Signing Airbus to bring first Mars for maximum scientific return. It will then the Accords is a strong signal of our intent to take another year for ERO to make its way take a leading global role in civil space. We samples back to Earth, where it will send the EEV hope to deepen our relationship with the US In addition, Airbus has been selected by on a precision trajectory towards a pre- when it comes to space and enhance the UK's the European Space Agency (ESA) as defined landing site, before itself entering global influence in the space sector. This prime contractor for the Mars Sample into a stable orbit around the Sun. exciting step could open up new opportunities Return's Earth Return Orbiter (ERO) – for UK companies and scientists to be part of the first ever spacecraft to bring samples Mars Sample Return is a set of three NASA missions to the Moon and Mars.” back to Earth from Mars. Mars Sample separately launched missions, which will International cooperation on Artemis is Return (MSR) is a joint ESA-NASA together achieve the objective of returning intended not only to bolster space exploration campaign and the next step in the Mars samples to Earth before the end of but to enhance peaceful relationships exploration of Mars. ERO and the 2031. The NASA-led Mars 2020 rover, between nations. At the core of the Artemis Sample Fetch Rover (SFR) are the two known as Perseverance, was launched in Accords is the requirement that all activities main European elements of MSR, both July 2020 to land on Mars in February will be conducted for peaceful purposes, in are set to be designed and built by 2021. Perseverance will acquire Mars line with the Outer Space Treaty. Airbus. A manipulating arm, referred to samples, cache them into sample tubes, as the Sample Transfer Arm (STA), that and leave the tubes in one or more depots Thales Alenia space on its way will transfer the samples from the SFR to for later collection by the SRL mission and the Mars Ascent Vehicle (MAV), is the its European Sample Fetch Rover. to reach the moon third European contribution to the MSR The NASA-led SRL is to be launched in Similarly, ESA has chosen Thales Alenia program. The value of the ERO contract 2026 and comprises a surface platform Space to deliver Europe's two main modules is € 491 million. with a European robotic Sample Transfer for the lunar space station, a key element of The five year mission will see the Arm (STA), the Sample Fetch Rover the Artemis NASA programme.​ spacecraft head to Mars, act as a (SFR), and a Mars Ascent Vehicle (MAV). Thales Alenia Space, the joint company communication relay with the surface The surface platform will land in the near between Thales (67%) and Leonardo (33%), missions, perform a rendezvous with the vicinity of the sample tube depot in the will develop two key modules for the upcoming orbiting samples and bring them safely Jezero crater. SFR will navigate, locate Lunar Orbital Platform–Gateway (LOP-G) de back to Earth. Prior to launch from the and collect the sample tubes, and return to la NASA: I-HAB (International Habitat) and the Mars surface onboard the MAV, the the lander platform. The STA will transfer ESPRIT communications and refueling Martian samples will be stored in sample the sample tubes into the Orbiting Sample module. These two modules are the European tubes and collected by the SFR, for which (OS) then load the OS aboard the MAV. contribution for this Gateway. The first tranche Airbus has already commenced the The MAV will launch the OS into Mars orbit, of I-HAB contract, (worth €36 million, the study phase. where ERO will be waiting to rendezvous global amount being €327 million), has been and capture it. signed with the European Space Agency “We're bringing the full force of our (ESA), while ESPRIT development has experience gained on Rosetta, Mars The ESA-led Earth Return Orbiter (ERO) already started under Authorization To Express, Venus Express, Gaia, ATV, is also to be launched in 2026 and will have Proceed (ATP) with a contract signature BepiColombo, and JUICE to ensure this onboard the NASA-led Capture, expected by the end of the year. mission succeeds. Bringing samples Containment and Return System (CCRS), back to Earth from Mars will be an which will handle and bio-seal the OS as This Gateway, a manned lunar orbital extraordinary feat, taking interplanetary well as provide the Earth Entry Vehicle infrastructure, is one of the pillars of NASA's science to a new level and Airbus is (EEV). ERO will arrive in Mars orbit on time Artemis program, designed to return humans excited to take on this challenge as part to provide communications coverage for to the Moon by 2024. It is being implemented of this joint international mission. ” said the SRL entry, descent and landing, through international cooperation, currently Jean-Marc Nasr, Head of Airbus Space surface operations, and the MAV launch involving NASA (United States), ESA Systems. placing the OS into Mars orbit. ERO will (Europe), JAXA (Japan) and CSA (Canada), To be launched on an Ariane 6 in 2026, have to detect, rendezvous with, and with each partner in charge of the the 6 ton, 6 m high spacecraft, equipped capture the OS. The OS will then be bio- development of complementary elements, to with 144m² solar arrays with a span of sealed and transferred to the EEV before be assembled and operated in lunar orbit as over 40 m – some of the biggest ever built ERO heads back to Earth. from 2024. The station, weighing about 40 – will take about a year to reach Mars. It metric tons, will be automatically assembled will use a mass-efficient hybrid INTERVIEW

Jean-Yves Le Gall, CNES President More than half of climate variables can be observed only with satellites By Thierry Dubois

Q: Thank you for taking some this small vehicle, and later on, we will reusable launcher technology time with us. Where is Europe, develop Themis, which will be kind of was explained by the remaining Callisto, but with the Prometheus and in particular, the French engine, for, to have the first step of a uncertainty about the business industry, in preparing for the reusable launch vehicle. model. Are you still wondering development of a reusable about a reusable launcher being launcher? profitable? Q: Do you mean that Themis A: In fact, we decided already a few years A: Today, the question is upon taking into ago to start the development of a reusable will be larger than Callisto? account the global business in Europe, which engine, because when you deal with a A: Themis will be a little bit larger than is very, very specific. But nevertheless, we reusable launcher, you need to have a Callisto, but Themis will use the decided that we must master this technology, reusable engine, and this is why in early 2016, Prometheus engine, when Callisto will and so this is why we decided to process with we decided to trigger the development of use Japan engine, which is foldable. Prometheus, Callisto and Themis. Prometheus. Prometheus is a very interesting engine, because the objective is to have a Q : W h a t a r e t h e o t h e r very low-cost engine, roughly 10 times Q: So Callisto will be cheaper than the current Vulcan engine of launched for the first time in technologies you think will be Ariane 5 and more, and 6. two years from now. What shaping the space sector over And in addition, Prometheus should be the coming years? reusable. And so, this development is about Themis' schedule? ongoing, and we plan to have the first test of A: Themis will be a little bit later. If we :I think that for the satellites, the biggest Prometheus next year, and in parallel, we also aim at 2022 for Callisto let us say that the A develop small vehicles to learn to recover a first flight of Themis should arrive in a trend is miniaturization. And what is the very, vehicle, and, in the second step, to make it late '23, or '24. very impressive is that the first environment reusable. satellite launched by Europe was only sent And so, with JAXA in Japan, the DLR in about 20 years ago. It was a seven-ton Germany, and CNES, we developed the Q: For a long time, Europe's satellite. Now, the success of the Envisat, or Callisto launch vehicle, which will fly in two reluctance to go ahead with the Copernicus satellites, which are under 1 years from French Guiana to learn to recover ton, and for the future, it is clear that the mass INTERVIEW

will continue to decrease. And so, it is really a game-changer, because when you have such a decrease of the mass, without decreasing the performance, it is because these are in fact a progress of the technology, but the cost of satellites decreased as well. And at the end of the day, many people use satellites, which was not the case 20 years ago.

Q: Can you name a current, or planned exploration mission in which you think this has a particularly relevant role? A: As you know, we put the SuperCam camera on Perseverance, which has been launched by NASA on the 30th of July, and if everything is going well, it will land on Mars on the 18th of February, 2021, and with SuperCam, we will start the process for the Mars Sample Return, which will occur within 10 years from now. But definitely, the French scientific community is excellent for all what is related to Mars. It is why we are selected to Jean-Yves Le Gall, CNES President provide instruments for most of the Mars missions, and we will be instrumental in this mission, Mars Sample Return, and it will Q: What does infrared allow? Q: Thank you. One question occupy our scientists for the next 10 years. about climate, you often say A: Infrared gives you the kind of dynamic of that CNES can be seen as the Q: Can you describe the images, which is not possible with classical images. space agency for climate. SuperCam? Green activists say we are A; SuperCam in fact is a camera with a Q: The French Air Force is now hyper-informed spectators. So laser, which shoots on the Mars rocks, and the Air and Space Force. Can do we really need to learn more with these laser shots, you can analyze the you describe CNES' role in the to act against climate change? composition of the rocks that you selected, c r e a t i o n o f t h e S p a c e and it's very, very interesting, because it will A: Yes, because as you know, when you allow us to have an in-depth knowledge of Command? speak about the climate, it has been decided the composition of the soil of Mars. A: It is clear that the Space Command is to use 50 essential climate variables, and out Q: Thank you. Can we talk a bit excellent news for France, and for the space community, because it gives a new of these 50 variables, 26, more than half, can a b o u t d e f e n s e , F r e n c h impetus to our space defense policy. And be observed only with satellites. These are defense? France is renewing so, it has been decided to use the expertise the satellites which observe the increase of its military observation which has been developed by CNES for the average temperature of the globe. many, many years, because the CNES c a p a c i t y w i t h t h e C S O program is by essence a dual program, These are the satellites, and in particular, the constellation of satellites, and this is why the Space Command, the French-US satellite TOPEX/Poseidon, and three satellites. You said early French Space Command is now going to Jason, which showed that we have an increase of the level of the oceans, and in the this year that CSO 1 has be implemented in our Toulouse Space Center, and it will give the opportunity to future, there will be a satellite which will changed the way satellite our teams to work in very close connection observe the concentrations of carbon images are used for strategic with the teams of the Space Command, dioxide or methane. And so, space is very, very important to tackle climate change, and purposes. How? and I think that at the end of the day, it will be a win-win situation when CNES, we this is why we decided to create the Space take advantage of the developments made Climate Observatory. A: Because in fact CSO capitalize on the by, for the defense, and vice versa. success of the Helios family, Helios 1A, 1B, Up to now, we have a total of 27 space 2A, 2B, and there are some other agencies, plus some international capabilities which have been added to Q: So rather than transfer that, organizations which are a member of this CSO. So CSO is much more than the r a t h e r t h a n k n o w l e d g e SCO, and it will be a very important tool in the Helios, and with those capabilities, in transfer, it's cooperation? future to have a better understanding of particular infrared observation, it's really a climate change, and to help populations to state-of-the-art satellite, and in my opinion, tackle the effects of climate change. it's probably one of the most advanced A: It's a cooperation, and it is rather than Earth observation satellites ever launched. creating a kind of military CNES, in fact it Thank you very much for your time. has been preferred to have a CNES working for the defense. INDUSTRY REPORT

The future of launch business Arianespace versus SpaceX

During ten years spent as president of CNES, called PPH for Powder-Powder- American coasts. The first one, Ariane, flew Arianespace, Jean-Yves Le Gall frequently Hydrogen, was ultimately rejected in successfully for the first time in 1979 from dismissed SpaceX's capability to get a favour of the industry proposal and under French Guiana, in South America. The space sizable market share of the satellite market. the pressure of the German delegation, shuttle took flight less than two years later, in In 2011, he said: “I believe that before these which preferred a liquid core stage. The 1981, from Cape Canaveral in Florida. The new systems become real competitors, PHH version, for Powder-Hydrogen- ground was laid for a competition between two they'll need to show they can launch Hydrogen, finally prevailed after long very different approaches of launch systems. reliably and regularly, and at competitive negotiations. The space shuttle was thought as the vehicle prices. This is what Arianespace does of the future. Human-rated, reusable, today, and it will take many years for our equipped with the latest technologies, only five competitors to reach this point. It's “How trustworthy orbiters were built to provide access to space important to recall that Ariane 5 performed can you be of a for any satellite the USA needed to launch, and its maiden flight in 1996, and entered even more. The Space Shuttle would open the operational service in 2005. It takes time to competitor who gates of space for a vast array of applications, have a proven system such as ours, which from launching reconnaissance satellites to makes me believe that Arianespace will announces 80 000 creating new materials and drugs in continue to lead the pack in launch microgravity. To summarize, the space shuttle services,” according to Arianespace report. people in 15 years would make access to space cheap and At the time, Arianespace despite being the routine. Ariane was almost the exact opposite. number one launch service provider in the on Mars”? It was built to guarantee European world was not able to generate a profit and autonomous access to space. consumed public resources through EGAS Ariane 6 was adopted in December 2014, at a rate of €200 million per year, later its development funded through an ESA European governments decided to obtain this reduced to about €100 million a year. program. The European launcher industry capability after the United States launched the In 2012 Jean-Yves Le Gall during an was then restructured around its two main Symphonie satellite, under the condition that it interview sent another message to SpaceX partners, Airbus Defense and Space and would not be used for commercial purposes, : “Our job is tough, we do it seriously, there Safran, which created a joint-venture according to CNES report. After the failure of is no place for glamor. How trustworthy can called Airbus Safran Launchers. The the Europa program, due to poor project you be of a competitor who announces 80 company became the prime contractor for management, the Ariane program emerged 000 people in 15 years on Mars? We're the development of Ariane 6, responsible with an important French oversight. The dreaming here!”he said. European for the design, production, integration and technologies used for Ariane were much dismissal of Space X waned in 2013, as marketing of the launch system, as well as simpler than their American counterparts: the Jean-Yves Le Gall congratulated Space X for launch operations, exactly as their now launcher was expendable, used hypergolic for its successes, stating that Elon Musk main competitor SpaceX. fuel and its performance were not exceptional. had made “a good investment ” in Space X The company notably bought the majority It became a commercial success. and started pressing for an Ariane 5 of the shares of Arianespace, the successor. In 2014, as director of CNES, he commercial entity selling European A fundamental driver for the creation of a expressed concern for Ariane, as he launchers.The restructuring was European launch capability is autonomy. believed there is too much “linoleum” on completed on July 1st, 2017, when Airbus Being able to launch satellites and operating Ariane production and integration sector, Safran Launchers officially changed its free from restrictions imposed by other based on a report. The linoleum refers to name for Arianegroup. Planned countries was at the heart of the wish for the production and integration facilities of evolutions in Europe include research and development of Ariane. As John Logsdon Ariane 5, more than two dozen of which development on a new engine, says, “Space is essential to the security, to the exist throughout Europe. Jean-Yves Le Prometheus, which will use methane as a well-being of the population, in one word, to Gall believed no more than three are fuel and should be produced using the quality of civilization”. Governments, required to perform the necessary work for additive manufacturing techniques, and through space agencies, payed for the Europe's next launch system. Although the will be reusable. The current plan also development of launch systems, while decision to put nine Merlin engines on includes work with Japan and Germany operational costs were covered with the sale Falcon 9 raised eyebrows when it was first on a test vehicle called Callisto, the of those systems on the market. The announced, the success of this simple equivalent of SpaceX's grasshopper to launchers themselves were not sold: the approach earned Space X a congratulation test the technical concepts of reusability. “launch service” was. This idea of “launch from their European competitor Airbus. services” was created by the first launch The rise of Ariane and the service company, Arianespace, incorporated However, the 2014 ministerial council of in 1980, a few months after the first successful ESA decided to fund and start the Ariane 6 Shuttle flight of Ariane 1. Full subsidiary of CNES, the program, preferring to abandon the French space agency, the company was the planned Ariane 5ME to dedicate the commercial arm of Europe for launch services. The 1980s began with the first flights of resources of ESA to a “cost driven” Ariane evolved through different versions: two innovative launch systems from solution. The planned version favoured by Ariane 1 was replaced with Ariane 3, then INDUSTRY REPORT

Ariane 2 and finally Ariane 4 which took flight in current version, Ariane 5, is the most the late 1980s. The program was then 1988. The design of Ariane 4 is the direct successful commercial launch vehicle in cancelled and the rocket never flew again. heritage of previous versions. the world. However, the emergence of The reasons were explained by Gwynne At the end of the 1980s, the weight of SpaceX has put the domination of Ariane Shotwell, president and COO of Space X, commercial satellites grew, as well as into question, by progressively taking a who said “The market was just not there, European space ambitions. A new program portion of Ariane's historically high market and when the target market crashed in was proposed, one that would give Europe shares. This process led to the current 2010 it really made that vehicle almost autonomous access to space for unmanned situation where Ariane's leadership impossible to keep going and make platforms as well as astronauts: Ariane 5 and position in the commercial satellite money.” the Hermes spacecraft were decided in 1988. market is challenged, and European In 2008, Space X as well as Elon Musk's Ariane 5 should use a large cryogenic engine actors are forced to react. other venture, Tesla, ran into financial under development at CNES, the Vulcain, trouble. Elon Musk himself had spent his more powerful and environmentally friendly Elon Musk installed his company in entire personal fortune in both companies, than the heritage Viking that Hawthorne, a city in Los Angeles County, and was in debt. Space X had then used toxic fuel as propellants. California. The stated goal of the renounced to develop the Falcon 5, and company was to reduce the cost of focused instead on the Falcon 9 rocket, Space X access to space. One of the originalities capable of putting 10 tons to Low Earth The rise of SpaceX as a major launch provider of Space X was that it did not pursue the Orbit. Following the commercial failure of has been the most surprising evolution of the development of new propulsion Falcon 1, resources were scarce and, launch sector during the past decade. It forced technologies, at least not at the start of the even with a successful launch, SpaceX's incumbent industrial actors to adapt their company. Indeed, contrary to many start- financial situation was bad. On December business model to face this new competitor. ups of the time that shared the ambition of 23rd, 2008, NASA granted Space X a European actors are particularly threatened launching satellites or people in space, contract for $1,6 billion dollars to deliver today, since European Autonomous Access to Space X relied on heritage technology for cargo to the International Space Station, Space highly depends on the competitive edge its orbital vehicle: the engines were which effectively saved the company. of the Ariane launcher family. probably an evolution of the Fastrac and TR-106 engine designs conceived during Falcon 9 NASA's Space Launch Initiative program, Falcon 9 is the launch system that can whose design borrowed technologies “Space X developed challenge Ariane 5 today in terms of from the Lunar Module of the Apollo commercial value, but this was not always Program, including a pintle injector. and manufactured the case. The first version successfully Space X developed and manufactured flew in 2010, and the launch vehicle most critical most critical components in-house, in a quickly evolved. Falcon 9 v1.0 flew four vertically integrated fashion. Less times before being replaced with a second components in-house, expensive hardware was bought off-the- version. This vehicle was not as powerful shelf from commercially available as the current version of Falcon 9, capable in a vertically production. Tom Mueller, Chief Technical to put less than 5 tons in GTO, based on Officer and founding member of Space X, SpaceX release. All the flights carried a integrated fashion. declared that “Space X avoids space test or live version of the Dragon capsule, vendors like the plague”(Mueller, 2017). intended for cargo delivery to the ISS. Less expensive Space X strategy in those early days However, Falcon 9 v1.1, as the second aimed at reducing the cost of access to hardware was bought version was called, was very close to the space, not by developing current fleet of vehicles. It featured a breakthrough technology, but through off-the-shelf from s t r e a m l i n e d f u s e l a g e w i t h a drastic rationalization of production rearrangement of the engines, an engine capabilities. Jean-Yves Le Gall, president commercially redesign as well as stretched tanks to hold of the French space agency, was more propellant, increasing payload impressed after a visit to their Hawthorne available production”. capability. It was also the first version of production facility. “Steel sheets get in, Falcon 9 that Space X tried to recover, after rockets get out”. When it was incorporated in 2002, few the successful tests of their Grasshopper analysts could have predicted the impact test vehicle. SpaceX would have on launch systems. Falcon 1 Space X experienced their first launch Fifteen years later, Elon Musk's company has Space X first launch vehicle was aimed at failure with a Falcon 9 vehicle in 2015, become one of the most prominent rocket being the “minimal useful orbital delaying the next launch by six months. companies in the world. Defying the odds, this launcher”. This two-stages rocket could The return-to-flight mission in December economic player has developed technological put 420 kg in a 185km circular low earth 2015 was the first flight of the Full-Thrust and managerial methods that have garnered orbit. The stated price for launch was $7,9 version of Falcon 9, and the first successful momentum among the space community, after million, according to SpaceX report. Elon recovery of the first stage of the launcher. raising suspicion and incredulity from Musk, as would soon become customary, The second recovery occurred in April established players. targeted a very ambitious first launch date 2016 on a droneship at sea. In September One of these incumbent players is the of only 15 months after the start of the 2016, Space X suffered an explosion on European Ariane rocket. This launcher is, company. The first attempt at launching the Launchpad, which destroyed Falcon 9 since 1979, the main vehicle of European this spacecraft did not occur until 2006. and the Amos 6 satellite onboard, access to space, and the primary vehicle used After three failures, Falcon 1 made a postponing further launches. In January by commercial operators to launch satellites. successful launch in 2008, and a second 2017, Falcon 9 returned to flight, landing This situation results from a deliberate strategy one in 2009. This was only the third time a successfully the first stage on a droneship. by European decision makers to support the privately developed launch system had costs of Ariane's operations with the revenue successfully launched, after the Report by Paul Wohrer generated by its commercial activity. Today the Conestoga and the Pegasus rockets in AFRICA REPORT

