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2 NewSpace International - September/October 2018 www.newspaceinternational.com #EDITOR #ASTEROID #DIDYMOS #DIDYMOON #DEFENCE

Dr Amy Saunders

Editor

As we move into an increasingly space-orientated era, complex topics of sovereignty, space laws, interference, debris, and interplanetary defence arise. It’s all well and good for us to be utilising space to provide communications capabilities and learn more about the , the solar system and beyond, but it’s important that we do so with a mind to ethics and protecting our world. Protecting the Earth from space-based threats has historically been something more likely to crop up in science fiction movies – particularly when it comes to the threat of asteroids – but that’s just what OHB System AG is working on right now. In August, OHB System was selected by the (ESA) as prime contractor for a study on the asteroid mission HERA. The HERA study will see a probe fly to the twin asteroid ‘Didymos,’ where it will analyze its surface and sub-surface physical properties and investigate its dynamics in the aftermath of a hypervelocity impact. Didymos, the target of the mission, has a main body 780m in diameter; it is orbited by ‘Diddymoon,’ measuring 160m. The HERA mission, planned for launch in 2023, is the European contribution to a joint but staggered planetary defence mission with NASA. HERA will investigate the impact crater on the smaller of the two asteroids Didymoon, which NASA’s DART spacecraft will have left behind with a previous mission to be launched in 2021. According to the scientists, the impact will slow Didymoon down by about half a millimetre per second. HERA will provide detailed information on Didymoon’s orbit changes and relate them to the asteroid composition, as well as surface and interior structure. With this experiment, a viable method to deflect asteroids from their collision course with Earth will be fully validated and the results of this international collaboration could be extrapolated from Didymos to other asteroids. Should an asteroid the size of Didymos fly towards the Earth, a hit would have severe consequences on a regional scale and unprecedented socioeconomic impact on a global scale. In order to modify their orbit with a ‘pusher’ in an effective way, however, science must first learn more about these celestial bodies. “It is crucial to know what effects an impact exactly has on the orbit of an asteroid. We still know very little about these bodies,” said Marc Scheper, Head of OHB’s Space Transport, Robotic Missions and Exploration departments. “Only if we know exactly how an asteroid is composed will we be able to validate effective defensive

measures if such an object should one day actually collide with Earth.” Protecting the Earth from asteroids

ESA’s AIM spacecraft watches DART impact Didymoon Image: ESA/Science Office

www.newspaceinternational.com NewSpace International - September/October 2018 3 CONTENTS Letter from the Editor 3 OHB System AG plans for future asteroid threats to Earth NewsBlast 6 All the latest news from around the world Is there life on ? 12 A round-up of current and planned Mars projects

Front cover: Photo courtesy of NASA/JPL-Caltech 12 Editor Amy Saunders [email protected]

Sales Director Chris Ayres [email protected]

Sales Director Sam Baird NASA Rover [email protected] Image: NASA

Publisher Richard Hooper [email protected] Big plans for launch 22 Simon Gwozdz from Equatorial Space Industries opines on the future Managing Director David Shortland Space mining: Fact or fiction? 24 [email protected] The ins and outs, and rights and wrongs, of deep space mining

No part of this publication may Targeting Southeast Asia and beyond 28 be transmitted, reproduced or James Yenbamroong outlines mu Space Corp’s plans for Southeast Asia electronically stored without the written permission from the Critical connectivity solutions 30 publisher. David Helfgott discusses Phasor’s plans for its ESA technology DS Air Publications does not give any warranty as to the context of Communications at extreme latitudes 34 the material appearing in the Kepler Communications on providing connectivity at the poles magazine, its accuracy, timeliness or fitness for any Advertisers’ Index / Next issue 38 particular purpose. DS Air Publications disclaims all personal responsibility for any damages or losses in the use and dissemination of the information. 24 All editorial contents Copyright © 2018 DS Air Publications All Rights Reserved ISSN: 2516-4848

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4 NewSpace International - September/October 2018 www.newspaceinternational.com www.newspaceinternational.com NewSpace International - September/October 2018 5 #NEWSBLAST #NEWSPACE #3D-PRINTING SSL expands work for NASA’s Psyche SSL has been selected by Zin the brain of the spacecraft, providing a high power solar electric Technologies to build and test its functioning as the coordinating propulsion spacecraft chassis based Psyche Compute Element. This center for command and data on the SSL 1300 satellite platform. critical flight system component was handling activity. Using SSL’s standard commercial designed by NASA's Jet Propulsion SSL is working with Arizona State spacecraft design helps NASA Laboratory for Psyche, a NASA University’s School of Earth and reduce costs and ensure reliability for Discovery Mission, which will Space Exploration and NASA’s Jet this mission to the asteroid belt, which investigate a metal asteroid that is Propulsion Laboratory in the first lies between Mars and Jupiter. expected to offer insight into how our mission to explore what is believed Scheduled to launch in 2022, the planet formed. to be an asteroid made of metal Psyche mission was selected over As the main on-board computer, rather than rock or ice. In addition to four other NASA Discovery Mission the Psyche Compute Element acts as the Psyche Compute Element, SSL is candidates.

