Worldwide Satellite Magazine SatMagazineSatMagazine January 2021

A Rocket Lab Electron launch vehicle lifts o ff from New Zealand’s Māhia Peninsula with the Synspective StriX­a satellite aboard for orbital placement. Photo is courtesy of Rocket Lab.

1.35M FIT FLEXIBLE INTEGRATED TERMINAL avltech.com SmallSat Symposium 2021 Virtual SMALL PACKAGE. February 8 - 11 BIG GAIN. Publishing Operations InfoBeam Features Silvano Payne, Publisher + Executive Writer Arianespace 4 The Forrester Report: 2020… 18 Simon Payne, Chief Technical Officer Can Europe’s Mega-Constellation Truly Happen? by Chris Forrester Hartley G. Lesser, Editorial Director China 4 Pattie Lesser, Executive Editor Prepare for Launch: A UK Space Sector Overview 20 by Daria Filichkina + Alan Webb Donald McGee, Production Manager Firefly + Adaptive Launch Solutions 6 Teresa Sanderson, Operations Director Why More Data is Critical to SSA 24 Sean Payne, Business Development Director by Pascal Wauthier Sateliot 6 Dan Makinster, Technical Advisor What’s Up With Ground? 26 by Kratos Constellations ThrustMe and Spacety 8 Senior Columnists A New Era for Satellite Business Transactions 30 by Alvaro Sanchez Chris Forrester, Broadgate Publications SENER Aeroespacial 10 Karl Fuchs, iDirect Government Services Focus: Craft Prospect Ltd. 32 by Dr. Sonali Mohapatra Bob Gough, Goonhilly Earth Station

Rebecca M. Cowen-Hirsch, Inmarsat GomSpace 12 Africa IS Investing in Satellites & Space 34 Ken Peterman, Viasat by Space in Africa

Giles Peeters, Track24 Defence Kymeta 12 Today’s Thin Film, Flexible Substrates 38 Koen Willems, ST Engineering Newtec By DSI

Gilat Satellite Networks 13 Smart Recovery from Disaster 40 This Issue’s Authors by SSPI

Daria Filichkina Asia Satellite Telecommunications Company (AsiaSat) 13 Satellite Heat Exchangers 42 by Mark Norfolk & Dan King

John Gilroy Exolaunch + SpaceX 14 A Conversation with Chris Carella, 44 Benchmark Space Systems Dan King Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) 15 Overview: Satellite Data Services 48 by Allied Market Services Dr. Sonali Mohapatra Roscosmos 16 Shivaprakash Muruganandham

Mark Norfolk Advertisers Alvaro Sanchez Advantech Wireless Technologies, Inc. 7

Pascal Wauthier AvL Technologies Cover + 9

CPI SatCom Products 11 Alan Webb

ND SATCOM 3

Satnews Digital Editions 17

SmallSat Symposium 2021 Virtual 29

SpaceBridge 5

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.

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The advantage is yours when you choose SKYWAN 5G Release 2.0 [email protected] Arianespace Soyuz Launch Vehicle Transports CSO-2 EO Satellite weather – using a variety of imaging modes to meet a broad range of To Orbit operational needs. France’s Op tical Space Component (CSO – Composante Spatiale Optique) program is composed of three satellites serving two mission requirements: reconnaissance for CSO­1 and CSO­3; identification for CSO­2. The initial satellite in this system, CSO­1, was orbited by Arianespace on a Soyuz mission in December of 2018 that also was performed from the Spaceport in French Guiana. Airbus Defence and Space France is prime contractor for the CSO satellites, while Thales Alenia Space France supplies the optical imaging instrument. On this mission, CSO­2 was the 130th Airbus Defence and Space­ built satellite launched by Arianespace. Arianespace’s workhorse Soyuz was back in action on December 29, For Flight VS25, Soyuz lifted off from its purpose­built ELS launch delivering the French CSO­2 Earth Observation (EO) satellite into complex, which is situated Spaceport’s northwestern sector near the town of SSO from the Spaceport in French Guiana. Sinnamary. This was the 25th mission from French Guiana with Soyuz since This launch, which began at the exact liftoff time of 1:42:07 p.m., the launcher’s introduction at the Spaceport in October 2011. deployed the spacecraft passenger during a mission that lasted just under one hour. China Drives Yaogan-33 Satellite It was Arianespace’s 10th and final flight of 2020 – and the fifth this year To Orbit using the medium­lift Soyuz vehicle – coming just 11 days after another Soyuz was launched by the company and its Starsem affiliate from Russia’s Vostochny Cosmodrome to deliver 36 satellites for the OneWeb constellation The 2020 operations with Soyuz underscored the medium­lift launcher’s exceptional flexibility for Arianespace’s launch services offering, having been used during the year from three different facilities: the Guiana Space Center in South America; Kazakhstan’s Baikonur Cosmodrome; and Vostochny Cosmodrome in Russia.

China sent a new remote sensing satellite into space from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center at 11:44 p.m., Beijing time, on Sunday, December 27, 2020. Flight VS25 during payload climbout. Photo is courtesy of Arianespace. The satellite, Yaogan­33, successfully entered the planned orbit. This This mission, designated Flight VS25 in Arianespace’s launcher family mission also sent a micro and nano technology experiment satellites numbering system, used a Soyuz ST­A version and was performed for the into orbit. The two satellites will be used for scientific experiments, French CNES space agency and the DGA defense procurement agency. The land resources survey, crop yield estimation and disaster prevention CSO ­2 satellite will be operated on behalf of the French armed forces and and reduction. the country’s Space Command. The satellite was launched aboard a Long March­4C rocket and was the CSO­2 serves the defense and security needs of France, as well as the 357th flight mission of the Long March carrier rocket series. requirements of several partner countries, acquiring very­high­resolution images in the visible and infrared wavelengths – day or night and in fair

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[email protected] Firefly + Adaptive Launch Solutions Sign A Multi-Year Firefly is preparing for the first launch of the Alpha vehicle in early 2021. Launch Services Agreement Acceptance testing of both Stage 1 and Stage 2 for Flight 1 have been completed, and Firefly’s Vandenberg Air Force Base Space Launch Complex 2 launch site is nearing completion and activation. “Small launch provides small satellite owners right sized, right priced access to space meeting their program and business goals,” said Phil Smith, CEO of ALS. “Our agreement with Firefly Aerospace will provide the flexibility and responsiveness demanded by government operators and commercial owners. Under the agreement, ALS is the launch service provider for Alpha Flights 2 and 3, planned for launch in 2021. These two missions offer our customers the earliest commercial launch opportunities on Firefly Alpha. ALS brings to our Firefly partnership decades of launch integration experience, most recently utilized on the United States Space Force (USSF) Launch Manifest Systems Integrator (LMSI) program. The LMSI program team delivers capabilities and integration approaches that establish U.S. government enterprise­wide capability for small satellite delivery to space.” Firefly Aerospace, Inc. and Adaptive Launch Solutions (ALS) have “Fire fly is very pleased to welcome ALS as a customer and partner for signed a multi­year Launch Services Agreement (LSA) that includes missions in 2021 and beyond,” said Dr. Tom Markusic , Firefly CEO. “In addition four Alpha launches beginning in 2021. to providing launch services to ALS, Firefly plans to leverage ALS’ unique primary and secondary payload integration capability, processing experience and proprietary hardware for current and future launch campaigns.” “ Firefly’s agreement with ALS will allow us to pursue strategic opportunities to support Firefly on both our Western and Eastern ranges,” added Firefly’s Chief Revenue Officer Bradley Schneider. “Firefly has now nearly filled our 2021 launch manifest and is focused on finalizing our 2022 fl ight opportunities. The demand for access to Low Earth Orbit is rapidly expanding, and Firefly will provide the most dependable and economical small launch vehicles in the industry.”

European space and digital players to study build of EU’s satellite-based connectivity system

Artistic rendition of an Alpha rocket launch. Image is courtesy of Firefly.

SatMagazine Page 6 January 2021

The European Commission has selected a consortium of European More specifically, the study phase awarded by the European Commission will satellite manufacturers, operators and service providers, telco consolidate the user and mission requirements and provide a preliminary operators and launch service providers to study the design, architectural design and service provision concept, as well as associated development and launch of a European­owned, space­based, budgetary estimates. A Public­Private Partnership (PPP) scheme will be communication system. considered and assessed during this phase. The study will assess the feasibility of a new initiative aiming to The study will look at how the space­based system could enhance and strengthen European digital sovereignty and provide secure connectivity for connect to current and future critical infrastructures, including terrestrial citizens, commercial enterprises and public institutions as well as providing networks, strengthening EU capability to access the cloud and providing global coverage for rural and ‘not­spot’ areas. Complementing Copernicus digital services in an independent and secure way, which is essential for and Galileo, this new EU flagship program, once given the green light, would building confidence in the digital economy and ensuring European strategic fully exploit the synergies of the technological potential akin to the Digital autonomy and resilience. and Space industries. The contract value of the year­long feasibility study It will leverage and strengthen the role of satellites in the 5G ecosystem, amounts to 7.1 million euros. assessing interoperability whilst also taking into account the evolution towards upcoming 6G technologies. This European sovereign infrastructure is set to benefit a large range of sectors, including road and maritime transport, air traffic and control, autonomous vehicle development as well as many Internet of Things (IoT) applications. It is intended to offer enhanced security in the transmission and storage of information and data supporting the needs of various users such as governmental agencies, finance & banking companies, science Images are courtesy of EUMETSAT networks, critical infrastructures and data centres. The consortium members are: Airbus, Arianespace, Eutelsat, Hispasat, The European space­based connectivity system, advocated by OHB, Orange, SES, Telespazio and Thales Alenia Space. Commissioner Breton, is set to provide secure communication services to the EU and its Member States as well as broadband connectivity for IODINE ELECTRIC PROPULSION + European citizens, companies and mobility sectors, strengthening EU digital SAR CONSTELLATIONS sovereignty. It will build upon the European Union’s GOVSATCOM program of pooling and sharing satellite services and will ensure a high level of ThrustMe and Spacety have announced a new space launch, the 3rd reliability, resilience and security not currently available in the market; it in an ongoing series — this time, Spacety launched their Synthetic will also leverage the EuroQCI initiative that promotes innovative quantum Aperture Radar (SAR) satellite, Hisea­1, which is the world’s first, cryptography technology. commercial, C­band, smallsat SAR with a phased array antenna.

Artistic rendition of a Galileo satellite is courtesy of European Space Agency. Artistic rendition of the Hisea­1 smallsat. Image is courtesy of Spacety.

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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 On board is ThrustMe’s Iodine Electric Propulsion system to provide the “As for most miniaturized SAR satellites operating in Low­Earth­Orbit (LEO), satellite with crucial orbit maintenance, collision avoidance and de­orbiting the orbital precision will drive the quality of the data we receive. Therefore at the end of its three years expected lifetime. The satellite was successfully ThrustMe’s iodine electric propulsion will be a crucial sub­system to ensure launched into space on the inaugural flight of the Chinese medium­lift Long our mission’s success,” noted Ren Weijia, CTO of Spacety. March 8 rocket, from Wenchang, China. “We have worked with Spacety for over one and a half years now, testing step by step our unique propulsion solutions in space, and as a result we can now deliver true turnkey and streamlined propulsion systems to Spacety in time for their SAR constellation deployment,” added Ane Aanesland, the CEO of Thrustme. “Because of the exponential growth in the number of satellites launched into LEO and MEO orbits, every actor needs to take responsibility, and having on ­board propulsion is the only way we can ensure that our satellites can perform collision avoidance if needed, and can de­orbit at the end of life”, said Jame Zheng, CEO of Spacety Luxembourg, who stressed the importance of sustainable actions before it is too late to do so.

SENER Aeroespacial in Poland will provide MGSE equipment for the PLATO mission ThrustMe’s NPT30­I2­1U. Photo is courtesy of the company.