Algeria celebrates anniversaries of Alsat missions

Algeria has a recent history in space activities. The Algerian space agency which was founded in 2002, is the organization in charge of the Algerian space program. Since the beginning of the 21st century, Algeria has successfully launched into orbit two satellites. As a matter of fact, ALSAT 1 was launched in November 2002, from the Plesetsk space center in Russia, and ALSAT 2-A in 2010 from the Space Centre SHAR (Chennai) in India. In 2002, Algeria went from an observer status at the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outter Space (COPUOS), to a permanent member in the UN Committee. And that led to Algeria being entrust for the presidency of the Scientific and Technical Committee in 2008 and 2009 and at the head of the Committee for the year 2014- 2015. Last month, Alsat-N completed its fourth years of operation since launch. Designed for a nominal lifetime of one year, the Alsat- 1N satellite is still in operational condition, after four (04) years in orbit. Alsat-1N was camera, radiofrequency modules, solar various national user sectors in their produced under the Memorandum of panels, thruster, etc. …), In order to economic and sustainable development Understanding signed between the guarantee an excellent level of programs. This number represents a Algerian Space Agency and the United geometric and radiometric quality of the total length of acquired images of more Kingdom Space Agency (UKSA) in images for the benefit of national users, than 665,426 km and a covered area of October 2014. This cooperation has from the Alsat-1B ground segment, at ​​more than 11.644 million km². enabled Algerian engineers to acquire the Oran Satellite Development Center. skills in the monitoring, development and Since the launch of the Alsat-1B The satellite follows with precision the integration of nano-satellites, achieving satellite in 2016 to date, 9,130 ​​products strategy implemented by CDS engineers autonomy in the field of nano-satellite have been generated covering a total for the evolution of its local time. Indeed, operations. area of ​​over 205 million km2. this approach made it possible to The Algerian high-resolution earth improve the lighting conditions in the Another Algerian medium-resolution earth observation satellite ALSAT-2B, the areas covered, going from a local time of observation satellite Alsat-1B has just second of a mini constellation of two 9:30 a.m. to the launch of the satellite at completed its fourth year in orbit since it satellites, also celebratrd its fourth 10:02 a.m. in September 2018, 10:09 was launched and placed in orbit on anniversary in space. Placed into orbit a.m. in December 2019 and 10:05 a.m. in September 26, 2016 by the Indian launcher by the Indian launcher PSLV-C 35 on September 2020. This strategy will allow PSLV C 35, and continues its mission of September 26, 2016, for a nominal optimal management of the satellite's observation of the earth in the best lifespan of five (05) years, the satellite orbit until the end of 2023, without any tilt operational conditions, from its sun- continues its mission of providing high correction maneuver. synchronous orbit at an altitude of 670 km. resolution images (2.5 m) from its sun- It is equipped with a powerful camera synchronous orbit at an altitude of 670 Alsat-2B and Alsat-2A remain providing national users with high quality km and is operating with a phase shift of operational thanks to the robustness and image products, according to five different 180 ° behind its twin satellite ALSAT- performance of its subsystems and their levels of processing, in panchromatic (12 2A, which has accumulated more than payload, as well as the technological m resolution) and multispectral (24 m 10 years of activity (launch on July 12, mastery of ASAL engineers, who resolution in standard mode or 12 m in 2010). continue, since the launch of Alsat-2A in enhanced mode) modes. Alsat-1B \ July 2010, to continuously manage, provides scenes with a large swath: 140 ALSAT-2B has provided during these monitor and maintain the orbit of the km, covering a total area of ​​22,500 km2. four years, more than 78,000 scenes satellites and the quality of their images. in panchromatic and multispectral In the field of space applications, the Since its launch, ASAL's teams of mode covering the whole of the earth, ALSAT-2B data are used in projects of engineers have been monitoring it and but mainly (nearly 50%) the national national scope distributed throughout the verifying the nominal operating state of its territory and the African continent national territory. various subsystems (on-board computer, (20%), to answer the needs of the AMERICA

The Moon: Before We Knew

As someone who very much enjoys the moons of other planets, I have been really excited to begin studying Earth's Moon. In the last year or two I have added our Moon to my collection of solar system bodies that I study. I've spent most of my career looking at the moons of the largest planets in our solar system. Reading Wick's words motivated me to reflect on how our thinking of the Moon has changed as real-life science and technology has evolved as opposed to Wick's sci-fi brainstorms.

So, what were scientists still wondering about before we started sending spacecraft and humans to explore our nearest neighbor? I pose and answer a few questions that were considered as NASA prepared to send astronauts to the Moon. Is the Moon fluffy? The Moon wasn't understood as well as we might have hoped as NASA moved towards the safe arrival of Apollo 11. Of course, much planning had gone into the missions that led up to the first landing, including the development of detailed maps and other research tools.

We understood that many of the circular surface features were impact craters, but a concern remained: couldn't billions of years of bombardment by meteorites lead to a surface that was just dirty fluffy impact ejecta threatening to swallow up an astronaut?

Take a look at the large saucer shaped feet of the Lunar Exploration Module all that extra surface spots that are permanently shadowed, and don't get sick in space. The lunar samples area was designed to give extra stability in case scientists thought that if there was any water returned by Apollo astronauts are still carefully the terrain was fluffier than hoped (you know, like on the Moon, it was most likely to be lurking quarantined to protect all those great rocks lightning sand in the Princess Bride?). Scientists in these permanently shadowed regions. By from being contaminated. didn't really expect the lunar surface to be like creating a fresh impact crater using the lightning sand, but they wanted to be prepared. So, Centaur upper stage, the Lunar while the lunar surface is covered with what we call Reconnaissance Orbiter could observe the How did the Moon form? regolith (a sometimes inches-thick, fluffy layer of composition of the material blasted by the Until the Apollo missions, we really couldn't loose material) none of it was deep enough to do impact. LCROSS found water ice on the prove how the Moon formed. Leading up to more than capture iconic boot-prints and cling to moon! So, is there water on the Moon? Yes, Apollo, there were three popular ideas about spacesuits. but not liquid, and it never flowed. where the Moon came from; first was that the Moon formed at the same time as the Earth out Is there water on the Moon? of the same cloud of stuff, secondly, the Moon This is kind of a yes, then no, then yes-kind-of. The Is there life on the Moon? passed too closely to Earth and could not joys of science! Many of the broad dark areas you Knowing so little about the Moon before escape Earth's gravitational pull so was see on the Moon are called “mare/maria” which Apollo, there was a fear that if there was captured into Earth's orbit, and lastly, the early translates to ocean. Early astronomers thought some kind of microbial life on the Moon, it in Earth's history, an object about the size of that these dark, smooth looking regions resembled could be brought back to Earth by the Mars smashed into Earth creating a bunch of oceans on Earth. When technology advanced astronauts and/or the lunar samples they debris. Some of that debris coalesced into the enough to see rilles (a fissure or narrow channel) collected. When Apollo 11 returned, the Moon and the rest re-formed into the Earth. meander across the surface like rivers or streams, astronauts were held in a specially outfitted many questioned whether water flowed on the Mobile Quarantine Facility, a converted The lunar samples that came home with the lunar surface at some point. This, of course turned Airstream trailer while they were transferred Apollo missions showed that the Moon and out not to be the case. Features like sinuous rilles to the longer-term quarantine facility at the Earth were made up of the same kinds of are much more easily explained by the presence of Lunar Receiving Laboratory in Houston, minerals, but the amount of those minerals on lava flowing on the surface or through lava tubes. Texas. After Apollo 14, the Moon were slightly different than on Earth. These results proved that a giant impact But what about ice? In 2009, the LCROSS mission NASA felt confident in saying that there were (theory 3) into our early Earth is what formed simply the Lunar CRater Observation and Sensing no lunar microbes, and Apollo astronauts our Moon, but the details of exactly how that all Satellite, as part of the Lunar Reconnaissance returning home did not have to go through a worked is still a hot topic in lunar science. Orbiter mission, sent part of its rocket, the Atlas V's long post-flight quarantine. Astronauts today Centaur upper stage crashing into the south pole still quarantine, but before their mission (not of the Moon. The Moon's south pole has some after) and only to ensure that astronauts AFRICA Africa COVID-19: Adoption of cloud computing rising

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect business operations across Africa, cloud computing is offering much-needed support to government initiatives, sustained business and encouraged households working from remote locations, according to this report.

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to due to the fact that they fear not having a 2,000 square feet data center already. MTN affect business operations across Africa, control of their data and systems. The Nigeria another telecommunication cloud computing is offering much-needed few that agreed said they will only company has opened a 500 square meters support to government initiatives, sustained consider it after a thoroughly analyzing data center, aimed at offering cloud services business and encouraged households the risk of dealing with the third party and to small and medium enterprises (SMEs) working from remote locations. will also do it in phases with one or two across the country. For instance, Airtel When governments implements COVID-19 application or process to start with. All launched its 1858 square meter data center protocols including lockdown and social agreed that fear and the fact that people in 2012 to cater to its subscriber base. distancing, the usage of digital products don't really know what the technology Abuja‘s Air Traffic Tower The Nigerian Communications Commission, witnessed an unprecedented surge across really is; are the main obstacle to the (NCC) has assured that the availability of especially in education portals traffic, with growth and adoption of the technology. new infrastructure companies in the increasing visits to health portals, Therefore, there is need for sensitization telecoms sector would reduce high cost of entertainments, and an a hundred folds and awareness of institutions and internet services. According to him, new increase in mobile app downloads. Social individuals that can benefit from use of players in the industry would provide an media visits also grew tremendously, cloud computing about what it is, its enable environment for competition which videogaming activity surged by hundred folds benefits, potential drawbacks and drastically will reduce price of internet and TV content consumption also grew solutions and ways it can be used. charge. The commission said the reason why likewise. Cloud technology is helping Nigeria internet charges are costly was because of Cloud computing has the ability to solve address the lack of sound IT the deficit of infrastructures companies. Africa's problem of lack of IT infrastructure infrastructure, because with cloud According to the commission, what that can cater for the needs of the population. computing, one does not have to buy the determines price in the market is the The technology is suited for the continent infrastructure but rather rent it as a numbers of competitors of that same good. because you do not have to own, manage service over the internet. So far, the "Competition drives down price in the and maintain the infrastructure; one can just Nigerian Government is estimated to market; it is not by regulating price but by rent it as a service. In its latest report on the have spent over N50 billion on data. introducing more competitors in the market". state of internet in Africa, Hedera Technology According to report, the Federal Consultancy firm reports that lack of required Government plans to adopt cloud investment in communication networks is the computing services in order to cut cost of Key challenges root reason why Africa has a poor network ICT infrastructure. The government's is In Nigeria, backbone networks play major quality, because it is hard to follow the building cloud infrastructure for role in the delivery of ICT services including clauses that ensure quality levels and access Ministries, Departments and Agencies cloud services in all countries. And it speeds for cloud services. However, ICT (MDAs) are aimed at not only saving cost contributes a huge portion of the total cost usage across the continent is growing and but also driving efficiency and incurred by network providers to their overall aiding the growth of the economies. productivity across MDAs. The use of the cost. And in a country with very vast Web traffic in Africa comes mostly from technology is starting to yield result in the geographical spread like Nigeria, the cost of mobile phones compared to fixed lines. Africa workings of its Integrated Payroll and providing broadband connectivity per has the highest number of web traffic that Personnel Information System (IPPIS). subscriber is very high. This cost is much comes from mobile than fixed line in the The application is used to manage civil lower per subscriber in cities like Lagos and world. According to Stat counter, in Nigeria servants' identification and payroll in a other densely populated cities compared to 57.9% of web traffic comes from mobile cloud, which are more efficient and rural areas and cities with sparse population. technology while Zimbabwe 58.1% and effective way on and it has saved the For instance, the major broadband Zambia 44% as compared to 10% average federal government a lot as compared to infrastructure like WACS, Main-one and Glo across the globe. This is expected to the manual process, used earlier. 1 fiber optic Cables are sited in Lagos except continue and mobile Internet traffic is for Nigcomsat -1R which is satellite. And expected to grow up to 25 fold over the next EMC Regional Manager for West Africa, these infrastructures are not adequately four years. Rasheed Jimoh said the time is right for spread to other cities due to lack of domestic Nigeria to embrace cloud computing. backbone networks. This lack of domestic However, a recent survey of more than 50 Telecommunication companies in network infrastructure is the major problem chief executives and IT managers of 10 Nigeria are investing in data center inhibiting the growth of broadband. Some companies conducted in key state capitals in infrastructure to benefit from what a states including the Federal Capital Territory Nigeria showed most of them are unwilling to cloud computing will to offer. Globacom, have fiber networks within the state but there outsource even the applications that a telecommunication company is are very limited connections between fiber comprise less sensitive information. They still planning on building a 40,000 square feet networks from one state to another. prefer their in-house infrastructure largely data centre, this comes after completing ISPECIAL REPORT

Investment continues to flow into remote sensing smallsat industry even as competition intensifies

by Carter Palmer

Small satellites are playing an increasingly competition for customers and investment access to capital, and talent will succeed. At important role in the commercial market. is increasing. this point, it is difficult to determine which Since 2013, new companies have Despite these challenges, the remote companies will succeed and which will fail; introduced business models that use large sensing SmallSat market continues to however, companies with first-mover fleets of small satellites to conduct Earth expand. Companies like Planet and Spire advantage, such as Planet, have a leg up on observation. Traditional remote sensing have begun deploying massive networks of the competition. satellites like DigitalGlobe's WorldView-4 satellites, while others like ICEYE and Astro The overall market for commercial remote can cost upward of $450 million each. On the Digital continue to raise funds from sensing SmallSats remains strong. Even if a other hand, small remote sensing satellites investors as they prepare to deploy their few of the companies discussed in this report can be built and launched for under $1 n e t w o r k s . do not succeed, demand for Earth imagery m i l l i o n . Various company officials say there is room from both commercial and government While the resolution of these smaller for all the new players in the market. They customers is robust. Furthermore, that satellites is lower than that of their larger indicate that the high number of satellite demand will continue growing to meet the relatives, their low prices allow them to be operators is a response to the needs of needs of mining and farming companies and deployed in large networks, increasing imagery customers, who have been starved others. Therefore, Forecast International global coverage. The low price also allows for data for years. In addition, many satellite currently expects the market for remote companies to take more risks because the networks feature unique capabilities. For sensing satellites under 120 kilograms to loss of a small satellite is not as financially example, NorStar offers Earth imagery as continue its expansion through the devastating as the loss of a large, expensive well as space situational awareness data, late 2020s. satellite. Finally, the shorter lifespan of each S a t e l l o g i c o f f e r s h y p e r s p e c t r a l By 2027, production will begin to level off. satellite means companies can constantly imagery, and Capella Space plans to offer Some companies will exit the market, while upgrade their fleets with the latest synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data. others will establish themselves as market technology. leaders. Few new entrants will be able to Despite the promise and growing appeal of Finally, because different satellite networks e n t e r t h e m a r k e t small satellites, the market continues to face operate in slightly different orbits, they offer to compete with these established a few challenges. While SmallSats are different angles for viewing objects of companies. Around that time, those leaders relatively cheap, a large network can still interest on Earth. Therefore, customers will begin to stabilize their replacement cost hundreds of millions of dollars to may purchase data from multiple cycles. develop, build, and launch. Also, small companies to get different points of view. satellites have shorter lifespans than larger Still, competition is intense. Even if ones, meaning they need to be replaced capabilities or viewing angles are slightly more often. Small satellite operators will unique, customers will need to select the n e e d t o m a k e c a p i t a l best option for their budget. They may be expenditures every year. Even though the unable or unwilling to spend money on loss of a few satellites is not devastating, a multiple services. Also, small satellite failure of a launch vehicle carrying a high operators will continue to compete with free number of SmallSats can disrupt a imagery from government sources like company's plans. Planet experienced such LandSat and Copernicus and extremely hardship when it lost 34 satellites between high-resolution imagery from traditional two launch failures in 2014 and 2015. Finally, satellite operators like DigitalGlobe. as SmallSats become more popular, Companies that have the best technology, IN THE NEWS