New record for 3D printed space parts Lockheed Martin has embraced a 3D qualification effort as an investment The tank domes are a leap in size printed titanium dome for satellite in helping our customers move faster for qualified 3D printed materials. The fuel tanks so big you can't even put and save costs," explained Ambrose. largest part previously qualified was your arms around it. The 46 inch "These tanks are part of a total a toaster-size electronics enclosure (1.16m) diameter vessel completed transformation in the way we design for the Advanced Extremely High final rounds of quality testing this and deliver space technology. We're Frequency satellite program. month, ending a multi-year making great strides in automation, Lockheed Martin's recent accomp- development program to create virtual reality design and common- lishment continues a path of 3D giant, high-pressure tanks that carry ality across our satellite product line. printed parts that bloomed in recent fuel on board satellites. Our customers want greater speed years. Since the company launched The titanium tank consists of three and value without sacrificing the first ever printed parts into deep parts welded together: Two 3D capability in orbit, and we're space aboard NASA's Juno printed domes that serve as caps, answering the call." spacecraft, it has produced thous- plus a variable-length, traditionally- Even the smallest leak or flaw ands of flight components and even manufactured titanium cylinder that could be catastrophic for a satellite's more for tooling and prototyping forms the body. operations, so Lockheed Martin using a variety of metals and "Our largest 3D printed parts to engineers went to great lengths to composites. date show we're committed to a ensure the printed tanks meet or Technicians used Electron Beam future where we produce satellites exceed the performance and Additive Manufacturing to produce twice as fast and at half the cost," said reliability required by NASA. Engin- these domes in the largest 3D printer Rick Ambrose, Lockheed Martin eers and technicians rigorously at the facility in Denver. Lockheed Space Executive Vice President. "And evaluated the structure, conducting Martin now offers the tank as a we're pushing forward for even better a full suite of tests to demonstrate standard product option for LM 2100 results. For example, we shaved off high tolerances and repeatability. satellite buses. 87 percent of the schedule to build the domes, reducing the total delivery timeline from two years to three months." Satellite fuel tanks must be both strong and lightweight to withstand the rigors of launch and decade-long missions in the vacuum of space. That makes titanium an ideal material, but procuring 4 foot diameter, 4 inch thick titanium forgings can take a year or more, making them the most challenging and expensive parts of the tank. Traditional manufacturing techniques also meant that more than 80 percent of the material went to waste. Now, 3D printing eliminates all that lost material for the domes, and the titanium used for printing is Completed satellite fuel tank readily available with no wait time. "We self-funded this design and Photo: Lockheed Martin

6 NewSpace International - September/October 2018 www.newspaceinternational.com #NEWSBLAST #NEWSPACE #IN-ORBITSERVICING Goonhilly unveils new commercial roadmap Goonhilly Earth Station has launched processor that provides the ultra- ultrafast fibre broadband to deliver its roadmap which will place it at the low-noise performance required for unprecedented reach around the vanguard of the NewSpace both primary tasks. world. Sitting at a confluence of the economy. This roadmap underpins Through the collaboration with planet’s main Internet backbone and the firm’s ambition to become a ESA, Goonhilly will be involved in the with the launch of its tier 3/4 world-leading space connectivity return-to-the-moon missions, includ- datacentre later in 2018, customers nexus and centre of innovation. ing the communications with can benefit from access to this Following a £24 million funding spacecraft on the first Space Launch secure, highly connected and injection by UK billionaire Peter System (SLS) launch. Goonhilly has resilient network. Hargreaves in May 2018, Goonhilly’s also partnered with Surrey Satellite roadmap includes: Technology Ltd (SSTL) and ESA on a Building on its engineering flair pioneering private commercial space Goonhilly’s existing systems • Installing new deep space exploration project, Lunar Pathfinder, engineering team will expand from its antennas for the launch of the which will take a number of small current consultancy role into a full- first private deep space experimental CubeSats on a scale engineering design and communication network. It will piggyback ride to the Moon to development business covering support commercial lunar and provide communications and software-defined-radio, digital signal Mars missions from 2020. navigation services. Lunar Pathfinder processing, antenna design and • Investing in infrastructure and will also provide communication and phased array solutions. facilities in the US and navigation services to other lunar Goonhilly is investing in a new Australia to support deep exploration missions. electronics and software test and space projects, LEO Prior to the Lunar Pathfinder, design lab to support these activities constellations and Goonhilly and SSTL will collaborate and to enable the development of international terrestrial with Astrobotic for early flight products in diverse fields including projects. operations experience, and will communications and Internet of • Construction of a state-of-the- provide the Astrobotic mission with Things, maritime services, public art, green data centre with communications and command services such as healthcare and unparalleled connectivity. capabilities. defence, autonomous vehicles, • The opening of an R&D and As deep space communications agriculture, mining and cargo manufacturing facility to from a single location only provides management. support customers, to design a partial solution, Goonhilly has and develop a range of funded plans to create a complete A nascent space communications satellite communications deep space network by adding cluster in the far Southwest products and to further grow ground stations in Australia and the In 2018, Goonhilly will open its R&D well-established partnerships USA. Using a combination of dish and and manufacturing facility to benefit with university researchers. phased array techniques, Goonhilly customers and encourage academic • Investing in talent across will deploy antennas with the research. Goonhilly already plays a business development, flexibility to meet current and future pivotal role in UK science and operations and engineering. frequency planning and mission innovation: It works in close needs. association with top international Private deep space communications universities. Goonhilly and its Goonhilly has a unique solution for A changing near space economy customers benefit as scientific and deep space communications with a Goonhilly is looking to gain significant technology innovations are brought fully-funded plan to create the market share in the GEO broadcasting to life by some of the best research, world’s first private deep space and enterprise satcoms sector, and design and engineering minds in the network in collaboration with the MEO and LEO satellite services. world. European Space Agency (ESA). Although the commercial GEO This approach will see Goonhilly It recently won an £8.4m ESA satellite market faces downward expanding its training and outreach contract, and is using funds provided pressure on capacity costs, while programmes including running by the Cornwall & Isles of Scilly Local high-throughput satellites (HTS) are accredited post-graduate program- Enterprise Partnership (LEP) to adding data volumes and TV habits mes in conjunction with partner upgrade the 32m Goonhilly-6 dish to increasingly favour over the top (OTT) universities. Goonhilly has already provide ESA with communications for services, Goonhilly sees potential for made a name for itself running a future lunar missions. disruption. It plans to adopt an agile popular annual Space Mission The team is also working in close approach to developing and deliver- Operations training course. collaboration with researchers at ing solutions that challenge Goonhilly is an Enterprise Zone, Oxford University to create a traditional models, and open up new offering incentives for companies combined radio telescope and deep value-added services. wishing to locate offices and facilities space antenna using the second on site. It also hosts the Southwest largest of the Goonhilly dishes, A data centre with real connectivity Regional Centre of Excellence in Goonhilly-3. University researchers Goonhilly is in the unique position of Satellite Applications and is a UK have designed a breakthrough linking space communications with Space Agency-sponsored incubation cryogenic receiver and back-end bundles of subsea cables and centre for micro businesses.