SENER Aeroespacial in Poland has signed a contract under which it Hisea­1 has a mass of 180 kg, and uses a phased­array antenna. It has three will design, manufacture and test devices to support the integration imaging modes with its finest resolution at 1m x 1m. of the PLATO (PLAnetary Transits and Oscillations of stars) mission's Hisea ­1 was launched to meet the needs for the monitoring of ocean and probe, carried out by the European Space Agency (ESA). The coastal areas and for ocean research. The imagery from the satellite will also project is commissioned by the German company OHB System AG. be used for disaster management, agriculture, infrastructure monitoring, etc. SENER Aeroespacial in Poland began work on the design of the ground­ Synthetic Aperture Radars (SAR) functions basically like a bat’s echolocation system — they are much less effected by daylight and weather condi tions compared to optical sensors. Now the era of SAR satellites has come, and Spacety is planning a constellation of 56 smallsats. Spacety and ThrustMe announced just a month ago the launch of the first iodine electric propulsion on­orbit­demonstrations missions, which has successfully completed the commissioning phase, and the longer thruster fi rings will take place soon. For ThrustMe, the technology demonstration phase is now transitioning into entering the commercial market where based satellite installation support equipment (MGSE: Mechanical Ground Spacety is one of their early adopter clients. Streamlined and true turnkey Support Equipment) in late September 2020. The first stage of the project, propulsion is more important than ever before. As Euroconsult announced which is the initial design review (PDR), was achieved within a month. During recently, there will be, on average, 1,200 satellites launched per year over this phase, the design of the equipment is being refined and prepared for the next decade. production. The culmination of this work will be a project review to allow for “Hisea­1 is the first launched satellite of TY­MINISAR, the first generation production start­up (CDR/MRR). of light and small SAR satellites being developed by Spacety. The The project will develop equipment to integrate the PLATO satellite, constellation based on TY­MINISAR benefits from low cost, fast deployment, which is being prepared for the study of extra­solar planetary systems. strong coverage capability, and flexible scheduling. As a result, the SENER Aeroespacial’s engineers in Poland are responsible for the design and constellation can produce images of high resolution with a high revisit manufacture of the ALD (Adjustable Lifting Device), which will be used to frequency, wide­coverage, and with continuous monitoring, and providing carry the satellite and help to integrate it. customers with more efficient remote sensing services,” said Jus tin Feng, the In many cases, ALD will work with the PLM HF (Payload Module Hoisting Founder and CEO of Spacety. Frame) device, which is a frame for lifting the satellite's load. Another

SatMagazine Page 10 January 2021 element is the S/C HF (Spacecraft Hoisting Frame), a frame for lifting the satellite, which will serve as an intermediate component between the ALD and the whole satellite or its service module during the lifting operation. Like CPI GaN BUCs most space engineering equipment, MGSE also requires extraordinary precision and reliability. All the know­how of SENER Aeroespacial’s MGSE has been developed by Polish engineers. For the company, the path to success in the Polish space industry is to focus on specific niche areas, consistently develop them, and gradually expand the company’s portfolio through the acquisition of new competences and provision of high­quality final products. MGSE, alongside the mechanisms, is one of the specializations that SENER Poland develops. “Each new contract for MGSE equipment is an important step for us, confirming the role of MGSE leader in Europe. We are one of the few companies on the continent to have such a rich portfolio of these devices," says Ibon Arregui, General Manager of SENER Aeroespacial in Poland and added, "In the space sector, an increasingly strong trend, which is to reduce costs and increase the competitiveness of companies such as SENER, is the standardization of products and the use of similar solutions in subsequent missions ­ which is why, for example, the base of the ALD device will be the VLD (Vertical Lifting Device), designed and created for the EUCLID mission.” The PLATO mission will start in 2026. Its main objective is to investigate The last word in solid state extrasolar planetary systems, especially rocky planets orbiting stars similar to the Sun. Among the detected objects, ESA expects to find planets similar to from the 昀rst name in HPAs. the Earth. PLATO is an extension of the ongoing Cheops (the Characterising Exoplanet Satellite) mission, which has been conducting research on • Ef昀cient solution for all satellite exoplanets in space since 2019. The research point of the PLATO mission will uplink applications be the virtual "L2" point in space (1.5 million km from Earth). • Up to 160 W in Ka-band • Up to 200 W in X-band • Up to 100 W in C-band • Up to 80 W in Ku-band • 1,000 W C-band transceiver

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SatMagazine Page 11 January 2021 Antenna Systems + SDRs Contract Received By GomSpace signature flat­panel antenna. The advanced u8 antenna supports global land mobility, covering the full Ku­band with improved efficiency. The Kymeta u8 terminal offers a low­profile form factor with native DC power input for easy integration into mobile platforms. What makes the u8 unique in the market is the integrated satellite and cellular modems for a multi­WAN configuration offering seamless hybrid satellite/cellular connectivity. Along with the new terminal, Kymeta is also beta trialing its new Kymeta Connect™ suite of services offerings, making connectivity as easy as buying a wireless plan.

GomSpace has signed a contract with an existing customer in the North American market in the geo­intelligence industry for the delivery of software defined radio (SDR) modules and antenna systems. The contract is worth 5,1 MSEK and will be fully delivered in 2021. GomSpace has, over the years, built a strong product portfolio and a positive on­orbit track record with the company's SDR and antenna modules, helping customers realize many different applications. “This is a significant win, accelerating our growth in the North American market, with a growing number of both commercial and institutional customers depending on our products both for radio payloads and satellite platforms,” said GomSpace CEO Niels Buus. Together, the two create a complete turnkey solution for public safety, DoD/MoD, enterprise, and other markets requiring always­on on­the­go Kymeta’s u8 Terminal Enters Beta Trial Program communications. In addition to the plug­and­play u8 terminal, the u8 antenna is designed for integrators to create customized mobile satellite Kymeta Corporation has announced the Kymeta™ u8 terminal terminals with flexible integration to meet a variety of use cases. beta trial program with select partners and customers globally, Prior to the beta trials with customers and partners, Kymeta conducted its such as DoD/MoD contractors and end­users, satellite service own u8 terminal prototype trials with test drives from Washington DC to providers, and commercial resellers, bringing Kymeta one step Redmond, WA. During the trials, the Kymeta u8 terminal achieved 100% closer to the market launch of the Kymeta u8, planned for the connectivity on the move with line of sight, meaning the vehicle maintained fourth quarter of 2020. 100% internet connectivity, with either satellite or cellular connection, The Kymeta u8 electronically steered terminal has been redesigned for validating the hybrid solution for continuous and seamless connectivity. The ease of use and improved performance over previous versions of Kymeta’s remarkable results of the prototype trials are available for download from the Kymeta website. “We are excited to bring our customers the new u8 terminal, paired with Kymeta Connect services and support, for a fully managed, optimized, and easy to use blended service,” said Harrower. “It is a complete solution that will be very attractive to companies who need predictable OPEX pricing for their regional mobile connectivity services. We believe this is an industry game changer that will provide mobile connectivity in all parts of the world.”

Kymeta’s u8 terminal.

SatMagazine Page 12 January 2021 Gilat Receives Multi-Million Dollar Contract From Hispasat demanding requirements. Gilat’s CBH platform provides a user experience similar to terrestrial technologies enabling MNOs to expand high­quality coverage to underserved areas of Mexico. “Gilat is a long­time partner of Hispasat, and we are most pleased to use their state of the art technology to fulfill the requirements of Altan La Red Compartida in this strategic project which aims to expand service to the most remote areas of Mexico,” said Ruben Levcovitz, Business Director for North and Central America at Hispasat. “Gilat’s CBH leadership delivering high Gilat Satellite Networks Ltd. (NASDAQ, TASE: GILT) has announced spectral efficiency, enables Hispasat to reduce OPEX and remain competitive that Hispasat has awarded Gilat a multi­million dollar order to in Latin America and Mexico, in particular.” expand the existing SkyEdge II­c platform that Hispasat operates in “We are honored to be chosen by Hispasat to provide our LTE CBH over Mexico and procure Capricorn VSATs for cellular backhaul (CBH) satellite technology to the Altan La Red Compartida extension project, for over satellite. high­quality service to hundreds of sites in rural areas in Mexico,” said Tobias Dezordi, Regional Vice President Latin America at Gilat. “Hispasat and Gilat have a joint goal of assisting in bridging the digital divide to better the lives of people in Mexico as well as in other regions in Latin America.”

AsiaSat Expands Media Solutions With HERMES Live Partnership

Hispasat will use Gilat technology to extend the service of Altan La Red Compartida, the shared telecommunications network in Mexico, to more than three million people in Mexico. Mexico’s underserved rural population Asia Satellite Telecommunications Company Limited (AsiaSat), will benefit from 4.5G LTE coverage enjoying high­quality mobile broadband Asia’s premier satellite solutions provider announced further voice and data services. expansion of its media solution offerings by partnering with Due to difficult terrain, laying out HERMES Live to provide broadcast­grade live streaming service to land­based infrastructure is its global customers. unfeasible or would require This streaming service will enable AsiaSat to provide complete solution exorbitant costs. Therefore, satellite that addresses customers’ increasing need for distributing content flexibly, backhauling is the preferred method cost effectively and for maximum reach as digital transformation has to provide fast coverage to the reshaped the way audiences consume content. unserved and underserved HERMES Live is a live population in Mexico, in regions streaming platform based on where telecommunications can be patented video technologies, crucial to open new opportunities for economic and social development. for broadcasters, media Gilat’s SkyEdge II­c platform with its flagship VSAT, Capricorn, over companies, event organisers, Hispasat’s Ka­band Amazonas 5 satellite, provides a corporates and enterprises to most reliable quick solution to meet Altan’s deliver live streaming content

SatMagazine Page 13 January 2021 such as live sports, concerts, conferences, performances and education to 2021. This is the first dedicated rideshare mission of SpaceX’s audiences with proven broadcast quality, high availability and security. SmallSat Rideshare Program and the first of several rideshares AsiaSat’s end­to­end media and broadcast solutions include transponder Exolaunch is manifesting on Falcon 9 as part of a multi­launch capacity from some of Asia’s hotbird satellites, signal uplink, turnaround and agreement the company signed with SpaceX earlier in 2020. downlink, MCPC distribution platforms, fibre connectivity, playout and For each Falcon 9 launch, Exolaunch will provide comprehensive broadcast facilities, equipment hosting, ground equipment such as bandpass rideshare mission management, deployment, and satellite integration fi lters, in addition to this new streaming service, available for full time and services for its customers. This launch will be one of the largest and most occasional use. diverse rideshare missions of the company, which also announced it will HERMES Live facilitates digital transformation of business and commerce open a U.S. office to better serve its U.S. customers through a one­stop live video streaming solution and live event services, Most of the smallsats have been integrated into their launch deployers in seamlessly broadcasts to a global audience across all devices and simulcasts the company’s Berlin facilities, at the moment the team of Exolaunch is to multiple social media. Events delivered on HERMES Live platform have performing the final integration of the diverse small satellite cluster with included some of the region’s most anticipated concerts, such as Eason Chan Falcon 9 at SpaceX’s facilities in Cape Canaveral, Florida. Launch Services. Charity Concert; AGM events for listed companies, with Tricor offering Hong Exolaunch’s manifest on the mission includes smallsats from the German Kong’s first and only full­function platform that enables electronic general Aerospace Center (DLR), Dresden Technical University, NanoAvionics and meetings with live streaming; virtual conferences, interviews and other commercial companies for the IoT, Earth Observation and scientific commercial events such as Hong Kong FinTech Week 2020, Entrepreneur Day applications. Launch Services 2020 and Sotheby’s Hong Kong Sales Live Auction. “It is important for us to keep pace with digital transformation by growing our services into new areas that complement our core competencies in providing the best­in­class satellite capacity and transmission solutions. We are delighted to have HERMES Live as our technology partner to offer streaming service as part of our end­to­end media solutions,” said Ina Lui, Senior Vice President, Commercial, Business Development and Strategy of AsiaSat. “We’re excited that AsiaSat has selected HERMES Live as its technology partner to complement AsiaSat’s media solution portfolio with this Exolaunch will use its brand­new product, the EXOport, which is a flexible innovative and technology proven platform to deliver streaming service multi­satellite adapter designed to enable optimal accommodation of based on customers’ specific requirements,” said Wilson Yuen, Chief microsats and nanosats on the Falcon 9 ESPA ports. The company will also Executive Officer of HERMES Live Technology Limited. u tilize its proprietary flight­proven separation systems – CarboNIX, the next generation shock­free separation system for microsatellites, upgraded modifications of EXOpod deployers and EXObox sequencers to flawlessly Exolaunch Integrates 30 Smallsats for SpaceX First deploy its customers’ satellites into the target orbit. Dedicated Rideshare Launch “Through our partnership with SpaceX, Exolaunch has become the bridge for multiple European smallsat developers and others from around the world Exolaunch has initiated their launch campaign to integrate 30 interested to launch on Falcon 9,” said Jeanne Medvedeva, Vice President of smallsats from the U.S. and Europe aboard SpaceX’s Falcon 9 Launch Services at Exolaunch. “As the SpaceX’s SmallSat Rideshare Program rideshare mission that is planned to launch no earlier than January takes off and expands, more organizations will have the opportunity to launch their satellites into orbit though our tailored, flight­proven, and cost­ effective launch and deployment solutions. The team at Exolaunch extends its gratitude to all customers for their loyalty and trust in Exolaunch’s services and wishes to thank SpaceX for their excellent launch preparations. We look forward to the upcoming successful launch opening up a new chapter in rideshare missions.”

