Worldwide Satellite Magazine SatMagazineSatMagazine SmallSat Symposium 2021 Virtual February 2021

Smallsat cover image is courtesy of Planet Publishing Operations InfoBeam Features Silvano Payne, Publisher + Executive Writer SpaceX 4 Running The Numbers... On The Commercial 26 Simon Payne, Chief Technical Officer Satellite Industry by Tom Zelibor, Space Foundation Hartley G. Lesser, Editorial Director Kepler Communications 6 Launching Toward A Resilient Space Industry 30 Pattie Lesser, Executive Editor by Grant Bonin, Spaceflight Inc. Donald McGee, Production Manager D-Orbit 6 A New Age Of Connectivity 34 Teresa Sanderson, Operations Director by John Finney, Isotropic Systems Sean Payne, Business Development Director What Happens When… The Unconnected World 38 Hiber 7 Dan Makinster, Technical Advisor Lights Up by Abel Avellan, AST SpaceMobile Ticket To Ride: Pioneering In-Space Mobility 40 Exolaunch 8 Senior Columnists Will Take More Than Innovative Propulsion by Jake Teufert, Benchmark Space Systems Chris Forrester, Broadgate Publications Spaceflight 10 Orbit Congestion Encourages The Growth of A 42 Karl Fuchs, iDirect Government Services Commercial SSA Market Bob Gough, Goonhilly Earth Station by Charlotte Croison, Euroconsult Rebecca M. Cowen-Hirsch, Inmarsat Space Flight Laboratory (SFL) 14 Secure World Foundation — 2020 Year In Review 46 Ken Peterman, Viasat by Dr. Peter Martinez, Secure World Foundation Giles Peeters, Track24 Defence KSF Space Foundation 16 Spaceflight Inc. — 2020 Year in Review 48 by Curt Blake, Spaceflight Inc. Koen Willems, ST Engineering Newtec How Iodine Electric Propulsion Systems Can Enable 50 Speedcast 17 The Economic Sustainability Of Satellite Constellations This Issue’s Authors By Trevor Lafleur, Ane Aanesland, Laurene Richard, and Dmytro Rafalskyi, Chief Technology Officer, Ane Aanesland ISISPACE 18 ThrustMe Today’s Thin Film, Flexible Substrates 54 Abel Avellan Hughes Network Systems 20 New Space, A Shuttle For Global Economies 58 by Jaume Sanpera, Satelliot Curt Blake A Case In Point: 3D Printing Construction 60 Leaf Space 22 Of Flight-Ready 1P PocketCubes Grant Bonin by Metteo Levoni Bemposti, CRP Technology SpaceLink 23 Metteo Levoni Bemposti

LiveEO 25 Charlotte Croison Advertisers John Finney Advantech Wireless Technologies, Inc. 5 APSCC 37 Trevor Lafleur AvL Technologies 11 Blue Canyon Technologies Cover (1) Comtech Command & Control / TCS 19 Dr. Peter Martinez CPI Satcom Products 23 CPI Sat Orbital Systems LLC 3 Dmytro Rafalskyi DSI—Deposition Sciences, Inc. 55 ND SATCOM Products 21 Omnetics Connector Corporation 9 Laurene Richard Radeus Labs, Inc. 13 RF-Design 7 Jaume Sanpera Satnews Digital Editions 57 SmallSat Symposium 2021 63 SpaceBridge 33 Jake Teufert Space Flight Laboratory (SFL) 15 W.B. Walton 31 Tom Zelibor SatMagazine is published 11 times a year by Satnews Publishers, 800 Siesta Way, Sonoma, CA, 95476 — USA. Phone: (707) 939-9306 / Fax: (707) 939-9235 © 2020 Satnews Publishers We reserve the right to edit all submitted materials to meet publication content guidelines, as well as for grammar and spelling errors, or to move articles to an alternative issue to accommodate publication space requirements, or remove content due to space restrictions or unacceptable content. Submission of articles does not constitute acceptance of said material by Satnews Publishers. Edited materials may, or may not, be returned to author and/or company for review prior to publication. The views expressed in Satnews Publishers’ various publications do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of Satnews Publishers. All rights reserved. All included imagery is courtesy of, and copyright to, the respective companies and/or named individuals.

SatMagazine Page 2 February 2021 Satcom & Antenna Orbital Systems Technologies Division Operations

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The launch of the Transporter­1 mission by SpaceX.

SpaceX Transporter-1 Mission Successfully Launches

No hesitation on Sunday, January 24, as the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket li fted 133 commercial and government payloads to space. A feat worthy of note, as this is the largest number of satellites to be launched, all seated firmly within the rocket’s fairing. The SpaceX Falcon 9 launch vehicle attained supersonic speeds at 59 seconds after launch and, at approximately 07:58 into the launch, three of nine Merlin first stage engines ignited to return the the unit to the recovery vessel, Ms. Chief, awaiting the landing, positioned in the Atlantic Ocean. This return (photo below) was accomplished without any apparent anomalies at 07:22 minutes post­launch. Note the honeycomb appearing This launch, part of SpaceX’s SmallSat Rideshare Program, was the fifth devices at the base of the first stage (image to the right)… those assist with launch of 2021 by SpaceX and the 73rd recovery by the company of an the first stage’s navigation to the recovery vessel. orbital class rocket. SpaceX’s Transporter­1 flight delivered 143 payloads from a range of companies, including Spire, Capella, NanoAvionics, Spaceflight, HawkEye, PlanetiQ, Astro Digital, D­Orbit and 10 Starlink satellites.

All news story imagery is courtesy of SpaceX’s live webcast of the launch via screen capture…

SatMagazine Page 4 February 2021

InfoBeam

Eight Kepler Space Smallsats Mina Mitry, CEO of Kepler Communications, said, “We’re excited to continue Rendezvous With Space, Launched By SpaceX our network deployment in response to the overwhelming global demand for our network capacity. As our network continues to grow, we move closer to recognizing Kepler’s vision of providing connectivity on and off the surface of the Earth.” Wen Cheng Chong, CTO of Kepler Communications, added, “The launch of 8 GEN1 satellites on the Falcon 9 merely a few months after the launch of 2 GEN1 pathfinder satellites clearly demonstrates Kepler’s ability to 10x our capability in a short period of time; practically unheard of for a company of our size. This showcases the ingenuity and resourcefulness of our Engineering team and the company at large. We’re well on our way to recognizing Kepler’s vision of providing the internet in space.”

D-Orbit’s ION SCV Laurentius Smallsat Launched By Spacex Kepler Communications have welcomed eight new satellites into their constellation, further expanding the firm’s active constellation to 13 satellites in total.

Kepler SDR.

These eight satellites, KEPLER­8 through KEPLER­15, were successfully launched via SpaceX’s first dedicated SmallSat Rideshare Program mission at approximately 10:00 AM EDT on January 24. Once fully operational within the constellation, these smallsats will significantly increase the capacity of Kepler’s Global Data Services offering. Kepler’s GEN 1 satellites were assembled at the company’s facility in Toronto, Canada. The GEN1 platform represents an evolution beyond Kepler’s pathfinder satellites, with an increase to a 6U­XL satellite system. The increased size accommodates significant technology enhancements, including additional power and antenna capabilities that allows the support of both Ku and narrowband spectrum from a single satellite. This multi­spectrum support is achieved with Kepler’s proprietary On January 24th, 2021, at 4:00 pm CET, D­Orbit launched another Software Defined Radio (SDR) which has been proven onboard the five ION Satellite Carrier atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from the Space satellites already on orbit. Launch Complex 40 (SLC­40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station Kepler’s launch plans include several additional launches in 2021, with (CCSFS), Florida. On the same day, 1 hour 16 minutes and 28 seconds launches planned for the first half of 2021 in March and June, which will add later, the vehicle was successfully deployed into a polar orbit. additional GEN1 satellites to the Kepler constellation. As with this launch, The spacecraft, named ION SCV Laurentius, is an upgraded and enhanced these satellites will service the growing customer demand for Global Data version of the vehicle launched in the fall of 2020 which precisely deployed Services and increase our ability to provide an industry leading service. 12 satellites in orbit. ION Satellite Carrier is a space cargo designed to ION SCV Laurentius.

SatMagazine Page 6 February 2021 InfoBeam

“At D­Orbit we focus on our customers’ success, no matter what it takes. We are the company with most heritage, reliability and results accomplished in the market in this business. It has been just two months since the historical success of our previous ION Satellite Carrier mission, and we are back in space already,” said Luca Rossettini, D­Orbit’s CEO. “We are already building the space logistics infrastructure enabling the next trillion­dollar space economy.”

Hiber’s Green Propulsion Smallsat, Hiber Four, Launched Via The SpaceX Transporter-1 Mission accommodate several satellites, transport them into space and release them precisely into independent orbits and orbital slots. ION’s integrated IoT solutions provider Hiber has successfully launched their 3U capabilities also enable the spacecraft to perform on­orbit demonstration cubesat, Hiber Four, onboard SpaceX’s dedicated rideshare (IOD) services for third­party hosted payloads. mission: Transporter­1. The satellite was equipped with a new­to­ During the mission, named PULSE, the vehicle deployed 20 satellites, market green propulsion system from Dawn Aerospace and including 8 SuperDove satellites from Earth imaging company Planet Labs, Hyperion Technologies. and it will then perform the on­orbit demonstration of several payloads, “By using our high­performance green propulsion technology, Hiber Four including an optical instrument from EICAS Automazione and one from is able to take advantage of the world’s most cost­effective launch whilst Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC). maintaining independence and operational flexibility”, said Stefan Powell,

SatMagazine Page 7 February 2021 InfoBeam

increase its lifetime by raising orbit, and when ready to decommission, Hiber can deorbit within days instead of months. Powered by the green fuels of nitrous oxide and propene, this bi­ propellant system delivers significantly higher efficiency than ADN, HAN, cold ­gas and mono­propellant hydrazine­based alternatives. At just 0.7U in size, it’s the first propulsion system of its type to be launched from US­soil to space. Hiber Four is the first of two identical satellites Hiber plans to launch this quarter, with the next one launching on Soyuz. These satellites will join the Hiberband constellation to expand offerings to existing customers, particularly those from the oil & gas, transportation and agricultural industries. CTO of Dawn Aerospace. “Our system is the connector for using these low­ “It is revolutionary to the cubesat market,” said Maarten Engelen, CTO cost launch options and still getting to your desired orbit, fast.” of Hiber. “There are alternatives out there, but nothing that suits a 3U Dawn Aerospace green propulsion module for smallsats. CubeSat like this.” To date, the majority of 3U cubesats have been deployed without “I’m proud to say we’ve debunked the myth,” said Stefan Powell. propulsion, making them difficult to control once in orbit. New Space “Cubesat operators are not forced to use, low­performance systems to get operators have been choosing to forgo this vital piece of technology due to on board these low­cost flights. We’ve shown that our high­performance the lack of performance, high toxicity and the unreasonable costs of chemical propulsion systems can fly on rideshare missions from the EU, currently available systems. Russia, and now the United States.” Supported by the European Space Agency and Netherlands Space Office via the ARTES program, Hiber teamed up with Dawn and Hyperion to Exolaunch Zeitgeist Mission find a better solution. Using this new system, the Hiber Four will swiftly move Takes Off With 30 Smallsats from its deployed 500 km SSO out to its final 600 km orbit. The maneuver is Aboard SpaceX’s expected to be complete three months faster than electric alternatives. Transporter-1 Mission Hiber is setting the standard for responsible satellite operations. Governments, space agencies and insurance companies are starting to revamp global policies as the public concern for space debris rises, and with thousands of new satellites heading to orbit, propulsion may soon be mandated. Once on orbit, the Hiber Four can easily avoid space debris,

Exolaunch has announced the successful launch of 30 commercial, space agency and university satellites for the firm’s customers from Europe and the U.S. on the first dedicated rideshare mission of SpaceX’s SmallSat Rideshare Program. The mission, named “Zeitgeist,” lifted off on January 24 at 15:00 UTC on Falcon 9 “Transporter­1,” completing one of the largest and most diverse rideshare missions for Exolaunch. Zeitgeist kicked­off the first of several rideshares Exolaunch will manifest on Falcon 9 as part of a multi­launch agreement with SpaceX. On this mission, Exolaunch provided deployment, mission management and

Dawn integration services to the German Aerospace Center (DLR), Dresden Aerospace Technical University, ICEYE, NanoAvionics and other commercial companies green for IoT, Earth observation and scientific applications. propulsion module for Zeitgeist was Exolaunch’s 12th rideshare mission. As with previous smallsats launches, Exolaunch utilized its proprietary flight­proven separation systems – CarboNIX, the next generation shock­free separation system for

SatMagazine Page 8 February 2021 Navigation and position management

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VISIT WWW.OMNETICS.COM TO FIND A SOLUTION FOR YOU | CALL US AT 763-572-0656 InfoBeam smallsats, upgraded modifications of EXOpod cubesat deployers, as well as Spaceflight's SXRS-3 Mission Takes 16 Smallsat Payloads To its EXObox sequencers to flawlessly deploy its customers’ satellites into the Orbit Via The target orbit. With this launch, Exolaunch has flown 140 smallsats on SpaceX Transporter-1 Flight multiple launch vehicles. “This Zeitgeist mission set a new standard for rideshare launches and not only was a successful demonstration of Exolaunch’s capabilities, but also paved the way for smallsat developers from around the world to participate in SpaceX’s SmallSat Rideshare Program,” said Jeanne Medvedeva, Vice President of Launch Services at Exolaunch. “We are proud to be working with so many of the world’s leading satellite and technology companies to advance the NewSpace industry, and we are already looking ahead to additional Falcon 9 launches later this year.” Exolaunch’s manifest on the Transporter­1 mission (launch photo above, courtesy of SpaceX) includes the following satellites:

• Charlie smallsat built by NanoAvionics for Aurora Insight: The first of two nanosatellites, built and integrated by NanoAvionics for US radio frequency spectrum and SpaceX Transporter­1 liftoff via Falcon 9 rocket with the wireless data provider Aurora Insight. Space flight SXRS­3 mission aboard. Spaceflight Inc. successfully launched and deployed 16 payloads, • CubeLCT smallsat from the German Aerospace Center including 15 from its next­generation orbital transfer vehicle (OTV), (DLR): The CubeLCT is developed by DLR Institute of Sherpa­FX1, aboard the SpaceX Transporter­1 mission. Communications and Navigation in close cooperation with Dubbed SXRS­3 by Spaceflight, the mission its commercialization partner Tesat-Spacecom (TESAT) in launched January 24 from Space Launch Complex 40 Backnang. The satellite has been developed and integrated at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and delivered by the Danish company GomSpace. The development of Space flight’s Sherpa­FX1 to Sun Synchronous Low the CubeLCT serves the demand for increasing bandwidth, Earth Orbit (525 km alt), where it deployed payloads resulting in new sensor capabilities on small satellites. for more than 10 organizations. Space flight managed the end­to­end launch • SOMP-IIb (Student’s Oxygen Measurement Project) experience for 10 cubesats, four microsats and two smallsat from Dresden Technical University: Part of a hosted payloads. Customers onboard the launch represented commercial student smallsat project of the Dresden Technical and government entities from four countries, and included organizations University, the goal is to measure atomic oxygen of the such as HawkEye 360, iQPS, Astrocast, Celestis, and the University of South upper atmosphere, test flexible solar cells and more. Florida Institute of Applied Engineering. • 3 x ICEYE satellites: Three more satellites of the Space flight’s years of commercial constellation of radar imaging satellites built experience providing and operated by ICEYE. mission management and integration services gives • 24 satellites from unnamed commercial customers. companies a low­risk option to remanifest to another launch quickly if delays occur — which is rapidly becoming a must­have for smallsat developers. Further, Spaceflight ensures all complex details and requirements, from