Thuraya SatTrack to Global market for EO services to reach boost safety and $8 billion by 2029, from $4.6 billion in 2019 efficiency on fishing In its research report, “Earth and CIS, Asia, Southeast Aperture Radar (SAR),” said O b s e r v a t i o n D a t a & Asia and Oceania, Middle Alexis Conte, Editor-in-Chief vessels S e r v i c e s M a r k e t , ” East and Africa. In addition, of the report and Senior Thuraya, the mobile satellite services Euroconsult provides in- aggregated figures of the Consultant at Euroconsult. subsidiary of the UAE's Al Yah Satellite depth analysis of Earth data market are also The report includes profiles Communication Company (Yahsat), is Observation (EO) satellite broken down by sensor of more than 20 commercial collaborating with FrontM to launch Thuraya systems, commercial EO type and resolution as well operators including optical, SatTrack, a cloud-based tracking and data, and the value-added as by customer type: U.S. hyperspectral, SAR, GPS- monitoring service that significantly increases services that contribute to defense, non-U.S. defense, RO, GHG monitoring and RF operational efficiencies on board fishing the sector. With a global nondefense market. monitoring. It also addresses vessels. market projected to reach More than 50 companies satellite as a service as well Designed for the top-selling Thuraya $8 billion by 2029, growth is have announced their as ground service supply MarineStar voice, tracking and monitoring expected to be driven by a intention to develop Earth and the role of High-Altitude solution, SatTrack will be available to users very mix of defense and new observing constellations, Platforms and Unmanned soon. In spite of digitalisation and increased c o m m e r c i a l m a r k e t s , representing roughly 1,800 Aerial Vehicles. influx of information, the high cost of integrating supported by the arrival of small satellites, the majority third-party services and solutions is limiting the new constellation operators of which are under 50kg. “Our objective is to assess growth of the fishing industry. Thuraya SatTrack with low-cost solutions. This proliferation of new the demand for imagery and is a low-cost turnkey subscription service that In 2019, the total value of constellations results from value-added products of provides interactive, real-time fleet tracking to the industry was $4.6 billion a r e c o r d y e a r f o r satellite technologies,” said monitorAbu vessels. Dhabi towerIt enables operations with with the data market fundraising in 2019, with M r. C o n t e . “ We a l s o detailed maps, up-to-date weather layers and reaching $1.6 billion and more than $800 million considered aerial survey and customised alerts with position reporting. value-added services (VAS) invested. These new field survey as remote Thuraya SatTrack helps MarineStar users stay contributing $3 billion. constellations will compete sensing levers to estimate in command, gain vital market advantage and Defense accounted for 64% with the incumbent players the evolution of the EO contribute to sustainable fisheries by improving of the data market, while for lower accuracy and market and how these trends compliance with national and international environmental monitoring higher revisit rate data will progress over the next 10 regulations. Shawkat Ahmed, Chief was the largest user of VAS. which is expected to put y e a r s , i n c l u d i n g t h e Commercial Officer of Thuraya stated: The research addresses the pressure on pricing. development of supply, new “Thuraya SatTrack is an integral part of our demand dynamics for nine As data price points come e n t r a n t d i v e r s i f y i n g SeaLite service portfolio that provides fishing vertical markets, including: down, especially for one- constellation projects, operators a competitive edge within the defense, infrastructure, meter ground resolution ecosystem evolution and maritime industry. As the demand for e n v i r o n m e n t , n a t u r a l that can be leveraged for new demand business compliance and access to information soars, r e s o u r c e m o n i t o r i n g , value-added services, the models. satellite connectivity and smart applications are energy, location-based data market is expected to Euroconsult built up a the only realistic and affordable means of ship- s e r v i c e s , d i s a s t e r slow, despite increased complete and detailed to-shore and inter-ship communications. By management, maritime and usage. bottom-up model based on packaging SatTrack with Thuraya MarineStar, finance. It also provides “The commercial data the km² data acquired to our aim is to provide partners and customers a analysis of the demand market is going beyond support applications within multifunctional, reliable and affordable end-to- dynamics of eight regions: multispectral optical data the nine vertical markets end solution that delivers significant cost North America, Latin with new constellations identified in this research, savings from improved onboard safety and America, Europe, Russia providing hyperspectral and then by each of the eight efficiencies.”= imagery and Synthetic regions. Thuraya SatTrack provides critical updates about vessels anywhere within Thuraya's network that covers 80% of the world's fishing hubs. Subscribers can also use it to remotely Arianespace offers new smallsat payload exchange data, establish and monitor geofences as well as access fish-catch reports opportunities on upcoming Vega launches in real-time, thereby reassuring regulatory bodies and buyers that the catch brought Arianespace announced for the fourth quarter, for t h e E u r o p e a n S p a c e ashore is both legally caught and fresh. that new shared payload any smallsats. Agency and the European Besides guaranteeing crew safety, the opportunities for low Earth The VV 19 satellite will aim Union, deploying over 50 SatTrack's alert mechanism makes it ideal for orbit (LEO) have been for one altitude of 550-610 satellites for 21 commercial search and rescue operations. Key opened with its Vega km, with a piggyback and institutional customers. beneficiaries include civil defense agencies launcher Small Spacecraft service, while the Vega C With SSMS, Arianespace and organisations with varied maritime Mission Service (SSMS). will target three altitudes of can provide a regular launch interests such as police, port authorities, coast The next mission is already 5 0 0 - 6 4 0 k m , w i t h a service for small satellites guards, transport authorities, coastal fully booked but more rideshare service. Five (mass under 400 kg). The surveillance bodies, agriculture and fisheries missions are in the planning. companies have signed company said customers ministries. Longer-term opportunities contracts for payload slots will benefit from the payload Lisa Moore, Vice President, Commercial include an SSMS mission to for the Vega Flight VV18, carrying systems available Product Management of FrontM said: “Our dawn-dusk low Earth orbit, with launch targeted in the on the current Vega and the vision is to connect shore and ship teams with and one to low Earth first quarter of 2021. This enhanced Vega C version, highly efficient operational and productivity equatorial orbit. The Vega mission has therefore been as well as the new small applications maximising on satellite VV 19 launch is planned for booked to capacity. The spacecraft preparation and connectivity technologies. We have been the second quarter of next initial SSMS launch with integration facilities in researching sustainable fisheries ecosystem year, with payload slots Vega, Flight VV16, was Europe that complement requirements and offering tracking with available for nanosat and performed in September. existing installations at the situational awareness and shore-ship CubeSat deployers. The This inaugural SSMS Guiana Space Center in collaboration as of our marketplace apps. Vega C flight is scheduled launch was supported by French Guiana. IN THE NEWS

CDC commits additional US $40 Satcoms to support fishing vessel monitoring million to Liquid in the Maldives Global mobile satellite of Fleet One services and and SAILOR antennas from Telecom supporting communications company S A I L O R F l e e t O n e Cobham SATCOM installed Inmarsat and radio and terminals from Cobham by Ooredoo. Africa's digital satellite communications a b o a r d 1 5 b o a t s , transformation solutions provider Cobham c o n f i r m i n g t h a t Fleet One will support SATCOM have been performance exceeds e l e c t r o n i c c a t c h awarded a contract to specifications for a new d o c u m e n t a t i o n a n d CDC Group, the UK's development finance connect 732 fishing vessels vessel monitoring system traceability (eCDT) to combat institution and impact investor, has announced active in the Maldives ( V M S ) u n d e r t h e illegal, unregulated and an additional US$40 million equity investment Economic Exclusion Zone unreported (IUU) fishing. In into Liquid Telecom, Africa's largest independent Maldives' Sustainable fibre, data centre and cloud technology provider. to Inmarsat's Fleet One Fisheries Resources addition, the Fleet One Vessel This marks CDC's second investment in the m a r i t i m e b r o a d b a n d Development Project to Monitoring System ensures company, following a US$180 million equity services. improve monitoring, seamless monitoring of investment in 2018. control and surveillance fishing vessels for owners and CDC's additional investment is made as part of Cobham's SAILOR Fleet in the fisheries sector. the regulator, and enables Liquid Telecom's wider fundraise where the One uses the existing The VMS project, agreed new opportunities for the company attracted US$307 million through a I n m a r s a t - 4 s a t e l l i t e between Maldives-based crew, while assuring their rights issue to shareholders. This investment will constellation to deliver operator Ooredoo and the safety on board. The platform support Liquid Telecom's plan to further expand reliable global voice calling Ministry of Fisheries and can also provide safety add- its pan-African data centre operation business, and internet connectivity Agriculture, is funded by o n s s u c h a s w e a t h e r Africa Data Centres, and consolidate its position via a compact, lightweight the World Bank. monitoring. as the leading data centre operator on the antenna and a simple continent. installation process. The The five-year contract The partners say that Fleet Africa Data Centres is well positioned to service partners say that the envisages the supply and One is over twenty times increasing demands for data storage and cloud- technology's affordability maintenance of the VMS, faster than traditional vessel based applications across the continent. makes it particularly to include Fleet One monitoring systems. It will Currently, it is estimated that less than 20% of accessible for smaller satellite communications support crew chat, mobile potential telecommunications enterprise boats looking to access o v e r L - b a n d f r o m banking and live video demand is being served in Africa, with London m a r i t i m e s a t e l l i t e Inmarsat, along with monitoring to the small and having three times more cloud computing power communications. airtime and secure mid-sized fisheries segment. available than the entire continent. communications server Liquid Telecom's development of data centres The go-ahead follows trials via integrated monitoring will boost economic activity by reducing IT related costs for companies. Increased local capacity will also spur innovation by offering affordable data storage and Software-as-a- Service (Saas) applications to SMEs. Maroc Telecom: Growth of the Broadband Additionally, the company's cloud-based services will also help accelerate the growth of Park continues Africa's tech start-up ecosystems whilst also supporting the needs of established enterprises Maroc Telecom has just 5.5%, to 10,132 million several years ago, once again across the continent. published its consolidated dirhams. This investment will contribute to the UN results for the third quarter of demonstrates its success. At the end of the first nine International assets allow the Sustainable Development Goals 8 (Decent Work 2020, marked by continued months of 2020, the mixed and Economic Growth) and 9 (Industry, growth in Fixed-line activities G r o u p t o i m p r o v e i t s ARPU amounted to 55.1 resilience in this difficult Innovation and Infrastructure). in Morocco. Over the first dirhams, down 6.1% over Tony Morgan, CDC's Managing Director, Direct nine months of 2020, the environment. Maroc Telecom one year. has also shown a great Equity said: “We remain committed to improving a c t i v i t i e s i n M o r o c c o The fixed park, which grew digital infrastructure in Africa and helping the generated a turnover of capacity to adapt to face the by 6.7% over one year, effects of the crisis, through continent's governments, businesses and 15,729 million dirhams, down now has nearly 2 million people gain access to quality online services. 3.6% compared to the same the adoption, from the start of lines at the end of the pandemic, of cost Our aggregate investment to Liquid Telecom now period of 2019. This decline is September 2020, while stands at US$220 million, this will play an explained over there fall in optimization plans and Broadband customer base optimized management. important role in addressing the increasing mobile revenue, which improved by 10.4% to demand for digital services and help close the suffers from the impact of the investments. The Group is r e a c h 1 . 7 m i l l i o n also continuing to modernize digital divide between Africa and other regions. crisis, in particular on subscribers, driven by the Investing in Africa's digital infrastructure is vital international entry and its infrastructure and services Double-play and Fiber in order to offer customers the for building resilience within African economies roaming activities. This Optic offers. and accelerating their growth.” decrease is mitigated by the best quality and the widest The Fixed Line and coverage in all countries of Nic Rudnick, Group Chief Executive Officer of increase in Fixed income. Internet activities in Liquid Telecom added: “CDC's additional equity presence. Maroc Telecom, a Morocco achieved a committed operator, is investment into Liquid Telecom represents As of September 30, 2020, turnover of 7,093 million another crucial step in connecting businesses in the Mobile fleet amounts to positioning itself as a catalyst d i r h a m s , u p 2 . 0 % for digitization and the fight Africa, with Liquid Telecom at the forefront of the 19.7 million customers, down compared to the same continent's eruption in technology adoption. 2.8% over one year because against the digital divide. “ , period of 2019, driven by declared Abdeslam Ahizoune, Africa has significant untapped economic of decline in prepaid stock (- Fixed Data “In this context potential that is being unlocked by improving 3.5%). The effects of the Chairman of the Management of a global health crisis and Board on the occasion of the connectivity, data storage and the use of cloud- health crisis are exerting tougher competition, the based applications. This investment will bring significant pressure on the publication of the quarterly i n t e r n a t i o n a l results. significant economic benefits to developing Mobile activities, which diversification strategy, markets across the continent.” recorded a turnover down initiated by Maroc Telecom SPECIAL REPORT

AFRICA Will indigenous space activities scale down Chinese involvement?

As African countries scale up national investments in indigenous space programs in satellite engineering, design and launch, the question many observers are asking is that will these efforts change the narrative of bilateral space cooperation with foreign countries, especially China? Julie Michelle Klinger provides a useful response

On October 31, 2016, the heads of space the Canary Islands in 2008. data for environment and development agencies of the BRICS member states This program represented the first monitoring. Brazil's INPE has provided including Brazil, Russia, India, China, time in the history of orbital remote training for African scientists and and South Africa met in Zhuhai, China, to sensing that multi-spectral high technicians to use Earth observation discuss the construction of joint satellite resolution data was downlinked to data and remote sensing technologies arrays for Earth observation and remote foreign ground stations without for forest monitoring from seventeen sensing. Less than a year later, on July 3, licensing fees, which meant that African countries—Algeria, Burkina 2017, the parties convened again in satellite imagery was distributed to Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, the Central Haikou, China, to draft the BRICS end users in Africa immediately upon African Republic, Chad, the Democratic Remote Sensing Satellite Constellation processing. In 2011, China's Ministry Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Agreement. A technical meeting in of Science and Technology Guinea, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Brasília, Brazil, followed on September incorporated Phase II of the Morocco, São Tomé e Principe, South 18–20, 2017, which served as the first construction of South Africa Africa, Tanzania, Tunisia, and Zambia. official BRICS Remote Sensing Satellite Hartebeetshoek's satellite ground Capacitree is supported by the United Forum. Among many other applications, receiving station into its portfolio of Nations Food and Agriculture the coordination of a BRICS remote i n t e r n a t i o n a l s c i e n t i f i c a n d Organization, the Japan International sensing network will provide the BRICS- technological cooperation projects, Cooperation Agency, the Caribbean founded New Development Bank with which was completed in 2015. The Community, the Amazon Cooperation the data and imagery that is critical to station provides real-time receiving, Treaty Organization, and the Inter- development project planning, processing, and distribution of American Development Bank. implementation, and monitoring. CBERS-4 Satellite data for thirteen In addition, the CBERS for Africa southern African countries. To further However, Chinese authorities said Program also grew out of the thirty-year the impact of this program, Brazil's China is not displacing the US in satellite bilateral collaboration between China and China's space programs offered cooperation with African countries due to and Brazil. This follow the decision to training to partners in several African the simple fact that there have been very provide free imagery to Africa from countries, exemplified by Brazil's few US programs to displace. Space Brazil's cameras on board the CBERS Capacitree program. The sixth and cooperation with African governments craft in 2007 made Brazil the world's most recent CBERS satellite was has not been a priority area for largest distributor of free satellite launched from Taiyuan Satellite contemporary US foreign policy, so it is imagery to Africa at the time. The Launch Center on December 20, not accurate to represent Africa's space program began by making CBERS 2019. sector as a domain in which China is i m a g e s a v a i l a b l e f o r f r e e t o “taking over.” e n v i r o n m e n t a l m i n i s t r i e s a n d The CBERS for africa program organizations in Africa, accompanied by c o m p l e m e n t s B r a z i l ' s I N P E Based on a recent report, fourteen of the necessary software to access the Capacitree program, which trains continental Africa's fifty-four countries satellite data. The first ground station to technicians in partner states with have active space programs and dozens receive the data was in South Africa in tropical forest and savannah biomes of others have the capacity to process 2007, followed by stations in Kenya and to process remote sensing satellite satellite data. Together, they have SPECIAL REPORT

launched forty-two satellites as of January science and engineering students and 2020. Ninety percent of the space projects China has built and launched satellites their families to relocate to China for the in Africa have been funded by African for Nigeria, Algeria, Sudan, and Ethiopia. duration of the program of study. In 2018, governments and investors. Russia has It is the fourth largest recipient of satellite President Xi Jinping announced that an launched the greatest number of satellites contracts from African countries, and the additional 50,000 scholarships and for African agencies with thirteen third largest recipient of launch 50,000 training opportunities would be completed launch contracts, followed by contracts. As of 2019, sixty percent of awarded to African students and France (10), the US (8), China (5), India Africa's satellites were built by foreign researchers over the following three (4), and Japan (2). In addition to China's entities, but the proportion is expected to years, increasing both educational and National Space Agency (CNSA), several diminish as African entities increase training programs by more than half. other agencies have had active indigenous capacity. South Africa is the Each year, between four and five hundred partnerships on the continent for many largest producer of satellites on the thousand international students study in years, including Brazil's National Space continent, with growing public and China, with over 80,000 coming from Research Institute (Instituto Nacional de private sector space technology African countries. This provides an Pesquisas Espaciais – INPE), Russia's capacity. Both Nigeria and Algeria's important legacy of human capital Roscosmos, Japan's Aerospace space agencies have developed d e v e l o p m e n t a n d d i p l o m a t i c Exploration Agency, and a number of domestic satellite production and testing engagement between China and African European agencies. Space programs in facilities, and Ethiopia's Space Science partner states that is now several Africa vary in their history and composition, and Technology Institute has engaged in generations old. but they are all internationally embedded: a joint venture with France's When African space programs request ArianeGroup to develop satellite For example, the Global Monitoring for bids for satellite contracts, Chinese firms assembly, integration, and testing Environment and Security in Africa compete alongside other international facilities in Addis Ababa. program is a joint EU-Africa program firms to offer the most competitive which provides earth observation data to package. This trend is by design. International satellite partnerships undertaken on the EU member states, forty-five African part of African space programs proceed countries, and more than 120 African African countries with the proviso that the transfer of know- institutions, several of which have Between 1998 and January 2020, eleven how and technology is a cornerstone of regional centers to process and African countries, eight of which are in sub- the agreement. Using commercial off- disseminate data. In addition, there is Saharan Africa, launched a total of forty- the-shelf technology and focusing on robust private sector and start-up activity two satellites. The countries include specific missions accelerates the c o n c e n t r a t e d i n m a j o r c i t i e s , Algeria, Angola, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, development process, providing characterized by hackathons, innovation Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria, Rwanda, South cheaper and faster access to space. The challenges, maker spaces, start-up labs, Africa, and Sudan. Additionally, multilateral “Learning by Doing” approach entails and competitive grants programs, most of African institutions jointly funded three sending teams of African scientists and which are funded by African sources. regional communications satellites. More engineers to the contracting party to These are enriched by outreach events than half of these satellites were launched work on site for the duration of the by organizations from outside of Africa, in the last five years, indicating an design, construction, and test phases. such as NASA's International Space acceleration of space-related activity. The This accomplishes technology transfer Apps Challenge, which was hosted at the satellite applications reflect the domestic and capacity building goals for African Pan-African Polytechnic Institute in development priorities they are meant to space programs. In some cases, this Dakar, Senegal, in October 2018. There serve: Earth observation, communications a p p r o a c h h a s p r e c e d e d t h e is also sustained and dynamic space- satellites, technology demonstration, development of national space related activity with United Nations scientific experiments, educational programs. entities, such as the Food and Agriculture projects, and military radar. In contrast to Organization, the Office for Outer Space space programs in the US, China, and For example, the Rwandan Utilities Affairs, the Space Generation Advisory European Union, most African space Regulatory Authority, which is not a Council, and the Agenda 2030 programs do not prioritize military space agency, signed an agreement to Sustainable Development Goals, to applications, human spaceflight, or space send six Rwandan engineers to Tokyo name a few. tourism. Although only eighteen of the University to develop the RwaSat-1 cube forty-two satellites were built by African satellite. The stated purpose of RwaSat- engineers, with the others being Nigeria 1 is to enable the country to collect Among African nations, Nigeria has the constructed by companies that won remote sensing data from low earth orbit competitive bidding processes, ninety most extensive satellite development in order to monitor progress toward the involvement with China. The two percent of all financing was reported to 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. come from African sources. In addition to governments established diplomatic Japan launched RwaSat-1 in December relations in 1971. Since the turn of the the CGWIC, a range of other corporations, 2019. such as Airbus Defense and Space millennium, Chinese aid, loans, and (France), RSC Energia (Russia), Surrey investments in Nigeria have increased It must also be noted that since the precipitously. Nigeria's National Space Satellite Technology Ltd (UK), and Thales 1960s, China's government has Alenia Space (France), have won Development and Research Agency provided scholarships to students from (NASRDA) was established in 2001. In contracts to build satellites for African African countries to complete space programs. As of mid-2019, D e c e m b e r 2 0 0 4 , t h e N i g e r i a n undergraduate and graduate education government contracted with CGWIC to approximately 8,500 people were in China. These comprehensive employed in the space sector in Africa; of build the country's second satellite, programs have provided transportation, NigComSat-1. In 2006, Nigeria's Ministry these, approximately 2,000 were in the housing, medical, and living expenses commercial space sector. of Finance signed an agreement with the principally (though not exclusively) for China Export and Import Bank for US$ ISPECIAL REPORT

200 million in preferential buyer's credit to help fund the project. Nigerian scientists and engineers traveled to China to receive training and participate in satellite design and construction. In anticipation of the launch of Nigeria's and Africa's first communications satellite, NigComSat-1, a private spin-off from NASRDA was incorporated in 2006 to provide fixed satellite services to much of Africa and Italy. The satellite launched from Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Sichuan, China, in May 2007. Beginning in mid-2008, technical errors in its solar arrays caused the satellite to fail, and it was de-orbited in November 2008. However, the satellite's insurance funded a second contract with CGWIC to build the replacement satellite, NigComSat-1R. Some technical improvements were made to address the issues with the previous version, and NigComSat-1R launched again from Xichang in 2011.