SatMagazine Page 14 January 2021 Asteroid sample found in The capsule was opened at JAXA’s Sagamihara campus in Kanagawa Hayabusa2 capsule Prefecture, Japan, on December 14, over a week after it landed in South Australia on December 6. Dr .Masaki Fujimoto, deputy director general of JAXA’s Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, said the capsule took a while to open despite its small size due to the need to remove and clean multiple parts individually.

Hayabusa2 sample­return capsule after landing in the Woomera Prohibited Area at the begining of December 2020. Photo: JAXA

Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) has confirmed its Hayabusa2 sample­return capsule that landed in South Australia contains particles from primordial asteroid Ryugu. “We have confirmed that the capsule contains a considerable amount of Hayabusa 2 capsule design. Image: JAXA sand collected from Ryugu,” Hayabusa2 project manager Yuichi Tsuda announced at a press conference in Japan. He said the capsule was expected to contain one gram of dust in total, but JAXA posted images of the first of two sample collections performed that tiny sample could confirm the theory that Earth was originally very dry during its mission to the official Hayabusa2 Twitter account. Although the due to its proximity to the sun and gained water from other planetary bodies sample appears to be brown, JAXA said the sand looks black in person. that were born in the outer part of the solar system. A 72­member JAXA team travelled to Woomera Prohibited Area at the beginning of December to retrieve the capsule.

Hayabusa2 capsule retrieval. Photo: JAXA

The desert area, approximately 450 kilometres northwest of Adelaide, South Australia, is commonly used for rocket testing. Hayabusa2 sample The capsule fell to Earth early on December 6 and was quickly retrieved This follows JAXA’s confirmation that gas present in the capsule was by the team monitoring its beacon. also from Ryugu, making it the world’s first sample­return of a gas from deep space.

SatMagazine Page 15 January 2021 The capsule was taken via private plane to JAXA’s Sagamihara Campus’ Roscosmos Sues Their Subsidiary curation center and arrived approximately 56 hours after its landing, well Over a Non-Working Satellite Russian space agency Roscosmos filed a lawsuit against its subsidiary, the Progress Rocket and Space Center, for producing a satellite that stopped working in its orbit, Roscosmos Director General Dmitry Rogozin said on his Facebook page. "Several years ago, our subsidiary used a rocket that it had manufactured to put into orbit a satellite that it had also manufactured. Soon, the latter had ‘died’ in the orbit," he wrote. "In line with the current legislation, we are obliged to file a lawsuit in connection with the satellite’s failure." According to the space official, Roscosmos is Hayabusa2 capsule packed for return to Japan. Photo: JAXA obliged to seek compensation for the faulty satellite and the launch services. within the 100­hour time limit to prevent contamination by terrestrial gas. In his words, the top management of the space corporation and its JAXA’s next step will be the “initial curation” of the samples. This will involve subsidiary has since been reshuffled. cataloging the samples, which Dr. Fujimoto expects will take approximately "Those guilty left long ago, but we are obliged to punish the enterprise half a year. He said handpicked Japanese and international scientists would and its current employees for the mistakes committed by people who have then perform “initial analysis” of the samples to prove the scientific not been working at this plant for quite a while," Rogozin said. potential of the samples for approximately one year. He explained that if such a lawsuit is not filed in due time, the top Finally, once the results have been published near the end of 2022, management of Roscosmos will have to stand trial themselves for failing to scientists from around the world will be able to submit proposals to study properly react to the mistake and the missed opportunities it had entailed. the samples. Addi tionally, Roscosmos First Deputy Director General Yuri Urlichich and The Hayabusa2 spacecraft will now continue on for 11 years to perform a PJSC Gazprom Chairman of the Board held a meeting to discuss the reconnaissance mission to asteroid 1998 KY26, a small 30 meter in diameter, spacecraft assembly production construction process in the Moscow region, near­earth object that spins at a high rate of 10.7 minutes. currently lead by Gazprom, as well as the issue of Roscosmos entering LLC Dr. Fujimoto said 1998 KY26 is a potentially hazardous type of asteroid Gazprom SPKA share capital (project operator company). that no one has ever explored before. “When it comes to asteroids larger The plant will manufacture civil spacecraft for Gazprom and other than 100 metres, we know all of them. And we know there’s no chance of customers. These include Yamal communication satellites and SMOTR having them hitting earth in the next tens of thousands of years,” he noted. system Earth remote sensing optical satellites. Moreover, the plant will be “But when it comes to asteroids smaller than 100 metres, even though it may capable of assembly and testing mass­produced smallsats to be used for the destroy a city when it hits at the wrong spot on Earth, I don’t think we know perspec tive Sfera program implemented by Roscosmos. all of them. And we don’t know their nature, we don’t know their During the event, JSC Gazprom Space Systems Director General Dmitry characteristics. Someday, it may hit Earth, so exploring this asteroid has the Sevastianov and Yuri Urlichich signed an agreement of cooperation. flavor of planetary defence.” The document indicates Roscosmos’ interest toward building spacecraft Hayabusa2’s extended mission will be to gain a better understanding of at the plant facilities. Roscosmos is also ready to use remote sensing data the asteroid but as the spacecraft no longer has a capsule, no samples will be from the SMOTR­V satellite, which is planned to launch in 2024 and, among taken and the satellite will continue to report from space until its systems fail. other instruments, will carry greenhouse gas discharge monitoring equipment. Gazprom Space Systems will offer Roscosmos up to 30% of the News article by Sezen Bakan, THE LEAD spacecraft performance. The parties will also consider the use of the network of Joint Remote Sensing Information System receiving stations (created by Roscosmos) to receive the data from Gazprom spacecraft.

SatMagazine Page 16 January 2021 SatNews CONNECTIONS ON EARTH FOR CONNECTIONS IN SPACE

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SatMagazine | MilsatMagazine | SatNews.com The Forrester Report: Can Europe’s Mega-Constellation Truly Happen? By Chris Forrester, Senior Contributor

The European Commission (EC) is funding a one-year study into the However, a (relatively) inexpensive study is a tiny down-payment on prospects for creating its own Low Earth Orbiting (LEO) what could be an eventual $6 billion — or even $10 billion — final bill. broadband-by-satellite constellation. The EC has allocated €7.1 In fact, if proof was needed as to the risks involved, the EC only million ($8.7 million) to the feasibility study. has to look at the hard-won satellite experiences to date: The now UK/India-backed OneWeb, which went through a very expensive The European satellite builders and operators selected to work as a Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2020; or LeoSat, the well-structured system consortium on this study includes Airbus, Arianespace, Eutelsat, SES, that could have linked the globe’s financial trading houses with super- Hispasat, Orange, Telespazio, Thales Alenia Space and OHB. fast connectivity and which closed their operations at the end of 2019. The study will be in two parts: Stage 1 will require four months and Mark Rigolle, the CEO at LeoSat, joined a German would be LEO will advise as to whether or not a solution can be found as to operator (KLEO Connect) in February 2020. operational frequencies for any system. Stage 2, lasting eight months, Mr Rigolle, in an interview a year ago, was quite will pin down cost estimates (or more accurately, guesstimates). blunt, “I don’t believe in any of the direct-to- “The study will look at how the space-based system could enhance consumer LEO types of constellations. Firstly, there and connect to current and future critical infrastructures, including is no affordable ground equipment available and it terrestrial networks,” the EC said, adding that the study would look at does not look as though it will be there any time what role satellites could play in 5G “while also taking into account the soon. You will have depreciating assets in the sky Mark Rigolle evolution toward upcoming 6G technologies.”

SatMagazine Page 18 January 2021 without having a way of delivering a service in an affordable manner. That does not seem a recipe for success. I have always been clear on that point.” Or, the EC might want to consider that it is only two of the planet’s three richest individuals who are funding global broadband satellite connectivity — Elon Musk and Amazon’s Jeff Bezos. Bezos has admitted that he is prepared to sink $10 billion into his Project Kuiper. Musk, meanwhile, has 1,000 satellites already on-orbit and Jeff Bezos Elon Musk holds licenses to launch as many as 42,000 satellites in total. Moreover, Musk’s Starlink is already up and working for a number of beta-tester users. There are various, smaller schemes floating about, not the least of which is Canada’s Telesat which wants to operate 300 LEO satellites. China, no slouch when it comes to their desire for global domination, stated the nation wants their own LEO constellation. Meanwhile, there are plenty of successful, geostationary, broadband suppliers up and running —– and with established consumer-based businesses. Foe example, Viasat of California, Eutelsat with its KONNECT system, Dish Network with its profitable Hughes Network division, are three of the better known. The ‘direct-to-consumer’ challenge cannot be ignored. Of the EC’s chosen study consortium, only Eutelsat has any real experience — and not much in the way of profitability when it comes to operating a consumer-based service. The company bought BigBlu Broadband (BBB) last year to improve its prospects in this area and is depending on BBB and other similar, regional wholesalers for their next-generation The tender documents also specifies that the proposed system is KONNECT service. required to manage the EU’s space program, including the Galileo One observer has justifiably asked whether this EC-appointed positioning system, space relay demands, Europe’s Air Traffic consortium can come up with any cooperative solutions. “History gives Management system (EGNOS) and connectivity for railway no reason for optimism here on whether Eutelsat, Hispasat and SES can management and infrastructure as well as the future demand for divide responsibilities for such a satellite network, which the commission intelligent traffic systems. foresees as a public-private partnership (PPP),” suggested Peter de “On the longer term, it is also expected to provide other services Selding of Space Intel Report. such as digital signatures, authentication, and synchronization of Never say never, of course; however, there is plenty of solid ultraprecise time signals, as when these reach the necessary evidence that the companies engaged in the satellite construction technological maturity level,” stated the tender document. sector can work together. Arianespace is a solitary launch specialist Potentially, the list is going to be expensive to supply. With a 6 to 10 albeit with some flexibility with its Vega and Soyuz family. But it is SES, billion euros to spend, the end result might be unaffordable. Not in the Eutelsat and Hispasat where you might find cooperation difficult in any development of the system, but in the cost to the consumer! Time will tell. end-result solution. The formal tender document expects European contractors to have Senior Columnist Chris Forrester is a well-known broadcasting sole rights to build the network, which means Arianespace will be the journalist and industry consultant. He reports on all aspects of inevitable launch supplier. This is all well and good, but Arianespace is broadcasting with special emphasis on content, the business of not the most competitive launch provider, even when including its television and emerging applications. He founded Rapid TV lower-cost Soyuz and Vega vehicles. Elon Musk’s Falcon highly-reliable News and has edited Interspace and its successor Inside reusable launchers are a fraction of the cost of Arianespace. Satellite TV since 1996. He also files for Advanced- Television.com.

SatMagazine Page 19 January 2021 Prepare for Launch... A UK Space Sector Overview By Daria Filichkina, Head of Operations, AstroAgency, and Alan Webb, the Director of Commercial Space Technologies Ltd.

In spite of the global economic freeze caused by the Covid-19 Last year provided unprecedented growth in public investment in space pandemic, the UK space sector has continued to make strides activities. One of the most sizable and talked-about investments was across all aspects of industry and academia, strongly backed by a the UK government’s $500 million bail-out of OneWeb. The company Government determined to capture 10 percent of the global went into Chapter 11 bankruptcy shortly after the launch of 34 satellites market within this decade. on March 21st, which brought the total number of satellites in its constellation to 74. Originally intended as a satellite broadband provider, Her Majesty’s Government plans to see this service fully operational with co-investor, Bharti Global Ltd., providing “commercial and operational leadership, to bring OneWeb a revenue base to contribute towards its future success.” The grander vision may also see the small spacecraft of OneWeb supplying a novel and sovereign GNSS capability, replacing lost access to the EU Galileo system following Brexit. This unorthodox solution has seen a mixed response from the industry, with critics citing the lower orbit of the OneWeb satellites and their lack of atomic clocks as major hurdles to their long-term success. Nevertheless, it is broadly agreed that the UK will develop its own GNSS system.

OneWeb’s fourth launch, carried about by Arianespace from the Vostochny Cosmodrome. Photo is courtesy of Roscosmos and Space Center Vostochny, TsENK.