www.newspaceinternational.com NewSpace International - September/October 2018 7 #NEWSBLAST #NEWSPACE #LAUNCH Space particles Earth-i consortium harnessed to detect secures grant Earth-i has announced that a consortium it is leading has received a grant from the Centre for Earth radioactive materials Observation Instrumentation (CEOI), funded by the UK Scientists have successfully developed a technology that Space Agency. can harness muons – essentially heavy electrons derived Earth-i’s partners in the consortium are: from space particles – to detect and safely manage radioactive waste. The £7m project, led by scientists from • Cortexica Vision Systems, a leading provider of National Nuclear Laboratory (NNL), the University of cloud-based image and video recognition Glasgow and spin-off company Lynkeos Technology Ltd., systems. could have major implications for nuclear • University College London (UCL), through the decommissioning, the storing of historic waste and the UCL Mullard Space Science Laboratory (UCL testing of new waste management techniques. MSSL), with its extensive experience in space The technology has created a method for detecting research missions. when muons – particles produced when cosmic rays • Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd. (SSTL), a world collide with the earth’s atmosphere – pass through leader in the design, manufacture and launch uranium. of small satellites and unique in that it designs “About 10,000 muons are hitting every square metre and manufactures a significant proportion of its of the earth’s surface every minute. Dozens hit you every satellite payloads, subsystems and equipment second and when they do, they pass straight through you in-house. – with almost no distinguishable deviation. This is not true when they hit uranium however. Instead, they scatter,” The consortium will develop several new Earth said Dr Craig Shearer, Project Leader at NNL. “When we Observation technologies that will enable processes, first looked at this in 2009, we thought we had a 50/50 such as the enhancement of image resolution, cloud- chance of turning this idea into a product that could be detection, change detection and video compression, commercialised for the nuclear industry. But the results to take place on board a small satellite rather than on surpassed expectations at every stage.” the ground. This will accelerate the delivery of high- NNL is currently deploying the technology at Sellafield quality images, video and information-rich analytics. and the detector has now been commercialised by On-board cloud detection will make the tasking of Lynkeos Technology, ready to be sold on the global satellites more efficient and increase the probability market. “The Muon Imaging System (MIS) can be used of capturing a usable and useful image or video. To for a variety of purposes, whether that’s inspecting old/ achieve these goals, Project OVERPaSS will implement, spent material used in nuclear production to see if it’s test and demonstrate very high-resolution optical safe to store, for imaging the products of thermal image analysis techniques, involving both new treatment processes or inspecting historic waste without software and dedicated hardware installed onboard needing to chip away its concrete encasing,” said Prof. small satellites to radically increase their ability to Ralf Kaiser, CEO of Lynkeos.” process data in space. The project will also determine the extent to which these capabilities could be routinely deployed on-board British optical imaging satellites in the future. Earth-i’s Vivid-i constellation offers a potential first application for the OVERPaSS technology, enabling a Advanced designs for wide range of clients to benefit from the higher quality imagery, video and analytics, and faster processing and delivery times, that OVERPaSS could enable. Telesat constellation Chief Technology Officer for Earth-i, John Linwood, Telesat has entered into an agreement with Airbus said: “This is another example of how the UK Space Defence and Space (Airbus) to further develop the system industry continues to invest collectively in new design for Telesat’s LEO constellation. This follows closely technologies and innovation. Our goal with OVERPaSS the news that Telesat has signed Thales Alenia Space is to develop further world-beating capabilities to and Maxar to undertake a similar scope of work on ensure that British satellites remain at the forefront of Telesat’s LEO constellation program. the global space industry for the benefit of customers Telesat now has two separate teams, comprised of worldwide.” industry leading satellite manufacturing companies, who Eduard Vazquez, Director of Research for Cortexica, will work in close cooperation with Telesat over the said: “This project is about opening up space by coming months in a series of engineering activities and delivering industry-ready technology into the hands technical reviews. These efforts will culminate in each of companies and governments. On-board video team submitting a firm proposal for final design and processing marks a major step change, as it will allow manufacture of Telesat’s LEO satellites and ground more sophisticated data and analytics to be system infrastructure. Telesat anticipates deciding by transmitted efficiently, bringing a new range of video mid-2019 on a prime contractor. applications for businesses globally.”