SatMagazine Page 10 February 2021 CONNECTING YOU TO THE FUTURE

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SET-UP BY ONE PERSON IN MINUTES Visit AvL @ SmallSat Symposium 2021 Virtual, Feb. 8 - 11 LIGHTWEIGHT IATA-COMPLIANT CHECKABLE CASES avltech.com InfoBeam planning to licensing and up to lift off, are taken care of by an experienced Finally, the company has executed noteworthy and industry­defining and knowledgeable team to successfully support a mission from beginning launches over the last 10 years, including its first dedicated rideshare to end. mission, SSO­A, which launched the largest number of satellites from a U.S.­ The successful Transporter­1 mission was Spaceflight’s first mission of based rocket, and the first­ever rideshare mission to GTO, which carried the 2021 as well as the debut flight of the Sherpa­FX vehicle. Building on the fi rst privately funded lunar lander. success of its SSO­A mission, which delivered 64 spacecraft to orbit from a This year, Spaceflight plans to launch multiple Sherpa vehicles in addition free­flyer vehicle, Spaceflight pioneered a new Sherpa­NG program in to many other rideshare missions, totaling more than 10 missions across its mid­2020. global launch vehicle portfolio. “This successful launch and deployment of spacecraft from the Sherpa­FX vehicle is a significant milestone in delivering flexible launch options for customers,” said Grant Bonin, SVP of business development at Space flight. “Our Sherpa vehicles, coupled with the large variety of launches available to us through our global network of partners, enable us to offer a more customized launch experience to smallsat companies and get customer spacecraft on orbit exactly where they need to be, when they need to be there. We’re excited to kick off the year with this SpaceX launch, and are well positioned to execute several more Sherpa missions in the coming months.” “This is our third launch with Spaceflight and the most critical to date,” added Kjell Karlsen, CFO of The Sherpa­NG (next generation) program is a family of ESPA­class space Astrocast. “With this launch, our nanosatellite IoT vehicles designed to minimize development timelines while maximizing Network goes live. Spaceflight’s reliable rideshare fl ight and schedule reliability and mission assurance. Sherpa vehicles provide service has made the team a trusted partner as we strive more orbital diversification, including flexible manifest changes, deployment to accomplish our mission. Additionally, the flexibility the to multiple altitudes and orbital planes, and rapid launch solutions. company provides has been incredibly valuable as we plan for the many launches required to build an operational constellation.” “It’s been exciting and gratifying to see the evolution of our Sherpa vehicle from a free­flyer on SSO­A to a strategic and diverse program designed to meet the various needs of smallsat customers,” said Curt Blake, CEO and President of Spaceflight. “Our goal is to make the process of getting to space easier, more efficient and more accessible and the next­gen Sherpa vehicles will enable us to deliver this in a new, innovative manner. After 10 years of While Sherpa­FX is the first vehicle in the program to launch, two additional business, we have extensive experience, partner relationships, and a variety versions, Sherpa­LTC and Sherpa­LTE with gas propellant and electrical of learnings that we were able to leverage as we expand our offering to now propulsion respectively, are preparing to launch later this year. The vehicles include in­space transportation services.” will all offer quickly configurable systems, multiple deployment capabilities, and tracking and identification abilities. With propulsive systems and in­ space transportation capabilities, Sherpa­LTC and Sherpa­LTE vehicles will enable delivery of spacecraft to orbit faster and beyond LEO. In 2021, Spaceflight is celebrating its tenth anniversary. Over the last 10 years, the company has launched more than 30 missions and 300 satellites. Space flight works with a portfolio of global launch vehicles, including Falcon 9, Antares, Electron, Vega, and PSLV, to provide a variety of launch options to its customers.

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Space Flight Laboratory Launches The deployment of the DEFIANT smallsat also marked the third entirely new 12 Smallsats Aboard the SpaceX Transporter-1 Mission smallsat platform developed by SFL to reach orbit in just the past five months. SFL’s SPARTAN bus was introduced for the first time on September 28, 2020, with the launch of two communications cubesats. Plus, SFL’s NAUTILUS smallsat platform made its debut on September 2, 2020, with the launch of the NEMO­HD Earth Observation (EO) mission for Slovenia. Da ting from 1998, SFL’s heritage of on­orbit successes includes 65 distinct missions related to Earth observation, atmospheric monitoring, ship tracking, communication, radio frequency (RF) geolocation, technology demonstration, space astronomy, solar physics, space plasma, and other scientific research. GHGSat Inc. awarded SFL the development contract for GHGSat­C1 (“Iris”) and C2 (“Hugo”) after SFL built and launched the pathfinding GHGSat­D (“Claire”) atmospheric monitoring smallsat in 2016. Successful detection of ground­based methane emissions from space is due in part to the precise a ttitude control and target tracking capability of the SFL NEMO bus. In Space Flight Laboratory (SFL) successfully deployed 12 satellites November of 2020, SFL was awarded a contract by GHGSat to build an on January 24, 2021. The SpaceX Falcon 9 ride­sharing mission additional three smallsats for the firm’s commercial, greenhouse gas carried three different, SFL­designed smallsat platforms into orbit monitoring constellation. for three separate commercial constellations. The January 24,2021, launch included:

• Three formation-flying, radio frequency geolocating microsatellites built upon SFL’s 30-kg DEFIANT platform for HawkEye 360 Inc. of Herndon, Virgina.

• One next-generation greenhouse gas monitoring microsatellite, known as GHGSat-C2 or “Hugo”, built by SFL on its 15 kg NEMO platform for GHGSat Inc. of Montreal, Canada. Artistic rendition of the SFL­built GHGSat­C2 (“Hugo”) greenhouse gas • Eight commercial communications cubesats developed monitoring smallsat. Image is courtesy of GHGSat Inc. using the SFL 6U-XL SPARTAN design. For HawkEye 360 Inc., SFL built platforms and integrated the HawkEye 360 Pathfinder cluster which was launched into LEO in December of 2018. Based on this success, SFL’s satellite technology was selected for the HawkEye 360 Constellation mission due to the importance of formation flying by multiple satellites for successful RF geolocation and analysis used in maritime situational awareness, national security operations, and many other applications. For the 2021 launch, the larger DEFIANT bus was developed by SFL to accommodate advanced onboard technologies. In its 22­year history, SFL has developed smallsats that have achieved more than 135 cumulative years of operation on­orbit. These smallsat missions have included SFL’s trusted attitude control and, in some cases, formation­flying capabilities. Other core SFL­developed components include modular (scalable) power systems, onboard radios, flight computers, and control software. Artistic rendition of a communications cubesat developed on the SFL 6U­XL platform. Image is courtesy of SFL.

SatMagazine Page 14 February 2021 SPACE FLIGHT LABORATORY

MICROSATS, NANOSATS, & CUBESATS Distinct missions launched, under construction or ready to launch

GHGSat-C2 “Hugo” Launched Jan. 24, 2021 Communications CubeSats HawkEye 360 Constellation Cluster 2 Launched Jan. 24, 2021 Launched Jan. 24, 2021 ...and counting.

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Reducing the cost of spacecraft development in this form factor allows spacecraft development efforts to be funded from teaching funds, instead of requiring faculty to seek research funds to conduct this activity. Using teaching funds (instead of research funds) facilitates greater student leadership and involvement, as it reduces the risk of mission failure to the responsible faculty member. Additionally, as teaching funds are generally recurring, this approach facilitates incorporation of the smallsat program in curriculum on a year­ upon ­year basis. The model is tested and ready to fly, easy to integrate and post integrate with any extra payload needed. The basic model comes with major cubesat instruments; however, KSF Space Foundation is offering other advanced models depending upon mission task and mission requests. KSF Space Foundation was initially founded to enable cost­efficient access Artistic rendition of the HawkEye 360 RF geolocating microsatellite constellation. Image is courtesy of SFL. to LEO with zero­environmental impact flying solutions. The foundation offers access to near­space and LEO for research and scientific experiments “These launches demonstrate SFL’s unmatched in many fields, as Earth or Space Observation, biological testing, satellite ability to innovate and deliver quality at any size on positioning detection, Earth magnetic field measurement, radio transmit, short schedules,” said SFL Director, Dr. Robert E. Zee. atmosphere science and technology experiments. “SFL is a unique microspace provider that offers a Dr. Kayyali, Chairman of KSF Space Foundation, said, “This model will complete suite of nano-, micro- and small satellites allow universities and schools with a small budget to develop their space – including high-performance, low-cost cubesats – project easily, there is no need to secure funding.” that satisfy the needs of a broad range of mission types from 3 to 500 kilograms.”

KSF Space Foundation Now Offering Their “World’s Cheapest Cubesat”

KSF Space Foundation has revealed what they describe as the world’s cheapest cubesat in the history of smallsat industry — this cubesat model is designed to facilitate the creation of low­cost, cubesat­class smallsats.

SatMagazine Page 16 February 2021 InfoBeam Speedcast To Clear Chapter 11 Via Company Reorg With Millions In Centerbridge Equity Investments

Speedcast International Limited (ASX:SDA) (together with its Joe Spytek will take on the role of Speedcast’s Chief Executive Officer, leading subsidiaries, “Speedcast” or the “Company”) has announced that the company upon emergence under the new Centerbridge ownership. the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas has Spytek has served as Speedcast’s President and Chief Commercial Officer for confirmed Speedcast International Limited and certain of its the last year after being tapped to join the organization to help implement a ffiliates’ Plan of Reorganization (the “Plan”). its turnaround. The confirmation definitively clears the path for the Company to “With a bolstered financial foundation and with the support of successfully complete the Chapter 11 process after receiving final regulatory Centerbridge, one of the world’s leading investment funds, Speedcast is well­ approvals and satisfying customary closing conditions, which is expected by posi tioned to maximize its full potential as the Company works to build a the end of the first quarter of 2021. platform that addresses customers’ most demanding operations and The Company is poised to emerge with a significantly strengthened application requirements now, and in the future,” said Spytek. “Looking balance sheet and the support of Centerbridge Partners, L.P. and its affiliates ahead, this agility and commitment to innovation will continue as Speedcast as its new owner. keeps raising the bar for itself and the industry as a whole.” Under the terms of the Plan, Speedcast is set to emerge with a new USD “Speedcast’s best­in­class technology and connectivity solutions provide a $500 million equity investment from Centerbridge, which will be used in part leading value proposition to the Company’s customers, enhancing to repay all of its USD $285 million debtor­in­possession financing, as well as produc tivity, communication and safety,” said Jared Hendricks, Senior a permanent reduction of all of the USD $634 million senior secured debt of Managing Director, Centerbridge. “We continue to be excited about investing the Company. behind Joe and the Speedcast team’s innovation and support of its customers As previously indicated, the Plan also provides for, among other things, a and partners in the next phase of growth for the Company.” cash payment to holders of secured claims and cash payment to certain of Speedcast’s critical trade vendors. Unsecured creditors will share in recoveries from a litigation trust. The Plan does not contemplate any recovery for existing shareholders, who will no longer have an equity interest in the reorganized Company following its emergence. Speedcast first announced its decision to recapitalize its business through voluntary Chapter 11 proceedings on April 23, 2020. “The Court’s confirmation of the Plan marks a key milestone in the Company’s efforts to become a stronger business and positions us to emerge in the near term, having achieved our goals,” said Stephe Wilks, Chair of Speedcast. “Throughout the restructuring process, the Company’s global workforce has delivered on its commitments while adapting to change. On behalf of the Board, we are immensely grateful for the ongoing patience and trust that the Company’s employees, customers and partners have shown in this process.”

SatMagazine Page 17 February 2021 InfoBeam ISISPACE Successfully Launches 53 Smallsats

excess capacity for more deployers available on the MPAP, several other customer satellites were integrated on the Transporter-1 mission by ISILAUNCH. The development of the CubeSat MultiPack also made it possible to support the firm’s long-term customer Planet, with the inclusion of 36 Planet Type 3.XL+ SuperDove smallsats.

ISISPACE deployers accommodated 53 smallsats as part of a successful ISILAUNCH34 launch campaign completed aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on January 24 from SLC-40 at Cape Canaveral AFS as part of the SpaceX SmallSat Rideshare Program. For this mission, Kepler Communications had contracted ISISPACE and ISILAUNCH to manage the integration of their smallsats on board the Transporter-1 mission, including interface design and development, deployers, sequencer, and full-service integration support to get all satellites and equipment to the launch site at Cape Canaveral and mated with Falcon 9.

Artistic rendition of Planet smallsats on­orbit.

The SuperDove smallsats were all integrated into 9 QuadPacks that comprised a very full plate and an amazing sight after integration to the launch vehicle. Another QuadPack with SuperDoves could be included on the other plate, bringing the total number of Planet satellites to the 40 they required to be launched.

To optimize the number of satellites that can be integrated within the available volume and mass constraints, ISISPACE developed the CubeSat MultiPack (CSMP) and partnered with SkyEnergy to develop a special MultiPack Adapter Plate (MPAP) for that purpose. The MPAP is designed to accommodate as many as 9 QuadPack deployers as well as the company’s iMDC (Modular Deployment Controller) sequencer to provide a single point interface between the launch vehicle control and telemetry system and the deployers. Achieving such a milestone directly after celebrating ISISPACE’s 15th ISISPACE’s launch service integration team at ISILAUNCH anniversary earlier this month stands as another record milestone in the managed and executed the launch campaign on Kepler’s behalf. With company’s history.

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Hughes — A Half Century 3. JUPITER™ Platform — The most widely used VSAT system in the Connecting the World world, the JUPITER platform is the system of choice for network operators, governments, mobile networks, and aeronautical and maritime service providers, operating on more than 40 satellites around the globe.

4. HughesON™ Portfolio — This next­generation portfolio of network and digital media solutions, including industry­leading Software Defined Wide Area Network (SD­WAN) solutions, meets a range of distributed enterprise needs. In our survey, the This year marks the 50th year for Hughes Network Systems. Like HughesON Portal also got several shout­outs for its ability to every great start­up story, this one begins in a humble, suburban provide customers with an interactive, easy to use dashboard garage, where seven young engineers started a business designing and a view into network activities, installs, trouble reporting, telecom circuit boards. That was 1971. and ticketing.

Today, Hughes powers satellite and multi­transport solutions for millions of 5. OneWeb — Hughes is building the gateways and core modules for people, businesses, governments, and communities around the world. this constellation of Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites which will enable low latency service worldwide, a complement to the Hughes’ Top 5 Innovations capacity density of the Hughes JUPITER fleet of high­throughput To commemorate the company’s 50 years, Hughes surveyed their employees geostationary satellites. about their thoughts on key achievements, impacts, and predictions. After all, who better to provide the detail for any Top 5, Top 10 or Top 50 list than These five innovations barely scratch the surface of the technological the Hughes employees involved in connecting and orchestrating the advances that were developed at Hughes over the years. From innovating networks on which people everywhere depend? Terminal Management Agent technology that leverages Artificial Intelligence As many of the employees have worked for Hughes for decades, they (AI) and Flexible Modem/Terminal Interfaces, to enabling satellite have industry­leading perspectives to share. Here’s how they weighed in transmissions through the blades of a helicopter, to using AI for a self­ on the question: What are the most important innovations developed healing capability to improve network performance, Hughes continues to at Hughes? push the limits of what’s possible — and, as the company stated, “We are just getting started.” 1. Satellite Broadband — Driven to connect the unconnected, Hughes invented satellite internet, bringing the benefits of broadband to millions of families that other ISPs wouldn’t serve.