SatMagazine Page 20 January 2021 With equivalents already in operation by the US, Europe, Russia and This announcement from the Prime Minister brings added momentum China, an ideal scenario would be the creation of a UK system that serves to launch from UK soil, a story that started unfolding soon after the UK national needs, all the while complementing those of its allies, by filling Space Agency’s (UKSA) inception in 2010. Originally seen as a purely capability gaps and building resilience (potentially though novel solutions commercial undertaking, the emphasis has since shifted toward UK that would require different methods to tamper with or disable), while launch as a strategic capability. Now, with the military being primed to matching or outdoing the capabilities of rival nations. take a more forward-facing role, the target of first launch by 2022 may After the seemingly unclear outcome earlier this year from the original not seem so unrealistic. UK GNSS study, for which the British government allocated £92 million5, However, with earnest efforts from Norway and Sweden to establish we expect a clearer definition and strategy to be announced for UK GNSS competing smallsat launch operations by 20229,10, and interest being in 2021. shown in spaceport development in other European countries, there is The other major UK space investment of 2020 went more a race to determine for who will be first to offer such launch capabilities unnoticed; this was the $630 million deal between the UK MoD and in Europe. Airbus DS to build the Skynet 6A satellite, “the first element of a likely 2021 will most likely prove a critical year for each nation to hit key $7.5 billion upgrade of the British armed forces’ satellite- milestones in their respective spaceport developments. Furthermore, telecommunications capabilities.”6 with the authors of this study tracking more than 160 small launcher

Artistic rendition of the Skynet­6A satellite. Image is courtesy of the UK Ministry of Defense.

This is one of many moves expected from UK MoD in the coming years projects around the world, there will undoubtedly be a “first-mover to upgrade the nation’s space assets to provide resilience and better advantage” for those that enter the market ahead of the competition. communications to the armed forces. This also falls in line with Taking all of the above into consideration, prospective spaceports announcements from Prime Minister Boris Johnson to increase the UK and launch developers in the UK have generally made positive military budget by £16.5 billion in space, cyber, research and other announcements this year. sectors7, and to establish a “RAF Space Command” capable of launching a rocket from British soil as early as 20228.

SatMagazine Page 21 January 2021 Artistic rendition of Space Hub Sutherland.

Space Hub Sutherland and launch vehicle developer Orbex received Cornwall has been working with partners at Virgin Orbit to secure local a boost from the Highland Council’s decision to grant planning suppliers for its Transportable Ground Operations System (TGOS)16. permission in June11; meanwhile, Lockheed Martin (formally affiliated Assuming the next demonstration of their vehicle, Launcher One, is with Sutherland) has now announced they will undertake UK launch successful, we should expect further milestones to be accomplished by operations from Shetland Space Center.12 Virgin Orbit and Cornwall in 2021. Both Spaceport 1 in the Western Isles and Prestwick Spaceport The spaceport effort is also being pushed from a regulations have successfully had their projects earmarked for public funding standpoint. Following the top-level framework laid out for the Space through the Islands Growth Deal13 and the £80 million Ayrshire Growth Industry Act in 2018, various government departments have been Deal14 respectively, with the latter developing a horizontal air launch engaging with industry to fill out the details on issues around insurance, hub along with a host of surrounding ancillary developments that take liability and safety. A Technology Safeguard Agreement, signed the proposition beyond launch. between the UK and the US in June of 2020, is also awaiting ratification Edinburgh, Scotland-based Skyrora’s launch solution achieved a in Parliament17. This agreement is important for US launch developers number of UK firsts in the speed and execution of a vertical static test who are setting their sights on the burgeoning UK and European launch firing of its 10 meter tall, liquid propellant, sub-orbital test rocket from markets, such as Virgin Orbit, Lockheed Martin and others. the Kildermorie Estate, North Scotland, in May15. Finally, Spaceport

SatMagazine Page 22 January 2021 7 https://www.defensenews.com/global/europe/2020/11/19/uk-to-boost- defense-budget-by-219-billion-heres-who-benefits-and-loses-out/

8 https://www.itv.com/news/2020-11-19/pm-vows-to-end-era-of-retreat-with- biggest-military-investment-since-cold-war

9 https://www.satellitetoday.com/launch/2020/09/29/rocket-factory-plans- 2022-maiden-launch-from-andoya-space-site-in-norway/

10https://www.sscspace.com/ssc-to-launch-satellites-esrange-space-center/

11https://orbex.space/news/go-ahead-for-space-hub-sutherland-starts- countdown-to-launch-of-orbex-prime-from-scotland

The location for the Preswick Spaceport. 12https://lockheedmartinuk.mediaroom.com/shetlandspacelaunch

13https://www.cne-siar.gov.uk/news/2020/july/comhairle-welcomes- In conclusion, UK space has been busy laying firm foundations for 2021 announcement-of-islands-deal-funding/ through the recognition and support of critical national infrastructure, 14 such as GNSS, telecommunications and launch, as well as by supporting https://www.irvinetimes.com/news/18897924.prestwick-become-ayrshire- spaceport-80m-investment/ fundamental research though initiatives such as the UKSA’s National Space Innovation Program, which announced more than £7 million 15https://www.skyrora.com/post/the-uks-first-complete-ground-rocket-test-in- funding to 21 UK organizations on December 7, 202018. 50-years-takes-place-in-scotland

As the country enhances these civil and defense capabilities, a 16https://virginorbit.com/supplychain-uk/ support structure will be in place to enable the UK space industry to 17https://uk.usembassy.gov/u-s-uk-technology-safeguards-agreement/ capitalize on new commercial opportunities, as Europe and the world emerges from the slow-down of Covid-19. As service providers to the 18https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-funds-uk-companies-at- UK space industry, both AstroAgency and Commercial Space the-forefront-of-space-innovation Technologies have already seen evidence of the benefits from a number of customers in the smallsat and launch sectors who have been Daria Filichkina is Head of Operations at recruiting new staff and, seemingly, bucking the expected trends in an space marketing firm AstroAgency, which economic recession. provides a unique mix of strategic With a downstream data sector that continues to flourish and a long- guidance, brand design, route-to-market established smallsat manufacturing industry in place, 2021 is expected intelligence and promotional awareness to be a crucial step toward the facilitation of orbital launch from UK soil, exclusively for international space companies and new allowing the country to connect those two markets and secure its status entrants to the sector. The firm employs 14 staff across as a leading space nation. technical and marketing roles, the majority of whom have extensive space experience. Contact information: References https://www.linkedin.com/in/daria-f-9a7a54110/ — www.astroagency.co.uk

1 https://www.oneweb.world/media-center/oneweb-successfully-launches-34- Alan Webb is a Director of Commercial more-satellites-into-orbit-in-second-launch-of-2020 Space Technologies Ltd. (CST), which has

2 https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-government-to-acquire-cutting- been engaged in space-focused technical

edge-satellite-network consultancy since its foundation in 1983,

3 https://spacenews.com/u-k-to-revise-strategy-for-satellite-navigation- commissioned by private and government customers to system/ report on space-related subjects averaging 20 or more

studies a year. Furthermore, CST has brokered 20 launches 4 https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/2020/07/06/lack-atomic-clocks- could-hamper-uks-sat-nav-plans/ to date, for 82 smallsats, and continually manages the trade of space hardware between international partners. Contact 5 https://spacenews.com/u-k-to-revise-strategy-for-satellite-navigation- information: www.linkedin.com/in/alan-webb-cst/ — commercialspace.co.uk/ system/

6 https://www.defensenews.com/global/europe/2020/07/20/airbus-gets-630- million-deal-under-uk-militarys-skynet-6-push/

SatMagazine Page 23 January 2021 Why More Data is Critical to SSA

By Pascal Wauthier, Chairman, The Space Data Association

How do we ensure the correct SSA processes are in place in the current climate? Currently, there are two key elements of the SDC that significantly improve SSA: The SDC uses a Data Lake construct that “meets the operators where they are,” normalizing each operator’s unique raw data formats to allow multi-source data to be combined to enhance safety of flight analyses. The SDC is closely monitored for data quality by experts at Analytical Graphics Inc and COMSPOC Corporation. Over the years, The space around Earth is filled with debris from hardware leftover the team has revealed many discrepancies in SSA and operator-owned from thousands of launches since mankind first ventured into space space data products. in 1957. Estimates vary, but more than 21,000 debris fragments Since inception, the SDC has revolutionized SSA by using these are currently tracked, and there are an estimated half million to one processes to ensure that SSA information is as good as possible. But million fragments between one and ten centimeters in size. even that is no longer sufficient for effective STCM due to the sheer volume of spacecraft and debris in orbit today, coupled with the At a recent AIAA ASCEND Space Traffic Coordination and continuing rapid continued growth in operational spacecraft in this New Management (STCM) special session, Dan Oltrogge of COMSPOC Space era. Corporation presented results from an STCM demonstration with participants SES and the SDA. This comprehensive demonstration Current Situation clearly showed the dramatic space flight safety improvements possible The space environment is becoming more and more crowded and by applying advanced data fusion and analytical techniques across complex. During the ASCEND session, Mark Daley from the US diverse data from multiple data sources (including government, Department of Commerce commented, “The space environment spacecraft operators, and commercial SSA service providers). continues to grow more complex and diverse as activities accelerate As I mentioned in that session, I noted that achieving effective SSA and new space missions emerge. We have seen prominent near-misses, and STCM will require satellite operators to contribute as a strict and the continuing fragmentation of historical debris creates new minimum up-to-date ephemeris and planned maneuver information. This need was recognized ten years ago by the major Geosynchronous Earth Orbit (GEO) operators, who also realized that STCM should not be geographically limited as any accidents in any one part of the GEO belt would quickly affect the entire global space environment. This recognition led to the formation of an international organization to handle SSA on a global level, the Space Data Association. The operational arm of the SDA, the Space Data Center (SDC), has been operated by Analytical Graphics Inc. (AGI) and COMSPOC Corporation for more than a decade.

SatMagazine Page 24 January 2021 hazards. Space debris could potentially reverse some of the commercial The idea was to demonstrate what could be achieved by bringing all efficiencies that are fueling growth.” the data together in a comprehensive way. The demonstration itself As further evidence of increased collision risk, COMSPOC and SDA fused data from twelve different companies. drew upon the CelesTrak “Satellite Orbital Conjunction Reports Dan explained, “We picked 17 spacecraft. These were handpicked Assessing Threatening Encounters in Space (SOCRATES)1” and SDC to try and get some orbit regime diversity. We wanted some satellites conjunction data archives going back to 2005 and 2017, respectively. in LEO, some in MEO, and some satellites in GEO. We also wanted The results were sobering. Dan Oltrogge of COMSPOC Corporation some that had GPS and Wide-Area Augmentation System (WAAS) data observed that, “Prior to 2017, the rate of conjunctions experienced by so that very accurate reference orbits could be formed, as well as to Low Earth Orbit (LEO) spacecraft was largely in a quiescent period with include some of the GEO spacecraft clusters that are out there.” little change. But since 2017, this rate (and accompanying collision risk) This was, of course, just a small sample of today’s active spacecraft has increased dramatically, as much as double the rate observed just population, but goes some way to demonstrating STCM possibilities three years ago. Talking to space agencies from around the world, they and processes. are experiencing a lot more conjunctions with the new large constellations and the growing space debris population.” The Analysis Covered Five Categories of SSA Information:

1.Two Line Elements sets (TLEs) formed from optical and radar What More do we Need for Effective SSA? observations. These do not include planned maneuvers. Over recent years, we have been championing the need for more, and better quality, data, as well as better tools to help us greatly improve 2. SP data, similar to TLEs. collision avoidance measures. The challenge has always been getting 3. Operator data, which includes active ranging and planned financial backing to improve systems to track that data without an maneuvers, and in some instances passive RF, GPS observations. immediate return on investment or definitive threat. However, more and better data and the tools to process them will be vital to ensuring 4. GPS navigation solutions (NavSol). effective safety of flight. We believe that operators should be looking 5. Fused solutions, which incorporated optical, radar, passive RF, to contribute additional raw measurements such as: active ranging, and planned maneuvers.

• Standard tone ranging and azimuth / elevation Results showed that for this limited set of spacecraft, the fused orbit measurements, transponder ranging solutions were typically two times more accurate in LEO than non-fused • On-board GPS measurements solutions, and ten times more accurate in GEO. Importantly, the fused • More advanced measurements like PaCoRa passive RF solutions were often able to meet collision probability-based accuracy data, which relies on time difference of arrival of the requirements, while the non-fused solutions typically were not. satellite payload signal at different ground stations

• Optical or radar observations, if available The Future of SSA What this demonstration showed above all else is that the more data These raw measurements support effective data quality control and you can input, the more accurate your predictions and warnings comprehensive data fusion to identify potential measurement biases become. This in turn yields more actionable alerts to spacecraft and yield the best predictive information needed to assess collision risk operators that can guide them in the best course of action. As space and avoid confirmation bias. continues to get more and more crowded, it is imperative that we If these are also coupled with satellite dimensions and attitude improve the amount of data and the data fusion and analysis tools that information, it would enable much more accurate probability of process it. Doing so will require some level of investment, either from collision assessments. the commercial operators or, ideally, from government organizations. But the result will be a safer environment for all. The Proof is in the Pudding Together with AGI, COMSPOC, the SDA and the 18th Space Control www.space-data.org Squadron, we set out to prove how comprehensive data sharing, data fusion, and advanced analytics can lead to orbit solutions that are Author Pascal Wauthier is the SDA Executive Director. He joined sufficiently accurate to support STCM and long-term space SES in 1990. His role in the Technology organization is to lead SES sustainability. The observed steep increase in conjunction rates helped Space Operations. This function is responsible for safely operating motivate us to jointly conduct the STCM demonstration. the SES GEO and MEO (O3b) satellites.