8 NewSpace International - September/October 2018 www.newspaceinternational.com #NEWSBLAST #NEWSPACE #POLLUTION IN BRIEF... Hispasat has opted to invest in LeoSat Enterprises, which is launching a constellation of low Earth orbit (LEO) communications satellites to provide the fastest, most secure and widest coverage data network in the world. Hispasat will work with LeoSat and SKY Perfect JSAT to accelerate a number of key activities, including vendor selections for customer premise equipment and ground operations, as well as further optimization of the satellite platform.

The European Space Agency (ESA), in September, announced a call for ideas that would shape mu Space CEO and Founder James Yenbamroong (left) in front the future of space transportation services of the Crew Capsule which carried the mu Space payload to space, in space and returning from Photo: Blue Origin space. Proposals were welcomed from space and non-space-based companies, start-ups, universities and institutions, oriented towards private customer services and commercially viable mu Space launches first ventures that would complement existing ESA space transportation programmes and activities. The closing date for satellite with Blue Origin submissions was 14 September. Blue Origin has successfully launched the New Shepard launch vehicle with its first payload from Asia on board. The 6kg payload, sent by mu Capricorn Space has secured Space Corp, contains experiments from several universities and space licences from the Australian agencies in Thailand, including: Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) to establish ground • Bleeding Preventive Device. Queen Sirikit National Institute of infrastructure in Australia to support a Child Health has sent a device they developed to prevent range of satellite missions. The initial profuse bleeding. The institute aims to test the quality of the licences have been secured in UHF, S and device after microgravity exposure. X-bands. Capricorn Space will now finalise • Carbon Nanotube. Chulalongkorn University intends to study site and infrastructure selection in the how space affects the structural and electronic properties of Southeast of Australia and the West coast carbon nanotube, a material that is considered to be 100 times with plans to begin commercial service in stronger than steel. early 2019. • Vacuum-Sealed Food in Microgravity. This experiment aims to establish how microgravity affects the texture, taste and smell Four more Galileo satellites were of food. Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development launched late in July by an Ariane Agency (GISTDA), a space agency in Thailand, will use the 5 vehicle, bringing the total experiment findings to develop techniques of preparing food number of Galileo satellites in orbit to 26. to be consumed in space. Shetland Space Centre and The payload also includes a number of items from King Mongkut’s B2Space plan to collaborate on a Institute of Technology Ladkrabang and National Astronomical study into the feasibility of using Research Institute of Thailand (NARIT). mu Space, meanwhile, has sent in the Shetland Islands as a launch textile materials that they plan to use on the space suit and apparels site for B2Space’s innovative new system, they will soon develop. The company also sent a jersey of the national which is known as a rockoon. The small football team to symbolize the affinity of Thais with World Cup and the satellite launcher is centred on a successful rescue of the 13-member football team trapped in a cave stratospheric balloon. B2Space is working in Thailand. with the Llanbedr in Wales to “We’re happy to launch our first payload on New Shepard,” said mu develop a prototype of its system, which Space CEO and Founder James Yenbamroong. carries a small rocket into high altitude The payload flew on-board Blue Origin’s New Shepard space vehicle. that then launches to deliver the satellites The New Shepard vertical take-off and vertical landing vehicle is into their required orbits. The system will capable of carrying hundreds of pounds of payloads per flight and will be tested and operated between ultimately carry six astronauts to altitudes beyond 100km, the Llanbedr and Shetland to meet the internationally-recognized boundary of space. required launch rates.