2. VSAT (Very Small Aperture Terminals) — Comprised of an antenna (the “dish”), an outdoor unit and an indoor unit, these convenient, two­way ground stations made it possible to transmit and receive satellite data from anywhere.

SatMagazine Page 20 February 2021

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Leaf Space announces Series A In December of 2020, the company financing —10 million Euros funding achievement and other activated its latest GS at Awarua, New ground segment Zealand, implementing a state of the service developments art 3.7 meter antenna paired with high performance baseband processing hardware. Leaf Space will be continuing the expansion and upgrade of its infrastructure with COTS elements to increase performance of its ground stations, meeting always more demanding requirements in the New Space market. Leaf Space supports more than 15 commercial customers such as Astrocast, Pixxel, Virgin Orbit, D­Orbit and institutional customers such as the European Space Agency (ESA), Telespazio­Leonardo and the Indian Space Agency (ISRO). Leaf Space’s globally distributed infrastructure utilizes both 3.7­meter and 3­meter parabolic antenna dishes for S­Band uplink/downlink and X­Band downlink operations, while Yagi antenna are used for UHF and VHF respectively, implementing commercial off­the­shelf transceivers in combination with Leaf Space in­house developed Software­ Defined baseband processing radios. The ongoing network expansion aims Leaf Space has completed their Series A financing round of 5 million to minimize satellite data reception latency, and provide telemetry, tracking, euros, bringing the firm’s total funding to 10 million euros. A and control (TT&C). contribution of 2 million euros came from Primo Space, the The New Space industry fast­paced development is constantly requiring investment fund of Primomiglio SGR that is focused on investments higher levels of protection and risk mitigation towards cybersecurity threats. in the space industry. Whysol Investments led the other 3 million Leaf Space is in an active partnership with swiss­based company CYSEC euros investment with RedSeed Ventures, an early­stage investor in providing space cybersecurity services applied to the Leaf Line and Leaf Key the company. ground segment services. In addition to cybersecurity risk mitigation, the Leaf Space will use the funding to further develop its ground segment latest cutting­edge innovations Leaf Space is pursuing are higher frequency services for smallsat operators, launch vehicles and globally scale up the (Ku/Ka­Band) support, a hybrid high datarate RF/optical ground station company’s business. During the first trimester of 2021, the company plans to network and cis­lunar ground segment support opportunities. grow its operational ground stations from eight to 11 by deploying and Jonata Puglia, CEO and co­founder of Leaf Space, activating ground stations in Sri Lanka, Canada and Australia. By the end of said, “This is a fantastic achievement for Leaf Space. In a 2021, the company expects to activate a total of 15 operational ground short span of time, Leaf Space has become an industry stations for its shared, multi­customer Leaf Line service. In addition, the name and a key player in the New Space economy. Our company will provide several other ground stations to its swiss client company has demonstrated the capability of providing Astrocast, using the dedicated Leaf Key ground segment service. dependable, resilient and secure ground segment Other developments in 2021 will include implementing services to further services to satellite operators, from launch and early improve and simplify operational for customers and expanding our library of orbit phase (LEOP) all the way to decommissioning, and supported protocols and communications schemes currently in use in the also supporting launch vehicle operators, tracking launch vehicles from the New Space market. This in turn will increase Leaf Space’s performance and ground­up through complete launch trajectory. Having concluded this capabilities to support more complex future missions. successful investment round shows the relative resilience of the sector, The first half of the funding secured in Spring 2020 allowed Leaf Space to despite the ongoing pandemic, and allows the company to continue with its kick­start the expansion of its infrastructure and service portfolio with new strong and swift development plan.” ground stations in New Zealand, the Azores, North America and Bulgaria, in addition to extending the hardware and infrastructure already present in NOTE: Leaf Space is speaking and exhibiting at the upcoming Spain and Italy. This expansion enabled support of new missions and SmallSat Symposium in February. Please get in touch with the applications in the smallsat sector. company during the conference to discuss any needs.

SatMagazine Page 22 February 2021 InfoBeam SpaceLink Adds SATCOM Leaders To The Firm’s Executive Team CPI GaN BUCs

The last word in solid state from the 昀rst name in HPAs. • Ef昀cient solution for all satellite SpaceLink continues to grow a highly accomplished team to uplink applications implement its business strategy for a game changing satellite • Up to 160 W in Ka-band relay service. Following a previous announcement of its top executives, SpaceLink • Up to 200 W in X-band added seven more industry leaders to its team. They bring deep expertise in • Up to 100 W in C-band technical and business operations to drive forward the space relay service that provides secure, continuous, high­capacity service between LEO • Up to 80 W in Ku-band spacecraft and the ground. • 1,000 W C-band transceiver The names of those joining the company will be familiar to many in the satellite and telecommunications industry…

Dr. Larry Alder joins the team as Senior Vice President of Products & Services following more than a decade at Google and more recently several years as Chief Operating Officer at OneWeb. Dr. Alder will be 80 W Ku-band BUC 160 W Ka-band BUC instrumental in developing and defining the SpaceLink service offerings. At Google, he focused on global Download our app! internet access and he was a member of the board of directors of Search: CPI Satcom O3B Networks until it was acquired by SES in 2016. At OneWeb, he managed the engineering and operations organizations and he was co­chairman of the U.S. Department of Commerce Spectrum CPI Satcom Products | www.cpii.com | +1 (669) 275-2744

SatMagazine Page 23 February 2021 InfoBeam

Management Advisory Committee from 2014­2018. He has a Ph.D. Tom Leisgang is the Vice President of Ground Segment in Aerospace Engineering from Stanford University and a bachelor’s and he is a multi­disciplinary expert who brings unique degree in Engineering from UCLA. perspec tives and out­of­the­box solutions to satellite and space ­related missions. Before joining SpaceLink, he was David Nemeth, who was previously at OneWeb, was Technical Director for Ground Systems Mission named Senior Vice President of Systems Engineering. Engineering and Operations at Space Systems Loral (now Maxar He is an expert at developing and modeling systems Technologies). He was Ground Segment Program Manager for the architectures for satellite communications. Before satellite segment of Australia’s national broadband network, and joining SpaceLink, he was Senior Director of System established satellite control infrastructure from greenfield to Modeling at OneWeb and he was Vice President of Ground Systems operational readiness. He began his career at Lockheed Martin Architecture at iDirect, where he played an instrumental role in re­ where he managed the Bus Functional Test Facility that supported architecting the over­the­air interface and system design to better production of 70+ LEO satellite bus units. serve customer requirements. He has a Bachelor’s degree in physics from Cornell University and a Masters degree in physics from the David Pattillo is named as the Vice President of University of California, Berkeley. He holds three patents related to Spectrum Management and he will oversee secure communications, MEMS, and VSAT communications. SpaceLink’s spectrum and regulatory management and leads the company’s efforts with the ITU, FCC, Craig Moll, who was the Founder and President of and other regulatory bodies. Before joining PATHFINDER Space Advisors, which helped emerging SpaceLink, he worked with SpaceX to manage space companies enter new markets, is now SpaceLink’s international and domestic coordination of that firm’s StarLink Vice President of Commercial Business Development. constellation of more than 4,000 NGSO satellites. He spent more He helps spacecraft operators maximize the use of their than 20 years at DIRECTV where he was Director of the Space & assets with the SpaceLink relay system. Before joining SpaceLink, he Communications Group. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in was Founder and President of PATHFINDER Space Advisors, LLC. Electrical Engineering. Previously, he was Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Space Systems Loral and he was Managing Director of PanAmSat Europe. Doug Kotval, the new Vice President of Supplier He began his career as a telecom policy specialist handling the Management, will provide strategic sourcing satellite portfolio at the U.S. National Telecommunications and leadership and also manage supplier and partner Information Administration (NTIA). Mr. Moll holds a bachelor’s relationships for the company. Prior to joining degree from Texas State University, a master’s degree from the SpaceLink, he spent 24 years at Maxar Technologies University of Texas, Austin, and he studied French at the Université and its predecessor company, Space Systems Loral. There he was Paris – Sorbonne. Senior Manager, Strategic Sourcing for Space Infrastructure and Lead Supply Chain Manager for major R&D projects including Lenny Low is the Vice President of Space Segment and digital payload processor development, phased array antenna he possesses eight patents and he is an expert in technologies, and advanced photonics. spacecraft platform architectures. He spent 27 years at Space Systems Loral (now Maxar Technologies), where “SpaceLink has attracted some of the industry’s top he was Vice President of Business Development, professionals who are inspired by our business strategy responsible for business strategy and development of and the opportunity to contribute to this game changing LEO, MEO and GEO platform solutions. Previously, he was Executive data relay service,” said David Bettinger, Chief Executive Director of the Spacecraft Platform Operations Directorate, where O fficer at SpaceLink. “We’ve put together a dream team he managed an organization of 600 engineers and technicians. He with the perfect blend of backgrounds and experience to drive our vision also worked at both Lockheed and TRW. He has a BS in Mechanical forward. Demand for fast access to data in near Earth orbit will continue to Engineering from UC Berkeley, and an MS in Mechanical grow and SpaceLink will be ready with the capacity needed to serve next­ Engineering from Stanford. generation systems.”

SatMagazine Page 24 February 2021 InfoBeam

LiveEO Performs Satellite-Based Proven by studies vegetation is one of the main challenges for utilities Vegetation Risk Analysis of Entire U.S. Electric Transmission Grid globally, causing up to 56% of externally triggered power interruptions. In the United States alone, approximately US$ 6 billion is spent on vegetation management by utility companies annually. In addition to the sole detection of vegetation distance from transmission grids, LiveEO is experienced in highly accurate and efficient investigations of vegetation height, condition, and species determination to improve cycle trimming activities and dangerous tree removal while reducing vegetation management costs on transmission and distribution levels. Additionally, LiveEO is already helping utility companies to identify wildfire risk areas and inspect post­wildfire areas with high precision for fast recovery activities. With multiple utility and infrastructure customers in North America, Europe, and Australia, LiveEO has proven its capabilities in numerous pilot projects and large­scale deployments on the scale of entire countries. To strengthen contact with its customers by physical presence, LiveEO For the first time in history, vegetation encroachment risk to the opened an office and subsidiary on the East Coast of the U.S. in late 2020. entire publicly available U.S. transmission grid has been analyzed LiveEO offers a sample analysis using commercial satellite data of their from space by the Berlin­based start­up LiveEO. network free of charge for utility customers. The goal of this large­scale analysis was to demonstrate LiveEO’s analytic “The scale combined with the detail of the analysis represents a milestone capabilities to a North American audience. In total, more than 15,000 public in satellite data analytics for utility companies and proves that satellite data satellite images were used to evaluate risk to 574,000 miles of electricity represents a viable alternative for vegetation management to Lidar or foot lines. (Details about the analysis can be found at www.live­eo.com/us­ patrols.” said LiveEO’s Co­Founder, Daniel Seidel. power­transmission­grid­analysis. “Addi tionally, these insights can be made actionable directly via our tool The analysis covers the detection of vegetation along the transmission set of mobile and web apps, and API integrations to improve workforce grid, as well as the identification of grid segments that are exposed at efficiency in the field and to realize OPEX saving,” said LiveEO’s other Co­ dangerously close distances. These are some of the biggest challenges and Founder, Sven Przywarra. operational cost factors for utility companies in maintaining their assets.

SatMagazine Page 25 February 2021 Running The Numbers... On The Commercial Satellite Industry

By Tom Zelibor, Chief Executive Officer, Space Foundation

The capabilities provided by satellites and their infrastructure have been crucial in a year when many worked from home due to the public health crisis. Video conferencing, internet services, communications and more became even more essential as the world cloistered to wait out pandemic waves.

For Space Foundation, commercial satellites made possible the virtual programs and tools shared with space professionals, students and families as they worked and studied remotely. The way commercial space (and commercial satellites in particular) impacts every citizen has rarely been more evident than it was in 2020. The latest data on commercial satellites tells the story of an industry whose growth and revenue are only accelerating. Drawing from data and analysis presented in The Space Report 2020 Q3 and The Space Report 2020 Q4, it is clear that some of the most impactful trends in commercial space stem from the commercial satellite industry. Satellite manufacturing orders in 2019 were higher than 2017 and 2018 combined, and in 2020, orders were on pace to do as well as, if not better than, 2019. Commercial space products and services revenue was $217.72 billion in 2019, accounting for the majority of the $424 billion space economy. The largest shares of revenue in that sector came from Direct-To-Home (DTH) TV ($91.48 billion) and position, navigation and timing services ($91.13 billion).

Artistic rendition of a satellite on­orbit. Image is courtesy of NASA.

SatMagazine Page 26 February 2021 While the U.S. satellite TV market numbers have been declining, new Anticipated revenue streams and long-term contracts inherent in the growth is emerging in other parts of the world, notably Africa. satellite industry have also helped provide stability to the labor force in Satellite communications is a highly active and exciting sector. the midst of the pandemic. It will take time for all the workforce SpaceX’s Starlink constellation contains more than 1,000 satellites, and numbers to be collected, but already we have a sense of how workers the company is providing early access to consumers in some areas as in space-related job sectors are being affected. the system is tested and further developed. From February to July of last year, there was a net loss of 2.79 Rival company OneWeb filed for bankruptcy in March, but in July, percent for U.S. employment in key space sectors, according to data. a consortium of buyers, including the UK government and Bharti The Space Report evaluated data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Global Limited (an Indian telecom operator), committed more than $1 Statistics. While some areas witnessed steeper-than-average declines, billion to acquire the company and restart operations. such as broadcast and wireless communications equipment (-4.84 While mega constellations capture positive headlines, there have percent), there were points of growth, notably in search, detection and been headwinds for the satellite communications industry overall. navigation instruments (1.45 percent). The financial outlook was impacted by the Federal While more data is forthcoming, given the enduring growth in Communications Commission’s decision to hold a public auction to commercial satellites, the industry is positioned to weather the reallocate a portion of the C-band, which is needed to support 5G. pandemic better than other portions of the global economy. A private auction where satellite operators sell their portion of the With so much activity in commercial satellites and across the space spectrum was expected to raise as much as $60 billion. economy, the only certainty is change. Space Foundation, through its With a public auction, however, satellite operators anticipate taking quarterly installments of The Space Report, supplies the space in just $5 billion to cover the cost of replacing satellites, plus $9.7 billion community with definitive, timely and comprehensive information on in incentive payments to speed the process. the scope of space industry activities. Data is a valuable resource, and in Earth Observation (EO), 2019 As the space sectors come roaring out of a difficult year, Space revenues reached $3.58 billion, an 8.5 percent increase from a year Foundation will track their trajectory and deliver the insight and analysis prior. Of this, 31.6 percent of revenues came from the sale of raw data to help fuel the global space economy. collected by commercial satellites. In the EO sector, the fastest growing area is big data services, wherein companies analyze datasets to identify and track trends over time. Worth $210 million in 2019, this market is expected to reach $1.66 billion in revenue by 2028.