1https://celestrak.com/SOCRATES/

SatMagazine Page 25 January 2021 What’s Up with Ground? A Kratos Constellations Conversation With NSR Analyst Shivaprakash Muruganandham

NSR Analyst Shivaprakash Muruganandham The traditional mindset with the ground was to own as much of the shares insights from NSR’s recent report on system as possible, but that seems to be slowly changing. Now you ‘Satellite Ground Network Virtualization,’ have new space and other companies coming into the picture who and the implications for a ground segment are much more open to outsourcing some of their requirements to that needs to catch up with innovations in external providers. space. Shiva explains how the ground needs to become more virtual, software defined, and JG cloud-centric to unlock the capabilities of How does the ground system change to avoid becoming newer HTS satellites, flexible payloads, and the bottleneck to all this space innovation? proliferated smallsat constellations for amore dynamically adaptive service-oriented future. SM The original interview was edited for length and format. To illustrate uncorking the bottleneck let’s look at the Earth Observation (EO) segment. On the space side we've seen so many improvements John Gilroy (JG), Host of Constellations where you have better sensors, better optical payloads, better radar Welcome Shiva. We’re seeing how satellites and imaging satellites, with more satellites downlinking larger volumes of ground systems are not exactly in the same phase data to the ground. For a ground segment that’s been very hardware when it comes to advances and innovation, and that centric, that’s challenging. To keep up, the ground needs to adapt to a has implications in terms of bottlenecking these more software-oriented approach, where you can begin thinking about new capabilities in space. Can you explain some of a software-as-a-service kind of play, or an infrastructure as a service, or these limitations and the problems that poses? even platform as a service. Then, you’re not only removing a bottleneck in this entire value chain, Shivaprakash Muruganandham (SM) but you're also improving your capabilities to better serve your customers. Thanks John. As you said, there have been a lot of innovations in the Having cloud capabilities allow you to better integrate with cloud service space segment, from HTS satellites to more recent LEO constellations. providers and their product portfolios. Customers using those service We’re not only seeing more satellites being launched, but also this providers can then just onboard directly to your systems, or connect “cloudification” movement that has been touted as the next big thing directly to your APIs, for better, more cost-effective relationships. in the satellite industry. One reason the ground hasn’t kept pace is because the VC backed JG new space companies coming into the industry have been focused It seems different industries with these challenges mostly on driving innovation in space. We’ve seen some improvements have moved to the cloud. The telecom industry, on the ground, but it’s been mostly siloed, incremental performance. the IT industry, and now the satellite. What can we learn from their experiences?

SatMagazine Page 26 January 2021 SM SM One of the first to adopt the software as a service business model was If you look at how EO was done traditionally, you had a big satellite Salesforce. What the ground segment can learn from the wider IT with huge sensors that would pass over a ground station for a pass sector is the importance of standardization. Right now there’s multiple window. Once you acquired your images and data to whatever types of ground systems and service providers all with their own degree, you had a relationship with the ground service provider to solutions, their own modulation schemes, or specs for different types down link your data during that pass. Now, with these smaller of flight radios and whatnot. Take cell phones for instance. Whether it satellites and better electronics, you have much more data coming in was a Nokia, Samsung, or some other manufacturer, industry-wide being downlinked. These huge volumes require that the ground standards accommodated different vendors. segment does not become a bottleneck. When Elon Musk talked about an antenna solution on the ground, Some smallsat companies tried to have their own ground stations, he said it needed to be a plug and play system with just two but when that didn’t work, they started outsourcing parts of it. And instructions. Plug it in and point it at the sky. For that ease of use on now you have new space companies, and even non-space companies the ground, you need to have standards in place. coming into the picture saying, "we’ll provide you the ground infrastructure ourselves, and you can just plug into our API and you can JG use it as a subscription service." This has changed the game and we How does the traditional analog RF-based ground are now in that transition. system compare to a digital and virtualized one? Once they’ve downlinked that data into the ground stations, they're able to immediately, or more efficiently link to the customer or whatever SM applications that they're building with their analytic services, whether it’s The traditional model is much more hardware focused, with different for maritime, agriculture, or other application. This is the kind of transition boxes from the antenna, to the teleport hub, to the modem, and all the we've seen in the EO sector and smallsats in general, and much of the different subsystems. And from there you have the intermediate rest of the SATCOM industry could potentially follow as well. frequency, the base band unit, and layered on top some kind of protocol. When you're talking virtualization, you're simply talking about JG converting as much of the hardware as possible into a more software- So, the software approach gives you the ability to oriented type network. With more software functions in place, you can configure these things dynamically? update an existing modem system so that it has the latest functionalities that you might need within the network. SM Yes, if you’re more software-oriented, you’re more dynamic and more JG flexible, and you can configure to any type of customer demand What are the key building blocks for ground almost immediately, compared to having to possibly replace an entire network virtualization? box physically.

SM JG There are different trends that have been driving this movement. One What will the evolution to a virtualized ground is big data analytics, the ability to use machine learning algorithms to system will look like and how long do you think understand what’s happening with your signals and to dynamically that'll take? improve your network and service to the whole integrated enterprise. Another is having a digitalization strategy to digitize the entire RF SM chain, whether in space or on the ground so that you can move to the It’s hard to say what the timeline will be for that evolution, but it could cloud. And virtualizing different layers of the ground system itself so it happen in a few different steps. First you start with connecting the can connect to an enterprise network functions at different levels. base connection that’s required between points of presence on the ground, whether for SATCOM, or from space to ground in the case of JG data downlinks and EO imagery. Smallsat companies have been early adopters in After that you move on to digitizing and virtualizing this entire moving to more innovative and virtualized structure, and start adding different layers on top of it that are software ground networks. What can be learned from applications. And then you start thinking about extending these their experience? solutions to the customers themselves in terms of what they have in place already with their cloud service providers, and the applications

SatMagazine Page 27 January 2021 they're looking to serve their customers with, and how you can integrate JG with those systems. And then eventually, you put all of this together and That would seem to go back to the standardization provide it all as a service with pricing for that particular business model. you need between dynamic satellites and ground stations, especially as many operators are looking JG at 5G as an integral part of their strategy? What types of organizations do you think will benefit most from a virtualized ground system, SM and why? Standardization will be a key to this. Without industry-wide standards, we’ve got different service providers, or systems developers with their SM own standards, or having to cater to different types of schemes and My favorite example is observation satellites, because these are the standards, which is far more labor intensive. ones taking advantage of the transition on the ground, and because so much of what they’re doing is tied to the cloud already. It's not just JG the earth observation satellite operators, but also the entire value As an analyst, you’re accustomed to looking at chain where you start thinking about value-added services and layers where things are headed. Where do you see the of information built on top of these satellite images. And then big ground segment in five years? data analytic type services, whether for precision agriculture, oil and gas, or a mining conglomerate who wants to know more about their SM production volume somewhere. It's a long process. We're starting to see a virtualization at different levels happen, which will continue. The wider IT and telecom JG sector have been doing this for a while and it's only now that the Once you align dynamic satellites with a more satellite industry is waking up to this digitalization and cloud dynamic ground what can you do that you strategy. We're thinking about software defined radios already, and otherwise couldn’t do today? now it's slowly coming to the ground too. It's a long process, where more parts of the system are being virtualized to serve SM customers much more dynamically. The flexibility you alluded to earlier, the ability to be able to configure to different customer needs in a much shorter timescale. As well as JG supporting a variety of different customers as well, which could open Perhaps we’ll expect more software vendors than new markets too. hardware vendors?

JG SM So, a more dynamic ground system would enable For sure. I come from more of a software, big data type background, the satellite industry to create new business and to me, it's a bit of a surprise it’s taken this long, but It's exciting models, and move beyond its core markets? to see how it will play out.

SM With more than 70 fascinating interviews, listen to Constellations podcasts as Yes, you see that happening with some of the non-space actors they become available. See the full list of interviews and subscribe at: coming into the satellite industry. You have cloud service providers, https://www.kratosdefense.com/constellations-podcast whether an Amazon or a Microsoft, integrating their solutions with existing SATCOM service providers and their solutions. And you have this new type of managed services with much more automation, where a customer can just configure what they want, to whatever the specifications they might need with a satellite operator, and they're able to adapt to it instantaneously. That is the eventual goal if you're talking about being more dynamic and flexible.

SatMagazine Page 28 January 2021 Virtual . The Eminent ^ SmallSat Business Conference

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• Live virtual meetings with breakout rooms, • Invite only speaker lineup focusing on product demos and in-person Q&A issues pertinent to the state of the indus- • Exhibitors will each have a 15 minute “focused try in 2021 expo time” so attendees can easily connect • Diversity of industry perspectives • Exhibits include rich company descriptions, • Direct speaker interaction in live Q&A and videos, 昀yers, brochures, white-papers and green room engagements other important documents & virtual assets SMALLSATSHOW.COM A New Era for Satellite Business Transactions By Alvaro Sanchez, Chief Executive Officer, Integrasys

The COVID-19 pandemic has marked a challenging turning point in With LEO & MEO Constellations and 5G technologies on the rise, and the 21st Century — a new era in the satellite industry is now the increasing demand for connectivity, service providers have had realized as the supply chain has dramatically changed following all additional pressures brought to bear throughout the pandemic, of the lockdowns and all that entails. especially broadband providers and satellite operators. Air and Maritime satellite services have suffered a notable decrease Even though in the satellite industry there are many innovative in business amounting to losses of millions of dollars every day. Against companies, the way to do business has always been quite traditional; all odds, new acquisitions are occuring at a rapid pace. Flat-panel in-person customer meetings, trade shows and conferences organized antennas developments are opening a revolution of connection in the by industry associations... all were the hotspots for signing agreements mobility market, will be booming in the Post COVID-19 world. and networking with peers. These methods of doing business have now Since the 2008 global crisis, the satellite industry reveals an suffered a checkmate. The challenge is now for experienced sales exponential share growth, being more than 50 percent of the revenues professionals to bridge their previous comfort zones in order to adapt accounted for within the Satellite Services markets, according to a to this new, virtual reality. Software Industry Association (SIA) report. This means that, in these There is a new paradigm following the COVID-19 outbreak and difficult times for the global economy, the satellite industry does not companies need to adapt rapidly to maximize their resiliency and halt its growth cycle. The increasing demand for connectivity leads to productivity. The new way of increasing revenue is through online the realization that the satellite industry remains quite stable and communications and new technologies have arisen to close deals and continues to grow with new technologies that assist with the sales, generate additional revenues. delivery, deployment and maintainance of crucial connectivity. Companies need to adapt for these new realities and take into account

SatMagazine Page 30 January 2021 With the new technology solutions, selling and buying satellite capacity and networks access is easier to accomplish. Sales can occur without the necessity of visiting the customer, as quotes are easy to understand. This opens a new market to those who may not be familiar with satellite technologies. Providers can benefit from cost reductions in time and travel and generate new the traditional GEO, FSS or latest LEO constellations, such as Starlink revenue with these new sales tools. Sales representatives can now be (SpaceX). In the ground segment, Cloud technologies and virtualized more autonomous, regardless of their location, through virtual contacts. products are taking becoming more and more relevant as they open a Technology is opening the door to a more mainstream satellite industry. new pay per use market. Software companies within the satellite industry are improving their products by adapting them to become services in the Cloud and that New Transactions avoids hardware and logistics issues as the key point is to facilitate the Technology solutions are indeed a boon for this unexpected pandemic complex issues that the global industry faces every day. Businesses must situation as they enable companies to work remotely. Zoom, an adapt, change... or die. application that enables the virtual meeting of customers and partners There are apps in the Cloud that streamline sales transactions for or attendance at online events, is a business friend. SATCOM networks, such as the Integrasys Beam Budget tool (the ZOOM of satellite networks). Integrasys developed this tool whose main aim is to make the workflow easier for satellite providers and operators. Beam Budget is the company’s best selling, satellite simulation tool that is able to accurately model spacecraft transponders, beams and footprints, as well as ground equipment, to assess the global performance of wide area satellite networks on multiple time-scales.