www.newspaceinternational.com NewSpace International - September/October 2018 9 #NEWSBLAST #NEWSPACE #DEBRIS Orbex wins £30 million funding for launches Orbex has secured £30 million in public and private system called Magic, which leaves zero orbital debris. funding for the development of orbital space launch It also features a novel reusability concept, with an systems. Orbex will launch orbital vehicles from the innovative new low mass recovery and reflight system. newly-announced UK Vertical Launch spaceport in Orbex has already secured commercial Sutherland in the Scottish Highlands as part of the main engagements with major aerospace organisations, and consortium. the ESA has contracted Orbex to study the development The company has received funding from the UK of a European micro launcher solution. Space Agency, two of Europe's largest venture capital In other news, Elecnor Deimos has acquired a stake funds, Sunstone Technology Ventures and the High- in Orbex. Both companies have signed a strategic Tech Gründerfonds, as well as private investors, the agreement in which Orbex will become the preferred European Space Agency (ESA) and the European supplier of all launch services required to place Elecnor Commission Horizon 2020 programme. Deimos satellites into orbit. Orbex is constructing a completely re-thought and Elecnor Deimos will likewise become the preferred re-designed orbital launch vehicle, called Prime, to supplier of various critical launch systems required to deliver small satellites into Earth’s orbit. The Prime develop and operate the Orbex launcher system, launcher has a novel architecture that eliminates the including the Guidance, Navigation and Control (GNC) fundamental mass challenge of small launchers. Prime system. launchers are up to 30 percent lighter and 20 percent Elecnor Deimos will contribute with its expertise to more efficient than any other vehicle in the small the development of the Orbex launcher in areas launcher category, packing more power per cubic litre including: than many heavy launchers. The Prime vehicle will launch satellites to altitudes • Guidance, Navigation and Control (GNC) up to 1,250km, inserting them into sun-synchronous or including algorithms, software, test benches and polar orbits. validation and verification processes. Minimising the environmental impact of launches was • Mission Analysis, Mission Engineering and a key consideration in the rocket’s design. Prime is a System Engineering, including flight dynamics, low-mass and low-carbon launcher, using a single safety range and launcher performance. renewable fuel, bio-propane, that cuts carbon emissions • Ground Segment Systems, including Command by 90 percent compared to old-fashioned hydrocarbon and Control Center, Ground Support Equipment, fuels. The rocket uses a novel zero-shock staging ranging systems and ground stations.

Teledyne e2v’s Quantum Group is putting Quantum Gravity Sensing in satellites Under the Cold Atom Space Payload (CASPA) project, could provide the ability to finely monitor the movement Teledyne e2v is leading the development of a small of mass within Earth systems bringing benefits to satellite (30x20x10cm) which aims to demonstrate cold multiple applications, including polar ice mass atom technology in space. In addition to leading the monitoring, ocean currents and sea level monitoring programme, Teledyne e2v is developing a - along with water table monitoring for flood and drought ready variant of a cold atom chamber subsystem that prediction. will begin space qualification as part of the satellite, later With a key focus on commercialisation, Teledyne e2v this year. has invested in a dedicated production facility at its New developments in quantum technology have Chelmsford site, the company has since taken a leading resulted in the ability to cool atoms close to absolute role in the £270 million National Quantum Technology zero using lasers. At these temperatures, laboratory Programme invested by the UK Government over five experiments have shown that these cold atoms can be years. Current development streams at Chelmsford used as ultra-sensitive sensors for measuring gravity. include gravity sensing, precision timing, and space This technology has applications both on the ground hardware development for Earth observation with and in space. potential applications in detecting and monitoring There is currently a technology readiness barrier underground resources from Earth or space, as well as preventing this technology from being adopted in space, navigation, synchronisation of distributed resources and which has been identified by the European Space networks, and Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS Agency (ESA) who have this technology on its resilience). development roadmap. Teledyne e2v is addressing the As well as developing ground based gravity sensors technology readiness level barrier through the CASPA and precision timing instruments, the Quantum group programme, which will be the first demonstration of cold in Teledyne e2v has also received orders for cold atom atoms on a free-flying satellite. chamber subsystems that will be used for laboratory The extreme sensitivity brought by cold atom sensors based quantum experiments.

10 NewSpace International - September/October 2018 www.newspaceinternational.com #NEWSBLAST #NEWSPACE #EARTHOBSERVATION Blue Origin announces successful Mission 9 Blue Origin’s New Shepard launch models and contribute to flight of the JANUS 2.1 vehicle flew for the ninth time on 18 understanding the dynamics platform with sensors to July. During Mission 9, the escape of related systems like monitor magnetic fields and motor was fired shortly after booster avalanches and cosmic dust ambient pressure inside the separation. The Crew Capsule was clouds. vehicle. Previous versions of pushed hard by the escape test and JANUS were flown on New the rocket was to test whether Suborbital Flight Shepard Missions 6 and 7. astronauts can get away from an Experiment Monitor-2 (SFEM-2) anomaly at any time during flight. The • NASA Johnson Space Center Vibration Isolation Platform Data mission was a success for both the • SFEM-2 was first flown on Logger booster and capsule. Mission 8 of New Shepard, and • Controlled Dynamics, funded As well as testing the rocket and will collect additional data on through NASA’s Flight capsule, the New Shepard launch Mission 9. The experiment will Opportunities Program vehicle successfully launched the record vehicle conditions • VIP DL is a technology demo following payloads for its clients: including cabin pressure, for an active stabilization temperature, CO2, acoustic platform that aims to allow the Schmitt Space Communicator conditions, and acceleration. most sensitive payloads flying Xperimental (SC1-x) on New Shepard to be isolated • Solstar, developed with Condensed Droplet Experiment for from ambient vibrations, private funding and support NASA in Sub-Orbital Spaceflight allowing for even higher from NASA’s Flight (ConDENSS) precision microgravity studies. Opportunities Program • Purdue University, funded • On New Shepard Mission 8, through NASA’s Flight mu Space-1 Solstar demonstrated the first Opportunities Program • mu Space Corporation commercial WiFi in space. On • ConDENSS will examine the • The first of Blue Origin’s New this reflight, they will take behavior of small droplets of Glenn customers to purchase advantage of the Crew water to support the a slot on New Shepard, mu Capsule’s high altitude escape development of small and Space’s payload includes an and continue testing WiFi efficient heat transfer systems assortment of scientific and access throughout the flight. for spaceflight. These medical items, several textile systems, called phase change materials they plan to use on GAGa (Granular Anisotropic Gases) heat transfer systems, provide their future space suit and • Otto-von-Guericke University more uniform surface apparel, and other special with OLYMPIASPACE and temperatures and higher articles for their community funding from the German power capacities. partners. space agency, DLR • The GAGa payload APL Electromagnetic Blue Origin “Fly My Stuff” investigates the statistics of Field Experiment • A special addition to the granular gases, dilute • Johns Hopkins University Mission 9 payload manifest is collections of solid grains that Applied Physics Laboratory, a suite of payloads from Blue interact by random collisions. funded through NASA Flight Origin employees as a part of Data from GAGa will help Opportunities Program our internal ‘Fly My Stuff’ validate existing theoretical • This experiment marks the first program.