SatMagazine Page 27 February 2021 Space Foundation’s Discovery Center.

Author Thomas E. Zelibor, Rear Admiral, USN (Ret.), is the He served as director of global operations, U.S. Strategic Command, where

chief executive officer of Space Foundation and leads the he led day-to-day and long-range operations and planning for strategic

organization to inspire, educate, connect and advocate on nuclear assets, space systems, information operations, information

behalf of the global space community. Space Foundation’s networks, missile defense and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance

mission is to be the preeminent resource for space-inspired assets. As deputy for C4 Integration and Policy/Department of the Navy

education, a trusted source of space information as well as a Deputy CIO, he was responsible for integrating the Navy’s IT and command

provider of exceptional forums for the exchange of ideas, and control requirements into the “Sea Power 21” effort known as

programs, and partnerships. FORCEnet. At the same time, he served as the Navy’s chief information

Tom has a broad and accomplished leadership and entrepreneurial officer, where he was responsible for detailing warfighting requirements and

background, having served as chairman and CEO of Lightwave Logic, a information architecture from the seabed to space.

publicly traded corporation that conducts R&D and production of advanced, As director of the Space, Information Warfare, Command and Control

high-speed organic electro-optic materials for use in devices in the Division, he was responsible for requirements and budget authority for all IT

telecommunications, data center, and high-speed computing markets. assets, directly managing the Navy TENCAP Program and sponsorship for the

Tom has an extensive space background, including his 2020 appointment Naval Space Cadre personnel that included space operations as well as space

as a member of the Defense Innovation Board Space Advisory Committee, acquisition personnel.

which is comprised of leaders from across the national security innovation

base to provide diverse insight on the DoD’s biggest challenges.

SatMagazine Page 28 February 2021 Space Foundation recently released their February • An award presentation to legendary NASA flight director Gene Kranz of Apollo 13 fame schedule of events for Space Symposium 365. Registration • A NASA mission update providing unlimited access to a year of Space Symposium 365 discussions, presentations and more is now available • Future prospects with former NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine at spacesymposium365.org. • Updates on standing up the Space Force with then­Air The virtual Space Symposium 365 builds on the success of Force Secretary Barbara M. Barrett and U.S. Space Force the annual, in-person, Space Symposium by featuring • CSO General “Jay” Raymond exclusive expert panels, interviews, mission updates, and • An interview with Commander of U.S. Space Command, roundtables that deliver insight into the space community’s Gen. James Dickinson most pressing priorities, opportunities and challenges. Past • A panel discussion with the International Space Station episodes are also available to all subscribers on demand. “Expedition One” crew to commemorate the 20th anniversary of continuous human operations.

Space Symposium 365 programming for February include: More exclusive events with senior executives from civil, military, intelligence and commercial sectors will be • New Generation Space Leaders panel: “Construction on announced as they are confirmed. All events are available for the Moon,” featuring NASA Chief Architect Mark McDonald and more (Feb. 1, 1 – 2 p.m. EST) registrants to watch at their scheduled times, or later on demand as desired. The platform also offers archived videos • “State of Space 2021” panel discussion with perspectives from civil, commercial, national security, and from past annual Space Symposiums. international space leaders (Feb. 9, 10 – 11:30 a.m. EST) In announcing the upcoming month’s schedule, Space • “Women in Space Series, Session 1” panel discussion Foundation CEO Tom Zelibor shared, “Our annual in-person with female senior U.S. Space Force leaders (Feb. 10, 1 – Space Symposium has traditionally served as a rallying point 2 p.m. EST) for the global space community, facilitating access to and • Interview with Dr. Derek Tournear, Director, Space knowledge transfer from leadership in all sectors. The Space Development Agency; moderated by “Breaking Defense” reporter Theresa Hitchens (Feb. 16, 2:30 – 3:30 p.m. EST) Symposium 365 platform has continued to do the same, delivering powerful virtual content via safe and convenient • “The Navy’s Contribution to Space Force” panel discussion with Naval officers in space designations digital means, while expanding the access to this (Feb. 24, 1 – 2 p.m. EST) exceptional programming.”

Recent Space Symposium 365 events have provided Subscribe for unlimited access to a year of Space subscribers with outstanding exclusive programming, now Symposium 365 discussions, presentations, and more available to all subscribers on demand. Those events have at this direct link... included the following highlights:

SatMagazine Page 29 February 2021 Launching Toward A Resilient Space Industry 2020 Highlighted The Dire Need for Increased Flexibility By Grant Bonin, Senior Vice President of Business Development, Spaceflight Inc.

In 2020, the pandemic created massive disruptions, halting access challenges. By leaning into remanifestation, subscription pricing models to space by causing launch delays, inhibiting teams from and on-orbit transportation services, the flexibility required to minimize progressing the production of satellites and limiting access to the impact of unpredictability can be achieved. launch sites across the globe. Prepare to Remanifest While COVID-19 has generated plenty of unique circumstances, As the Bryce report makes apparent, delays are inevitable. By not many of the challenges it has created are similar to those that putting all the eggs in one (launch) basket, satellites aren’t bound to a frequently hinder the prosperity of the space industry. The pandemic particular vehicle and this is valuable in the case of a delay. simply exacerbated these challenges, generating increased Whether the delay is related to satellite or launch provider determination to uncover innovative approaches to the launch readiness, quickly remanifesting to another launch can cut down on experience that improve flexibility. delay time and enable satellite developers to manifest a mission that is Before the pandemic, a Bryce report found that 100 percent of as close to their desired launch window as possible. The process of smallsats on commercial launches in the last five years experienced moving to a different vehicle swiftly can decrease the unproductive launch delays in some form. Delays leave satellite developers incapable down time on the ground and better protect satellite companies from of getting revenue-generating assets in space on time and unable to the uncertainties of the launch market. validate a satellite’s capabilities, curbing future funding opportunities. In the event that a mission needs to be remanifested, it goes without No company is immune to delays, so it is critical to establish processes saying that it is crucial to work with a team of mission management and services that enable flexibility to address these delays. experts who have years of first-hand experience working with a variety of launch vehicles, site locations, and processes. The space industry has matured with the prevalence of commercial companies, but now problems, such as the impacts of delays, have Consider the Subscription Model arisen and there’s a need to innovate further to address these Cash is king across all businesses in every industry. In an industry that is

SatMagazine Page 30 February 2021 blighted with unpredictability and uncertainty, it is important to seek opportunities that establish consistency when possible. New deal structures that have proven successful in other industries can be applied to space companies. The model that is most likely to see success and provide maximum flexibility is the subscription model. Leveraging a subscription model provides launchers with predictable visibility into their cash flow and helps them profit from the compounding benefit of customer relationships and commit to exceptional service. Play Video For satellite developers, subscriptions can help preserve a level of schedule stability and certainty. Satellite companies secure a layer of flexibility by obtaining space on various missions rather than just one, permitting the payloads to easily spread across multiple missions to lessen risks. In an industry as unpredictable and uncertain as the space Protect Your Earth Station industry, subscription models can provide major benefits to all parties Antennas from Ice, Snow, affected by delays. Rain, and more Use On-Orbit Transportation Vehicles Flexibility can go beyond the booking and launch process and extend to on-orbit transportation in space. There is new hardware that enhances flexibility even after a successful launch. Orbital transfer vehicles (OTVs) are spacecraft that provide on-orbit transportation and can act as smallsat deployers designed to modify orbit coordinates. Generally, launches that cater to a satellite developer’s uncommon orbit destination don’t exist at an affordable price as they need to purchase an entire rocket. OTVs are suited to enable flexible manifest changes, execute deployment to multiple Snow Shield altitudes and orbital planes, and offer rapid launch solutions. This new, innovative in-space transportation will revolutionize launch options available to the industry, expanding services and capabilities offered while increasing affordability, mission assurance and flexibility. While launch delays will never disappear completely, flexibility Sheds off snow before can mitigate the negative impacts they create. Flexibility ice forms. Huge — up to Heated or Non-Heated encompasses a number of moving pieces that have the potential to 100 X — energy savings antenna cover options. revolutionize the industry and launch experience. By planning and compared to conventional Electric, Liquid Propane, preparing for a range of challenges and delays, the industry will be systems. 0.6 to 6.3 meters. or Natural Gas De-Icing. better shielded from the ambiguities and disruptions experienced while trying to get spacecraft on-orbit. Portable Radome Grant Bonin is Senior Vice President of Business

Development at Spaceflight Inc. As a business

development leader, Grant works at the crossroads of

engineering, strategy and business development, and

oversees Spaceflight’s sales team while working with every Protect LEO/MEO/GEO terminals from heat, sand, snow, ice & more. Operate in extreme conditions — up to 85 Mph winds. team to internally ensure mission success for each Rapid setup. Flyaway system. customer. Grant has broad industry experience with spacecraft development

and launch systems and has dedicated his career to improving access to space. Grant has over 40 operational spacecraft in orbit and has several more www.De-Ice.com in development slated to launch in the upcoming years. +1 (951) 683-0930 | [email protected]

SatMagazine Page 31 February 2021 A Recent Development for Spaceflight

One of Spaceflight’s customers, smallsat developer and operator Astrocast ,is on a mission to connect the planet to solutions that will change the world. Their vision is for a connected world where IoT (Internet of Things) is global, and benefits everyone. Their satellites help track assets by operating a sustainable and advanced nanosatellite network. To do this, they need timely, frequent, and cost-effective launches. That’s where Spaceflight comes in.

Their first demonstration satellite launched on Spaceflight’s historic SSO-A mission in 2018 on a SpaceX Falcon 9, and the second demonstration satellite launched in 2019 on one of “If you sign up to launch directly with one launch vehicle, you are Spaceflights PSLV missions. Now, Astrocast is ready for the stuck. You’re a small player and have to deal with the contract spotlight as they launch their commercial missions on multiple yourself,” said Karlsen. “Dealing with the launch vehicle directly upcoming Spaceflight launches, including SXRS-3, dubbed takes a lot of effort and takes time away from what we are doing. Transporter-1 by SpaceX which, at the time of this writing, was I’m not in the business of running a launch team. If Ii had to deal preparing for liftoff on January 23 and had to hold the countdown with this directly, I’d have to build a bigger team. I want to focus due to weather conditions. . on what my business does.” To accomplish their goals, Astrocast plans to have 80 smallsat on-orbit. What sets Astrocast’s constellation apart from others is Spaceflight can handle Astrocast’s launch plans and get their the very low signal and small antenna and terminal with long satellites on-orbit quickly and efficiently — they can do what they battery life. The small size allows them to put the terminal on do best, making the world a better place through IoT. everything from fishing buoys to animals. Astrocast has also recently sigbned a new contract with They are helping the fishing industry in Spain, and can track Spaceflight for the launch of 10 additional IoT smallsats. This individual cows in remote areas, preventing the spread of bovine new contract will be the sixth launch booked with Spaceflight disease; another customer is tracking endangered animal species for Astrocast. while another customer will be tracking heavy machinery in remote locations. By having a robust constellation and ground Learn more about Astrocast at astrocast.com. station network, Astrocast will be able to track items worldwide within 15 minutes — eventually improving to near real-time location tracking.

Why did Astrocast come to Spaceflight? CFO Kjell Karlsen explained, “Flexibility is a huge issue for us. What Spaceflight offers is a lot of flexibility. Our first commercial mission was schedule to be on another launch vehicle, but due to the corona virus outbreak that one was delayed. We were able to work with them to move to another launch vehicle. That schedule flexibility is what we need.”

Rideshare is an ideal solution for Astrocast. In addition to the cost savings and the ability to switch launch vehicles due to unforeseen circumstances, Spaceflight handles the nuances of launch that would require time and resources from the Astrocast team.

SatMagazine Page 32 February 2021 CONNECTING PEOPLE TO THEIR MISSIONS

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

For over 30 years, SpaceBridge has striven to performance GEO and NGSO Extreme Broadband eliminate the digital divide by being an innovator, Gateways, VSAT Terminals, Modems and Services leader and trusted provider of bold solutions that for mission critical applications. keep people connected to their missions, everywhere. As we venture even further, we invite you to join us as we aspire to make all things connected. Visit our We live on the cutting edge of what’s possible, website at spacebridge.com to learn how you can challenging ourselves, adapting to an ever-changing achieve greater connectivity. landscape while delivering ultra-reliable, high-

spacebridge.com | [email protected] | +1.514.420.0045 USA | CANADA | LATIN AMERICA | BRAZIL | EMEA | ASIA PACIFIC Isotropic Optical beamforming lenses enable the Isotropic Systems multi­beam antenna to link to simultaneously link to multiple satellites in multiple orbits. Photo is courtesy of the company. A New Age Of Connectivity By John Finney, Chief Executive Officer, Isotropic Systems

This is the year of next-generation connectivity, as Isotropic This is the year Isotropic Systems has been working Systems is on track to accelerate the development and roll-out of toward since you founded the company. Sounds its transformational multi-beam antenna. The firm’s unique like 2021 will be a year of important milestones, technology is set to unleash the full potential of new high-powered can you share what’s coming up in the year ahead? constellations and satellites coming online in early 2022, beginning with SES’ O3b mPOWER MEO system. John Finney (JF) This is defintely a milestone year for the company, as we fast approach In fact, Isotropic Systems’ next generation ground infrastructure is just the commercialization of our unique multi-beam antennas. as important as the new constellations in space. Let’s face it, a host of We recently completed critical trials of high-performance terminals ambitious new satellite constellations from SpaceX, OneWeb, Amazon, with the U.S. military at test sites in Florida and the UK. And in the SES and Telesat are currently being developed and deployed to solve coming months, we will demonstrate the ability of our platform to the world’s connectivity challenges, but none of them will reach their connect to multiple satellites simultaneously across GEO and MEO full potential without equally innovative ground infrastructure. orbits. Our commercial and government customers and partners are Isotropic Systems belives 2021 will be a milestone year for the extremely excited to see that we have truly cracked the long-elusive company’s patented optical beamforming terminals. The new age connectivity code for key markets such as enterprise, maritime, defense antennas will be put to the test throughout the first half of the year in a and government, and aero. number of advanced trials with the U.S. military and a host of We are entering the latter development stages of our multi-beam government and commercial tech partners in the U.S. and Europe. antenna with patented optical beamforming lens technologies that Isotropic Systems has done what government and commercial enable the use of commercial and military satellite capacity over a engineers have attempted to do for years — crack the connectivity code single terminal. That’s an absolute game changer and demonstrates for unprecedented communications capabilities virtually anywhere. that Isotropic Systems is not just surviving, but thriving in these challenging times.

SatMagazine Page 34 February 2021 On that note, Isotropic Systems is on the fast- track for expansion and innovation as you gear up for commercial launch. Can you update us on the company’s growth plans for 2021 and beyond?

JF Isotropic Systems is opening a new technology and testing center near our company headquarters in Reading, UK. This new facility will certainly play a major role as we make advanced refinements to our first generation multi-beam antenna ahead of production. We will double in size this year as well, as we add a solid group of engineers and specialists to the team ahead of ramping up to launch. And certainly fundraising rounds are fueling our growth and the R&D that’s driving our innovation and differentiation across the connectivity market. There’s nothing else out there remotely close to being able to do what our multi-beam antennas can do. That’s exciting – and to say 2021 is the year of change in connectivity is an understatement. Our Isotropic Systems terminals will help in redefining connectivity – by providing key markets the heightened level of connectivity and capability they’ve needed for years.