What will the future be like? New work processes will continue for years to come — there is no turning back. People’s habits and work processes are changing rapidly. Integrasys will continue to be actively involved in the new business practices paradigms. Connectivity is and will be continue to needed in order to maintain personal and business relationships — now is the time to fully adopt this new era of satellite business transactions.

www.integrasys-space.com/

Integrasys’ Beam Budget Link application screenshot.

SatMagazine Page 31 January 2021 Focus: Craft Prospect Ltd.

Dr. Sonali Mohapatra, Space Quantum Technologies Developer, Craft Prospect

With quite a different year having closed and witnessing the With invited speakers and experts from all over the world, the team has world geared up for a socially distanced Christmas, the city of engaged on topics such as space security, quantum technologies, Glasgow, Scotland, had its own settling in to the new environment onboard AI solutions and so on. All of these webinars host a wealth of to accomplish. information for the community and can be accessed via the Craft Prospect website. Home to an extraordinary number of space companies, a new light on During 2020, the company moved to its own space that included the Glasgow scene is Craft Prospect Ltd. The company delivers integration workshops at the Fairfield Shipyard and Heritage Museum. mission enabling capabilities in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and quantum With an enthusiastic team keeping up spirits remotely through the technology to power future space missions and services. months of lockdown, this former headquarters of the largest shipbuilder With a focus in smart, secure, space systems, the company goal is on the Clyde has become a centerpoint for the team to rally together. to deliver a range of technology products and architecture services that Despite the challenges all have shared, 2020 noted further success will enable mission developers and users to maximize the return from for the Craft team as they delivered key AI and quantum products. their missions. With the company’s ability to quickly harness the Backed with support from the Scottish Investment Bank and recognition acceleration in consumer-driven AI and emerging quantum optical at the Scottish EDGE business awards helping to accelerate growth, technologies from research hubs, the company is fast becoming a the team remains on track to double their revenue for the fourth year, household name in the UK industry. running with ongoing works into 2021 of around £1 million. 2020 was a busy year for Craft, both due to the changes demanded On the ROKS mission in particular, the team is targeting flight by the COVID pandemic and the firm’s own successes. Early 2020 saw model delivery toward the end of 2021. During 2020, work was Craft as the first company to graduate from the Higgs Business completed on the build of an Engineering Model. The mission will be Incubation Center at the UK Astronomy Technology Center, a proof-of-concept demonstration mission to showcase space-based, Edinburgh, where it had joined in 2018 as a fledging team of three with satellite-to-Earth downlink, Quantum Key Distribution and intelligent a prototype and a vision. operations supporting future secure telecommunication systems. In 2020, they graduated as a team of 15 with scaleable AI-enabled Working on a range of different projects under the umbrella of this technology for satellite missions, commercial contracts with the mission concept, the CPL team has developed considerable expertise European Space Agency and their own on-orbit demonstration mission. in the miniaturization and evaluation of a space Quantum Key Now in the fourth year of its entrepreneurial journey, the team is Distribution (QKD) payload in order to lay the groundwork for a future busy preparing for this mission: their own quantum key distribution demonstrator, ROKS, for launch in 2022. From late March, like so many other companies, the Craft Prospect team took the decision to work remotely before the national lockdown in the UK came into full effect. Since then, the team has worked from home, blogged, attended virtual conference and seminars, and has rolled out few webinars of its own across all its verticals.

SatMagazine Page 32 January 2021 secure service. Working with their consortium partners, the work to Imaging sensors designed for EO have large number pixel formats — date has developed the mission concept, proved the technology basis fast operating rates present great challenges for data management in for highly miniaturized space-ready quantum systems and AI toolbox the satellite itself and for data downlink, given the vast amount of data and has secured opportunities for integrating their systems into generated. Often, only a small part of this data is needed to service the emerging QKD solutions and end user networks. mission goals, i.e., capturing, processing and transferring via downlink The most recent phase of work will progress the flight payload and the entire image scene may be wasteful. Instead, determining the data ground test systems before a final build to demonstrate on-orbit by of interest within the image capture system and then only processing 2022. This work harnesses Glasgow and UK-wide technology and skills and relaying that information before transmitting to a ground station at University of Strathclyde, University of Bristol and Fraunhofer on Earth is an obvious advantage. Centre for Applied Photonics (CAP) Glasgow. In collaboration with Teledyne e2v, the RAPID project establishes Following the move into their new headquarters, CPL now has a a new consortium that brings together Craft Prospect’s cutting-edge well kitted out integration lab that includes environmental testing Machine Learning (ML) and AI algorithms with Teledyne e2v’s space facilities for in-house assembly of electro-opto-mechanical systems and imaging capabilities. During the discovery phase, the consortium will the ROKS payload. The funding comes from the UK Space Agency’s use space-ready hardware to establish the RAPID test and National Space Innovation Program (NSIP), which is the first UK fund demonstration system. dedicated to supporting the space sector’s development of innovation More than ever, during 2020 new space companies had to embrace technologies, allowing the company to compete internationally on the the new space ethos of flexibility and responsiveness. Staying strong world stage with other countries through this dedicated funding pool. to its core values of agility, excellence and people, Craft has adopted At the virtual Quantum Technology Showcase in October, a further innovative ways of boosting employee morale including, but not limited win in the form of a UK-Canada bilateral project was announced. This to, morning stand-ups, graduate training, recruitment, wellness award provides Craft Prospect, working closely with both UK and workshops, coffee breaks and employee benefits, and has managed to Canadian partners, the opportunity to finesse a quantum source navigate difficult circumstances as a team. product as well as gain flight heritage on a major mission. With 2020 now history and a COVID vaccine in sight, Craft hopes On the responsive operations and AI side of the business, the to have learned from the curve balls thrown at it during the past year company was selected as a partner on a second National Space and is confident that 2021 will bring even better news and growth. Innovation Program project to demonstrate and help support In the words of Craft Prospect’s founder and Managing Director, intelligent image processing platforms. The project, RAPID — Real- Steve Greenland, “While 2020 has been most challenging for the time AI processes for Intelligent Detection — will look to demonstrate business and myself as a young managing director, I am pleased to say an image processing platform and algorithms to handle high data that thanks to the team’s dedication we have managed to stay on track volumes generated on space-based, Earth Observation (EO) platforms to exceed our growth targets to again double revenue and are aimed at tackling climate change. EO satellites have a significant role emerging from the year well set for 2021. With the company shutting in monitoring both the causes and effects of climate change. This down for two weeks rest and relaxation over the festive new year includes detecting and identifying sources of emissions, measuring period, we will be ready to continue our journey in smart secure space levels of greenhouse gases, and studying vegetation growth from space with new projects, partnerships and ideas.

craftprospect.com

Author Dr. Sonali Mohapatra is the Space Quantum

Technologies Developer at Craft Prospect where she is

part of the ROKS technical team and works closely with

the University of Strathclyde to lead company modelling of

Space QKD. Apart from that, Sonali is the author of

“Leaking Ink”, a speaker, science writer, founder of the

queer-feminist platform, Carved Voices, and is one of the

founding members of the New Voices Working Group of the SSLC with a focus

on diversity, inclusion and innovation.

SatMagazine Page 33 January 2021 Africa is Investing in Satellites and Space

By Space in Africa

More than $4 billion has been spent on satellite development in With other countries announcing their national space programs, this Africa to date. translates to an increase in national budgetary allocations for space. For 2020, African governments budgeted an estimated $490 million toward • For 2020, African governments doubled their their space programs as compared to the $250 million from the national space program operating budgets to an previous year, excluding capital expenditures on the acquisition estimated $490 million compared to $250 million of satellites. in 2019. • Africa will have launched at least 110 Satellites Increasing Number of Satellite Projects and Expenditure by 2024, compared to the total of 41 launched In 2019, governments and institutions from five African countries so far. launched eight new satellites, bringing the total number of African satellites to arrive in orbit to 41. The number of African countries with Rapidly Growing Government Involvement & Increasing at least one satellite in space increased from eight to 11. With more National Space Budgets satellites under development by institutions across the continent, more The sector is seeing the emergence of new, government, space African countries are joining the league. It is estimated that, by 2024, programs, with the governments of Egypt and Rwanda establishing fully at least 19 African countries will have launched a satellite and the total operational space agencies during the second half of 2019 and 1st half number of African satellites will have reached 110, from the current 41. of 2020. Satellite programs on the continent were greatly constrained in 2020 in terms of budget restrictions, disruption in production and logistics as well as an unstable international outlook as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. However, this has not hindered the long-term objectives of most satellite programs by governments and the commercial space sector. In some instances, the pandemic facilitated the need for the re-evaluation of existing solutions in favor of more robust, space-enabled solutions.

Expansive Space Industry Landscape Satellite-enabled products and services dominate the African commercial space economy, with most of the revenue-generating segments controlled by global and regional communications satellite operators. The industry has a nascent upstream sector involving African-grown smallsat systems and payload manufacturers, plus a maturing downstream sector that is comprised of satellite services providers who are offering satellite internet broadband, broadcast and media, EO and geospatial data, GNSS, fixed and mobile asset tracking, and maritime surveillance, as well as ground station and equipment manufacturers.

SatMagazine Page 34 January 2021 Africa sees considerable growth in space science and astronomy The report highlights China, European Union, Japan, France, Russia, products and services, primarily driven by demand from the United Kingdom and the United States of America as case studies government and academic institutions as a result of increasing across commercial, development and diplomatic fronts. multimillion-dollar investments in observatories and telescope This latest 2020 edition of the Africa Space Industry Annual projects across the continent. Report is published by Space in Africa, the authority on news, data and market analysis for the African space and satellite industry. The Policy Change report presents data and analysis on projects, deals, partnership and As of July 2020, 19 African countries have established or have initiated investments across the continent and also provides analysis on the the process of creating a space program. Of these 19 States, 15 have growing demand for space technologies and data on the continents, signed the Outer Space Treaty, 14 have signed the Rescue Agreement, the business opportunities offered and the necessary regulatory 12 have signed the Liability Convention, four have signed the environment in the various countries. Registration Convention, and only Morocco has signed the Moon Agreement. These trends highlight Africa’s growing adoption of policies and international conventions to promote the development of national or continental space initiatives. For instance, the newly established Rwandan Space Agency focused more on drafting a national space policy before the establishment of a space agency. More African countries are starting to acknowledge the success of space programs as being partly influenced by the structure and support of an underlying policy and strategy. Tunisia and Senegal have reoriented their ambitions toward drafting policies, Nigeria is revising its space policy and strategy and South Africa, noting the current developments in the space arena, is tabling a new bill to stay abreast of industry expectations.

Space for Sustainable Development In 2015, the Sustainable Development Goals document was submitted Visit this direct link to access the 2020 edition of the Africa Space to the United Nations and was ratified by partner countries. In 2016, Industry Annual Report. countries started implementing goals across the world. African countries, having participated actively in the execution of spaceinafrica.com the Millennium Development Goals, are also top participants in the SDGs execution race. To achieve the SDGs, many countries are looking to space toward the implementation of the goals. In the last two years, Africa has executed several SDGs projects using space technology in line with the UN SDGs and the Africa 2063 Agenda. Space in Africa produces authoritative business and market analysis reports Rising Geopolitical & Commercial Interests of Foreign for the different segments of the African Space and Satellite Industry. Space in Partners in Africa’s Space Sector Africa covers the business, technology, discoveries, events and political news The African Union Commission continues to pursue a continental about the African space and satellite industry. Space in Africa is the premier space program following its enactment of the African Space Policy and source of space-related news from Africa. The publication’s journalists travel approval of the African Space Strategy as well as plans to operationalize across the continent to document milestones, discoveries and events in the the African Space Agency. African Space Industry. From interviews and events to policies and There is an increasing trend in interest and strategies of foreign discoveries, to milestones and amazing projects, to new space startups and governments in an attempt to claim a significant market share of Africa’s breaking news of missions and satellites projects, at Space in Africa; you’ll find growing space industry and, in some instances, maintain a geopolitical something amazing every day. dominance of the sector as a vital diplomatic or military alliance.

SatMagazine Page 35 January 2021 Update: Top Stories that Shaped the African Space Industry in 2020

Artistic rendition of the At the time of this writing, Ethopia had launched a Nilesat­301 satellite, smallsat — ET-SMART-RSS — during 2020. Nigeria, courtesy of manufacturer Egypt, Angola and Tunisia have all announced satellite Thales Alenia Space. projects and the launch dates of these projects are fixed for the future.

Tunisia’s Challenge ONE satellite will now launch in March of this year.