Although Nigeria's subsequent satellite founding member of ArabSat (see page Algeria's contract with China did not contracts have been with the UK and 17). ASAL's space partnerships are involve any grants or loans; as with Japan, technical cooperation with China designed to facilitate technology and other Chinese construction projects in has continued. In 2016, China's Ministry of knowledge transfer to support the the country, the Algerian government Science and Technology offered to build a growth of indigenous capacity. paid in full for satellite development and ground receiving station to enable In December 2013, the Algerian launch. The training component Nigerian scientists to collect data from the government ordered AlComSat-1, a appears to have been more modest China-Brazil Earth Resources Satellite geostationary communications than previous training agreements with (CBERS) array. As of this writing, no satellite from CGWIC. Financed European counterparts, although further plans have been disclosed. entirely by ASAL, this was Algeria's fifth specific numbers of engineers and However, the agreement under which satellite and the only one ordered from scientists trained are not published and China would extend 700 government- China to date. The others had been could not be attained from meetings funded scholarships and technical training developed and launched with with Algerian counterparts in November to 1,000 space engineers has progressed. European, Russian, and Indian 2019. As of August 2019, over 500 Nigerian partners, and involved the training of Most space-related activity happening students have received such scholarships Algerian scientists and engineers in in Africa is driven by Africans. The roles to study in China. post-graduate studies during the of China's institutions in the space Nigeria has multiple space partners. design and construction phase of the development programs of African Although CGWIC won a contract for satellite, with programs continuing to countries are diversified and important, Nigeria's communications satellite, this did date. The AlComSat-1 contract but they remain comparatively smaller not lock Nigeria into an exclusive included the design, manufacture, test, than those of other international relationship with Chinese agencies. For launch, and construction of associated partnerships maintained by African China's part, the collaboration was an ground infrastructure necessary for space agencies. Still, China's important milestone for CGWIC. This was satellite operation. CGWIG sub- successes in providing relatively low- the first time a Chinese firm provided in- contracted parts of the project to the cost, reliable, and comprehensive orbit delivery to an international client. China Academy of Space Technology, satellites to African counterparts have Prior to this, China's international space the China Academy of Launch Vehicle brought about important milestones for contracts consisted primarily of launch Technology, and the China Satellite both sides. As the current generation of agreements. Launch and Tracking Control General. African space scientists, social Following its successful placement in scientists, and entrepreneurs continue Algeria geostationary orbit by China's Long to grow space capacities on the The Algerian Space Agency (ASAL) was March-3B rocket from Xichang Satellite continent, social science research established in 2002. The governments of Launch Center, ASAL assumed control concerning the African space Algeria and China signed a Memorandum of in-orbit operation, management, and community should likewise continue to of Understanding (MOU) to cooperate in applications from ground stations in mature in order to inform good policies outer space development in 2007, Algeria. that promote global collaboration and established a bilateral Comprehensive Alcomsat-1 is used for broadcasting, exchange in space sciences and Strategic Partnership in 2014, and signed emergency communications, remote technologies. Potentially productive an MOU to place their bilateral education, and satellite broadband. research areas include global data cooperation under the framework of the Consistent with Algeria's 15-year sharing politics and practice, the BRI in September 2018.. In addition to National Space Programme (2005 – domestic determinants of national China, the Algerian government has 2020), satellite contracts with overseas space priorities, and the impact of bilateral space cooperation with partners were designed to support the growing space capacity on major Argentina, France, India, Russia, Syria, growth of Algerian space infrastructure domestic and international governance Ukraine, the UK, and the US, and is a and human capital while preserving questions. and promoting Algerian sovereignty. EUROPE REPORT SatADSL widens global internet access through PaaS model

Belgian company SatADSL is broadening access Ka-band provider to consumer and customers as required. This bandwidth flexibility to affordable Internet globally through its enterprise markets in the Middle East, is also important for many end-users whose innovative Cloud-Service Delivery Platform (C- Africa, Brazil, Central and South West Asia, demand is not static, either across the year SDP), developed over the last two years through to add additional satellite capacity to the C- (such as schools) or even week-to-week. an ESA ARTES Competitiveness & Growth SDP (Image credit: SatADSL) Through SatADSL's platform, Service Providers project. This Platform as a Service (PaaS) solution For four years, SatADSL has also targeted can also offer their own branded vouchers, benefits satellite and ground station/teleport satellite and teleport operators and allowing customers to buy access as and when operators, who can more easily sell their capacity, proposed access to its platform in the form they need and can afford it, and allocating adding value added services developed by of a PaaS in order to offer them all the bandwidth accordingly. SatADSL. embedded advantages of it. Now, as a Founded in 2011, SatADSL bridges the gap result of the ARTES project, it is able to between satellite operators who offer Internet provide brokered satellite bandwith Benefitting from ESA access and those unable to access it (reliably or at globally, having added additional points of all) through a first-of-its-kind cloud-based model. presence (PoPs) in multiple continents to technical and business Originally serving the Sub-Saharan African connect its cloud C-SDP platform too. For support region, SatADSL now serves communities across users, this avoids any additional latency The SatADSL team including astronaut the Americas, Europe, Africa and Asia. associated with fiber on top of the candidate and 'TechWoman' Caroline De Vos, Satellite operators looking to sell their capacity but unavoidable latency of geostationary Co-Founder and COO of SatADSL (Image lacking the means to identify alternative markets – satellite communications. credit: SatADSL)Both the funding and support and the physical infrastructure to supply them – Technical developments during the two- provided through the ARTES project were face a challenge. SatADSL enables them to sell on year project, which finished in July 2020, important for the development of the technology that capacity by acting as an aggregator, have also enabled SatADSL to offer its required for the new cloud-based service and to brokering and supplying capacity in any band (C, services to teleports as well as satellite widen SatADSL's offering at both ends of the Ka and Ku) to those who need it. Through its operators, unlocking new revenue Internet bandwidth supply chain. model, operators benefit from range of added opportunities for operators without them ESA's ARTES programme enables European value services such as an online payment system having to make significant technology companies to explore innovative concepts to and voucher options on satellite capacity. investments. The PaaS solution is produce leading-edge satcom products and provided on a risk-sharing model and services. The Competitiveness & Growth Expanding services globally enables operators to sell on their capacity element is dedicated to the development, anonymously. qualification and demonstration of products, Initially, SatADSL focused on providing services to At the other end of the value chain, the Africa, where vast swathes of the population lack systems and/or applications. deployment of two PoPs (one in Singapore “During the PaaS project, ESA has supported terrestrial services and rely on satellite-based and one in Orlando, Florida) not only options. SatADSL services are valuable for larger SatADSL to trial an innovative service idea. broadens the geographical spread of PaaS allows teleport operators to maximise the service providers too. The company has SatADSL's service, but should also make it expanded its services across both Africa and Latin utilisation of their assets and also offers satellite easier for local Service Providers to sell on Internet access to millions of potential users. America this year. In September 2020, SatADSL capacity af-ggregated on the C-SDP to signed a partnership with teleport operator The trials have shown a large interest for this their end-users fleet. The newly conceived new model,” said Olivier Becu, Application Andesat to deliver flexible satellite services to VNOFlex service offering allows service Spanish speaking South American markets. And Project Manager, Downstream Business providers to subscribe toa dedicated VNO Applications, Telespazio Vega for ESA. in April 2020, SatADSL partnered with YahClick, a and allocate it dynamically across their

IN THE NEWS ASIA

Telstra claims 5G network websites or torrent sites. The levels of educates people on the impacts of online piracy went as high as 53% within the piracy and on making the right choices now covers 41% of the 25-34 age demographic. The survey when it comes to online consumption." population commissioned by the Asia Video Industry Association's Coalition Against For his part, AttyTeodoro Pascua, Deputy Australian mobile network operator Piracy (CAP) and conducted by YouGov, Director General, Intellectual Property (MNO) Telstra has announced another found that 47% of consumers who Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) said, 5G coverage milestone, revealing that accessed piracy sites cancelled their "The wide variety of legal services in the with over 2,000 live sites, more than 41% subscriptions to both local and Philippines which provide premium of the population are now within its international content services. entertainment content are reliable and network footprint. importantly are legal. The piracy A s p r e v i o u s l y r e p o r t e d b y The levels of piracy in the Philippines alternatives fund crime groups, put CommsUpdate, just last month the cellco now dwarfs neighbouring Malaysia and consumers at risk of malware infection confirmed it had around 1,500 5G- Indonesia which have both seen and are unreliable. Piracy only benefits capable sites in operation across substantial reductions in online piracy the criminal organisations who are behind 'selected areas of 53 … cities and towns'. over the last 12 months. In Indonesia a these illegal websites." According to the latest information from similar YouGov survey found a massive the MNO, having recently celebrated the 55% reduction in Indonesians accessing Neil Gane, the General Manager of AVIA's switch-on of its 2,000th live site in Airlie piracy services with 28% of consumers Coalition Against Piracy (CAP) Beach in Queensland's Whitsundays, it admitting to accessing piracy websites commented, "We are confident that now offers 5G connectivity in more than compared to 63% in 2019. In Malaysia, a Indonesia and Malaysia will rise to 60 towns and cities. Further, the cellco YouGov survey found a 64% decline in become market leaders in video IP claims that there are now more than users accessing piracy sites when protection in the region, as a result of their 1,400 suburbs across the country which compared to a similar YouGov survey in site-blocking strategies. We are also have better than 50% 5G coverage. 2019. confident that other countries in Asia, Of note, the cellco highlighted its work such as the Philippines, will take note and outside of urban centres, saying that In both countries a key variable for the follow suit, boosting the growth of legal since the middle of this year it has decline in online piracy levels was the consumption of Filipino and international extended coverage to a dozen regional government's proactive piracy site content." areas, including: Nowra, Medowie, blocking initiative. In Malaysia more than Corowa, Cowra, Orange and Malua Bay half (55%) of online consumers noticed When asked about the negative in New South Wales; Paynesville, that a piracy service had been blocked consequences of online piracy, Filipino Wangaratta, Bairnsdale and Corryong in by the Malaysian government, which consumers placed funding crime groups Victoria; Sunshine Coast in Queensland; subsequently influenced viewing habits (55%), loss of jobs in the creative industry Berri and Port Elliott in South Australia; with 49% stating that they no longer (50%) and malware risks (49%) as their and Esperance in Western Australia. accessed piracy services and 40% top three concerns. saying that they now 'rarely accessed' Greenpro plans to piracy services as a result of the site Moon to Earth: University of materialize a satellite blocking. Western Australia to host communication venture A Bill currently before the Philippine space communications Senate (Bill #497) entitled the 'Online station Greenpro Capital (GRNQ +73.9%) Infringement Act' proposes a regulatory An optical communications station announced intentions to incubate a Low site blocking mechanism which would capable of receiving high-speed data Earth Orbit satellite communication empower the authorities to ensure that transmissions from space is set to be built venture based in Malaysia to cover the ISPs take "reasonable steps to disable in Western Australia and will be installed ASEAN region. The new company to access to sites whenever these sites are by The University of Western Australia. provide internet connectivity via satellite reported to be infringing copyright or The advanced communications ground for the South East Asia region. Greenpro facilitating copyright infringement." station will be able to receive data from Capital will contribute to this project along spacecraft anywhere between low-Earth w i t h S E ATe c h Ve n t u r e s C o r p The recent YouGov survey suggests orbit and the surface of the Moon. (OTCPK:SEAV). GRNQ and the group of that a regulatory site blocking It has the potential to support ground- companies own 40M shares of SEATech mechanism would be supported by the breaking space projects, including Ventures Corp out of 92.5M shares majority of Filipino consumers. When NASA's Artemis mission to land the first issued. Separately, Greenpro recently given choices of what they thought were woman and next man on the Moon by recorded a dividend of 1 DQWS share for effective measures of reducing piracy 2024. It is a joint initiative of UWA's every 5 GRNQ shares for shareholders of behaviour, 53% of Filipinos agree that a Astrophotonics Group, which is part of the record on September 30, 2020. "government order or law for ISPs to International Centre for Radio Astronomy block piracy websites" would be the Research (ICRAR), as well as the ARC New survey shows most effective. Centre of Excellence for Engineered Quantum Systems (EQUS) and UK Philippines among highest Globe President and CEO Ernest Cu industry partner Goonhilly Earth Station. in online piracy in said, "The ill effects of online piracy A s t r o p h o t o n i c s G r o u p l e a d e r Southeast Asia cannot be underestimated. We have DrSaschaSchediwy from The University been an advocate of content streaming of Western Australia and ICRAR said A new study of the online content viewing through legal sites only through our behaviour of Filipino consumers, has optical communications was an emerging found that 49% access streaming piracy #PlayItRight program. This advocacy technology expected to revolutionise data 28 IN THE NEWS ASIA

Export Centre's mission is to bring our local transfer from space. HuaweiTechnologies with their companies to the global market, and the “Most current space communications Massive MIMO Enabling Superior 5G best way of doing is to participate at leading rely on radio waves—it's the same Experience. international exhibitions. This year we technology that brought us the voice of · Most Innovative 5G Trial in APAC, showcased 34 companies at the Moscow Neil Armstrong when the Apollo 11 taken by the Faculty of Medicine Pavilion at ConnecTechAsia. Despite the mission landed on the Moon in 1969,” Siriraj Hospital of Thailand for their challenges which the pandemic has DrSchediwy. implementation of 5G to build a secure, brought about, the organisers did a good job “ F r e e - s p a c e o p t i c a l l a s e r reliable and smart 5G Hospital in at using the most efficient digital c o m m u n i c a t i o n s h a s s e v e r a l Thailand. technologies to deliver a great event. That advantages over radio, including · Telecom Service Innovation in ensured our ability to achieve our main significantly faster data rates and hack- Response to COVID-19, awarded to goals which are expanding the international proof data transfer. “It's the next- Robi Axiata for their Crisis Igniting networks of our companies, finding new generation of space communications, Innovation Project. business partners and closing deals. We and it's likely to be how we'll see high · Most Significant Contribution to look forward to meeting everyone face-to- definition footage of the first woman to Edge Computing, saw SK Telecom face in the editions ahead!" walk on the Moon.” The ground station taking it with their multi-cloud supported "Participating in the first SatelliteAsia was launched today to coincide with the 5G edge platform and services. o p e n e d a n e w s t a g e o f g l o b a l world's premier global space event, the 36 start-ups also took part in the first communication during this COVID-19 International Astronautical Congress. It edition of Elevating Founders Asia, the pandemic. We will continue to make efforts will be part of a larger Australasian f l a g s h i p s t a r t - u p e v e n t o f to promote KT SAT's satellite technology optical ground station network, led by the ConnecTechAsia. After two days of and enhance our status in the global Australian National University, and with pitch-offs, the winners for the various market," said MrSong Kyung-min, CEO of partners in South Australia, and New verticals were: KT SAT. Zealand. · Overall Winner/Smart Cities - Dot Mr Mohammed Fahim, General Manager, EQUS Director, Professor Andrew Incorporation was crowned overall RAN, Core & Integration, Robi Axiata White, said the project, which could be winner as they reinvent accessibility with Limited, a first-time attendee of the first 'on-sky' optical communications their Dot Watch, an accumulation of their ConnecTechAsia said, "True to it's name, ground station in the Southern work in the field of assistive technology. ConnecTechAsia is an enabler of cross- Hemisphere, was a prime example of · HealthTech - Ostique, a female, industry collaboration. The event was very fundamental research delivering real- mission-led team, developing innovative much engaging and personalised. This was world outcomes. ostomy devices combining advanced a great upskilling opportunity. Thanks to the “EQUS delivers major impacts by functionality with customisable organisers and I will be looking forward to encouraging and enabling our people to aesthetics to improve patients' quality of attending next year." translate their research into tangible life. Mr Ivan Ferrari, Event Director, Tech, technologies and applications. We are · FinTech - Merkle Science with their Media & Entertainment Events, Informa building a culture of innovation, blockchain transaction monitoring and Markets, who heads up ConnecTechAsia translation and commercialisation intelligence solutions to detect, said, "having successfully held the first amongst quantum science researchers investigate and prevent the illicit use of virtual edition of one of the leading in Australia,” Professor White said. cryptocurrencies. technology events in the region on such a · EdTech- Akadasia, a Singapore- scale and amid challenging times has been based mission-driven EdTech business ConnecTechAsia wraps up a humbling and enriching experience. This that aims to democratise education for year we even expanded our event, with successful first live virtual all by empowering educators with the newly launched shows, conferences, event skills and the technology to teach. awards and competitions. Our core mission · Tech for Good - Uniphagetopped this was to deliver a content-rich platform that ConnecTechAsia, Asia's leading category as a biotechnology company enables our exhibitors, sponsors and all Infocomm Media and Technology event aiming to solve the problem of bacterial participants to learn, share, create concluded after three days of insightful and fungal diseases worldwide starting meaningful connections and foster long- conference sessions and exhibitions on with the agricultural sector. lasting business partnerships and the latest solutions and trends · RetailTech - DamoGO, an all-in-one opportunities no matter where they are in empowering the digital economy. More mobile app offering a platform that the world. Moving forward, we will continue than 6800 attendees participated in the connects restaurant, bakery and other to refine the virtual element of first fully virtual iteration of the event that store owners selling surplus food to ConnecTechAsia and integrate it with the featured some 200 conference sessions, consumers seeking convenient quality physical show to create rewarding 280+ speakers and 323 exhibitors. meals at discounted prices. experiences for all attendees.” ConnecTechAsia also expanded its Showcasing Technology and content to include new shows, Innovations Virtually conferences, competitions and award Spread across four main virtual Singtel launches Singapore's ceremonies. exhibition halls and 12 international first 5G standalone trial group pavilions, 323 companies network for enterprises One of the highlights of the event, the showcased their latest innovations and inaugural CommunicAsia Awards, solutions and connected with attendees recognised innovation and achievement through videos, online chat and live Singtel has deployed the nation's first 5G across global service providers. The presentations. standalone (SA) trial network at its 5G virtual award ceremony was held on 30 Having exhibited at previous physical Garage testing facility. The network, which September and featured winners in the editions of ConnecTechAsia,Mr Alexey utilises 3.5GHz spectrum and Ericsson's categories of: Kalachev, Chief Executive Officer, advanced Massive MIMO (Multiple-input · Best RAN Technology, won by Moscow Export Center said, "Moscow multiple-output) technology to deliver ultra-