Let’s home in on a couple of those key markets so we can better understand the difference your antenna Isotropic Systems' multi­beam terminal has undergone a series of extensive trials aimed at refining design and represents to the world of development ahead of production in late 2021. Photo is courtesy of the company. connectivity. What are the markets that are most JF intriguing at the moment? They’re all intriguing and bring their own set of challenges that our optics- based terminals are more than capable of solving. Isotropic Systems’ patented optics enables the high performance multi-beam antenna to simultaneously link with multiple satellites in multiple orbits, unlocking the

SatMagazine Page 35 February 2021 global satellite ecosystem for unprecedented connectivity across a broad range of markets, including government, defense, maritime, enterprise and aero. Take defense for example, mission critical demand for real-time, reliable communications and Intel, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) data has never been stronger. Governments can no longer rely on patch-work and disparate connectivity networks in an increasingly adversarial world. The armed forces and defense agencies around the world are incredibly good at acquiring Intel but they run into bottlenecks when they try to distribute that mission- critical data over single beam parabolic antennas and other outdated infrastructure. With our multi-beam terminal they can evaluate multiple communication pathways across any orbit and then establish the best link or links based on their priorities, all while simultaneously using the additional beams to gather information for situational awareness and Intel. Our recent and upcoming final phase trials with the U.S. Army and U.S. Navy are successfully demonstrating the game-changing connectivity and capabilities our high- performance multi-beam terminals will put in the hands of frontline warfighters and decision makers across the government sector and battlespace. At the same time, our Isotropic key trials of the Isotropic Systems multi­beam terminal atop the Harwell Technology Campus test stand antenna is fully capable of putting a near Oxford, United Kingdom. Photo is courtesy of the company. whole new level of connectivity at the fingertips of airline passengers at 30,000 feet where they can stream As you look ahead to the exciting year of major TV from a multi-cast link while simultaneously providing in-flight wifi milestones and challenges in 2021, what are you through a completely separate satellite in any orbit. Enterprise most proud of when you consider all of the customers have the flexibility to dynamically route their traffic based on accomplishments Isotropic Systems has achieved latency, throughput, or cost. Train operators can transmit safety critical so far? data over two links simultaneously for redundancy while also providing passenger connectivity.

SatMagazine Page 36 February 2021 JF I know our team is ready to break away from the hold the coronavirus I couldn’t be more proud of our team when you consider the has had on all of us, when it comes to redefining what is normal. And monumental challenges we’ve faced as a fine-tuned company in the as we kickoff what is going to be an incredible new year, I realize how face of a global pandemic. It has forced us to rethink and redefine how well positioned Isotropic Systems is to help the world move up to a we work together to keep innovating and pushing toward commercial whole new connectivity experience. production in the face of serious adversity. The fact that we have a truly transformational technology at the www.isotropicsystems.com heart of our antenna has made all the difference. We’ve managed to bring on new investors at a level that has far exceeded expectations, in large part because we have an incredible solution that is absolutely going to unleash the full potential and power of new and amazing constellations and satellites in GEO, LEO and MEO. A satellite and telecoms industry veteran with over $2 billion We’re doing all that with a laser focus on bringing every bit of in new revenue creation directly attributed to his leadership, capacity in space to meet a world of connectivity demand – over a John Finney pioneered significant success for start-ups single game-changing antenna. Huawei (founded Huawei in Europe) and O3b (founding It might sound cliché and grandiose when we say we’re redefining employee and Chief Commercial Officer) along with other connectivity, but our customers and partners have seen our terminal in major leadership roles such as global business unit leader action firsthand and are the first to say we have cracked the code for a for Alcatel-Lucent. John has been identified as a Top 40 Executive by Global new connected world. Telecoms Business three years in succession.

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SatMagazine Page 37 February 2021 What Happens When... The Unconnected World Lights Up? By Abel Avellan, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, AST SpaceMobile

Currently, half of the world’s population, nearly 4 billion people, All of these applications require far more widespread mobile internet lacks mobile internet access, this according to mobile industry access. Fortunately, a Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite constellation group GSMA (Global System for Mobile Communications, originally launched by AST SpaceMobile will soon blanket the Earth with mobile Groupe Spécial Mobile). More people rely on their cell phones than internet access, reaching areas of the world where regular cellular any other means for connectivity. access could never be reliable or cost-effective. The smartphone in your pocket will be everything you need to be Solve the mobile internet access problem and the other half of the connected to anyone, anywhere. world would light up. Such radical advances in equal access would improve people’s lives Imagine the impact when a farmer without internet access in a in three main areas: growth, well-being and opportunity. remote part of Africa is suddenly able to connect to market prices, weather forecasts and banking services from a cell phone. Or, when a Fueling Economic Growth refugee fleeing a war zone can get remote medical care, or a lost hiker Opening up the rest of the world to the internet would provide an on the Appalachian Trail can make an emergency call that means the enormous boost to the global economy and bring financial inclusion to difference between life and death. those previously unconnected. Having reliable and affordable connectivity would mean that a person in the most remote village could access financial services such as microcredit or digital payments.

SatMagazine Page 38 February 2021 For example, the M-Pesa digital payment system, now a joint venture increased access to the internet can help level the playing field among between Safaricom and Vodafone, has already helped lift 194,000 rural citizens. The young and urban have more than twice the internet Kenyans out of poverty by lowering the cost of sending payments and access as older and rural citizens, according to the World Bank. enabling women to set up small businesses instead of working Connecting more rural people is a mission for developing countries: in agriculture. even more so in developed nations such as the US — 97 percent of the With greater access, small businesses could compete with big land mass is rural and rural America is home to 60 million people. businesses and connect with buyers in other countries. Rural residents When we level the playing field, new groups of people can enter could shop for goods and services similar to those found in urban areas, the labor force. Governments can better serve rural or marginalized at lower cost. People could work from anywhere and sell their services populations, enabling a more effective coronavirus pandemic response, to anyone. for example. Residents can make a living in their villages rather than The World Bank estimates that every 10 percent increase in migrate to big cities. broadband penetration in developing countries raises GDP by When any business on Earth can be online, anyone can compete in 1.4 percent, a significant lift. (In developed countries, that increase is the global economy. Taobao villages, named after the Alibaba online 1.2 percent.) The McKinsey Global Institute calculated that enabling shopping platform in China, show how a heavy investment in extending more people to plug into global flows of information, communication broadband to rural areas has helped tens of thousands of small, and services and facilitating greater connectivity in high-priority e-commerce merchants across 4,310 villages reach national and global commercial domains could add as much as $4 trillion to global GDP. markets. About one-third of store owners are female and one-fifth were previously unemployed. Fostering Well-Being However, this isn’t just a story about the possibilities for the The mobile internet has sparked movements for social change across developing world. Extending mobile internet everywhere on land, sea, the world, toppled governments and influenced the outcome of and air opens up new opportunities for developed countries, as well. elections. New mobile internet users could develop skills, vote, and see When everyone can be continuously connected — regardless of a doctor on their phones. Of course, with greater connectivity come whether they are working in a remote cabin, driving through the downsides, such as surveillance and disinformation that must certainly countryside, flying on a plane, or sailing the ocean — the impact will be mitigated. be profound. Telemedicine is one example of the social benefit. Satellite internet Ultimately, when the entire world can access greater opportunity services have enabled ambulances in rural areas of Scotland to transmit and mobility, much more of the world’s population can thrive. With video that connects paramedics with doctors en route to the hospital greatly expanded and more equal internet access, that idea becomes and help save lives in the critical “golden hour” after an injury. reality. The time has come to think about connectivity as a human right, along with access to clean water and electricity. Democratizing Opportunity When the entire world lights up, a child in a remote village in Alaska https://ast-science.com/spacemobile/ would have the same access to information and knowledge as a youngster in urban California. When deployed with the correct information and incentives, Abel Avellan is chairman and CEO of AST SpaceMobile, the

first and only space-based cellular broadband network for

mobile phones. He brings more than 25 years of success in

the space industry. A co-inventor of 18 patents, he is

cultivating another team of brilliant scientists and engineers

to transform space technology as we know it –— and more

importantly — what we can do with it. Most recently, he was

the founder and CEO of EMC until its sale for $550 million in 2016. Abel and

his companies have been honored with multiple industry awards, including the

World Teleport Association's Satellite Teleport Executive of the Year (2017)

and Fastest Growing Satellite Company several years in a row, as well as

Euroconsult's Satellite Transaction of the Year (2015).

SatMagazine Page 39 February 2021 Ticket to Ride Pioneering In-Space Mobility Will take More Than Innovative Propulsion By Jake Teufert, Chief Engineer, Benchmark Space Systems

The smallsat revolution has driven an explosion of propulsion far superior solution than a warp drive delivered after your providers offering a variety of technologies, some fielded and flight company runs out of money. proven, some approaching operability, and some still in the “science project” phase. Ease of Integration The propulsion system should be easy to integrate to the Speak to a propulsion engineer and you will get a treatise on the satellite. It should use standard data and power interfaces, and superiority of their preferred technology as evaluated by their technical should be easy to command and operate. Propulsion should not metric of choice, whether that is specific impulse, thrust, impulse require intimate knowledge of the inner workings or underlying density, areal thrust density, thrust to power ratio, et cetera, et cetera, technologies of the system. Instead, it should allow easy ad nauseam. reapplication from one satellite or mission to the next. Propulsion should be abstracted (more on this later). None of these metrics matter. Operability At least, none of these metrics matter except as they affect The propulsion system should be serviceable on the ground the following: without requiring expensive, specialist teams for fueling or other commissioning at the launch base. Ground operations should be Sufficiency suitable for all major launch sites, domestically and internationally. The propulsion system must be able to achieve the mission within size, weight, and power constraints. There are no style In orbit, the spacecraft needs should drive the propulsion points for using a higher energy density, custom chemistry, or concept of operations, and not the other way around. The the latest, most exquisite plasma physics. propulsion system should be ruggedly reliable and available on- call. If you decide you want to go for a drive, you should be able Expediency to get in, turn the key, and go. Time is money. This is true both for time to delivery and maneuver time. A glorified tea kettle with a 3 month delivery In the end, the new space renaissance of the last two decades has been schedule that gets you to a revenue-generating orbit quickly is a driven by technical pragmatism and a focus on execution as much as

SatMagazine Page 40 February 2021 technological revolution. In the launch vehicle sector, SpaceX is the architecture that is most suitable. This provides both interface obvious example of the revitalization of the industry. While they have commonality across multiple spacecraft, as well as late-stage design certainly driven substantial innovation, the underlayment of their flexibility for an individual spacecraft. success was not some specific engineering breakthrough. A modern smartphone platform such as Android allows wide The Falcon 9 design began as a conventional kerosene and liquid configurability of hardware to meet individual needs, all while providing oxygen expendable launcher. One which would have been quite the same intuitive basic interface. The future of on-orbit propulsion familiar and unsurprising to the Atlas missile engineers of two should be the same. generations ago. The seed of their success has been an unrelenting focus on Mobility Partnership excellence in execution in removing barriers to launch. Likewise orbital The new market ethos is that propulsion, as an integrated system, is propulsion and mobility must embrace that same pragmatic the propulsion supplier’s problem. The natural extension of this ethos functionality and emphasis on operational excellence as the North Star is the evolution of the propulsion supplier into a new role, that of for its own success. mobility partner. This is a broader role, where responsibility is taken not just in The Abstraction of Propulsion supplying the mission-critical hardware, but in supporting mobility Many new propulsion suppliers have done well in embracing the needs across the entire spacecraft life-cycle. A mobility partnership concept of “turn-key” propulsion systems. This is a significant shift from includes support during the mission planning phase, early design and the old aerospace model where spacecraft builders took on the burden hardware support for software/data interfacing, delivery logistics, full of designing, procuring, and integrating components into a bespoke service ground support, launch vehicle integration assistance, and on- propulsion system themselves. orbit commissioning. In the future, this role will further extend to However, this idea of easy, plug-in integration must be expanded coordinating servicing, refueling, and extended life operations. to allow design flexibility and extensibility, rather than just “one-size- fits-all” propulsion boxes. Conclusion No one technology or architecture is a magic bullet for every Building mobility partnerships is the essence of the technological and mission. Ideally, a spacecraft builder should be able to customize to business philosophy that we have taken at Benchmark Space Systems. their propulsion needs for a specific mission or spacecraft, while still It summarizes to a single idea: propulsion should be easy to retaining easy plug and play integration with a single, known interface. incorporate. This means easy technical interfacing with a single, The abstraction of propulsion will make this a reality. This concept common propulsion API and the flexibility to support a range of can be thought of as the propulsion equivalent to an API (application propulsion technologies. This means easy organizational integration, programming interface). A modular and extensible propulsion control with a full-service partner that will support your mobility needs from architecture can allow the spacecraft builder to learn how to interface mission concept through to re-entry. This means a pragmatic approach once, while tailoring each mission with the propulsion technology and and the redefinition of space mobility as a service.

benchmarkspacesystems.com

Author Jake Teufert has broad-based experience that spans

the entire propulsion product lifecycle, from new engine

development to sustaining engineering of heritage designs.

He currently oversees the development and maturation for

Benchmark’s core propulsion technologies. Prior to joining

Benchmark, he was the Co-Founder of TesseractSpace and

was responsible for the development of their green

propulsion technology, which is now available from Benchmark as an end

product. Mr. Teufert was the Propulsion Lead for Masten Space Systems from

2014-2017, with prior experience at Aerojet providing experience in a variety

of propellants and thruster sizes. One of many propulsion hot fire tests by Benchmark Systems.

SatMagazine Page 41 February 2021 Image is courtesy of Umbra S.S.A. Magnus. Orbit Congestion Encourages The Growth Of A Commercial SSA Market By Charlotte Croison, Consultant, Euroconsult

Space is no longer a void. Unprecedented quantities of new objects are launched every month in orbit which, where they collide or simply reach their end of life, become imminent dangers for the space assets of all countries and commercial companies. Threatening the future of space activities, this tragedy is likely to encourage the emergence of a commercial Space Situational Awareness (SSA) market.