New Shepard on the launch pad Photo: Blue Origin

www.newspaceinternational.com NewSpace International - September/October 2018 11 Mars has long held captive the imaginations of people across the globe. Occasionally visible with the naked eye, the distant Red Planet has always appeared at the very edge of what might one day be possible. As Mars exploration projects ramp up, the planet seems to edge closer within our grasp, and we can’t get enough of it.

The Red Planet has been the focus of human imagination for centuries. The fourth planet away from the Sun, and the second smallest planet in our solar system, Mars’ surface conditions and the presence of water arguably make it the most hospitable planet Is nearby after Earth. Long-held concerns about the future habitability of Earth have increased focus on off-world settlements in recent years, with both the Moon and Mars being primary targets. Private and publication organisations alike have been investing heavily in studies and developing there technologies for potential future colonization efforts, including NASA, , the Chinese National Space Administration, the European Space Agency (ESA), Lockheed Martin, SpaceX, Mars One and Boeing. It’s not just Mars’ proximity that makes it a potential candidate for humanity’s first off-world base. Indeed, life Mars and Earth have certain similarities that render the Red Planet a curious prospect for settlement:

• The Martian day is 24 hours, 39 minutes and 35.244 seconds. In contrast, the Moon day is almost 30 Earth days long. on • With an axial tilt of 25.19°, similar to Earth’s 23.44°, Mars has seasons much like Earth, although each is about twice as long, as the Martian year is around 1.88 Earth years. • Recent discoveries have confirmed the presence of water in ice form on Mars.

The differences between Mars and Earth, however, are numerous. Each would need compensating for in Mars? order to establish a successful human settlement. • Mars’ gravity measures 38 percent of Earth’s; while microgravity has been found to cause adverse health effects including muscle loss and bone mineralization, it is not yet known whether Mars’ gravity will have the same effects. Further studies are required. • The Martian atmosphere is 95 percent carbon dioxide, 3 percent nitrogen, 1.6 percent argon, and traces of other gases, including oxygen, totalling less than 0.4 percent. Earth’s atmosphere, in contrast, is 78 percent nitrogen, 21 percent oxygen, and 1 percent other gases. • The lack of magnetosphere in the Martian atmosphere means that solar particle events and cosmic rays easily reach the surface, while the thin atmosphere does not keep out UV rays. • Martian atmospheric pressure is below the Armstrong limit where humans can survive without pressure suits. • Average surface temperatures of -87 to -5°C are Mars from horizon to horizon much lower than are found on Earth. Indeed, Mars Image: ESA/DLR/FU Berlin has an eccentric orbit; thus, temperature and