29 IN THE NEWS ASIA

fast speeds and low-latency or response processed and sent back, MEC is not only behaviour and thrive in the post Covid times, provides enterprises with early able to better serve mission critical data world.” access to 5G to develop and trial 5G connectivity, it also enables enterprises to At the opening Asia Pacific Thought solutions. optimise their total cost of ownership for Leaders' Panel, Terry Bleakley, Regional Mr Bill Chang, Chief Executive Officer of hosting, dedicated link provisioning and VP, Asia Pacific, Intelsat, shared that the Group Enterprise at Singtel said, data transfer. resilience of Intelsat's business was “COVID-19 has brought a new urgency having a diversified portfolio. Through to digital transformation for many Since the launch of 5G Garage with crossing many verticals across the sectors. Having unveiled our first 5G use Ericsson and Singapore Polytechnic in markets they served, a downturn in one case with our 24/7 unmanned pop-up January 2019, Singtel has successfully business saw an upturn in another. retail store in September, our 5G SA trial developed ten 5G use cases together with Bleakley also added how important network offers enterprises from across more than 20 start-ups and enterprises in satellite has been for this pandemic, industries the opportunity to develop and areas such as robotics, virtual reality, especially in remote environments and test applications to accelerate artificial intelligence and drones. Singtel how essential satellite was for remote automation and digitalisation. With 5G's has also collaborated with PSA to trial connectivity, creating further opportunity low latency and scalability, enterprises maritime 5G use cases to optimise port for consolidation and vertical integration. can not only drive efficiencies and make operations at the future Tuas Port. In better and more cost-effective decisions addition, Singtel is working with the Agency AsiaSat gearing up efforts but also deliver richer customer for Science, Technology and Research's experiences. The launch of this 5G SA A d v a n c e d R e m a n u f a c t u r i n g a n d to ensure C-band satellite trial network is also an important step as Technology Centre, and JTC to enable service and 5G service to we get ready for commercial 5G SA. We enterprises to develop and test advanced co-exist harmoniously welcome enterprises to harness the 5G-powered manufacturing solutions. In light of the roll-out of 5G in Hong Kong, power of 5G to future-proof their AsiaSat has accelerated efforts to businesses and catalyse their digital Singtel's 5G SA cloud gaming trial follows provide the necessary protection for its C- transformation at 5G Garage.” the recent unveiling of UNBOXED, its 5G- band TT&C (Telemetry, Tracking and powered unmanned pop-up retail store and Control) and TVRO antennas against Global cloud gaming provider, Ubitus, is the launch of Singtel's 5G NSA network trial potential interference from 5G the first enterprise to use Singtel's 5G SA that offers consumer and enterprise deployment, to ensure the continuity of network for a 5G cloud gaming trial. The customers an early taste of ultra-fast 5G satellite operation and uninterrupted trial demonstrated a 5G cloud gaming mobile speeds. service to customers. experience that consistently delivered There are currently a total of 30 C-band 85% lower latency of between 8 to 11 AVIA's Satellite Industry antennas installed at AsiaSat's Tai Po milliseconds compared to cloud gaming Forum highlights resilience Earth Station in Hong Kong, with 10 C- on 4G. It was conducted on Singtel's band antennas of size ranging from 4.5m multi-access edge computing (MEC) of satellite industry to 11.3m to support the TT&C activities of platform which integrates 5G's ultra-low AsiaSat's satellite fleet, and the latency and high bandwidth capabilities The Asia Video Industry Association (AVIA) remaining TVRO antennas for monitoring with powerful cloud computing held its annual Satellite Industry Forum TV programmes delivered on AsiaSat as performance. This allows rich graphics (SIF) as a virtual conference, which allowed well as for teleport service to customers. to be processed on dedicated servers for truly global participation with delegates and transferred directly to devices, from around the world in attendance. The As the lower C-band spectrum originally significantly cutting lag times, which is event also saw over 100 new companies used for satellite service, i.e. the 3.5 GHz critical to the gaming experience. register to be part of the two-day band for Hong Kong market, has been discussions on Video in the Satellite World. reassigned for 5G, it is important that “We are very excited with the potential of satellite operators, broadcast stations, Singtel's 5G SA and MEC to push the The event opened with on a note of VSAT networks, hotels and numerous envelope on cloud gaming. The trials will optimism from Louis Boswell, AVIA CEO. commercial and residential buildings inform our designs for exciting games Despite unprecedented challenges and receiving satellite TV via SMATV systems which will test gamers' reflexes and disruption for the industry in recent years, or TVROs take steps to protect their instincts. We will leverage the ultra-low more video is being created, distributed and existing satellite services to minimise the latency of 5G and MEC to offer consumed than ever before, and satellite chance for satellite reception from the immersive, hyper-realistic gaming entire 3.4 to 4.2 GHz band to be affected. China launchedcontinues two satellite forto itsplay GPSsystem an indispensable (Source: China role Daily in experience,” said Mr Wesley Kuo, delivering that video. “Satellite's strength in In Hong Kong alone, there are more than Ubitus' Chief Executive Officer. multicasting across wide areas cannot be 1,400 C-band SMATV systems and matched by any other technology,” 859,000 outlets, and additionally several 5G and MEC's ability to integrate with commented Boswell. C-band teleports and VSAT terminal hubs technologies such as Internet of Things, Continuing with the tone of optimism was operating throughout the territory. analytics, robotics, artificial intelligence Yew Weng Soo VP, Sales & Market Over the past few months, AsiaSat has and augmented, virtual or mixed reality Development, SES Video, SES, and started installing bandpass filters (BPFs) enables enterprises across industries to Chairman of the Satellite Industry on its C-band receiving antennas to leverage the low latency in applications Committee. “The satellite industry is playing prepare for the arrival of 5G service in requiring little or no lag times. These a key role in fighting the outbreak with a Hong Kong. These bandpass filters, include remote surgery, smart scale and reach in helping to inform, jointly developed by AsiaSat with local manufacturing, autonomous driving, entertain and keep all connected,” added microwave experts, have been remote robotic repair and maintenance Soo. “Video and particularly satellite, will extensively tested and deployed at and virtual reality-enabled live concerts. not just bounce back but use this time to reception sites across Greater China and By removing the need for data to be sent transform itself to change consumer in other Asia-Pacific markets. Results all the way to public clouds to be from field tests and customer site 30 IN THE NEWS ASIA

installations have been positive and ESS. Solent and surrounding maritime areas demonstrate that AsiaSat BPF's Mr Glenn Haskins, previously with including boat/shipyards and marinas, insertion loss provide minimal link Lockheed Martin and Gilmour Space simulating the data that would be performance degradation while Technologies, will advise the company's captured from a space-based sensor. providing the required suppression of 5G growing engineering team's Guidance, The University of Surrey will provide signals. These new filters have proven to Navigation and Control system Satellite Vu with advanced analysis be effective in suppressing interfering development efforts. techniques to process and validate the signals from nearby 5G base stations, “In the words of Robert Goddard - it is acquired imagery to demonstrate thus preserving the quality of satellite difficult to say what is impossible, for the potential commercial maritime reception. dream of yesterday is the hope of today applications. These will focus on the Among AsiaSat'sbandpass filters, the and the reality of tomorrow - I can say I'm advantages that MWIR might have over BPF-3700S model was the first in the touched and excited to be a part of the Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data for series launched and designed for the 5G ESS team, and help turning their dreams small boat detection. spectrum requirements for Hong Kong into reality,” says Haskins. Satellite Vu plans to procure its first SAR and China markets. Other models Mr. Marcelo Martinez, a veteran satellite from Surrey Satellite Technology include BPF-3800R and BPF-3800S for aerodynamicist and flight dynamics Limited (SSTL) for launch in 2021, with South Korea and Australia, BPF-3900S engineer with nearly 40 years of the launch of a further six satellites for the Middle East, with models BPF- experience in sounding rockets, missiles starting in 2023 to position the company 3664, 3600, 3700T and 3900S lately and ballistics, will advise the company's as the first global commercial satellite introduced for other Asia-Pacific efforts in the concept development and platform to offer high resolution MWIR markets, providing optimised rejection aero-mechanics aspects of their access data. and passband to reject 5G spectrum up to space vehicles. The project will be funded by a grant from to 3.6, 3.7 and 3.8 GHz. “I am very proud be invited to the advisory the £4.8 million SPRINT (SPace C-band is critical for satellite services board of Equatorial Space System. I Research and Innovation Network for that require high availability and wide share the ESS vision in transforming the Technology) programme that provides a r e a c o v e r a g e , p a r t i c u l a r l y access to space with affordable and unprecedented access to university indispensable for establishing disruptive propulsion technology and space expertise and facilities. SPRINT communication links in sparsely well-crafted space vehicles. I will focus helps businesses through the populated and geographically remote my efforts to coach and help the commercial exploitation of space data areas, as well as for mission-critical company's fantastic team of young, and technologies. operations such as disaster recovery. brilliant engineers that will finally make the Tobias Reinicke, Chief Technology AsiaSat has been working to explore ESS vision a reality. I'm grateful to ESS Officer at Global Satellite Vu said: “We various mitigation measures including management for this opportunity to be are focused on the new insights that the use of this new bandpass filter that back in the sky,” says the industry veteran thermal Earth observation can bring to will work effectively in protecting our behind projects such as the Tauro global challenges including climate satellite operation as well as our sounding rocket. change and managing the environment. customers and satellite users' C-band Equatorial Space Systems aims to With this SPRINT project, we're looking services against interference from 5G revolutionize space launch operations at the feasibility of using our data to more transmissions in adjacent bands. This with a launcher safer, simpler and more accurately detect heat in buildings, with a serves to prove that C-band satellite affordable than incumbents, by using the particular focus on maritime activity service and 5G mobile service can co- company's proprietary hybrid propulsion around ports. exist harmoniously with the right technology. The company's inaugural technologies, proper planning, testing suborbital launch of the Dorado sounding Astroscale's Founder & and implementation to create value for all rocket is slated for the first half of 2021. industry players, and ultimately benefit CEO, Nobu Okada, elected all customers and satellite users. Satellite Vu performs as a vice president of thermal measurements with the International Equatorial Space Systems infrared satellite data for the Astronautical Federation announces new Board of maritime sector Advisors Astroscale Holdings Inc. announced its Satellite Vu, a specialist in Earth Founder & CEO, Nobu Okada, has been observation technology and services, has elected as a Vice President of the Equatorial Space Systems (ESS) International Astronautical Federation announces new members of its Board of signed up to the national SPRINT business support programme to (IAF) from October 2020 for a three-year Advisors, who will provide their broad period. expertise in engineering of space launch collaborate with the University of Surrey on a major infrared satellite data project. Over 400 IAF member organizations vehicles to the Singapore-based from 71 countries, including all leading launcher company. The SPRINT project will capture airborne data to enable Satellite Vu to evaluate the space agencies, companies and It's time for our next leap towards space - institutions were represented at the IAF great advisors are worth their weight in capabilities of high resolution, space borne Medium Wave InfraRed (MWIR) General Assembly Plenary Meeting held gold, and can de-risk any R&D on October 15, where Okada was programme immensely. Armed with data for measuring the thermal output of structures. This will help maritime elected alongside other Vice Presidents Glenn's and Marcelo's' support, set in from a number of spacefaring countries their decades-long experience in fields of o r g a n i s a t i o n s t o i m p r o v e t h e management of their energy consumption including the United States, Germany GNC systems and flight dynamics and China. analysis, we will be able to accelerate our and industrial processes as well as support their surveillance needs. In his newly appointed position, Okada development programme greatly,” says intends to contribute to the IAF as a Simon Gwozdz, CEO and founder of The project will fly an MWIR camera on an aeroplane to collect data from areas of the representative of Japan and the Asian 31 IN THE NEWS ASIA

region, an advocate for orbital telescope donated to ICRAR by Perth economically affordable rocket launches. sustainability and a voice for the local Colin Eldridge. It will be fitted with A notable spin-off from the agreement is emerging new space sector. a d v a n c e d a t m o s p h e r i c - n o i s e that the organisations will work to “I am truly honored to be named one of the suppression technology developed at establish an educational sounding rocket IAF's Vice Presidents -- this is an U W A . program in Australia, allowing universities acknowledgement of the changing nature The station will be connected to to undertake space-based research of the global space community as industry Goonhilly's supercomputer data centre in projects from the Southern Hemisphere. begins to play a bigger role,” said Nobu Cornwall via high-speed fiber. Goonhilly The signing of the agreement follows the Okada, Founder & CEO. “I am particularly handles data traffic and supports secure successful launch of two space capable humbled because seven years ago I was communications links for the world's rockets by Southern Launch at the an outsider to the space sector, and now, major satellite operators, including Koonibba Test Range, both completed on with this appointment, I feel I can offer a Intelsat, Eutelsat and SES Satellites. The 19 September 2020. new perspective to the community based company is also a partner in the DLR are looking into the feasibility of on my experience. I would like to thank European Space Agency's Lunar utilising Southern Launch's Koonibba Test everyone who supported me during the Pathfinder Mission, which is scheduled Range for the testing of new rocket election process.” to launch in 2022. The $535,000 station technologies and launch equipment, in Okada has emerged as a leading voice in is expected to be 'on-sky' in early 2021 line with DLR's efforts to research and the global space community, representing and open for business later that year. d e v e l o p various constituencies, including the Astrophotonics Group leader Dr. Sascha future reusable launcher technologies. international venture sector, Asia's space Schediwy from The University of Together DLR and Southern Launch are industry and those in support of Western Australia and ICRAR said working towards a launch date of the first sustainable growth in space. In addition, optical communications was an DLR research mission in mid-2022. Okada is a highly trusted member of emerging technology expected to “This cooperation unlocks flight testing various international organizations, revolutionize data transfer from space. potential that is not otherwise attainable including co-chair of the World Economic He said, “Most current space through a joint effort by DLR and Southern Forum's Global Future Council on Space, communications rely on radio Launch. It further strengthens and adds to where he played a key role in developing waves—it's the same technology that Mobile Rocket Base's cooperation with the concept of a Space Sustainability brought us the voice of Neil Australian research partners, adding to Rating, a system designed to ensure Armstrong when the Apollo 11 mission the growing collaboration of the two long-term sustainability by encouraging landed on the Moon in 1969. Free-space countries in space research and responsible behavior among countries optical laser communications has utilisation.” says Rainer Kirchhartz, Head a n d c o m p a n i e s several advantages over radio, including of DLR's Mobile Rocket Base. participating and operating in space. significantly faster data rates and hack- proof data transfer. It's the next- generation of space communications, Comtech WA to host space and it's likely to be how we'll see high communications station definition footage of the first woman Telecommunications Corp. to walk on the Moon.” He noted that WA's Receives $1.7 Million in An optical communications station ground station would help launch Orders from Government capable of receiving high-speed data Australia's space communications transmissions from space is set to be built capacity, stating, “This will cement Entity in Asia in Western Australia and will be installed Australia's position as a leader in optical by The University of Western Australia. data transmission, and position the omtech EF Data Corp., received an The advanced communications ground nation to tap into the multi-billion-dollar aggregate of $1.7 million in orders for Up station will be able to receive data from space communications market.” and Down Frequency Converters and Low spacecraft anywhere between LEO and Noise Amplifiers (“LNAs”) from a large the surface of the Moon. It has the German Aerospace Centre, government entity in Asia. After a potential to support ground-breaking DLR, sign a Cooperation competitive request for proposal process space projects, including NASA's Artemis and vendor evaluation, the government mission to land the first woman and next Agreement with Australia's entity selected Comtech EF Data's man on the Moon by 2024. Southern Launch Frequency Converters and LNAs to support a significant network upgrade. This is a joint initiative of UWA's Building on the MOU that was previously T h e Astrophotonics Group, which is part of the signed between DLR – Space Comtech equipment will replace a mix of International Centre for Radio Astronomy Operations and Astronaut Training and vendors' installed equipment. The Research (ICRAR), as well as the ARC Southern Launch on 26 March 2020, the enhanced network infrastructure will Centre of Excellence for Engineered organisations have now signed a support critical voice, data, and video Quantum Systems (EQUS) and UK Cooperation Agreement further applications, as well as inter-branch office industry partner Goonhilly Earth Station. enhancing the relationship. c o m m u n i c a t i o n s . The ground station was launched to The Cooperation Agreement aims to Comtech EF Data has developed and coincide with the International implement joint civilian research manufactured an extensive line-up of Astronautical Congress. It will be part of a activities in the field of suborbital and Frequency Conversion and Amplifier larger Australasian optical ground station orbital space launch, especially in the solutions for over 25 years, with L-, C-, X-, network, led by the Australian National field of reusable launch vehicles (RLV). Ku- and Ka-Band offerings. The indoor University, and with partners in South Working together on such activities is a and outdoor products are field-proven, Australia, and New Zealand. major step towards further developing cost-effective and provide the reliability The station will use make use of a 0.7 Southern Launch's capabilities and and performance needed to support fixed meter observatory-grade optical launch sites to conduct safe and and mobile/transportable applications for

32 IN THE NEWS ASIA

commercial and government customers. with A1 Telekom Austria Group on was a material strength testing by The industry-leading Frequency APSTAR 7 allows us to accelerate the simulating a special projectile with the Converters feature high gain and low d i s t r i b u t i o n o f t h e speed equivalent compared to the speed phase noise performance along with a TRACE channels across a wide Asia of space debris. With the speed over 1,100 patented Daisy Chain Redundancy Pacific region and enhance our presence m / s and finally be able to pass the level 3 system that fits within minimum rack in Europe,” said Laurent Dumeau, bullet protection standard in 2020. At the s p a c e . International CEO and Group Chief moment, mu Space is preparing to “I am pleased that Comtech was selected Commercial Officer at TRACE. construct a medium-sized factory in order to supply equipment for this government “Our A1 Wholesale Broadcasting team is to start building spaceships in 2021. network,” said Fred Kornberg, Chairman proud of this strategic partnership for the of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of technical distribution of TRACE Urban & Singapore startup zero error Comtech Telecommunications Corp. “This TRACE Sport channels in Asia. We are customer's decision to exclusively utilize pleased to provide technical services and systems (ZES) joins Airbus Comtech products is a testament to our support the distribution of this exciting Ventures portfolio demonstrated performance and quality.” music content in Europe and Asia. We are Airbus Ventures proudly announces its looking forward to achieving great latest investment in Zero Error Systems China launches new optical success together with TRACE”, said (ZES), a Singapore-based startup Elena Petrova, Head of Wholesale debuting “smart chip” technology powered remote-sensing satellite B r o a d c a s t i n g , A 1 to protect satellites from radiation damage. China successfully launched a new optical Telekom Austria Group. The S$2.5 million seed round will enable remote-sensing satellite from the the company to scale its operations, and southwestern Xichang Satellite Launch work with international customers to Center. The high-orbit optical remote- mu Space uncovered the plan of pushing Thai deploy its products into space, as well as sensing satellite, Gaofen-13, was sent into explore new applications, including self- orbit by a Long March-3B carrier rocket. technology into space driving vehicles with high levels of This satellite will serve economic industry autonomy. development by providing information “Pairing ZES proprietary technology with services. It will mainly be used for land mu Space revealed the space technology development plan after the press advanced consumer-grade electronics will surveys, crop yield estimations, enable highly intelligent and cost-effective environmental protection, weather conference of MoU signing between TOT and muSpace for advancement of technology that is built to resist radiation,” forecasting, and early warnings, as well as explained Dr. Shu Wei, ZES Founding disaster prevention and mitigation. The research and development in space industry. mu Space, led by Mr. James Chief Technology Officer. “As we embark launch was the 349th by the Long March on this journey, ZES is privileged to have rocket series Varayuth Yenbamroong, a space and satellite industry entrepreneur and Airbus Ventures invest in us. This engineer revealed another space partnership will enable and expedite the A1 Telekom Austria Group technology development plan, confirming proliferation of our products and and TRACE Global Inking the project to create the HTS (High technologies into the Airbus Ventures New Strategic Partnership in Throughput Satellite). More than 40% of ecosystem and beyond.” the materials inside the satellites are Developed at Singapore's Nanyang Asia and Europe manufactured by mu Space and by Technological University, ZES's novel domestic manufacturers using Thai design, with the capability to detect The music & lifestyle media house, technology. harmful heavy-ion radiation, has already TRACE, has chosen A1 Telekom Austria This satellite is expected to launch by been installed in three pico-satellites built Group to be its main technical distribution 2024, another ambitious goal of mu by the Kyushu Institute of Technology in and contribution provider in the Asian Space is to become Thailand's first Japan. market. A1 Telekom Austria Group will foreign satellite service provider, when an “We at Airbus Ventures are proud to team deliver the high quality TV channels Open Skies policy occurs. The arrival of with ZES on the cusp of a new era for TRACE Urban and TRACE Sport Stars to the low-orbit earth satellite or LEO space electronics and autonomous cable and IPTV operators within the wide satellite will be extremely beneficial and vehicles,” Mathieu Costes, Airbus footprint of the APSTAR-7 satellite at 76.5° important for future communications Ventures Partner noted. “Our ZES East. Both channels are available in HD systems. And it is also regarded as investment, Airbus Ventures' second in quality for its viewers in Asia Pacific, upgrading Thailand's communication Singapore, signifies a deepening Australia and partially Africa. A1 Telekom technology to be effective in order to convergence of entrepreneurial research Austria Group is also going to include the compete with other countries. In order to and venture pioneers in the region, music channels in some of its subsidiaries support new technologies such as 5G, drawing together new networks as we in Europe. Cloud storage, Online transactions, as actively expand our presence in the Asia A1 Telekom Austria Group provides end- well as security in doing business to be Pacific.” to-end technical broadcasting services to more complete, which makes mu Space a This announcement comes on the heels of numerous TV channels & pay TV new alternative for Thai people, which Airbus Ventures unveiling its milestone operators in the European, Asian and the can develop a working model in new partnership with the Development Bank of U.S. markets directly from its teleport d i r e c t i o n s . A b l e t o m e e t t h e Japan Inc. (DBJ), Mitsubishi UFJ Lease & Aflenz, located in Austria. TRACE TV needs of the group of customers Finance Company Limited (Mitsubishi UFJ channels are distributed in 162 countries thoroughly while helping to make signal Lease) and Fuyo General Lease Co., Ltd. via 220 carriage deals with leading cable, transmission more efficient and (FGL) to invest in Airbus Ventures Fund III satellite, DSL, mobile and OTT operators accessible to various areas. LP, representing a joint and still-expanding and are available on 27 satellites. mission to support early-stage businesses “We are excited about this new step for For the part of development, mu Space in their ascent from the ground to deep TRACE Urban and TRACE Sport Star in has begun testing the materials which are space. Asia and Europe. Our new partnership suitable for constructing. In August, there 33 IN THE NEWS AMERICAS