As the space environment is becoming increasingly crowded, space debris has become an increasing concern amongst both public and private space stakeholders. Human-made debris are largely the result of satellites which have reached end-of-life, objects intentionally released in orbit as part of missions, rocket parts, frozen propellant from propulsion systems as well Source: NASA History of On­Orbit Satellite Fragmentation, as fragments resulting from on-orbit collisions and explosions. 15th Edition, July, 2018. According to ESA’s Space Debris Office, more than 34,000 objects larger than 10 cm and 128 million objects under 1 cm are currently This finding is not without recalling the theory of the commons orbiting around the Earth. Being the orbit most frequently used in terms developed by William Forster Lloyd in the 20th century describing of number of satellites and the easiest to access, these debris are largely the overexploitation of a common land by individuals acting concentrated in Low Earth Orbit (LEO). independently for their own account to the detriment of the common

SatMagazine Page 42 February 2021 Source: Euroconsult Research Report Satellites to be Built and Launched to 2029.

goods. Today, orbits are comparable to these lands: overexploited by process of being launched such as SpaceX’s Starlink or the OneWeb space powers and commercial actors (many of which are more system are guaranteed to worsen the congestion in LEO. The situation concerned with short-term profitability and generating revenue will also be aggravated by the presence of a growing number of streams than with long-term space environment sustainability) to the decommissioned and uncontrollable satellites on-orbit. point that these orbits’ congestion have short and long-term impacts As of today, no legally binding international regime has been on the sustainable use of space. adopted regarding space debris mitigation and remediation and, The coming decade is likely to introduce a paradigm shift for orbital though numerous countries consider space safety and the space debris debris. As human activity in space has increased, so too has the number issues in their national laws, existing provisions are often too general to of space objects left in orbit. Apart from a number of deliberate collision effectively ensure a global and long-term sustainable use of space. events created by antisatellite weapons tests, the quantity of space junk In the absence of binding rules, ESA estimates that more than two is largely linked to the rising number of space assets launched into orbit. thirds of satellites in orbit are non-operational. To face this issue, leading The future mega-constellation projects proposed or already in the space actors are investing in SSA; however, capabilities and strategic approaches differ. The most advanced approach and technical capabilities exist in the US. As the country’s military, civil governmental and commercial entities increasingly rely on and benefit from the use of outer space, SSA is considered a key capability to mitigate against risks threatening space systems and to ensure US (and global) freedom of action in space. Main US assets include the Space Surveillance Network, a global network enabling the US to track more than 23,000 orbiting space objects. Part of its database is The United States Space Surveillance Network (SSN), a worldwide network of 29 space surveillance sensors (radar made publicly available. To and optical telescopes) is tasked with observing and cataloging space objects. Image is courtesy of DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency).

SatMagazine Page 43 February 2021 Image of the US Space Fence, courtesy of Lockheed Martin. enhance its capabilities, the US developed the Space Fence System, Using this architecture, SSA companies will be able to leverage available a second-generation, ground-based, space surveillance system government assets and provide commercial value-added SSA services. tracking objects measuring 2-3 cm in LEO. Located in the Marshall As such, the US government acts as both provider and client of high- Islands, the system was declared operational in 2020 and has quality SSA data, and today represents over half of all commercial SSA increased the number of space objects tracked to an estimated revenues worldwide. 200,000 objects. These recent initiatives in the SSA sector are the logical consequence Support to SSA activities by the US Administration has been of the US’s global space policy implementing across the entire space reaffirmed in 2018 through the adoption of the Space Policy Directive- industry including Earth Observation (EO), satellite communications and 3 (SPD-3). SPD-3 shifts the non-security critical aspects of SSA from the the launch industry. By increasingly purchasing commercial products and Department of Defense (DoD) to the Department of Commerce, demilitarizing part of its space assets, the country aims at benefiting from thereby increasing its capacity to incorporate commercial SSA data and more flexible, latest and cutting-edge technologies offered by the services. In this aim, the directive introduces the possibility for the dynamic and vibrant country-based space companies. government of purchasing and incorporating information collected by Currently, no other country nor regional organization has been commercial, civil and international players creating new business developing similar strategy justifying the US global leadership in the opportunities for the private sector. domain. In comparison, Europe’s commercial SSA sector is less mature. The US also commits itself to establish an Open Architecture SST Apart from ESA’s ADRIOS mission, European governments typically do Data Repository to continue providing basic free data to various users. not directly purchase data or services from their private industry in large

SatMagazine Page 44 February 2021 quantities, explaining a slower growth of the market compared to the US one. Differences might also be noted at the political level. Even though numerous European government documents reference the importance of space debris mitigation and space environment sustainability, these policies do not support an increased role for the commercial sector in boosting national SSA capabilities. However, the financing landscape appears likely to improve. To illustrate, the ESA awarded a 86 million euros contract to the Swiss start-up ClearSpace SA in 2020 in order to complete the world’s first space debris removal mission by Source: Euroconsult Commercial SST Market Assessment, done for the UKSA. the mid-2020s. Government involvement in the sector is crucial for the development Finally, as the market reaches its full maturity stage and SSA usage and of this market as SSA revenues are currently generated predominantly penetration peaks, growth is likely to slow down with a focus on operational by governments. However, as a result, fee-based commercial services in cost reductions rather than investing in breakthrough technologies. the sector must compete against free government-provided solutions A number of factors currently suppress the commercial SSA market, which currently serves to suppress the market. Without further progress most notably the fact that this kind of products and services is largely at the political and legal levels, commercial uptake is estimated to provided by public entities free of charge. However, the state of the remain low until either there is a mandatory obligation to ensure space market is expected to rapidly evolve based on various and, sometimes, debris mitigation/remediation or orbits become so congested that a difficult-to-predict evolutions and variables. majority of satellite operators’ cost-benefit assessments change in the The achievement (or non-achievement) of the planned mega- balance of paying for SSA services to avoid any collisions. constellations projects, as well as possible regulatory reforms and In a recent study by Euroconsult for the UK Space Agency to technology breakthroughs such as space-based SSA, might dramatically quantify the commercial SSA market in 2020 and forecast its growth impact the market in one way or another. trajectory over the next 15 years, the SSA market is forecasted to exhibit an “S-curve” dynamic prevalent in nascent high-technology areas www.euroconsult-ec.com entering the mainstream commercial market. The market first enters an infancy phase marked by slow technological Charlotte Croison is a consultant with Euroconsult, a development and commercial uptake and market penetration rates. In consulting firm specializing in space markets. Her focus conjunction with the launch of mega constellations and increased includes regulatory and policy framework assessments for congestion and thus collision risk, along with increasing technical both industrial and institutional entities. capabilities and lower costs, the commercial SSA market will undergo a period of rapid expansion, with commercial revenues projected to hit $100 million by the early 2030s.

SatMagazine Page 45 February 2021 Secure World Foundation (SWF): 2020 Year in Review

Last December, Secure World Foundation (SWF) published Harris administration as it begins setting its policy agenda for a preview of the organization’s planned activities in 2020 the next four years to build on space policy efforts of previous across various program areas and this is a review od how administrations. This brief contains recommendations on that year played out and what is planned for 2021. issues ranging from fostering a vibrant commercial space The year started off well, with a number of in-person sector to dealing with threats from counterspace capabilities. events around the world. However, by March, it was clear In a nod to the global nature of our work, we offered a Spanish that we would have to adapt to the social distancing translation of our Handbook for New Actors in Space and measures required to combat the spread of the COVID-19 Spanish and French translations of the executive summary of pandemic. Working with our partners around the world, our annual counterspace threat assessment. Plus, in an effort already planned in-person events were postponed or to increase accessibility of our online events, when possible, transitioned to virtual platforms. we have started making closed captioning available. All told, since initiating telework for all staff in March, SWF We also continued implementation of practical projects has organized or co-hosted 41 virtual events on a range of aimed at enhancing the transparency of space activities, such topics across all of its mission areas. These dialogues and as the development of an online dashboard to promote events covered topics such as space security, responsible transparency of orbital data on space activities, which we are space operations, space resources governance and other developing with our partners at the University of Texas at emerging space governance issues, and human and Austin (UT/Austin), and the Center for Strategic and environmental security. International Studies (CSIS). Our capstone event during the second half of 2020 was The year ended on a high note, with SWF being awarded the 2nd SWF Summit for Space Sustainability, which was the 2020 Space Stewardship Award at a special virtual awards held from September 9 through 11 and was attended by 540 ceremony on December 14. This award is “given to the person, participants from 42 countries. SWF also co-organized or program or organization that made a significant contribution participated in several invitation-only multi-lateral dialogs on to preserving and protecting the orbital commons.” responsible behavior in space. In 2020, SWF also continued to work with the UN on What are SWF’s Plans for 2021? building capacity in space policy and law in emerging space In 2021, the space community will continue to experience the countries with the Space Law for New Space Actors Legal multifaceted challenges to the sustainability of space activities Advisory Project. SWF also continued to promote and that have been growing for a number of years, as well as support the development of standards for commercial on-orbit confronting more novel challenges that may arise from new proximity operations through our role in managing the kinds of space activities. industry-led Consortium for Execution of Rendezvous and In our efforts to promote the sustainable and peaceful uses Servicing Operations (CONFERS). of outer space, Secure World Foundation will continue to In addition to our many events and dialogues, SWF engage with other actors in the United States and developed targeted resources to enhance the understanding internationally on issues affecting the safety, stability, security, of space sustainability among policymakers and other actors and sustainability of outer space activities. What follows are in the space community. Of particular note is the issue brief snapshots of some of the priority areas SWF will work on in on space policy and sustainability for the incoming Biden- the next 12 months.

SatMagazine Page 46 February 2021 SWF will continue to raise the salience of space sustainability In addition to the above dialogs and program activities, SWF issues among public and private sector space actors and will continue to develop resources to enhance the national, international, and multilateral decision makers, and understanding of topical space governance and space security support efforts to use structured cooperation to advance such issues. Among these, in 2021, we expect to add French and issues. We will work with our partners all around the world to Chinese translations of our popular Handbook for New Actors promote dialogue and advance cooperative solutions for space in Space, which is currently available in English and Spanish. sustainability and the progressive development of the legal Given the current worldwide situation of COVID-19, it is likely framework for space activities. These include dialogues on issues that most of the engagements during the first half of 2021 will such as Space Situational Awareness (SSA), space resources continue to be virtual, with a gradual transition to hybrid and governance and other emerging governance challenges, then in-person events later in the year. We are planning to hold engagement with the space weather community, and promoting the third SWF Summit for Space Sustainability as a virtual event wider implementation of the United Nations Committee on the in June 2021. Further details will be announced in January. Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS) Guidelines for the SWF thanks its partners for a productive 2020 and the Long-Term Sustainability of Outer Space Activities. organization looks forward to continuing to contribute to As the emerging commercial space economy becomes conversations, virtually and in-person, in 2021 leading to the increasingly international, there is a need to examine the sustainable, safe, and peaceful long-term use of outer space. context through which the investor community can work with industry to encourage and implement best practices and swfound.org standards for responsible space operations. On the domestic U.S. policy front, we will continue engagement with the incoming Biden administration as it develops its policy intentions, building on the accomplishments of previous administrations and the latest US National Space Author Dr. Peter Martinez is the Executive Director of the Policy issued by the Trump administration on December 9, 2020. Secure World Foundation. He has extensive experience in In the domain of space security, SWF will continue to work multilateral space diplomacy, space policy formulation and closely with UNIDIR to plan the annual UNIDIR Space Security space regulation. He also has extensive experience in Conference, a two-day event that focuses on various aspects of capacity building in space science and technology and in space security. We will continue to work with additional partners workforce development. Prior to joining SWF, from 2011 - to increase the salience of space security and stability issues to 2018 he chaired the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful G-77 countries and bring them into the conversation about Uses of Outer Space (UN COPUOS) Working Group on the Long- determining what responsible behavior in space looks like. Term Sustainability of Outer Space Activities that negotiated a set In 2021, SWF will again organize the AMOS Dialogue on of international consensus guidelines to promote the safety and SSA at the annual AMOS conference in order to promote sustainability of space operations. In 2012 and 2013 he was South data sharing and collaboration as a measure that is Africa’s representative on the United Nations Group of foundational to any future scheme of space traffic Government Experts on transparency and confidence-building management or coordination. measures for space activities. From 2010 – 2015 he was the We will also continue work with CSIS and UT/Austin to Chairman of the South African Council for Space Affairs. He is a develop a web-based tool that will collect and make open member of the International Academy of Astronautics, the source data on space activities in LEO and GEO available in a International Institute of Space Law, a Fellow of the Royal format accessible to the public, media and policy-makers. The Astronomical Society and an Honorary Professor at the University intention is to provide more transparency about space of Cape Town. He has authored or co-authored over 200 activities and better enable analysts to distinguish between publications on topics in space policy, space sustainability, normal and abnormal or potentially hostile behavior. astronomy, space research, space law and space policy.

SatMagazine Page 47 February 2021 Spaceflight Inc.: 2020 Year in Review

Artistic rendition of Spaceflight’s Sherpa FX in space. Image is courtesy of the company.

This year has been unexpected and unique for industries, company with the independence and resources to focus on companies and individuals alike. At the beginning of the innovating and creating new service offerings that will improve year, Spaceflight was scheduled to execute the most our customers’ launch experience. missions the company had ever done in one year, with Spaceflight is dedicated to providing comprehensive several scheduled for the spring of 2020. To no one’s launch services and providing smallsat companies with surprise, the year didn’t exactly unfold as expected. unmatched flexibility through its rideshare and mission However, despite the challenges and sometimes management services. unbelievable global circumstances, this has been a significant year for Spaceflight. In 2020, Spaceflight achieved key The Debut of Sherpa-NG business milestones, including the completion of the Mitsui A key initiative for Spaceflight in 2020 was the debut of our acquisition, and debuted innovative programs and services, Sherpa-NG program. This is one of the many flexibility such as the Sherpa-NG (next generation) program and the initiatives we launched and were able to direct our attention Book My Launch online portal, both of which will benefit to following the acquisition. customers and provide unmatched launch flexibility. In-space transportation is essential to getting spacecraft delivered to orbit exactly when and where they need to be. Spaceflight Inc. Acquired by Mitsui However, more often than not, an ideal launch might not exist At the beginning of this year, Spaceflight Inc.’s parent for smallsat companies. We saw an opportunity to offer company, Spaceflight Industries, signed a definitive share customers a truly unique and valuable launch service by purchase agreement with Mitsui & Co., Ltd., in partnership creating an OTV program with a portfolio of vehicles. with Yamasa Co., Ltd. to sell its satellite rideshare launch Sherpa vehicles take advantage of low cost rideshare business. Following regulatory clearance in June of 2020, the launch options available in the market and drop the cost per acquisition of Spaceflight Inc. was finalized. port even lower by integrating multiple spacecraft onto one This acquisition presented an important opportunity for port. The vehicle also provides unique benefits, including Spaceflight to further invest and expand our commercial and high-definition telemetry data to support the identification governmental rideshare launch services. The new autonomy process, increased flexibility with the ability to easily move the and support from an established, global business provides our entire OTV from one launch vehicle to another or remanifest

SatMagazine Page 48 February 2021 : 2020 Year in Review

individual satellites. Finally, it offers the ability to execute in- Additionally, we signed a MLA with return customer, Hawkeye space transport to deliver customer spacecraft to an exact 360. — we will provide capacity, engineering, and mission orbital destination. management services to launch HawkEye 360’s Cluster 4, 5, To meet the various needs of smallsat companies, the and 6 of its radio frequency mapping satellites. Sherpa-NG program contains three different vehicles. Spaceflight also secured key partnerships with Benchmark Space Systems and Apollo Fusion Inc. to provide propulsion systems for the Sherpa-LTC and the Sherpa-LTE vehicles. These partners provide Spaceflight with reliable, trusted propulsion systems to deliver on-orbit transportation to customers.