Nigeria’s space agency, NASRDA, also announced that it would start constructing two new satellites in 2021.

In Burkina Faso, a ground station was unveiled earlier in the year, as the country begins the construction of its first satellite, an EO smallsat to be launched at a yet-to-be- disclosed date.

Artistic rendition of the NIGCOMSAT satellite.

Ethiopia initially promised to launch a satellite in October but has since postponed it, promising to launch shortly.

Angola’s AngoSat-2 satellite has also been announced for a scheduled March 2022 launch date, while Russia has equally modified its GLONASS tracking station in Angola while planning to build additional stations across Africa.

Artistic rendition Nigeria’s NIGCOMSAT is Africa’s first early of the AngoSat­2 providing satellite, SBAS open service, while SARAO’s SKA completes final courtesy of reviews ahead of its construction. manufacturer

Airbus. EUTELSAT launched their KONNECT communications satellite, which will serve 40 African countries and Belgium.

SES also announced a partnership for satellite Egypt, one of Africa’s leading space countries have also connectivity which will cover 20 African countries. announced that they’ll be launching an Earth Observation (EO) satellite in 2022, while Egypt’s publicly traded Toward promoting its space endeavours, South Africa company, NileSat, signed an agreement with SpaceX to announced a $266 million funding for a space hub, which build and launch NileSat-301 in 2022. is promising six satellites during the next four years. Like South Africa, EgSA is set to establish space centers around the country.

SatMagazine Page 36 January 2021 In a similar light, Kenya announced its Strategic Plan The launch of (2020-2025), ushering in partnership talks with Ukraine, EUTESLAT’s USA and Russia, as the agency plans to select KONNECT initiated satellite. its next Director. Kenya also signed an agreement with Italy for the use of Kenya’s Space center, which will allow Kenya to earn Sh25 million annually.

The Ethiopian Space Science & Technology Institute (ESSTI) appointed a new director, Mr. Abdissa Yilm.

In August, Space in Africa announced the top ten under 30 innovators in the industry and also analyzed a new report that mentioned that the African private EO and geospattial comanies emply more than 3,400 people. Despite the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Space In Africa Industry Report 2020 has uncovered that Some professionals in the African space industry shared Africa spent more ($490 million) on Space Agency their thoughts on different projects on the continent. AUC management in 2020, more than in any other year. The Space expert, Dr. Tidiane Ouattara spoke on the progress report also reflected on rising policy development across of the African Space Agency. Professor Melvin Hoare the continent, increasing government involvement in the gave insight on the importance of the Development in space industry, growing New Space sector, how space Africa with Radio Astronomy (DARA) to the continent technology is helping to achieve Sustainable Development while Dr. Abimbola Alale talked about Nigeria’s Goals (SDGs), and rising participation of foreign partners satellite communication ambitions. Space leaders also in the industry. met to discuss the the future of the Europe-Africa in Space at the European Space conference which was held In 2019, Rwanda launched their first satellite, before of in Brussels, Belgium. 2020, towards enhancing Rwanda’s satellite capacity. Unfortunately at that point in time, OneWeb declared In a multilateral partnership, Brazil, Russia, India, China bankruptcy. Despite the disappointment with OneWeb, and South Africa (BRICS) are working on a in quantum Rwanda also worked on draft to establish its Space Agency. communications. South Africa, also during the year, the SKA Observatory Convention. Meanwhile, the impact of the pandemic was cushioned by countries differently, as Nigeria increased its space In the Newspace sector; NanoAvionics, Dragonfly, Space JLTZ and budget, while South Africa cut their space budget. As Partners formed a new International Consortium called HyperActiv. Still Egypt continues to debate its budget for 2021, the CEO of in the Newspace arena, Space in Africa had a conversation with the the Agency, Dr. Mohamed Al-Quosy, has had his tenure CEO of Netloxh, a company promising to launch Africa’s first rocket in extended by the Egyptian President. Egypt signed 2021. We also spoke with NewSpace Systems, an African based ADCS partnerships involving UNISEC-Japan, Kazakhstan and manufacturer; South Africa’s , currently developing propulsion Ukraine. Egypt also entered an $8 billion arms deal with systems; Dragonfly Aerospace; Simera Sense; Swift Italy. Partnerships were equally signed at SANSA, as the Geospatial; Omarichet, and other Newapace companies on the agency signed an MoU with Brazil, NASA and the continent. All Newspace interviews and features can be read at this European Space Agency direct link...

spaceinafrica.com

SatMagazine Page 37 January 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 38 January 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 39 January 2021 Smart Recovery from Disaster An SSPI Better Satellite World Perspective

When disaster strikes, people’s lives are put at risk are on the line Donations and plans are good — however, one more element is — from wrecked homes and flooded roads, fallen trees and needed, and that is information. The correct information helps aid downed power lines, the picture is always distressing — people groups and governments act smarter and faster in providing assistance fleeing devastated locations. We rush to donate whatever might for those suffering from the effects of natural and man-made disasters. be of some help — money, food, blankets, tents and so on. Aid Information allows first responders to activate the correct plans and groups and governments initiate their rescue and recovery plans apply them in the needed locations. Information allows coordination and put them into action. that turns good intentions into actionable results. When Disaster Strikes Twice In September of 2017, Hurricane Irma struck the Caribbean islands. It was a Category 5 storm with winds of up to 280 miles per hour that destroyed hundreds of thousands of homes and leveled tourist hotels. A frightening scene: Power and communications networks collapsed; roads, bridges and hospitals heavily damaged. This was one of the worst storms in Caribbean history — until just two weeks later, when another Category 5 storm, Hurricane Maria, blasted through the region and leveled the countries of Dominica and Puerto Rico. How on Earth do you deal with an emergency such as that? You have to receive information fast, fast, fast. Where do people need

Watch the SSPI Better Satellite World video at this direct link...

SatMagazine Page 40 January 2021 Disaster relief photo is courtesy of SES.

help? Which roads are open? What infrastructure remains standing? Getting the Message Out Where are food and medical care needed most and where are these Relief workers gained voice, email and internet connections to share supplies located? data on where people needed help and what was needed most as far as relief supplies and assistance were concerned. Satellite Companies Respond These first responders reported on closed roads to help others find The United Nations World Food Program is the lead agency of the a way around damaged infrastructure that blocked passage. They Emergency Telecommunications Cluster. Responding to the disaster, it shared pictures captured by satellite that enabled rescuers to map the requested support from emergency.lu. That’s a public-private damage, estimate needs and target relief efforts. partnership between the Government of Luxembourg and three For the next four months, emergency.lu backed up local companies — SES, HITEC Luxembourg and Luxembourg Air government and international agencies in their recovery work. Satellite Ambulance. made it possible for decisions made in capital cities and faraway offices Emergency.lu includes a quickly deployable, satellite-based to be executed as quickly as humanly possible in the field. communications platform and installs systems on the ground as well as When disaster strikes, making certain that help reaches those in bandwidth in the sky to re-establish communications for emergency need takes more than compassion. Critical, real-time information is responders. Luxembourg provides this satellite-based service as a free, required as well as the ability to reliably connect anywhere, at any time public good to the humanitarian community across the globe. — only satellite can deliver such necessities. In Saint Martin, Irma heavily damaged the international airport — and that destruction created a choke point for incoming relief from www.sspi.org around the world. Civil protection volunteers from Luxembourg established an emergency.lu Rapid Deployment Kit at the airport, comprise of an inflatable satellite antenna that fit into airline luggage and then deployed within 30 minutes. An SES satellite providing C-band capacity gave first responders a vital link to the world,= and the airport soon returned to operations. In Dominica, Hurricane Maria caused an estimated billion dollars’ worth Produced for SatMagazine by Space & Satellite Professionals International of damage. To manage island-wide relief efforts, emergency.lu set up See more stories and videos of satellite making a better world at antennas at two humanitarian coordination centers on the east and west www.bettersatelliteworld.com coasts of the island.

SatMagazine Page 41 January 2021 3D printed radiators with multiple metals. Aluminum is used for light weight and a thin copper layer is added to evenly distribute heat across the surface. Photo is courtesy of Fabrisonic. Satellite Heat Exchangers

By Mark Norfolk, President and Chief Executive Officer, and Dan King, Production Engineer, Fabrisonic

Fabrisonic has repeatedly proven Ultrasonic Additive As the satellite industry drives for more thermal efficiency in smaller and Manufacturing’s (UAM’s) ability to print fully dense hermetic heat lighter packages, engineers are responding by using additive exchangers with complex internal fluid passageways. manufacturing to get creative in designing parts that fulfill multiple roles. USU’s team approached Fabrisonic to help manufacture two The company is thrilled to report that some of these UAM heat separate parts of a satellite thermal system. exchangers have passed NASA Jet Propulsion Lab’s harsh testing The first part is a large, deployable radiator panel designed to fold criteria. NASA’s JPL testing includes experiments such as thermal shock, out of the satellite after launch. In this component, Fabrisonic’s patented hermeticity, burst and even vibration testing for simulation of an Atlas UAM process of metal 3D printing allowed for the cooling channels to V rocket launch. be routed in the most optimum layout. In other news, Utah State University’s College of Engineering gave Additionally, UAM’s solid-state, low-temperature attributes allowed Fabrisonic the chance to showcase the strengths of solid-state, 3D printing most of the heat exchanger out of 6061 aluminum while also metal printing in yet another out of this world application. Utah State printing a small section of copper. University is a world leader in the research, design and manufacture of smallsats.

SatMagazine Page 42 January 2021 3D printed cryocooler mount

In these dissimilar, metal combinations, the copper acts as a wicking expensive, time-consuming, and undesirable on the production heat spreader to allow the entire surface of the radiator to approach a level. 3D printing removes all connections allowing for uniform single temperature (thereby increasing overall performance and thermal expansion and removal of problematic joints. efficiency.) The second component to USU’s thermal system is a heat exchanger Higher performance that acts as both a mount for a cryocooler and a fluid loop for heat In most traditional production methods, the air gap, material transfer. While this heat exchanger may look like a solid block of selection, and channel sizes can never be fully optimized. aluminum from the outside, hidden inside is a complex channel layout However, using processes like UAM, multi-materials can be with paths that ultimately connect multiple components and sensors. selectively mixed to optimize thermal performance while also For parts such as this, UAM enables complex heat exchanger removing air gaps and breaking the limitations of traditionally designs, while the hybrid printing systems (additive and subtractive machined heat exchangers. manufacturing ) allow all internal channels to have CNC accuracy and surface finish. Compared to other metal 3D printing processes, UAM fabrisonic.com. excels in its ability to achieve smooth surface finishes (without post- processing) whereby fluid flows and pressures are uninhibited by rough surfaces. Increasingly, there is a need for high-performance thermal management devices that can pull heat out of smaller and smaller areas Mark Norfolk, PE, is president and CEO of Fabrisonic. at higher and higher rates. This push for increased efficiency of Fabrisonic was formed in 2011 to consolidate the traditional thermal management devices has brought forth the need for intellectual property of EWI, a nonprofit independent designs only possible through 3D printing. Additive manufacturing is engineering consultancy. Mark has more than two decades uniquely enabling to heat exchangers in that 3D printing allows: of experience in manufacturing and R&D. In his role with EWI, Mark lead EWI’s & Fabrisonic’s commercialization of Complex fluid path designs 3D metal printing and Ultrasonic Additive Manufacturing. Prior to Fabrisonic, Historically, specialty heat exchangers are made using traditional Mark held numerous positions with Deere & Company. He received his MBA CNC machining to create planar arrays of cross-drilled holes. from The University of Iowa and a BS in welding engineering from The Ohio CNC machining limits the shape of the internal passageway. In State University. contrast, UAM allows internal geometries to be fully optimized for localized thermal performance. Dan King is a production engineer at Fabrisonic. Dan started as an intern with Fabrisonic, having studied Consolidation of multiple components into a single part mechanical engineering at The Ohio State University. Prior Traditionally, more complicated thermal devices are made using to Fabrisonic, Dan worked as a student supervisor at the a series of connected machined components joined via brazing university’s student machine shop. He was also an intern at or diffusion bonding. However, these additional steps are Monk Engineering also in Columbus Ohio.

SatMagazine Page 43 January 2021 Artistic rendition of a Benchmark Space Systems Halcyon propulsion system onboard an on­orbit cubesat. Image is courtesy of the company.