SpaceX's Starlink satellite would normally effect our day-to-day “SpaceX provided seven terminals for activities,” said Scott Bryce, Vessel our agency to use for free, where we saw broadband service nears Manager, V.Ships Offshore. “The the most need,” the state's Emergency public beta service plan flexibility has also given us Management Department told PCMag. the ability to move up and down plans Other Starlink terminals are supplying SpaceX CEO Elon Musk says the when needed, to support our changing emergency broadband around Bonney company is close to public beta testing on bandwidth demands, and there are no Lake, Washington, where some local its Starlink satellite broadband service hidden admin fees to worry about.” residents were also forced to evacuate after the launch of 60 additional satellites The expansion of the Fleet LTE service due to the wildfires. aboard a Falcon 9 booster. “We will be means customers in both the North Sea able to roll out a fairly wide public beta and Gulf of Mexico can access high “The terminals are being used for free [service] in northern US and hopefully speed 4G, Fleet Xpress maritime VSAT public Wi-Fi, but we also used them for southern Canada,” he tweeted. “Other Ka-band and continuous L-band incident command vehicles out at the countries to follow as soon as we receive connectivity within a single, fully Bonney Lake, WA wildfire,” the regulatory approval.” managed hybrid package. department added. “SpaceX has not The satellites launched this week will first “The trial success with V.Ships Offshore given us a timetable on when they need need time to reach their operational supported by our partner One Net, is a the equipment back. They've been locations. Smallsat News reports: real proof point for Fleet LTE and we are pretty generous.” Normally it would take about 2-3 weeks excited about the evolution of the The department declined to answer following launch to place a flight of service into the Gulf of Mexico, to questions about the speed and latency satellites into their designated positions. support the recovery of the offshore rates for the emergency internet, and Musk's SpaceX rockets have launched sector and expansion into other regions instead told PCMag to ask SpaceX. But around 775 satellites into orbit and is and sectors in the future,” said Eric according to CNBC, the latency rates expected to place another 60 into orbit Griffin, vice president Offshore & have been reaching about 30 before the end of October. However, a Fishing, Inmarsat Maritime. milliseconds, which is on par with batch of satellites launched in May 2019 Inmarsat Fleet LTE is available in a ground-based internet. have been deliberately de-orbited. range of service bands that deliver data “I have never set up any tactical satellite SpaceX has yet to give a reason for the de- speeds of up to 40 Mbps with round trip equipment that has been as quick to set orbiting. Spaceflight analyst Jonathan delay of around 35-40ms. However, up, and anywhere near as reliable,” McDowell says that 39 satellites were de- when LTE is not available, services Washington State Military Department's orbited from that May 2019 launch. automatically switch over to Ka-band IT division head Richard Hall told CNBC Fleet Xpress committed information in an interview. Inmarsat extends Fleet LTE rates, with continuous back-up from L- band FleetBroadband. SpaceX didn't immediately respond to a coverage to offshore Gulf of “Inmarsat is a leader in a market that has request for comment. But CEO Elon Mexico vessels significant untapped potential for Musk responded to Washington's Inmarsat is extending its 'three-in-one' Tampnet's premium LTE services, and emergency management department in Fleet LTE coverage for offshore service we are really pleased to extend our a tweet: “Glad SpaceX could help! We vessels to the Gulf of Mexico, following agreement to the Gulf of Mexico based are prioritizing emergency responders successful trials with V.Ships Offshore in on the success of the trials,” said and locations with no internet the North Sea area. Tampnet CEO, Per Helge Svensson. connectivity at all," he wrote. In conjunction with Inmarsat's service provider One Net, the North Sea trials SpaceX provides satellite Earlier this month, SpaceX revealed that were undertaken with ship management Starlink is currently capable of delivering company V.Ships Offshore at the internet service to towns 100Mbps download speeds using beginning of 2020, delivering hybrid hit by wildfires around 700 satellites. However, the connectivity via 4G cellular plus satellite Residents in Washington State company plans on one day achieving coverage on VSAT Ka-band and L-band, recovering from the wildfires are 1Gbps internet speeds by launching without the complication of dual billing or remaining online, thanks to SpaceX's thousands of more satellites into space the risk of disconnection. V.Ships satellite broadband network. The with the goal of supplying fast Offshore, based in Aberdeen, covers ship company's Starlink system has been broadband across the globe. management and technical services, as supplying the emergency internet to In the meantime, the company is well as crew management and residents in Malden, a town of about 200 preparing to launch a public beta for recruitment. people, where an estimated 80 percent Starlink later this year, likely for The new Gulf of Mexico coverage of the homes have been destroyed by residents in northern US and Canada. extension adds to the existing agreement the wildfires. SpaceX then plans on expanding the already in place with subsea fibre and Last month, Washington's Emergency coverage to most of the world by offshore LTE network operator, Tampnet, Management Department tweeted a sometime in 2021. However, one of the following the Fleet LTE North Sea service photo of a Starlink satellite terminal current challenges facing the company launch in November 2019. acting as a public Wi-Fi hotspot. is launching the satellites on schedule to “We've been thoroughly impressed with “Malden, WA is an area where fiber and power the broadband system. On the stability and quality of Fleet LTE most of the town burned down. Without Monday, SpaceX had to delay sending service throughout the trial and the this equipment, it would have been up another batch of 60 satellites due to automatic and seamless switching much harder for folks to get internet in poor weather. between networks, which has removed that area,” the department added in a the risk of any disconnection in service that follow-up tweet.

36 IN THE NEWS AMERICAS

SpaceX launches satellites probably be produced associated to Earth errors within the bodily mannequin's to improve global internet remark, to house visitors administration, predictions. SSA combines the 2 fashions to house situational consciousness,” IBM and adjusts the bodily mannequin's SpaceX launched a new batch of satellites wrote in a weblog submit. prediction in accordance with the into orbit to provide wider internet services anticipated error. around the world. "Falcon 9 launches 60 Kubesat “The modeling and affect prediction of Starlink satellites to orbit, completing IBM describes KubeSat as a “cognitive” anthropogenic house objects is a defining SpaceX's 43rd flight of a previously flown suite designed to simulate orbital downside of the 'house 2.zero age,'” IBM rocket booster," the company said on mechanics for objects through Orekit, a continued. “By open-sourcing a full Twitter about its critical project after it was low-level house dynamics library written pipeline for making orbital predictions and delayed for two weeks because of weather in Java. KubeSat makes use of viewing the outcomes, now you can be conditions. calculations to position restrictions on part of our mission to resolve the 'house The launch at 7.29 a.m. EDT (1129 GMT) communications between satellites, floor junk' downside.” from Cape Canaveral, Florida, marked the sensors, and extra whereas incorporating thirteenth batch of Starlink satellites. It was NATS messaging providers, optimizing SpaceX's seventeenth mission since the communications through machine Comtech achieves key ISO beginning of 2020, and the 94th flight for studying, and publishing them to a 9001:2015 re-certification dashboard. (NATS is a high-performance Falcon 9 reusable launch vehicle. Starlink for location technologies is a satellite internet project constructed by messaging system that acts as a SpaceX to provide better global internet distributed messaging queue.) IBM says access services. KubeSat can be utilized to simulate how Comtech Telecommunications Corp., a "With performance that far surpasses that dice satellites kind clusters and work world leader in secure and highly reliable of traditional satellite internet, and a global together with issues like floor stations. location, public safety, navigation, and n e t w o r k u n b o u n d e d b y g r o u n d KubeSat's structure allows customers to communication technologies, announced infrastructure limitations, Starlink will swap in AI fashions for particular use that its Location Technologies group, a deliver high-speed broadband internet to instances. Communications between division of Comtech's Commercial locations where access has been satellite tv for pc swarms will be Solutions segment, has obtained re- unreliable, expensive, or completely autonomous, permitting swarms to certification of its ISO 9001:2015 unavailable," according to a statement on combine or separate as wanted. designation. The ISO 9001 standard Starlink website. While Starlink aims to Alongside KubeSat, IBM is open-sourcing certification is used by organizations to start service in the northern US and the app code for Orekit, which it demonstrate their ability to consistently Canada in 2020, it is expected to achieve developed with undergraduate college provide products and services that meet near-global coverage by 2021. students at Stanford College. Orekit's customer and regulatory requirements extensions assist simulate the satellite-to- and to exhibit continuous improvement. satellite, satellite-to-ground station, and IBM open-sources AI for satellite tv for pc to floor sensor The certification is a key indicator of optimizing satellite communications over a meshed NATS Comtech's dedication to Quality messaging platform, optionally with a Management Systems (QMS). The communications custom-designed visualization layer. standard is based on a number of quality management principles including a strong IBM in the present day introduced two new House Situational customer focus, the motivation and open supply initiatives that purpose to Consciousness (SSA) implication of top management, the resolve the technical challenges round process approach and continual The SSA System open-sourced in the dice satellites, a kind of miniaturized improvement. To meet ISO standards, a present day was developed collectively satellite tv for pc for house analysis, and company must demonstrate that its with College of Texas, Austin professor Dr. house situational consciousness. Each processes are tailored to performance Moriba Jah. Leveraging AI strategies to had been constructed by the corporate's improvement organization-wide. The establish when bodily fashions incorrectly House Tech Hub staff and can be found as designation requires re-certification every predict an object's future location, SSA containerized deployments on IBM's Red three years to maintain ISO 9001 status. hat OpenShift platform.. avoids the pitfall of getting to craft a mannequin to foretell all of the orbital The House Tech Hub staff, led by IBM “This ISO 9001 re-certification is a dynamics of an object. distinguished engineer and house tech reflection of Comtech's commitment to It's estimated that tens of 1000's of CTO NaeemAltaf, usually collaborates continuous improvement and optimal human-constructed objects orbit the with state businesses, universities, and efficiency,” said Fred Kornberg, Chairman Earth, touring at speeds in extra of house expertise corporations to pioneer of the Board and Chief Executive Officer e i g h t , 0 0 0 m e t e r s p e r s e c o n d . options for spacecraft and satellites. Right of Comtech Telecommunications Corp. Problematically, location information this moment the staff unveiled KubeSat, “Successfully completing the rigorous about these objects tends to be rare and an autonomous framework designed for certification process demonstrates noisy, and phenomena like house climate small satellites that helps the optimization Comtech's pledge to deliver consistent and atmospheric density have an effect on of communications. Additionally they and effective services to our customers their trajectories in unpredictable unveiled the House Situational and internally improve operational methods. Consciousness (SSA) system, which results.” relies on a set of algorithms that decide the SSA sources information from america Strategic Command to coach baseline AI place human-constructed objects orbiting M a r i n e Tr a f f i c e x t e n d s the Earth are positioned and may drift to fashions. For many objects in low-Earth sooner or later. orbit, the dataset is up to date about as partnership with ORBCOMM “Our staff is dedicated to advancing the soon as per day, IBM says. A physics- for satellite AIS data b a s e d m a n n e q u i n i n i t i a t i v e s way forward for house innovation. With the ORBCOMM Inc., a global provider of perturbations in an object's orbit proliferation of satellites of all sizes in Internet of Things (IoT) solutions, attributable to the Earth, whereas a decrease Earth orbit in house, announced that MarineTraffic, a leading machine studying mannequin anticipates monumental quantities of information will maritime information service, has

37 IN THE NEWS AMERICAS

extended their contract through the end of missions within the next year. In developments in real time, which is a 2023 for ORBCOMM's satellite Automatic addition, ORBCOMM is working with vital step towards expanding our Identification System (AIS) data used for AAC Clyde Space and Saab to develop understanding of space science. We ship tracking and other maritime a next-generation, space-based VHF believe there is significant value in navigational and safety efforts. Data Exchange System (VDES) conducting scientific experiments on satellite, expected to launch in 2022, suborbital flights and we look forward to MarineTraffic, which has been an which will revolutionize maritime expanding our capabilities in ORBCOMM partner since 2013, uses communications by providing more partnership with NASA's Flight ORBCOMM's satellite AIS data to track extensive global coverage, increased Opportunities Tech Flights program.” real-time and historical movements of ships bandwidth and enhanced versatility. as well as their arrivals and departures in harbors and ports around the world. Marlink maritime global MarineTraffic combines ORBCOMM's SwRI planetary scientist service network hits more comprehensive AIS data with positional to fly with NASA-funded than 100 shipping hubs data from their extensive network of land- research aboard based receiving stations to provide actionable maritime intelligence solutions commercial space flight Marlink, the industry's leading provider and improve the maritime ecosystem. By of smart managed network solutions, leveraging ORBCOMM's reliable, high- A Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) has hit two customer milestones, performance AIS service, MarineTraffic planetary scientist has been chosen to extending its global Installation Quality helps their government and commercial be among the first group to conduct Assurance Program (iQAP) to more customers enable maritime domain NASA-funded science experiments than 260 trained personnel in more than awareness, search and rescue, while flying aboard a commercial 100 ports and connecting a record environmental monitoring and maritime spacecraft, the space agency number of vessels in a single month. intelligence applications. In addition, announced. MarineTraffic will explore ORBCOMM's Dr. Alan Stern, planetary scientist and Marlink has trained and certified other monitoring solutions as part of their associate vice president of SwRI's personnel able to perform the complete efforts to expand their offering for the Space Science and Engineering range of installation, support and shipping industry and provide complete Division, will fly aboard the Virgin maintenance in the 100 busiest ports, a supply-chain visibility. Galactic commercial spacecraft called process that has proved vital during the “SpaceShipTwo” on a yet unscheduled COVID pandemic “We are excited to continue supporting suborbital mission from the Spaceport Marlink already provides the well- MarineTraffic's efforts to improve the America launch site in New Mexico. established hardware service and overall maritime ecosystem by harnessing “This is the first selection of a private- support network in 1,250 locations for the power of ORBCOMM's satellite AIS sector researcher to fly with NASA spare parts and repair. In order to technology,” said Greg Flessate, funding on commercial vehicles,” Stern provide additional value for ship ORBCOMM's Senior Vice President and said. He called the development a operators, Marlink has trained and General Manager, Government and AIS. “potential sea change” in NASA-funded certified personnel able to perform the “As we collaborate on the next phase of our space research, opening the door to complete range of installation, support partnership, MarineTraffic will be able to much more extensive experimentation and maintenance in the 100 busiest leverage ORBCOMM's industry-leading in space by researchers. The NASA ports, a process that has proved vital IoT solutions to enhance the end-to-end selection made today builds on SwRI's during the COVID pandemic. view of the global supply chain.” long history of work and internal Marlink'siQAP program was created to “We are delighted to extend our long- research funding to capitalize on the provide a uniform level of high quality standing relationship with ORBCOMM for new generation of commercial managed services within the busiest another three years,” said Demitris Memos, suborbital vehicles like SpaceShipTwo. ports of calls supported by Marlink's MarineTraffic's Chief Executive Officer. “Our commercial suborbital space flight global backbone network and smart “MarineTraffic takes great pride in the program dates back almost a decade,” systems for operations, service collaboration with ORBCOMM and said SwRI President and CEO Adam L. coordination, procurement, equipment especially appreciates the reliability of Hamilton, P.E. “To see the results of and logistics fulfilment. ORBCOMM's satellite AIS service, which is SwRI's internal research efforts lead to Demand for smart network solutions respected across the industry. We look historic SwRI-tended suborbital has continued to rise in the shipping forward to working with ORBCOMM as we experiments is very exciting!” industry since the start of the COVID-19 continue to provide our global customers In 2020, NASA updated the Flight pandemic. In response Marlink has with digital maritime solutions that improve Opportunities Tech Flights solicitation in increased the provision of online service visibility, safety, compliance and part to allow “human-tended” training to its partners, enabling them to operational efficiency at sea.” experiments on board commercial attend customer vessels with the spacecraft. required knowledge about all aspects of ORBCOMM's pioneering satellite AIS data “We are proud to be working with NASA a Marlink VSAT installation. s e r v i c e h a s p r o v i d e d t h e m o s t and the Southwest Research Institute to With ships increasingly operating for comprehensive and reliable global fly Dr. Alan Stern on our SpaceShipTwo longer periods, the need for coverage in the market over the last vehicle from Spaceport America,” said maintenance of critical systems, the decade. ORBCOMM continues to advance Michael Colglazier, Chief Executive supply of navigation and other its AIS business by enhancing its satellite Officer of Virgin Galactic. “It will be operational data and the provision of AIS service with two new, next-generation Alan's first time flying to space and we crew connectivity have all increased AIS CubeSats, which are expected to are excited to be involved in such an sharply. In July, Marlink completed 139 expand coverage of ORBCOMM's important milestone. Human-tended new system installations via the iQAP, a constellation, increase visibility to smaller research onboard SpaceShipTwo record for a single month. Class B ships and extend its polar footprint enables scientists to engage actively The program is delivered by Marlink's with launches planned on separate with their experiments, responding to service technicians or by partners who have been trained and certified by