New Customer Platforms Introduced Sherpa-FX is capable of executing multiple While the majority of Spaceflight’s work is focused on the deployments, providing independent and detailed process of integration and launching satellites, we are always deployment telemetry, and flexible interfaces to seeking opportunities to improve our customers’ experience accommodate different separation systems, throughout the launch process. As such, we created several minimizing development timelines while maximizing online initiatives to provide a seamless and simple customer flight and schedule reliability and mission assurance. launch process, including a reservation portal and a mission This is scheduled to debut on a SpaceX rideshare management platform. mission no earlier than December 2020. Book My Launch allows customers to book a satellite launch Sherpa-LTC features a high-thrust, high specific completely online much like booking an airplane flight, while impulse (LSP) bi-propellant, green propulsion Mission Control provides customers with real-time status subsystem integrated seamlessly within the available updates and milestone progress of their missions so they have space of the original free flyer. This propulsion easy access to information at every step of the launch campaign. technology from Benchmark Space Systems provides a low cost, rapid orbital transfer for many sizes of Leaning into 2021 small spacecraft. This Sherpa is scheduled to fly the Despite many schedule changes in 2020, Spaceflight executed second half of 2021. five missions on four different launch vehicles in four different Sherpa-LTE will include a low thrust, long duration countries, taking nearly 50 smallsats to orbit. As the industry propulsion system from Apollo Fusion, improving begins to see launch cadence pick up and a degree of radiation tolerance, with the capability to deliver normalcy return, we anticipate this year will be an even more customers to a GEO, Cislunar or Earth-escape orbits. active year for us, with several Sherpa launches. This vehicle provides a low-cost alternative to While 2020 was unconventional and challenging in many purchasing full direct-inject launch vehicles. The ways, the accomplishments Spaceflight achieved in 2020 will Sherpa-LTE is targeted to fly mid-2021. provide a strong foundation for the coming year and enable delivery of unprecedented launch flexibility to smallsat customers. The Sherpa-NG program is poised to become a key element of our launch service offering by enabling increased flexibility, Author Curt Blake is the CEO and President of low-cost launch options and a variety of capabilities to support Spaceflight. He has more than 25 years of customers’ mission needs. executive experience in high-growth technology industries. Under Curt’s leadership, Spaceflight Established Key Partnerships has successfully negotiated the launch of more Driven by our commitment to offer the most launch options than 300 satellites across more than 30 missions to smallsat customers across the industry, we signed multi- on behalf of its customers. In 2020, Spaceflight launch agreements (MLA) with SpaceX and Firefly Aerospace. was acquired by Mitsui and introduced a wide array of flexible launch The SpaceX agreement secures capacity for Spaceflight on initiatives, including its Sherpa-NG (next-generation) program, new SpaceX missions through 2021, providing launch schedule web portals to simplify the booking process and an identification assurance to smallsat customers needing frequent, reliable, program. Additionally, Curt led the company’s efforts to secure a and cost-effective launches to Sun-synchronous orbit. Multi-Launch Agreement with SpaceX.

SatMagazine Page 49 February 2021 How Iodine Electric Propulsion Systems Can Enable The Economic Sustainability Of Satellite Constellations By Trevor Lafleur, Principal Engineer; Ane Aanesland, Chief Executive Officer; Laurene Richard, Technical Sales Engineer; and Dmytro Rafalskyi, Chief Technology Officer, ThrustMe

Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite constellations offer the promise of These mega-constellations are planned to consist of hundreds to tens improved temporal refresh rates and global service coverage for of thousands of smallsats with a mass of hundreds of kg. The ability to communication and Earth-observation applications. With many manufacture and operate satellites of this size and number creates new current or future constellations consisting of hundreds or thousands challenges that require innovative solutions in many areas. One such of satellites, new innovative and cost-effective propulsion solutions area is in-space propulsion. are required to simplify and streamline the satellite integration Many constellations consist of satellites that are launched together process, and to ensure the economic viability of the industry. in large batches. In order to achieve required global coverage levels, Iodine-fueled electric propulsion systems represent a new these satellites must subsequently be deployed into specific breakthrough technology to help meet this need. constellation patterns. This deployment typically requires an onboard propulsion system, which is also needed for periodic orbit maintenance, In the last decade or so, the space industry has seen a rapid change maneuvers to avoid possible collisions with other satellites or space toward a New Space paradigm. The increasing commercialization of debris, and end-of-life disposal. space has been driven by the miniaturization and capability of modern The New Space paradigm has seen a shift towards smaller satellites electronics, and the wider availability of launch vehicle options for which many currently available propulsion systems are no longer providing easier access to space. This has allowed the formation of appropriate. They are often too large, too costly, and make use of many new smaller companies developing satellite constellations for a propellants that are not compatible with launch vehicle ‘rideshare’ wide range of applications as well as in many larger companies, such options. Such propellants may also introduce delivery and shipping as SpaceX, Amazon, and OneWeb, proposing and developing problems, while increasing the complexity of the satellite integration ambitious, satellite mega-constellations to provide near-real-time process —- an important consideration when dealing with large broadband internet across the globe. constellation sizes. New, innovative propulsion systems are needed for

SatMagazine Page 50 February 2021 this next generation of satellites, and iodine-fueled electric propulsion a local propellant supplier, specialized high-pressure loading equipment is an emerging technology that can help address these challenges. and trained personnel. This increases the time and complexity of satellite assembly and integration, as well as the overall system cost: Traditional Electric Propulsion Systems strong disadvantages for constellation satellites which must be Many traditional electric propulsion systems, such as gridded ion or manufactured, integrated, and tested on a tight schedule. Hall-effect thrusters, typically make use of the noble gas xenon as a propellant. Iodine as an Alternative Propellant Xenon is particularly attractive as it is non-toxic, chemically inert, Iodine represents an innovative new propellant choice for electric and leads to very high thruster performance and efficiency. propulsion systems. Iodine has many similar properties to xenon, but is However, xenon is also extremely rare (about one part per 10 million significantly less expensive and more abundant and is a solid at room in the atmosphere) and commercial production is expensive. temperature. This allows storage without the need for a pressurized Furthermore, many competing industries make use of xenon for a wide propellant tank that decreases the overall size of the propulsion system. range of applications from general anesthetics in hospitals, to Iodine introduces a number of advantages with regard to satellite automobile lighting. integration. For example, since the propellant is unpressurized, the Estimates show that the space industry demand for xenon alone propulsion system can be safely delivered to a customer completely could exceed global production capacity by 2025, which will create prefilled. Customers no longer need to separately organize the strong price fluctuations and supply disruptions. Krypton has been propellant to be delivered to their facility or launch site, and no identified as a possible alternative propellant (and is used ,for example, specialized loading equipment or personnel are needed. by SpaceX on their Starlink satellites), but this is viewed as only a short- Using iodine, therefore, enables true turnkey solutions for on-orbit term solution as many similar problems with xenon exist. propulsion,and can streamline assembly processes, while significantly An additional disadvantage of xenon (and also krypton) is that it reducing indirect costs associated with the use of propulsion. Iodine must be stored under very high-pressures (typically 100 to 200 times also leads to a slight increase in thruster performance over similar higher than atmospheric pressure), which requires carefully designed xenon-fueled systems, due to a lower ionization potential which reduces and tested propellant tanks. For many smallsats that are launched into power losses. space on a ‘rideshare’ basis (where they share a launch with a larger For the above reasons, research groups, space agencies (including and more expensive satellite), such high-pressures represent an NASA and ESA) and a number of companies around the world have explosion risk that may be viewed as unacceptable, or require been investigating and developing iodine propulsion over the last additional certification and insurance. decade or so. One such company is ThrustMe, which spun out of a Such high-pressures also complicate propulsion system delivery and research lab at the Laboratoire de Physique des Plasmas at Ecole integration with a satellite, as propulsion systems may need to be Polytechnique and the French National Centre for Scientific Research shipped and delivered empty and subsequently fueled at customer (CNRS) in 2017. facilities and/or launch sites: a process that can require interaction with ThrustMe is a French space company that offers a portfolio of turnkey propulsion products for a wide range of satellites and space missions, and has recently demonstrated how iodine can be exploited to its full potential. In addition to the replacement of xenon with iodine, one of ThrustMe’s unique solutions is an integrated and pipe-less propellant delivery system. A heating element is used to cause sublimation of solid iodine propellant into gaseous form at very low vapor pressures. This iodine vapor enters a special chamber in the thruster where a plasma is created. Ions from this plasma are then extracted and accelerated to generate thrust. By changing the temperature of the heating element, the sublimation rate can be controlled to allow operation in different thruster performance modes. By combining solid iodine propellant with gridded ion thruster technology, ThrustMe is able to offer a complete, standalone, SPT­140 xenon Hall­effect thruster. Image is courtesy of Maxar. propulsion system, known as the NPT30-I2, that includes all components and subsystems necessary for its operation, such as the

SatMagazine Page 51 February 2021 ThrustMe’s NPT30­I2 propulsion system firing during tests in a space simulation chamber. Photo is courtesy of ThrustMe power processing unit, an intelligent operation controller, and iodine NORAD tracking data and with a GPS receiver onboard the satellite. propellant storage and management. Customers only need to interact Orbit changes match closely with predictions based on propulsion with a single vendor for the entire propulsion system, and it is delivered system telemetry and numerical orbit propagation software, and show prefilled and ready to plug and play — a true turnkey solution. good consistency with the tracking data.

First On-Orbit Demonstration Economic and Environmental Sustainability Although both NASA and ESA consider iodine as a key strategic The successful launch and in-space operation of ThrustMe’s NPT30-I2 propellant for the future, and in spite of iodine having been first demonstrates for the first time that iodine is a viable alternative proposed as an alternative propellant almost 20 years ago, until recently no iodine electric propulsion system had been launched or Artistic rendition of the Spacety Beihangkongshi­1 satellite with tested in space. ThrustMe’s NPT30­I2 propulsion With funding support from ESA, the French National Space Agency system onboard. Image is (CNES) and the European Commission via the Horizon 2020 program, courtesy of Spacety. and in collaboration with the commercial space company Spacety Luxembourg and Spacety China, the world’s first iodine electric propulsion system was launched into space on the November 6, 2020. The ThrustMe NPT30-I2 propulsion system aboard the Beihangkongshi- 1 satellite was successfully test-fired multiple times between December 2020 and January 2021, with orbit changes confirmed both with

SatMagazine Page 52 February 2021 propellant for electric propulsion systems. This is an important Authors milestone in the history of this technology, and is expected to accelerate its commercial adoption in the coming years. Trevor Lafleur is a principal engineer at ThrustMe, a deep- For smaller satellites, such as cubesats, the NPT30-I2 represents an tech company in the space industry that provides complete, innovative new technology that completely eliminates the need for stand-alone, propulsion systems for satellites. high-pressure propellant tanks and can allow more advanced maneuvers for ambitious small satellite constellations. This offers new opportunities for satellite operators to select more cost-effective launch vehicles and insertion orbits, as onboard propulsion can be used for Ane Aanesland is the Co-Founder and CEO of ThrustMe. final orbit placement and deployment. It also provides a means for collision avoidance and end-of-life disposal to satisfy space regulations and reduce the risk of collisions and debris generation — important factors for the long-term environmental sustainability of LEO. Laurene Richard is a Technical Sales Engineer at ThrustMe. For larger smallsats as well as large constellations, the benefit of iodine as a propellant for electric propulsion systems is clear. Having a propulsion system with a solid propellant that can be safely handled and delivered prefilled, and essentially directly integrated into a satellite without specialized equipment or personnel will help speed up satellite Dmytro Rafalskyi is the Co-Founder and CTO of ThrustMe. assembly, integration and testing, while reducing both direct and indirect costs associated with propulsion. For constellations with many hundreds or thousands of satellites, having a fast turnaround time on the ground is critical for mission success, and having propulsion systems that use abundant and easy to obtain propellants will reduce supply disruptions. All of these factors combined will help to ensure the economic viability and sustainability of the industry.

https://www.thrustme.fr

The igraphic to the right reveals the iodine propellant

stored in solid-state where it is first heated to

sublimation, and its vapor flows into the ionization

chamber where plasma is generated. In the NPT30, the

latter is achieved by using an inductively coupled RF

discharge. The thrust is then produced by accelerating

the ions of the plasma to very high velocities (>30 km/s)

via a set of electrostatically biased grids. Finally, a

separate electron emitter (the neutralizer) is operated

to compensate for the electrical charge accumulated

due to the positive ion extraction.

SatMagazine Page 53 February 2021 Today’s Thin Film, Flexible Substrates Applying durable optical coatings

Gone are the days of designing a system exclusively around traditional, flat, rigid optical shapes. Advances in optical coatings and coating processes enable optical design engineers to test the limits of coated, curved, and unusual shapes within their applications.

Many new hardware technologies function by using only specific bands DSI’s thin film deposition technology, MicroDyn™, is used to of wavelengths. In these cases, carefully engineered thin film coatings deposit the following materials on flexible substrates: can be used to select which wavelengths to transmit, reflect, or absorb. These coatings can be found as key components within optical sensors, Metals (AI, Cr, Ag, Au) LiDAR, communication technologies, and more. Expanding potential Semiconductors (Si, Ge) substrates to include flexible materials, instead of just the traditional Oxides (SiO2, Nb2OP5, Y2O3, TiO2, ZrO2, Hf)2) rigid ones, offers advantages for applications in which weight and Nitrides (Si3N4, AIN, TiN) geometries pose a challenge. Advances in thin film coatings expand the possibilities for current and future applications. MicroDyn machines can quickliy produce usable quantities of test material — up to 30 sq. ft. per coating run. Coating Flexible Substrates Traditionally, complex thin film coatings have been deposited on rigid substrates such as glass, metal, ceramics and other hard materials, but Adherence this list is now being expanded to include flexible substrates such as: It’s no simple task to apply and adhere coatings to thin flexible sheets. Plus, with any added strain introduced if the finish product • PET (Mylar, Hostaphan®, Melinex®) is flexed or twisted, there’s an even higher risk of the coating • Polyimide (Kapton®, Upilex®) peeling away from the substrate. To help combat these • Fluoropolymers (Halar®) challenges, coating engineers must come up with innovative • Polyetherimide (Ultem®) methods to help strengthen the bond of the coating to the • Polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA, Plexiglas®, substrate. One proprietary method uses an intermediate material Europlex®) Polycarbonate (Lexan®, Makrofol®) — a special, additional layer that marries the coating to the • Polyethylene substrate. While this method doesn’t yet allow these thin film coatings to withstand repeated, continual flexing, it does increase The ability to apply optical coatings to thin, flexible materials means the product’s robustness so it can be used in environments where these components can conform to curved or more unusual shapes. A there are fewer occurrences of physical disruption. coated thin film can therefore be placed in a wider variety of positions, even potentially around the outside of a device, giving engineers much Testing for Durability Against Environmental Stresses greater design freedom beyond the traditional form factor of flat, hard To ensure performance, it’s vitally important for thin film optical filtering components. coatings to be tested in environmental chambers to measure their ability to withstand expected variations in temperature, Manufacturing Challenges humidity, and other parameters before they’re incorporated into The challenge manufacturers face is in the coating process itself. By the final system. nature, thin, flexible substrates may not be able to withstand the stressors of the coating application process and handling of the Techniques to Reduce Material Stress During Manufacturing substrate, much less the extreme environmental conditions within their and Handling end applications. Coatings themselves can introduce problematic stresses into the fi nal product. If a coating is applied to a rigid substrate, it’s possible there would be no visible effect from the added stress.