12 NewSpace International - September/October 2018 www.newspaceinternational.com #MARS #SETTLEMENT #ESA #MARSEXPRESS

solar constant variations are much higher than (MARSIS) to confirm the presence of liquid water on Earth. Mars. • Mars is 52 percent farther away from the Sun than The ground-penetrating radar investigation has Earth, and the amount of solar energy reaching shown that the south polar region of Mars is made of the Martian surface is just 43.3 percent of what many layers of ice and dust down to a depth of about reaches Earth. 1.5km in the 200km-wide area analysed in the study. A particularly bright radar reflection underneath the Scientists and engineers across the globe would have layered deposits is identified within a 20km-wide zone. us believe that these differences are just challenges to Analysing the properties of the reflected radar signals be overcome with technology; habitats can, in theory, and considering the composition of the layered deposits be created to support human life even on Mars, while and expected temperature profile below the surface, advanced communications solutions can help solve the the scientists interpret the bright feature as an interface psychological challenges of living so far from Earth. between the ice and a stable body of liquid water, which Companies and organisations the world over are duly could be laden with salty, saturated sediments. For getting in on the action – the race to Mars is on! MARSIS to be able to detect such a patch of water, it would need to be at least several tens of centimetres Mars Express celebrates 15 years of exploration thick. The ESA’s Mars Express programme is celebrating its “This subsurface anomaly on Mars has radar fifteenth year of operations this year. Launched from properties matching water or water-rich sediments,” said Kazakhstan in 2003, the Mars Express Orbiter has Roberto Orosei, Principal Investigator of the MARSIS produced global maps tracing the planet’s geological experiment. “This is just one small study area; it is an activity, water, volcanism and minerals, studied canyons, exciting prospect to think there could be more of these polar ice caps, impact craters and volcanoes, probed underground pockets of water elsewhere, yet to be the surface with radar, and explored the Martian discovered.” atmosphere. A recent upgrade to Mars Express software “We’d seen hints of interesting subsurface features has extended the lifetime of the mission, possibly for years, but we couldn’t reproduce the result from orbit through to the mid-2020s. to orbit, because the sampling rates and resolution of In July, a new study based on ten years of data from our data was previously too low,” added Andrea the radar instrument on Mars Express indicated that the Cicchetti, MARSIS Operations Manager. “We had to complex Martian atmosphere does in fact behave as a come up with a new operating mode to bypass some single, interconnected system, with processes occurring onboard processing and trigger a higher sampling rate at low and mid-levels significantly affecting those seen and thus improve the resolution of the footprint of our higher up. Mars’ atmosphere continuously leaks into dataset: Now we see things that simply were not space; the planet has lost the majority of its denser and possible before.” wetter atmosphere, causing it to evolve into the dry planet we see today. Understanding the atmosphere is ExoMars breaks ground vital for future missions to Mars, particularly for future The ESA and Russian Space Agency Roscosmos have settlement possibilities. The new findings could also joined forces to expand human understanding of potentially help scientists to understand how Mars’ Mars. ExoMars (Exobiology on Mars) is a two-part atmosphere evolves over time – not only with respect astrobiology project to search for evidence of life on to external disturbances such as space weather and the Mars. The first part is a Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) research activity of the Sun, but also with respect to Mars’ own and communications satellite which was launched to strong internal variability and surface processes. Mars’ orbit in 2016. The TGO has a planned lifetime of “The lower and middle levels of Mars’ atmosphere seven years in orbit, where it will study trace gases, appear to be coupled to the upper levels: There’s a clear primarily methane, in the Martian atmosphere, that could link between them throughout the Martian year,” said be evidence of biological activity. It will also act as the Lead Author Beatriz Sánchez-Cano of the University of communications link between the planned 2020 Leicester. ”We found this link by tracking the amount of ExoMars rover, and Earth. The second part of the project electrons in the upper atmosphere – a property that has is a land rover, will be launched in 2020, and is expected been measured by the MARSIS radar for over a decade to operate through 2022. across different seasons, areas of Mars, times of day, In April, the ExoMars TGO returned its first images of and more – and correlating it with the atmospheric Mars from its orbit above the planet. The TGO’s Colour parameters measured by other instruments on Mars and Stereo Surface Imaging System (CaSSIS) captured Express.” a 40 km-long segment of Korolev Crater located high in Later in the same month, radar data collected by the the northern hemisphere. The orbiter’s camera is one of Mars Express pointed to a pond of liquid water buried four instruments on the TGO, which also hosts two under layers of ice and dust in the south polar region of spectrometer suites and a neutron detector. The Mars. We’ve been aware for some time that liquid water spectrometers began their science mission on 21 April used to be prevalent on Mars’ surface, and that ice can with the TGO making its first tests of the atmosphere, be found on the surface even today. Early results from looking at how molecules in the atmosphere absorb the Mars Express showed that ice exists at the planet’s sunlight: Each has a unique fingerprint that reveals its poles, buried in layers by dust, and the presence of liquid chemical composition. A long period of data collection water at the base of the polar ice caps has long been will be required, as the trace gases comprise less than suspected. Scientists have now developed new one percent of the volume of the planet’s atmosphere. techniques for utilising the Mars Advanced Radar for The camera will eventually help characterise features Subsurface and Ionosphere Sounding instrument on the surface that may be related to trace gas sources.

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“We were really pleased to see how good this picture tests. was given the lighting conditions,” said Antoine Another test model will soon start an eight month- Pommerol, a member of the CaSSIS science team long campaign focusing on the rover’s movements and working on the calibration of the data. “It shows that navigation over a variety of different ground types, CaSSIS can make a major contribution to studies of the ranging from fine-grained soil to larger boulders. carbon dioxide and water cycles on Mars.” In July, meanwhile, the UK Space Agency launched Back on Earth, May saw the ExoMars rover begin a a competition to name the ExoMars rover, as announced rigorous test campaign that will ensure it can survive by Tim Peake at the Farnborough International Airshow. the launch, landing and day-to-day operations on Mars “Mars is a fascinating destination, a place where humans in 2020. The rover will be the first of its kind to drill up to will one day work alongside robots to gather new 2m below the surface, determining whether evidence knowledge and search for life in our Solar System,” said of life is buried underground, protected from the Peake. “The ExoMars rover is a vital part of this journey destructive radiation that impinges the planet’s surface. of exploration and we are asking you to become part of To ensure operability on Mars, the rover’s ‘structural this exciting mission and name the rover that will scout and thermal model’ was transferred from Airbus the Martian surface.”