A Conversation With Chris Carella Vice President of Business Development, Benchmark Space Systems

With revenue growth over 400 percent last year, and five milestone missions set to launch in 2021, Benchmark Space Systems, a Benchmark Space Systems was founded just four propulsion solution innovator, for the past two years has exceeded short years ago and yet you’re already securing their fundraising and growth expectations. major contracts with the likes of the Air Force, NASA, Spaceflight and many others. How have The company is in the midst of a rapid ascent akin to one of their you propelled Benchmark so quickly as one of the patented thrusters that is maneuvering a commercial or government leaders of the propulsion market? mission into space. In fact, Benchmark’s Starling thruster is set to kick off 2021 with a demonstration launch aboard a 3U satellite rideshare Chris Carella (CC) bound for space on Firefly’s Alpha, their first launch vehicle. Benchmark hit the market at exactly the right time with a disruptive The propulsion systems innovator is coming off a banner 2020, all green chemical propulsion solution that is specifically designed for the the while navigating the global COVID-19 pandemic. Benchmark smallsat sector. After combining forces with Tesseract this year, we have increased revenues and backlog off the backs of some significant deals, expanded product and thrust class offerings. We have government more than doubled the size of the company — both its employee base programs ongoing for each of our integrated products and, obviously, and state-of-the-art facilities in Vermont and California — and is poised the Spaceflight OTV partnership is key. for an even bigger 2021 ahead. Newly featured across our range of products, our control electronics Benchmark Space Systems Executive Vice can be paired with any thruster configuration in our product quiver — President of Business Development, Chris being able to change thrusters from mission to mission with little to no Carella, talked with SatMagazine about the reapplication cost is a game-changer for the satellite market. We treat company’s focus for 2021, which he stated each customer as a partner, from mission planning to decommission, will continue to redefine the propulsion all backed with an agile architecture for a customer’s varying needs. sector — and investors are taking note. As a result, our company is growing fast, aligning with key technology partners, closing on important deals, while adding some service offerings and creative pricing models to accommodate a variety

SatMagazine Page 44 January 2021 Benchmark’s BSS1 Satellite, designed and built in partnership with NearSpace Launch, being integrated into Firefly’s Alpha separation ring. Photo is courtesy of the company of customer interests. A nimble approach and good stewardship has through ESPA-class satellites to large lunar landers and orbital transfer allowed Benchmark to expand our product set of launch-vehicle vehicles (OTVs). agnostic propulsion systems to serve a broader spectrum of spacecraft. That breadth of solutions, enabled in part by our permanent Our sweet spot includes everything from the smallest 1U cubesats licensing partnership and IP integration with Tesseract Space, has really

Final hotfire test to a Halcyon Flight unit prior to delivery. Photo is courtesy of Benchmark Space Systems.

SatMagazine Page 45 January 2021 captured the imagination of rideshare leaders such as Spaceflight and The team has been laser focused on the development and growth of satellite integrators with a range of mission profiles. Last fall, Spaceflight our product line to offer our customers a single source for all in-space signed an exclusive agreement with us for a green chemical propulsion mobility needs. Through exceptional talent, innovative technology and solution aboard that firm’s next-generation Sherpa LTC OTV. strategic partnerships, we are on pace to add real horsepower to our Our safe chemical propulsion will be featured on the Sherpa-LTC as slate of offerings. This includes our on-site fueling offering and mobility- early as this year. Benchmark’s propulsion has a patented On-Demand as-a-service price model. We have superb leadership and support from Pressurization System (ODPS) that secures an inert launch mode that our advisors and investors. can be prompted to pressurize the thruster once the OTV is deployed from the launch vehicle. What excites you most about Benchmark in 2021? Spaceflight’s “Go fast” Sherpa variant equipped with Benchmark propulsion allows their smallsat rideshare missions to leverage low-cost CC launches to sub-optimal locations in space, where the OTV can easily The sheer interest in what we’re doing to redefine propulsion has been maneuver spacecraft to ideal orbits in a matter of hours or days — this encouraging and energizing as we take Benchmark and our customers’ enables their customers to quickly get into operational and revenue capabilities and revenue potential to the next level. The incredible generating position. talent that we’re bringing onboard in preparation for what will no doubt That level of innovation in space is really helping to fuel the smallsat be our biggest, most important year to date, is having a direct impact rideshare boom and is also a fast-track for Benchmark growth, as well. on our ability to exceed our 2021 objectives. Our Engineering Director, Brad Hoover, who we lured from Lockheed back in 2018, has been able Your Spaceflight OTV propulsion deal was certainly to get new team members quickly plugged in to the day to day a highlight in 2020. What other key milestones and operations and contributing to key programs in a meaningful way. wins would you point to and what do you expect Look for us to continue growing our team, which doubled from 12 to be among the highlights this year in 2021? to 24 last year, and build on our sales pipeline, which grew another 4x over the last 12 months. On the BD side, we’re really excited to CC unlock some of that ‘backlog’ as we demonstrate what we can As we speak, our Starling thruster, integrated aboard a 3U satellite that accomplish on-orbit. we built with Near Space Launch out of Indiana, is set to liftoff aboard We opened a new 4,200 square foot, state-of-the-art, technology Firefly’s inaugural Alpha rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base. and testing facility at the Hula campus, our headquarters in Burlington, Vermont, and we’re looking to upgrade facilities in California, as well This is a big milestone for Benchmark as it marks flight heritage on a This allows us to house new equipment and team members in state-of- truly unique product and sets the stage for other key launches and the-art facilities to help meet the production requirements and lead innovations to come later in the year. These landmark events aim to times the market demands. Our goal is to reach production lead times debut four unique products on-orbit as we celebrate four years since as low as 4 months, and production rates of over 100 units per year. the firm’s founding in June of 2017. By bringing the latest propulsion technologies to fruition, a full range We plan to continue executing our business exactly as we did in of in-house capabilities and all-star team under one roof, we are ensuring 2020 and we’re set to launch our Starling and Halcyon thrusters in the that our commercial and government customers have exactly what they first part of the year, with Halcyon Avant, and Starling R variants set for need for their missions to succeed in space. Look for our upcoming orbit in the second half of 2021. announcements around strategic partnerships and growth strategies to keep pace with the market’s transition into operational phase as demonstration periods close and additional launch capacity comes online.

Benchmark’s new headquarters office under construction. Image is courtesy of the company.

SatMagazine Page 46 January 2021 Benchmark is financially solid after a successful funding round despite the global pandemic. The company is planning to complement our booked and projected revenue with additional fundraising this year. Opportunistic investors see our momentum, roadmap and how it folds into the greater goals and aspirations of today’s satellite missions through to future on-orbit logistics including OSAM (on-orbit servicing, assembly and manufacturing). Compared to other valuations in the mobility segment, our team, technology, and traction will make Benchmark very attractive at our anticipated valuation. We look forward to building and expanding relationships across our global government and commercial customer base, with the addition of our first two European team members. These are unprecedented times across the space industry and Benchmark is very well positioned to become the one-stop, in-space mobility partner of choice and a real enabler in key initiatives, ranging from orbital space debris mitigation and rideshare mobility to servicing and refueling capabilities for commercial and military operations. Benchmark Space Systems will be making a series of announcements throughout the year — with some very exciting initiatives taking place beginning this month. This will be an action- packed 2021 at Benchmark.

www.benchmarkspacesystems.com

Benchmark Space Systems Integrated Spacecraft propulsion systems shown

to the right...

Benchmark Space offers scalable thruster designs with additively

manufactured core components that can be easily configured for individual

spacecraft to large constellations. We attribute the growing demand for our

products to our On-Demand Pressurization System (ODPS™), “green”

propellants, and the ability to deliver integration-ready systems in a best-in-

class lead time.

SatMagazine Page 47 January 2021 Overview: Satellite Data Services By Allied Market Research

The aerospace industry, for the most part, encompasses the such as logistics, travel and tourism, civil construction, electronics and manufacturing of a wide range of spacecraft and aircraft products computing, capital goods manufactures, and others. such as launch vehicles, spacecraft, satellites, and numerous space As an integral part of the digitalization of the world’s economy, related items as well as military and passenger airplanes, gliders satellite data and signals play an important role in the smooth and helicopters. functioning of society and economic development. Investments in space programs helps to drive scientific exploration, technology The aerospace industry is among the world’s largest manufacturing development, knowledge, and the advancement of commercial digital industries in terms of the value of output and the number of people services and products. employed and is one of the defining industries of the 20th century. In addition, economically speaking, the aerospace industry has consumed What is a Satellite Data Service? the major share of R&D funds across various fields, which subsidized Satellite imagery or satellite data can be defined as a SATCOM innovations in vast arrays of component technologies, the rapid segment that provides data or imagery and includes information or data construction of large manufacturing complexes, encouraged about Earth that is captured and generated by satellites that are man- technology sensitive managerial techniques, and others. made and are travelling on-orbit around Earth. Moreover, the aerospace industry includes various subsectors, such The data or imagery generated by these satellites is commonly used as unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), airport infrastructure and aviation for observing Earth’s conditions that includes physical, biological as well security, alternative aviation fuel, and others, which contribute as chemical and natural characteristics of the planet. significantly to the growth of the aerospace industry. Further, aerospace industry technologies also permeate many other additional industries

SatMagazine Page 48 January 2021 The products and techniques that are included in the satellite data There is growing concern about the long term effect of the COVID-19 services are urban development and monitoring, environmental crisis on consumer demand and government budgets, as many industry monitoring, lithological classification and mineral mapping, coastal actors are anticipating, or have already have, experienced significant seafloor mapping, extraction of culture data, among others. funding cuts in their current and upcoming programs. Moreover, Satellite data is generated by using remote sensing technologies, considering the higher costs these days to enter the industry, there is a one of which is Synthetic-Aperture Radar (SAR) technology, that significant risk that this pandemic could result in more industry provides timely and authentic data stream opportunities for a number concentration, resulting in the elimination of younger and smaller firms of land and sea applications. Additionally, one of the key values that that are acting as the key source of employment, innovation, and satellite data provides is the availability of reliable information about economic growth. the Earth’s weather, surface and other conditions. Moreover, cumulative collection of data assists the consumers of The Future of the Satellite Data Service Industry such information in understanding the development of Earth’s natural With the now being realized breakthrough in CoV vaccinations, and and man-made resources in the long term and provides timely data to when the pandemic situation is under control, the satellite data act promptly on detected concerns. The application of data collected market is anticipated to exhibit a remarkable growth rate during the by the satellites are limitless, providing numerous insights for local, as forecast period. well as global, use. For instance, on October 27, 2020, Google and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) linked up in order A Single Case In Point: CoV to cooperatively steer Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning As all well know, the outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, continues (ML) driven pilot projects that will develop the advancement of the to be a public health emergency of international concern. Traditional, agency’s weather prediction, environmental monitoring and climate public health intervention measures are less than effective because, as research capabilities. of this writing, there is no widely available antiviral drug or vaccine. Additionally, this collaboration between Google and NOAA will In December of 2019, a group of pneumonia cases with unknown study and develop AI systems that could be infused throughout the etiology was uncovered in Wuhan city, China. Molecular analysis and broader enterprise capabilities of NOAA as well as other agencies and isolation of the virus from human patients revealed that this companies. Such resources will be beneficial for firms and organizations pathogen was a new coronavirus (CoV), which was first named 2019- focused on water, the Earth’s climate and other natural resources, nCoV, and was later named as COVID-19 by the World Health providing raw data for weather forecasts as well as increasing the Organization (WHO). reliability of hurricane and other natural disaster predictions. This virus is now the seventh member of coronavirus that is known Startups operating in the market are raising remarkable investment to infect humans. On January 30, 2020, with an exponential increase in interest for the development of technologies that are essential for the the number of confirmed cases, WHO declared this outbreak as a public collection of satellite data and satellite imagery. One example from early health emergency of international concern (PHEIC). last year would be a Canadian startup named SkyWatch — the firm CoVs are a class of a genetic, diverse virus that is found in a wide raised around $7.5 million to continue the development of software that range of host species that include mammals and birds. In addition, CoV makes satellite imagery more accessible by users. SkyWatch develops first came into spotlight in 2002-2003 when some clusters of ‘atypical software that is optimized for remote sensing satellite ground systems pneumonia’ were found in the Guangdong Province of China and that and incorporates a distribution platform for satellite imagery. subsequently spread to Hong Kong. Later, this novel CoV virus (SARS-CoV) and the disease were Additional Detail renamed as severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). Due to According to a recent report published by Allied Market Research international travel, the virus spread from Hong Kong to the countries entitled Satellite Data Services Market, detailed analysis of the of the world. pandemic on this market is offered. This information includes the Many firms operating in the space sector have managed to cope current impact on the revenue, sales and new measures taken by the with the COVID-19 crisis; however, significant numbers are struggling, players in this market segment, among others. A full report summary is particularly the small and medium-sized companies that operate within available at this direct link... the major share of the aerospace industry.

SatMagazine Page 49 January 2021