SatMagazine Page 54 February 2021

However, with a thin, flexible substrate, there is a greater risk Sunshade’s form and ease of handling are as important as the function that adding a coating could introduce stresses that cause the it brings. Unlike hard, flat materials with thin film coatings applied, substrate to roll up onto itself. For example, a poorly designed Sunshade can be easily rolled, unrolled, and bent to wrap around coating applied to a thin material might cause the part to roll satellite antennas. into a cylinder as tight as a pencil. Mechanical instability like this can make the material more prone to tearing or other damage, Potential Applications leading to increased time spent in the installation process. Solar Cell Technology There are several techniques that can be used to reduce these stresses: New, experimental development methods use precious metal coatings for preliminary steps of solar cell creation. Researchers 1. Choose the appropriate coating type. The choice of at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, demonstrated in coating type has a large impact on the ultimate net stresses experiments that selectively adding silver or gold within solar imposed on a component. Where stress is a primary concern, cells could boost efficiency by over 8 percent.1 preference is given to coating materials which are inherently low stress. Anti-reflection and electrostatic discharge coatings Radiopaque Coatings are two common low-stress coatings. Softer coatings, such In implanted medical devices, radiopaque materials are added so as metals, can also be used in applications that have low they can be seen during diagnostic imaging.2 Without radiopaque stress thresholds. materials, it would otherwise be difficult to detect medical implants and determine whether they are correctly placed in the 2. Balance stresses on each side of the substrate. Coatings body when viewing X-ray images. Tantalum is one material can be carefully engineered with material applied to each currently used for its radiopacity and could potentially be applied side of the substrate, allowing the stress from a coating on and then afterward encapsulated by a medical-grade material. one side to cancel out stress from a coating on the other side. Devices with Small or Abnormal Form Factors Electronics embedded within materials with unusual geometries, such as wearable tech and hardware where aesthetics are a primary concern, often use thin-film inner components such as fl exible circuit boards. This allows components to easily conform to unusual shapes during assembly.3 DSI has proven ability applying both tantalum and gold thin substrates to a variety of materials. The company’s R&D team is While flexible, thin film coatings aren’t currently designed to withstand always seeking new challgnes and if any organization is looking to frequent bending and flexing, it’s possible they could be used in create new coating technologies for use in solar cells, contact DSI. applications where the end form factor is protected by a rigid housing. In these instances, components may only need to be contorted once Current Applications during assembly and could be candidates for flexible thin film coatings. A current example of a high-performance, flexible thin film coating is DSI’s Sunshade material. This material is used to protect www.depsci.com communication satellite antennas from the thermal effects of solar radiation while allowing for RF transmission in the S-, C-, X-, Ku-, Ka- and V-bands. This material integrates an electrical charge dissipation function and has low solar absorptance. References The electrical charge dissipation works using an ITO (indium tin 1 Chemical & Engineering News: oxide) coating. ITO coatings are commonly found in applications such https://cen.acs.org/articles/92/web/2014/03/Simple-Coating-Gives-Boost- as touch screens. However, in this case, a unique high-resistivity form Thin.html of ITO was developed to meet the special static discharge and RF 2 wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radiodensity transparency requirements of the satellite environment. 3 ElectronicDesign: https://www.electronicdesign.com/industrial- automation/designing-ultra-thin-flexible-printed-circuit-boards

SatMagazine Page 56 February 2021 SatNews CONNECTIONS ON EARTH FOR CONNECTIONS IN SPACE

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SatMagazine | MilsatMagazine | SatNews.com New Space, A Shuttle For Global Economies

By Jaume Sanpera, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Satelliot

The space sector, or "New Space" as it is already known, is set to This sector previously revolved around geostationary devices the size of become one of the drivers of economic reconstruction after the a bus, developed over decades and costing between $100 and $500 end of the COVID crisis around the world due to its high added million, the industry is now working with satellites the size of a microwave value, its capacity to generate employment, technological oven or even a shoebox, developed in a matter of months and costing innovation, and large investments in the coming years. between $1 and $5 million — and that’s for the entire mission. Moreover, it is an innovative technology whose standards are As Jeff Bezos said, "Space is the new Internet." The revolution the adapted to the specific function to be performed. A smallsats useful life space sector is currently undergoing is unstoppable and is comparable is shorter than that of large satellites — around 4 to 5 years — which to what the smartphone business experienced two decades ago or, a allows it to increase its capabilities and to adapt to the canons of few years earlier, the personal computer business. This is a paradigm continuous innovation and improvement. shift from the traditional standards that have been developed over the years in satellites to technological advances that have reduced their The US, the Country that Invests Most in New Space size, development time and cost. This is why we are surprised by data such as the latest information published by the European Investment Bank (EIB) that states the United Satellites the Size of a Shoebox States clearly leads the segment of New Space activity with two-thirds This allows for competitive innovation cycles and the deployment of of total investment, thanks to the commitment of major technology not one, but tens or hundreds of satellites that will offer all kinds of magnates such as Elon Musk (SpaceX), Jeff Bezos (Blue Origin), or Larry services across the globe. In this way, we enter a virtuous circle that Page (Planetary Resources). The other third of investment is led by improves the product as well as the offered services. Japan, the United Kingdom, Israel, Canada and Spain.

SatMagazine Page 58 February 2021 This new area represents a great opportunity for employment and space However, in addition to agriculture, this massive global connection will activity in the world since, according to EIB data, the global space also benefit the logistics sector where the extension of IoT on a large economy reached 309,000 million euros in 2017 after registering an scale through sensors inside and outside containers will allow data to average annual growth of 6.7 percent between 2005 and 2017, almost be collected during transit. Such data can include the humidity of the twice as high as that of the world economy, largely due to the cargo, its temperature, oxygen levels, whether or not there is smoke or development of "New Space." It is therefore a nascent market with even attempts to open it... data that can be analyzed by the company great potential for development, which will enable technologies to be sending the goods, by intermediaries or by the crew of the ship on improved and new services to be offered. which the cargo is travelling. For its part, global and massive IoT will also have application in A Constellation of Smallsats for IoT infrastructure management and will be key to its security, protection With this change of mentality, and maintenance. In this way, it will be possible to monitor and analyze space is no longer the property the maintenance of traffic routes, traffic management or manage rapid of a few, but is becoming a intervention in the event of accidents, even with the support of drones democratized and essential that can provide an initial assessment of their scope. Not to mention industry that will solve some of the impact it will have on improving the environment with sensors for the great challenges we face on fire detection, river water quality or monitoring endangered species. Earth, such as global and Therefore, it is clear that the emerging "New Space" is configured massive connectivity in all as an industry of the future, an engine of industrial diversification and, sectors and industries. ultimately, an economic launching pad that will attract investment, In response to these innovation, employment and talent for new solutions that bring the challenges, companies such as cosmos closer to society with practical applications in their daily lives, Sateliot are working to make it all the while making this world a little better. possible to connect objects with 5G coverage through a constellation of as many as 100 smallsats that sateliot.space will start to be implemented this year. These smallsats will function as telecommunications towers from space to provide coverage to mobile operators through wholesale agreements in order for them to offer IoT services where there is no Author Jaume Sanpera is the Founder and CEO of terrestrial network reach. Sateliot, the first satellite telecommunications operator that will provide global and continuous connectivity to all How Connectivity Improves Strategic Sectors Productivity the elements that will make up the Internet of Things This technology will also provide monitoring services in sectors such (IoT) universe under the 5G protocol. as maritime, rail, aeronautics, automotive, oil and gas, electricity, Previously he also founded and managed Eurona, a critical infrastructures, agrotechnology, logistics and goods transport company that grew from 2M to 150M sales in just 6 years and the environment. and has been listed on the Alternative Stock Market since 2010. In this way, Sateliot will provide IoT connection throughout the A lover of technology and innovation, he believes in progress and in the territory where terrestrial networks have no reach, enabling the multiple possibilities that connectivity has to make people's lives easier. He development and technological evolution of different productive has a background in Telecommunications Engineering, a Master in Business sectors as connectivity allows them to increase their efficiency, reduce Administration (MBA) and a Senior Management Program (PADE). costs, improve their productivity or enable the sustainability of the His entire career has developed in parallel with technological development entire ecosystem. In a few years' time, all sectors will either be and his entrepreneurial spirit, which has led him to found up to 9 companies. technological — or they will not. Among them several 'dotcoms' as Festuc.com, a mobile social network to Therefore, this constellation of smallsats will provide connection to connect young people to share leisure or Ambientum.com, the directory of sectors such as agriculture, so that, through IoT sensors, farmers will digital renewable energy companies. extract from their plantations all the necessary data to manage their production in the most optimal way: moisture, acidity, nutrients, and so on. This will allow them to maximize scarce resources, such as water, anticipate problems, such as pest control, or decide the best times for sowing their seeds.

SatMagazine Page 59 February 2021 A Case In Point: 3D Printing Construction Of Flight-Ready, 1P PocketCubes By Matteo Levoni Bemposti, Engineer, CRP Technology

US-based CRP USA manufactured three engineering models for tCRP USA is a 3D printing company that is based in Mooresville, North Mini-Cubes. This is the first time that entire flight-ready and Carolina, and has built considerable experience supplying cutting-edge functional prototype PocketQubes have been manufactured using solutions for key industry leaders in the space market segments using a carbon-reinforced composite material — Windform® XT 2.0 — the Laser Sintering process and Windform® TOP-LINE reinforced and the Laser Sintering process composite materials, created by Italy-based CRP Technology.

Mini-Cubes, LLC, was founded in 2018 to take the concept of a PocketQube — a super smallsat — and develop it into a viable product. Joe Latrell, the CEO of Mini-Cubes, and his team accomplished this effort on the principle that virtually anyone can reach space today. With PocketQube satellites, they hope to achieve a better grasp on resource monitoring and offer the public a chance to be among the stars.

Computerized Numerically Controlled (CRC) machining in action. Photo is courtesy of CRP USA.

The primary objective of the project was proof of concept for satellites this small. Joe Latrell explained, “We wanted to include a camera for visual observation, again just to see if it could be done. If the process Mini­Cubes CEO Joe Lattrell at work on the Discovery smallsat. works, we see using the technology to create a constellation of Photo is courtesy of Mini­Cubes. PocketQube satellites just for monitoring a specific resource. In our case that resource is water.” The Project Joe decided to use professional 3D printing as he has been a fan of Recently, Joseph Latrell and his team started a new project based on a AM for some time now. “I first used the process for making prototype new 1P PocketQube flight-ready, named Discovery. He turned to CRP rocket fins when I worked at an aerospace company. When we started USA for the manufacture of the entire satellite frame via Additive working on Discovery, I knew I wanted to push the boundaries of what Manufacturing (AM). was possible — everything from the small satellite form factor to the technology used to make it. For that reason, I decided to involve CRP USA team and their Director of Operations, Stewart Davis. I knew that

SatMagazine Page 60 February 2021 The Discovery 1a engineering model on display at the 3rd PocketQube workshop in Glasgow, Scotland. Photo is courtesy of Mini­Cubes

something this small is to fit the electronics, camera, and radio system into it. The assignment was not simple or easy, as the Windform® parts in The inner workings of the Discovery 1a engineering model. the Discovery would be mission critical. Photo is Courtesy of Mini­Cubes. Joe clarified, “This was the first time an entire satellite would be with their expertise and experience in the sector, they would be the manufactured from a material such as Windform® XT 2.0. Performance ultimate technological partner for this important project” was everything. If any one of the parts fail, that would result in complete failure of the spacecraft.” The Challenge However, thanks to the long-term experience gained in the field of The main challenges were related to the small dimension of the satellite AM service alongside the key leaders of the most advanced industrial and to the material, as it was the first time that an entire satellite would sectors, CRP USA accepted the challenge... and won it. be built from a carbon-composite material. “Joe’s team brings a unique challenge as they are packing a lot in a Latrell noted, “Discovery is a PocketQube satellite. These are small package. Our team was able to use our experience with spacecraft that are small in size at 50x 50x 50 mm internal volume. Our Windform® to help move the project forward,” said Stewart Davis. particular satellite is a demonstration of what can be done for remote “Adapting to new and complex applications has become key to CRP sensing of Earth’s resources on that smaller scale. The challenge with USA’s further advancement.”

Checking circuit board fit on the engineering model. First assembly of the Windform frame Photo is courtesy of Mini­Cubes Photo is courtesy of Mini­Cubes

SatMagazine Page 61 February 2021 to a near vacuum to simulate the conditions in Earth orbit as well as thermally tested from +50c to -40c. Windform® XT 2.0 has passed every test we threw at it. The next step for us is to test the satellite on- orbit. This will be the final validation for our process. The plan is to launch sometime during Q2 of 2021.” CRP USA works alongside key space industry leaders and contributes to missions that have marked new milestones in the smallsat arena: PrintSat, KySat-2, TuPOD, AMPS, to cite a few. “All these projects brought a unique challenge. Our team was able to use our experience with Windform to help move these projects forward. Adapting to new and complex applications has become key to CRP USA’s further advancement,” said Stewart Davis. “Unlike many technologies that were originally developed for Aerospace that are then adapted to Motorsports, Windform XT 2.0 is a purely Motorsports drive material. Indeed, Windform was originally developed by CRP USA’s Fitting test of the solar arrays to the structure in Windform XT2.0. Photo is ourtesy of Mini­Cubes. partner CRP Technology based in Modena, Italy, for use in Formula One Racing, first in the wind tunnel and then on the track. Now Windform For the manufacture of Discovery 1a, Latrell and the CRP USA staff XT 2.0 and all the Windform composite materials are used in the most decided to use carbon-fiber reinforced Windform® XT 2.0. advanced industry sectors, to manufacture complex and harsh final “The combination of strength and ease of use made the material parts and functional prototypes.” a natural choice for us. We knew we wanted to use additive manufacturing for Discovery but understood that it would be hard to www.crp-usa.net find something that would work in the harsh environment of space. We discovered Windform® XT 2.0 and after looking at its properties, it was a simple choice, said Latrell.” Windform® XT 2.0 replaces the previous formula of Windform® XT in the Windform® TOP-LINE family of composite materials and features mini-cubes.com improvements in mechanical properties that include an 8+ percent increase in tensile strength, +22 percent in tensile modulus and a +46 percent increase in elongation at break. These mechanical properties have guaranteed the achievement of the required characteristics, i.e., Author Matteo Levoni Bemposti is an engineer who stiffness, low mass as well as very smooth surface finish. specializes in Additive Manufacturing and Windform Moreover Windform® XT 2.0 — as mainly composite materials Materials. He is the Head of the Reverse Engineering Windform® TOP-LINE — has passed outgassing tests at the most Department at CRP Technology. He attends international important space agencies and has been found to be highly suitable for conferences as a speaker on the use of the Additive space missions. Manufacturing in different fields, such as as aerospace, motorsports, aviation, automotive, marine and UAVs Result / Testing .During his career, Matteo Levoni has also designed engines for a major CRP USA manufactured for the Mini-Cubes company three, 1P automotive manufacturer. He graduated in Mechanical Engineering at the PocketQubes, functional prototypes: two for testing and one for flight. University of Modena and Reggio Emilia. The CRP USA Laser Sintering process combined with Windform® XT Contact information: info@crp­group.com 2.0 carbon-composite material proved to be the best choice: the 3D printed 1P PocketQubes functional prototypes have successfully passed the control and testing criteria and have fully complied with the Mini- Cubes’ standards. Joe commented, “We have run quite a few tests, with many more on the way. So far, we have load tested to more than 20 kg. The material has been vibration tested to NASA GEVS-7000 specifications, subjected

SatMagazine Page 62 February 2021 SMALLSAT SYMPOSIUM February 8th - 11th, 2021 SMALLSATSHOW.COM

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