38 IN THE NEWS AMERICAS

Marlink to deliver the required quality of Requirements Review (SRR). Northrop streams. Such broadcasts can be sent to an service. This level of service provision is Grumman's multifunction software will audience of 100+ million viewers. unique among maritime connectivity become foundational building blocks for Customers can also sign up for ultra-low providers, allowing for a flexible the next generation of multifunction latency streaming. It's a premium platform presence that can respond to local radio frequency (RF) systems. service that uses WebRTC technology to COVID-19 restrictions while working to a Aether Spy advances multifunction minimize the video stream delivery time to 1 global standard. This has also included wideband digital Active Electronically second. remotely assisted installations to ensure Scanned Array (AESA) technology By using the G-Core Labs streaming ship operators business continuity. b a s e d o n t h e a d v a n c e d platform, you can quickly establish a full- “At a time when access to spare parts microelectronics created on the DARPA fledged online broadcast of a TV channel and service is still restricted, the iQAP Arrays on Commercial Timescales from scratch or launch an online cinema initiative differentiates our services and (ACT) program. It will develop the next that airs films, series, sports matches, has been a driver for selecting Marlink as generation of integrated circuits that TV/radio shows, poker tournaments, rock a partner by shipowners and vendors,” include additional processing and key concerts, marketing videos and personal says Tore Morten Olsen, President, design features that enable the video blogs. Everything can be set up from Maritime, Marlink. “This focus on the Department of Defense trusted your personal account or via API. Marlink customer journey means they microelectronics strategy. The Customers don't need their own can stay connected for business advanced devices will be fabricated and transcoding servers, CDNs or broadcasting advantage, keep crew in touch with integrated into an advanced digital engineers. home and also know they are sailing AESA to demonstrate a multifunction “G-Core Labs has been developing its video safely and in regulatory compliance.” system capable of simultaneously streaming business since 2018. With the p e r f o r m i n g m u l t i p l e s e n s i n g , new streaming platform that replaces the New Shepard successfully communication and electronic warfare previous version of the product, we focus on functions. three core features that are important to our completes mission with “We look forward to demonstrating how customers. The first is to ensure the lowest NASA precision lunar the advanced digital AESA technology latency in video delivery. Compared to the landing technology enables unmatched system agility that previous version of the platform, we have will meet the challenging mission reduced the latency from 10 to 1–4 onboard requirements of advanced platforms,” seconds, which is almost 10 times less for Blue Origin successfully completed the said William Phillips, director, ultra-low-latency streaming and 2.5 times 13th New Shepard mission to space and multifunction systems, Northrop less for low-latency. This is a big step back, and the 7th consecutive flight for Grumman. "The advanced integrated forward. We use advanced technology to this particular vehicle, a record. Catch circuits, digital AESA architecture and minimize the video stream delivery time, the mission webcast replay on Blue multifunction software developed on such as Chunked CMAF, HTTP CTE, Low Origin's YouTube page Aether Spy will become foundational Latency HLS, WebRTC, SRT and Low New Shepard landing on the pad in West building blocks for the next generation of Latency CDN”, - says Alexey Petrovskikh, Texas on October 13, 2020, with the multifunction radio frequency (RF) head of G-Core Labs streaming platform NASA Lunar Landing Sensor Demo systems supporting the future mission department. - “Another important feature is onboard. needs of the DoD.” providing streamlined support for all stages There were 12 payloads onboard “This transition of digital AESA of broadcasting from capturing and including the Deorbit, Descent, and technology aligns well with the Air converting a video stream to its playback. Landing Sensor Demonstration under Force's digital engineering initiatives,” Our streaming platform provides all the the NASA Tipping Point partnership. The said Thomas Dalrymple, technical tools you need, including transcoding, cloud lunar landing sensor demo was the first advisor for Sensor Subsystems at the storage, a content delivery network, and a payload to be mounted on the exterior of AFRL Sensors Directorate. “Aether Spy cross-platform HTML5 player.” a New Shepard booster and tested will enable significant improvements in According to Alexey Petrovskikh, another technology designed to achieve high surveillance and battle management important function of the streaming platform accuracy landing. This will enable long- missions in the future battlespace. The is reliable content protection against term lunar exploration, as well as future multifunction aspects are enabled by copying. To protect live broadcasts, DVRs Mars missions. b o t h s o f t w a r e a n d h a r d w a r e and VODs, G-Core Labs uses various tools “Recent flight was inspiring. Using New reprogrammability that will ensure this f o r a n t i - c o p y i n g a n d r e s t r i c t i n g Shepard to simulate landing on the Moon sensor will have operational impact for unauthorized access. Streaming is possible is an exciting precursor to what the years to come.” only through the customer's resources Artemis program will bring to America,” (AES 128/256, Tokenization). The highest said Bob Smith, CEO, Blue Origin. G-Core Labs introduces a level of protection—DRM—is also “Thanks to NASA for partnering with us, supported. and congrats to the Blue Origin team on streaming platform that An important feature of the streaming taking another step toward returning to streams video anywhere in platform is its integration with the G-Core the Moon to stay.” the world within 1 second Labs CDN, one of the fastest and most G-Core Labs, an international provider powerful in the world, according to the Northrop Grumman's next of cloud and edge solutions, has Guinness World Records. The network generation digital antenna unveiled its own streaming platform—a infrastructure, which G-Core Labs has been passes key milestone unique turnkey solution for live video creating for almost 10 years, is represented and video-on-demand streaming that on all continents and includes more than Northrop Grumman Corporation is 100 points of presence in 65 cities around moving into the design phase of the Air you can use to deliver video content to anywhere in the world in Full HD and 4K the world, and it is located as close as Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) possible to the final audience, which has a A e t h e r S p y n e x t - g e n e r a t i o n quality to any device. By default, the platform provides video transmission positive effect on minimizing delays in live multifunction radar program after broadcasts and VOD delivery. successfully completing the System with a delay of up to 4 seconds for all

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“We know it's not easy to find a reliable safe, inert liquid propellant with a simple in production, SFL personnel provided vendor. And it takes even more time and mechanical design with few moving parts training and technicalsupport to Kepler in effort to find several vendors and make to create a propulsion system that is low- creating the manufacturing workflow them work together to achieve a certain cost, compact, low pressure, and has less capable of assembling and integrating the goal. Therefore, a multifunctional than 50% of the power draw of other additional satellites ata 5,000-square-foot streaming platform based on a powerful propulsion technologies. The compact facility adjacent to Kepler headquarters in CDN is a great find for any customer”, - design and low power draw of the TILE Toronto. says head of G-Core Labs streaming system allows satellite bus manufacturers platform department. to allocate more satellite volume and ZIPAIR selects Panasonic power to revenue generating payloads. Accion Systems to Due to the simple system design, TILE Avionics for inflight demonstrate its propulsion propulsion systems have shorter lead connectivity system in NanoAvionics times and are very cost competitive – ZIPAIR, the new Japanese middle-long ideal for smaller constellations through haul carrier, has selected Panasonic US rideshare mission mass manufacturing. TILE's modular Avionics Corporation to provide inflight NanoAvionics, a multinational design can be flexibly configured to meet connectivity (IFC) solutions for its Boeing nanosatellite bus manufacturer and various mission needs, mounting on 787-8 aircraft. ZIPAIR's B787s will be mission integrator, has signed a almost any surface of the spacecraft, and fitted with Panasonic's inflight Wi-Fi contract with US-company Accion easily and seamlessly integrated with service. Panasonic's next generation Systems to host their propulsion existing mission control software. connectivity enables a host of connectivity system, TILE 3, on-board its new benefits, from fast internet to video rideshare mission for a demonstration Space Flight Laboratory streaming, all powered by its new satellite flight in 2021. Accion Systems procured (SFL) announces launch of modem featuring bandwidth up to twenty this flight as the culmination of an times greater than previously available. ongoing US government sponsored two satellites The announcement marks the beginning propulsion program. The nanosatellite Flight Laboratory (SFL), a developer of 52 of Panasonic's relationship with ZIPAIR, for the rideshare mission is based on distinct small satellites over 22 years, has the new Japanese low-cost carrier which NanoAvionics flight-proven M6P bus announced the launch of the Kepler-4 and is a 100% subsidiary of Japan Airlines. and will include several customer Kepler-5 CubeSats. These two satellites, Shingo Nishida, President of ZIPAIR, payloads that can fit the 4U payload benefit fromthe extensive flight heritage said: “By making the most of inflight Wi-Fi volume. The rideshare mission is the possessed by SFL. Additionally, SFL services provided by Panasonic Avionics, fourth in a series of NanoAvionics played an instrumental role in the we hope to become an airline that gives rideshare missions and will be arranged development of theproduction workflow at customers the freedom to spend time on by NanoAvionics US. The expected Kepler that will enable Kepler to produce the plane in their own personal way and launch will be during the last half of additional satellites to deliver the GEN1 that makes flight time feel short.” Ken 2021. constellation. Sain, Chief Executive Officer of As part of the rideshare mission, “The successful development and launch Panasonic Avionics Corporation, said: NanoAvionics will take care of all of the Kepler-4 and -5 communications “We're thrilled to be partnering with aspects related to the satellite mission satellites mark a new chapter in ZIPAIR to enhance their passenger from payload integration, performance thecollaboration between microspace experience with our world-class inflight testing and spacecraft registration to and newspace organizations,” said SFL connectivity. Our advanced inflight launch and logistics, frequencies Director Dr. Robert E. Zee. “For its solutions will help ZIPAIR drive brand allocation, spacecraft commissioning newspaceendeavor, Kepler has utilized loyalty, encouraging their passengers to and payload on-orbit operations. our two decades of microspace design return time and again.” ZIPAIR was Previous rideshare missions included and development expertise and then established in 2018. It is a low-cost carrier payloads by Lacuna Space, Blink-Astro leveraged this forcost-effective in-house and is due to operate medium to long-haul (SpaceWorks Orbital subsidiary) and mass production.” international flights. It currently operates a others. The two 6U-XL CubeSats were launched fleet consisting of two Boeing 787-8s, “Accion Systems' TILE 3 is a September 28, 2020, aboard a Soyuz- transferred from its parent's fleet. revolutionary propulsion technology Fregat launch vehicle from the and NanoAvionics is looking forward to PlesetskCosmodrome in Russia. Within putting it through its paces in orbit,” said hours of launch, both satellites were in Northrop Grumman and F. Brent Abbott, CEO of NanoAvionics communication with Kepler ground US. “When flight proven, the TILE 3 control andwere functioning as planned. N A S A c o m p l e t e system will make a great additional “Leveraging SFL's experience we have a environmental testing on the propulsion option to the NanoAvionics high degree of confidence in the J a m e s W e b b S p a c e line of satellite buses”. performance of these satellites. This will “Rideshare missions drastically reduce pavethe way towards our GEN1 Telescope mission cost, making them ideal for constellation and future spacecraft in our Northrop Grumman Corporation and technology validation in space. Accion's network," said Director of Space Systems, NASA have completed environmental TILE 3 will be flying on our flagship M6P JaredBottoms. testing on the James Webb Space satellite bus, which NanoAvionics offers Kepler-4 and -5 are the first service- Telescope. For the first time ever, testing to the market along with a full range of f o c u s e d C u b e S a t s i n K e p l e r teams at Northrop Grumman in Redondo nanosatellite buses up to 16U in size.” Communications' constellation that will Beach, California carefully lifted the fully The TILE propulsion system is uniquely ultimately include 140 satellites. SFL assembled James Webb Space superior to conventional electric developed Kepler-4 in concert with Telescope in order to prepare it for propulsion, pioneering ionic liquid Kepler, which is based on SFL's new transport to nearby acoustic and sine- electrospray for commercial propulsion SPARTAN 6U-XL CubeSat design, with vibration testing facilities. activities. TILE combines the use of a mass production in mind. As Kepler-4 was The environmental testing demonstrated IN THE NEWS AMERICAS

Webb's ability to withstand harsh cancelled. Some of Ulysses' principal findings environmental characteristics during its In a joint statement, Fred Kornberg, showed that there is a weakening of the upcoming rocket launch and journey to Comtech's Chairman and Chief solar wind over time (which was at a 50- reach its orbit at the second Sun-Earth Executive Officer, and DovBaharav, year low in 2008) and that the solar Lagrange point (L2), approximately one Chairman of the Board of Gilat, said magnetic field at the poles is much million miles away from Earth. “While we both believed from the weaker than previously estimated. They "The completion of environmental testing is outset that the merger of these two also found that the Sun's magnetic field a major step forward in our preparations for great companies was a perfect 'reverses' direction every 11 years, and Webb's historic launch and a testament to marriage, the COVID-19 pandemic that small dust particles coming from the remarkable dedication of the team,” made the timing of the combination deep space into the solar system are 30 said Scott Willoughby, vice president and particularly challenging. We times more abundant than previously program manager, James Webb Space concluded, that under current thought. ​ Telescope, Northrop Grumman. conditions, the settlement is the best Three times during its mission, the Webb's environmental testing consisted of path forward for both companies and spacecraft unexpectedly passed through a series of rigorous acoustic and sine- their respective stakeholders.” comet tails and revealed that they are vibration tests spanning several weeks. much longer than predicted. Webb was first placed in Northrop Airbus celebrates 30th Far outliving its planned mission lifetime Grumman's acoustic testing chamber Ulysses became one of the most prolific where it underwent high frequency anniversary of the ESA- contributors to knowledge of the solar oscillating sound pressure levels above NASA “Ulysses” space activity cycle. On 30 June 2009, the 140 decibels to simulate the effects of adventure Ulysses mission ended after 6,842 days being launched on a rocket. The Thirty years ago, on 6 October 1990 (18 years 8 months 24 days) in orbit. . completion of the acoustic tests and the joint ESA-NASA spacecraft analysis validated that Webb's hardware, Ulysses was launched on board the Advantech Wireless science instruments, structure and US-Space Shuttle Discovery, Technologies release line of electronics can successfully survive the beginning its study of the Sun. Seven planned rocket launch in a simulated and a half hours after lifting-off from Ka-band SSPAs and BUCs environment. Cape Canaveral, Ulysses, which was for LEO/MEO satellite up- Following the completion of acoustic designed and built at what is today's link testing, Webb transitioned to a separate A i r b u s D e f e n c e a n d S p a c e chamber where it underwent a series of The new state-of-the-art Dual Band Ka Friedrichshafen (Germany) plant, Solid State Power Amplifiers (SSPAs) sine-vibration tests on a shaker table to was sent on its way into a heliocentric simulate vertical and horizontal and Block Up Converters (BUCs) from orbit via a special upper stage/PAM-S Advantech Wireless Technologies are accelerations in lower frequencies. The motor combination. The escape observatory was rigorously exposed to specifically engineered for LEO/MEO velocity of 15.4 kilometres per ground station applications. Based on vibration levels on the shaker that are well second, was the fastest velocity ever above the flight environment, exciting its Advantech's proprietary technology, this achieved by a human-made object at new series of amplifiers delivers features resonances to demonstrate its capability to the time. withstand the flight environment with that are sure to have a beneficial impact The Ulysses deep-space mission on both Cap-X and Op-X budgets and significant margins. was designed to study the The next series of major milestones for provide the highest availability through heliosphere - the region of space high MTBF and low MTTR. Webb will require NASA and Northrop influenced by the Sun and its Grumman engineers and technicians to T h e s e f e a t u r e s i n c l u d e : F i e l d magnetic field. The primary scientific serviceability, Low sparing costs and deploy the observatory's five-layered goal was to study the never-before- sunshield followed by wing deployments of Component-level diagnostics. Designed examined north and south poles of to serve as a solid state alternative to its primary mirror in order to fully verify the Sun. Other areas of investigation Webb's flight worthiness. Lastly, Webb will t r a d i t i o n a l t u b e b a s e d ( T W T ) included determination of the global technologies typically used in gateway undergo a full systems evaluation before it properties and behaviour of the solar begins preparations for its historic journey earth stations. For communications wind, the study of energetic particles purposes, all of the system elements to Kourou, French Guiana for its October of solar and interplanetary origin, 2021 launch communicate over Advantech's new measurement of the magnetic field of MicroManager (M²) M&C platform based the Sun and the heliosphere, galactic on the latest open CANBus protocol. Comtech cosmic rays, how the heliosphere Telecommunications Corp. interacts with interstellar space, and participation in a programme to NASA: 4G mobile network to and Gilat Satellite Networks identify the origin of gamma-ray be launched on moon Ltd. terminate merger bursts. agreement The spacecraft also performed a NASA has partnered with Nokia to build The merger termination and the settlement number of technical feats including the first-ever 4G mobile network on the agreement have been approved by each making an unprecedented gravity moon. This comes as major cell phone company's board of directors and are assist manoeuvre at Jupiter (1992) to carriers try to convince people to switch effective immediately. The settlement calls hurl itself out of the ecliptic plane, to 5G, which promises much faster for dismissal of the litigation, with prejudice. bringing it below the ecliptic plane, download speeds and lower latency. In The trial of the litigation which was past the solar South Pole and then a press release Nokia said: “The scheduled to begin today in Delaware above the ecliptic to fly over the North solution has been specially designed to Court of Chancery was accordingly Pole. It was the first spacecraft to fly withstand the harsh conditions of the out of the ecliptic plane. launch and lunar landing, and to IN THE NEWS AMERICAS

operate in the extreme conditions of Starlink launch the world fights back the effects of the space.” The company's U.S. industrial On Sunday, SpaceX successfully Covid-19 pandemic. The Grow Stronger research arm, Bell Labs, is offering up its completed its 14th Starlink launch with Google initiative will provide an equipment to NASA to help build out the mission, delivering a further 60 overall proactive ecosystem that will lunar network, with the aim of launching it satellites to orbit, bringing the total digitise businesses and help them cope in late 2022. Under its Artemis program, number of Starlink satellites launched up with the ever-changing dynamics of NASA plans to send astronauts to the to date to over 830. The number of the market. moon by 2024 — for the first time in five Starlink satellites currently in ordit may The region-wide programme is also a decades — followed by a “sustainable” be a bit lower, as media reports wide-ranged endeavour. With it, the US human presence by 2028. indicate that the company could have Internet giant aims to help a million de-orbited a small number of its people and businesses in the region Microsoft, SpaceX partner to earliest satellites. Following Sunday's learn digital skills and grow their target space customers launch, the booster rocket successfully organisations by the end of 2021; get landed on a drone ship off the Florida 150,000 UAE and Saudi businesses coast. SpaceX confirmed that public online; distribute $4 million in grants and MICROSOFT Corp is partnering with loans from Google.org; and dole out $9 billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk-led beta testing of the Starlink network will begin soon. Private tests of the service million in ad grants and credits for SpaceX and others as it expands its cloud- businesses and governments. In the computing platform into space, the have achieved download speeds of 100 Mbps with "super good latency" UAE, Google has pledged to focus on software giant said recently. The key sectors, particularly retail and partnership would allow Microsoft to capable of supporting the fastest online video games. tourism. connect its Azure cloud computing platform "This is our single largest commitment to to SpaceX's network of low-Earth orbiting date since we first started [in Mena] 13 satellites, offering the software company an FCC receives 386 years ago," Lino Cattaruzzi, Google's edge in its battle with the rival cloud applicants for Rural managing director for Mena, said in a platform from Jeff Bezos' Amazon.com Inc . Digital Opportunity Fund virtual roundtable. Cloud companies have seen a surge in "Google is here to help... accelerating demand this year as more businesses use The Federal Communications economies to create jobs faster. This is a their services for switching to work from first; we've never done it in the past." home due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Commission (FCC) has confirmed that 386 applicants are qualified to bid in its Google has been active in the region for Microsoft in recent months has tested its over a decade now. In 2018, it launched Azure cloud with satellites in space, and in Rural Digital Opportunity Fund Phase I auction (Auction 904). The number of Maharat min Google, a digital skills September unveiled its Azure Space training programme, which to date has venture, tapping into the demand for data- qualified bidders represents a more than 75% increase in the number of been completed by one million Arabic heavy space services. speakers in Mena. According to the Arab The services include "disaster prediction bidders in 2018's successful Connect America Fund Phase II auction and Monetary Fund, around six million jobs and tracking, increased visibility of supply are now at risk in the Arab world. A recent chains and economic activity, and many also includes bidding consortia that contain multiple service providers. survey from Robert Half showed that 70 others," the company has said in U.S. per cent of UAE employees are regulatory filings. "Where it makes sense, Successful bidders will compete to receive up to USD16 billion over ten reassessing their careers because of we will work with you, co-selling to our Covid-19 and the most in demand jobs mutual customers, co-selling to new years to provide broadband to wholly unserved areas, with priority given to require applied digital skills. enterprise and future customers, and Cattaruzzi says the programme would be basically bring the power of the Starlink bids for higher speeds (up to 1 Gbps) and lower latency. a good platform to keep the engines of connectivity to the Azure infrastructure," businesses and economies humming SpaceX president Gwynne Shotwell told While smaller regional telcos dominate the list, notable bidders include: Altice amid these unusually challenging times. Tom Keane, Microsoft's corporate vice "We don't know how long [the pandemic president of Azure Global, in a promotional U S A , A t l a n t i c B r o a d b a n d , CenturyLink, Cincinnati Bell, situation and its fallout] will last, but we video. want to help everyone recover faster," he SpaceX, known for its reusable rockets and Consolidated Communications, Cox Communications, DOCOMO Pacific, added. astronaut capsules, is ramping up satellite "We remain fundamentally optimistic production for Starlink, a growing Frontier Communications, Mediacom Communications, Midcontinent about the future of this region, and constellation of hundreds of internet- confident that working together with local beaming satellites that Musk hopes will Communications, US Cellular, Verizon Communications and Windstream. partners, we can boost recovery and generate enough revenue to help fund build on the rapid acceleration of tech SpaceX's interplanetary goals. Earlier this Bidding is scheduled to begin on Thursday 29 October 2020. adoption we've seen during the crisis." month, SpaceX won a $149 million contract Google has a number of pillars on which to build missile-tracking satellites for the the programme is built upon. Digital skills Pentagon, its first government contract to and mentorship, comprising general build satellites. Bezos, whose space Google starts digital digital skills that will focus on digital company Blue Origin is aiming for a debut engine to accelerate marketing training for over 300,000 launch of its New Glenn rocket in 2021, students and businesses in partnership plans to deploy a satellite constellation Mena's economic recovery with local organisations and authorities; rivaling SpaceX's Starlink dubbed Project Google has announced a major advanced skills, which will host virtual Kuiper, a proposed network of 3,236 programme to support companies in training for thousands of tech businesses satellites. the Middle East and North Africa, on cloud computing and train 400,000 which in turn would lead to an developers, with a focus on women, on SpaceX completes 14th accelerated recovery in economies as advanced digital skills covering topics IN THE NEWS AMERICAS

like UI software development kit Flutter Consortium adds required for an individual imaging and machine learning, 140,000 of which session - essentially a “software defined” will be from Saudi Arabia. hyperspectral and comms camera. To capture these hyperspectral It also includes mentorship, with the launch payloads to NanoAvionics' bands, the camera features a 16-meter of the Google for Startups Accelerator that rideshare named D- native ground sample distance (GSD) will accept applications for mentorship and and a hyperspectral resolution of 32 training, in which the first cohort of 15 2/AtlaCom-1 meters. Dragonfly Aerospace will also startups will be selected in November and provide an X-band data download will last for three months. Also, $1.1 million NanoAvionics, a leading nanosatellite ground station for the mission. The high- worth of Google.org financial grants to bus manufacturer and mission integrator, gain X-band antenna and transmitter to organisations like Mercy Corps, the Arab has revealed the remaining three send the data back to Earth, are products Tourism Organization and Youth Business payloads of its 'D-2/AtlaCom-1' rideshare of the consortium's partner CubeCom. International will be given to mentor mission hosted on board its M6P 6U "The team at Dragonfly Aerospace is businesses and entrepreneurs across the nanosatellite bus. The additional excited to be working with these great region. payloads, a camera for hyperspectral partners on this mission," said Bryan remote sensing, a new high-gain X-band Dean, CEO of Dragonfly Aerospace. “It "We want to have open communication to antenna and an upgraded X-Band fits very well with our plans to team up have fair opportunities for everyone," downlink transmitter, are all part of an with leading satellite bus and image Cattaruzzi added. Digitising businesses is international collaboration by an processing partners to provide also a primarty focus, with the launch of international consortium and its partners compelling solutions to end users. The Market Finder, a Google product that helps called “HyperActive”. Mantis imager is the latest addition to our local businesses grow to new markets and The consortium partners for this range of cost-effective hyperspectral acquire global customers. It will be international collaboration comprise imagers which also includes the available in the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Dragonfly Aerospace (South Africa), Chameleon imager that we delivered for Egypt. Free access to the Google Space JLTZ (Mexico) and NanoAvionics flight earlier this year.” Shopping tab will also be given to Mena US as a supplier to the consortium, as retailers in order to help them list their w e l l a s m i s s i o n c o n t r i b u t o r s Gilat Awarded $20 Million products and connect with more Polytechnical University of Atlacomulco customers regardless of whether they (Mexico), and CubeCom (South Africa). Cellular Backhaul Managed advertise with Google. Google also aims to Expected to launch in mid-2021, the Service Contract Renewal get 100,000 local businesses in Saudi primary aim of the HyperActive program and Expansion from Tier-1 Arabia online by listing them on Google My is a flight demonstration of the Business and training them on digital h y p e r s p e c t r a l i m a g i n g a n d MNO in the United States marketing, in partnership with Saudi Post, communication payloads. The secondary and another 50,000 local businesses in the aim is to evaluate market interest for Gilat Satellite Networks Ltd. announced UAE in partnership with the Dubai hyperspectral imaging data captured and that it was awarded a $20 Million cellular Chamber of Commerce and Industry. processed as part of the program. backhaul managed service three-year "As we work towards our new target of Within this collaboration, NanoAvionics contract renewal and expansion from a helping over 50,000 local companies grow will act as the supplier to the HyperActive Tier-1 MNO in the United States. With through Google My Business, we are consortium, taking care of all aspects this award, Gilat becomes the MNO's raising the bar even higher by leading and related to the satellite mission including sole vendor to provide the end-to-end involving business communities and among others payload integration, services for LTE backhauling and chambers across the UAE in this campaign performance testing, spacecraft disaster-recovery, while replacing and leveraging our strategic partnership registration and logistics, frequency existing satellite technologies. with Google to support businesses with allocation and payload on-orbit This significant contract expansion was digital marketing and training," Dubai operations. awarded to Gilat due to its proven Chamber president and CEO Hamad “This program shows how important managed service expertise and Buamim said. international collaboration can be to the unmatched LTE over satellite NewSpace sector and how it enables low technology. Gilat has also demonstrated "I am confident that we will achieve this barrier entry for space data businesses,” unparalleled capabilities in all three goal, foster smarter business practices said F. Brent Abbott, CEO of dimensions: technology, delivery and among SMEs and unlock new growth NanoAvionics US, “I'm very proud that operation. Gilat's superior technology o p p o r t u n i t i e s i n t h e U A E a n d NanoAvionics is part of this effort as well ensures the required user experience beyond."Additionally, the company will as stimulating education development and enables a smooth transition to 5G, offer access to more capital, with $3 million and contributing to global social benefits while the delivery and day-to-day in loans to support thousands of such as ocean and agricultural operational needs were met consistently underserved small businesses in monitoring. NanoAvionics also values its and professionally. partnership with Kiva, with $2 million going role as a strategic ally for space “We are delighted to have been selected to Egypt. "The generous support of development in Mexico.” by the US Tier-1 MNO for this major Google.org will allow Mercy Corps and A key instrument of the program is the three-year managed service contract MicroMentor to connect 7,500 small “Mantis imager”, a hyperspectral camera renewal and expansion, which is a business owners across the Middle East for remote sensing developed by testament to Gilat's strong service and North Africa to the world's largest Dragonfly Aerospace, based in capabilities in this area,” said Michal online mentoring community," added Anita Stellenbosch, South Africa. The Mantis Aharonov, Vice President Global Ramachandran, executive director of imager has an additional unique software Broadband Networks at Gilat. “I am MicroMentor. capability allowing it to combine any of the pleased that Gilat's managed service available 148 hyperspectral bands into strategy is materializing globally, customizable multispectral bands as securing important contracts with major customers around the world.” IN THE NEWS AMERICAS

Inmarsat and Hughes bring Atlantic or even to the most extreme anticipate and respond to the North inflight connectivity to northern latitudes. American market's evolving needs with Hughes. North America Expanding the service over the next four A major strategic collaboration with Game-changing years alone, the Hughes and Inmarsat Inmarsat and Hughes Network Systems, collaboration combined constellation of seven GX and LLC marks an important new step change Rupert Pearce, CEO of Inmarsat, said: JUPITER satellites will more than double for North American commercial airlines “GX has firmly established itself as the to a total of 15 spacecraft. These and their passengers. reference inflight connectivity solution additional satellites include the Hughes GX+ North America is a transformational for today's demanding passengers and ultra-high capacity JUPITER 3 satellite aviation connectivity solution has been is used by airlines worldwide. We are and our seven advanced, fully-funded specifically designed for North American very confident that this game-changing next generation GX satellite payloads commercial airlines and is available collaboration with Hughes, combining (6A, 6B, 7, 8, 9, 10A & 10B), which will today. It seamlessly integrates the their market-leading depth of capacity enhance capacity and coverage unrivalled capacity of the Hughes with Inmarsat's award-winning throughout the world, including the Arctic. JUPITER™ High-Throughput Satellite passenger connectivity solution, (HTS) constellation across North America uniquely delivers inflight broadband NASA, European Space with the extensive worldwide coverage that is consistently superior regardless and resilience of our Global Xpress (GX) of the number of passengers using the Agency Formalize Artemis HTS satellite network. Together they service or where they are travelling. Gateway Partnership bring a unique combination of “It is truly a 'no compromise' solution for unprecedented capacity, speed and airlines that no other service provider spacecraft. These ESMs will propel and reliability to the region, unavailable from can offer. We've also ensured the power Orion in space on future Artemis any other satellite provider. transition path for airlines upgrading missions and provide air and water for its The ground-breaking new solution from other connectivity providers is crew. underscores our strategic vision beyond simple, quick and cost efficient. “This partnership leverages the the pandemic and into the future needs of “This strategic collaboration is further outstanding cooperation established by commercial airline fleets in North evidence of Inmarsat's strength, the International Space Station as we America, whose passengers will require resilience and innovation despite these push forward to the Moon,” said NASA ubiquitous connectivity as they return to unprecedented times in our industry. As Administrator Jim Bridenstine. “Gateway the skies. a number of connectivity providers in will continue to expand NASA's Data-hungry passengers North America face financial challenges cooperation with international partners The ultra-high capacity of GX+ North and airlines are forced to reconsider like ESA, ensuring the Artemis program America will, for the first time, make it their choice of supplier, Inmarsat's offer results in the safe and sustainable possible for North American airlines to continues to go from strength to exploration of the Moon after the initial meet increasing passenger demand, strength.” human lunar landing and beyond.” including the surge in traffic expected New era The International Habitation module (I- from free-of-charge inflight Wi-Fi. Today, Paul Gaske, Executive Vice President Hab) includes components Japan satellite networks are trying to serve and General Manager, North America intends to contribute and two docking thousands of commercial aircraft in the division at Hughes, said: “We are proud ports where human landing systems can world's busiest airspace, and as they to partner with Inmarsat to launch GX+ aggregate. The habitation module also reach capacity, airlines will struggle to North America. This collaboration will house the outpost's Environmental meet the demands of data-hungry leverages the full power of the JUPITER Control and Life Support System passengers who want reliable, System, including the depth of capacity (ECLSS), contain accommodations for affordable, high-speed Wi-Fi while on of our Ka-band High-Throughput i n t e r n a l a n d e x t e r n a l s c i e n c e board. Satellite fleet, as well as our JUPITER experiments, and provide additional crew For too long, North American airline gateways and modems. Combining the work and living space. I-Hab's ECLSS will passengers have had to settle for Hughes JUPITER System and augment Gateway's life support system constrained bandwidth activities such as Inmarsat's leading inflight connectivity capabilities provided by the docked email and limited messaging while on solution, GX+ North America marks a Orion, enabling longer durations at the board flights. GX+ North America will give new era for inflight connectivity.” Gateway and support more robust passengers the freedom to stream videos The new solution will be provided and Artemis missions to the lunar surface. and audio, shop online, check and update managed end-to-end by Inmarsat. social media, and catch up on work, all Prototype flights are expected to start NASA's SOFIA Discovers while in the air. later this year with commercial The superior capabilities of GX+ North availability scheduled for 2021. Water on Sunlit Surface of America mean that North American GX+ North America utilises a robust Ka- Moon airlines no longer need to compromise on band flat panel antenna from Thinkom, speed, reliability, availability or coverage with millions of flight hours behind it, NASA's Stratospheric Observatory for for inflight broadband, even when flying at together with smart dual aero modem Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) has full capacity over the busiest airport hubs. technology powered by our aviation confirmed, for the first time, water on the This also offers full flexibility for route solutions that intelligently chooses the sunlit surface of the Moon. This discovery planning, even on short notice, as the optimal satellite path with no service indicates that water may be distributed solution can cover any route worldwide interruption or delay for passengers. across the lunar surface, and not limited through the GX global network — Evolving needs to cold, shadowed places. whether to Hawaii, Canada, Bermuda, Looking forward, as commercial SOFIA has detected water molecules the Caribbean, across the Gulf of Mexico, aviation returns to growth and aircraft (H2O) in Clavius Crater, one of the to Central and South America, across the return to the skies, we will continue to largest craters visible from Earth, located IN THE NEWS AMERICAS

in the Moon's southern hemisphere. concentration in sunny Clavius Crater. federated data sources about the Previous observations of the Moon's physical fabric of the city digital twin, surface detected some form of hydrogen, Digital twin cities and the Azure Digital Twins and other Azure IoT but were unable to distinguish between services provide for the ingestion, water and its close chemical relative, future of urban planning storage and analytics on the IoT data hydroxyl (OH). Data from this location streams, which then combine with the reveal water in concentrations of 100 to Bentley Systems and Microsoft have iTwins environment for visualization and 412 parts per million – roughly equivalent announced the expansion of a strategic analysis.” to a 12-ounce bottle of water – trapped in a alliance to advance the use of digital cubic meter of soil spread across the lunar twins in city planning and citizen surface. The results are published in the engagement. The agreement will Smartphones augment latest issue of Nature Astronomy. combine Microsoft's Azure IoT Digital Twins and Azure Maps with Bentley battlefield communications “We had indications that H2O – the familiar Systems' iTwins platform, enabling with connectivity and water we know – might be present on the engineers, architects, constructors and security sunlit side of the Moon,” said Paul Hertz, city planners to work within a On the battlefield, soldiers and director of the Astrophysics Division in the comprehensive city-scale digital twin. commanders used to primarily Science Mission Directorate at NASA The companies say this will better inform communicate with tactical radios. New Headquarters in Washington. “Now we decisions, boost operational efficiency end-user devices (EUDs) smartphones know it is there. This discovery challenges and reduce costs. Microsoft Teams will in particular provide faster, more reliable our understanding of the lunar surface and facilitate collaboration for infrastructure communications, as well as situational raises intriguing questions about engineers. Bentley has been a long- awareness, digitally aided close air resources relevant for deep space term Microsoft partner, using the support and more. But to make this exploration.” platform to develop solutions. work, the network needs to support multiple channels that act as a unified As a comparison, the Sahara desert has According to Jerry King, Bentley's VP, communications system — so soldiers 100 times the amount of water than what Strategic Channel: “This new strategic can focus on the mission, not on the SOFIA detected in the lunar soil. Despite alliance agreement provides a network. the small amounts, the discovery raises framework for a higher level of The most utilized and most secure new questions about how water is created collaboration around a set of initiatives method is to tether the smartphones to and how it persists on the harsh, airless that Bentley and Microsoft have jointly tactical radios that use encrypted, jam- lunar surface. identified as important for our mutual resistant networks. But alternatively, you accounts. The framework provides not can ensure secure communications by Water is a precious resource in deep space only for technical collaboration, but also using phones' cellular 4G/5G capability and a key ingredient of life as we know it. for joint go-to-market investments to in conjunction with voice, data Whether the water SOFIA found is easily accelerate the time to benefit for our encryption and encrypted tunnels. accessible for use as a resource remains users.” These two formerly distinct approaches to be determined. Under NASA's Artemis Digital twins are a digital representation help create a more comprehensive program, the agency is eager to learn all it of a physical asset, process or system. communications ecosystem. Cellular can about the presence of water on the They were initially developed to connectivity won't always be available in Moon in advance of sending the first aggregate, analyze and visualize contested or off-grid environments. But woman and next man to the lunar surface complex information for manufacturing with emerging technologies like smart in 2024 and establishing a sustainable and construction industries. network communications hubs and human presence there by the end of the As they have evolved, digital twins are advanced network aware solutions, decade. increasingly being used as a tool by smartphones can be bridged with other cities. ABI Research expects more than communications assets, including “Prior to the SOFIA observations, we knew 500 urban digital twins to be deployed by tactical radios, satellite communications there was some kind of hydration,” said 2025, up from just a handful in 2019. and other secure, private wireless Casey Honniball, the lead author who networks. In these adverse situations, published the results from her graduate Interoperable architecture Primary, Alternate, Contingency and thesis work at the University of Hawaii at On how Bentley Systems' and Emergency (PACE) communications Mānoa in Honolulu. “But we didn't know Microsoft's solutions will work together, channels can be switched and bonded how much, if any, was actually water King explained: “The Bentley iTwins to maintain communications in molecules – like we drink every day – or platform provides an open and scalable challenging environments.Viasat MDD something more like drain cleaner.” environment for city-scale digital twins. and the Galaxy S20 Tactical Edition SOFIA offered a new means of looking at Our initiative to combine iTwins with work in tandem to enable critical the Moon. Flying at altitudes of up to Azure Digital Twins and other Azure IoT capabilities, such as establishing 45,000 feet, this modified Boeing 747SP services, including Azure Maps, will security policy settings, as well as jetliner with a 106-inch diameter telescope make it easier for cities to incorporate loading and updating applications, reaches above 99% of the water vapor in existing and new sources of IoT data certificates and map data without Earth's atmosphere to get a clearer view of within their city as an additional source needing to attach to a network. In fact, if the infrared universe. Using its Faint of federated data that 'feeds' the digital the phone is compromised or attacked, Object infraRed CAmera for the SOFIA twin and allows the city to gain more MDD uses Knox and the Galaxy S20 Telescope (FORCAST), SOFIA was able to insight for better-informed decisions.” Tactical Edition's enhanced capabilities pick up the specific wavelength unique to He added: “The architecture we have to protect the device — even without a water molecules, at 6.1 microns, and adopted together with Microsoft allows network connection. discovered a relatively surprising that while iTwins handles the changes to

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