ExoMars image: Korolev Crater Image: ESA/Roscosmos/CaSSIS

Defence and Space in Stevenage, UK, to the Airbus site Lockheed Martin moves forward with Mars vision in Toulouse, France, where it has been shaken on a Lockheed Martin has historically engaged in a great vibration table to determine whether it can survive the many Mars missions with NASA and other international stress of launch into space. Two months of thermal tests bodies. The company’s vision for future space under Mars atmosphere conditions will fully qualify the exploration is based around its Mars Base Camp rover for being able to withstand the frigid temperatures concept, a crewed Mars laboratory orbiter concept and large daily temperature variations on Mars. The tests commissioned by NASA. The concept features a strong will be conducted in a chamber to simulate the low foundation of today’s technologies, including Orion, the atmospheric pressure of Mars – less than 1 percent of world’s first deep space crew capsule, a super heavy Earth’s average sea level pressure – and its carbon launch system, a crew habitat, and solar electric dioxide-rich atmosphere. The rover will also need to propulsion technology. operate at temperatures down to -120°C. “We developed a concept called Mars Base Camp that shows the systems and architecture for how to get humans to Mars with Orion. It’s very achievable with technology we have now. We see it as a NASA-led It is easy to take things for granted mission with international involvement and most of the systems being built by industry. It’s a three-year mission, when you are living at home... and from orbit, the six person crew can study the planet up close, conduct science with remote rovers or drones Something as simple as calling and even retrieve surface samples to bring home,” Rob Chambers, Director of Human Spaceflight Strategy at your family is completely different Lockheed Martin, told NewSpace International. Back in July 2017, Lockheed Martin announced a when you are outside of low Earth particularly interesting new project that reaped a lot of media attention. The company is refurbishing a shuttle- orbit era cargo container, the Donatello Multi-Purpose Logistics Module (MPLM), used to transfer cargo to the A closed compartment inside the rover, where International Space Station (ISS) into a deep space Martian soil samples will be analysed, will be thermally habitat prototype for NASA at the Kennedy Space controlled to maintain temperatures between 20°C and Center. This prototype will integrate evolving -40°C. Following completion of the test campaign in technologies to keep astronauts safe while onboard and August, the rover will be shipped to Lavochkin, Moscow, operate the spacecraft autonomously when where it will be sealed inside a replica descent module unoccupied. Interestingly, the team will rely heavily on and again subjected to vibration, shock and thermal mixed reality prototyping using virtual and augmented

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reality. Through this approach, the team can reduce cost and schedule, as well as identify and solve issues early in the design phase. Blah “It is easy to take things for granted when you are living at home, but the recently selected astronauts will face unique challenges,” said Bill Pratt, Lockheed Martin NextSTEP Program Manager. “Something as simple as calling your family is completely different when you are outside of low Earth orbit. While building this habitat, we have to operate in a different mindset that’s more akin to long trips to Mars to ensure we keep them safe, healthy and productive.” Under a public-private partnership (PPP), NASA awarded Lockheed Martin a Phase II contract for the Next Space Technologies for Exploration Partnerships (NextSTEP) habitat study contract. As part of Phase II, the team will refine the design concept developed in Phase I and work with NASA to identify key system Mars Express requirements for the Deep Space Gateway, a planned Image: ESA/ATG medialab; Mars: ESA/DLR/FU Berlin lunar-orbit space station, that will have a power and propulsion system, a small habitat for the crew, a docking capability, an airlock, and logistics modules. Included in this work, the team will build a full-scale habitat prototype in the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA’s and a next-generation deep space avionics integration lab near Johnson Space Center. “We are excited to work with NASA to repurpose a historic piece of flight hardware, originally designed for low Earth orbit exploration, to play a role in humanity’s push into deep space,” said Pratt. “Making use of existing capabilities will be a guiding philosophy for Lockheed Martin to minimize development time and meet NASA’s affordability goals.” The work will occur over 18 months and will build upon the concept study performed in Phase I. Phase II will also focus on mixed reality and rapid prototyping and working on concept refinement and risk reduction. The new results, which will be provided to NASA, will further the understanding of the systems, standards and common interfaces needed to make living in deep space ExoMars Rover structural model possible. Image: Airbus Defence and Space Lockheed Martin is making great effort to incorporate its Generation Beyond K-12 science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education initiative into its future deep space exploration projects. In April, Lockheed Martin announced the winners of a nationwide contest asking students to design a Mars-orbiting science lab and living space (or Mars Base Camp Habitation Module) that will dock with NASA’s Orion deep space spacecraft. The contest asked middle school students to submit their best design ideas for a Habitation Module that will provide all of the systems and living spaces that a crew needs for a long mission. The individual winner is from East Prairie Elementary School in Skokie, Illinois and the team winners are from Stoller Middle School in Portland, Oregon. “Lockheed Martin is already developing design concepts for a Mars Habitat, and the 2017 Generation Beyond Video Challenge Contest was a great opportunity to hear innovative new ideas from the next generation of engineers, builders and explorers who will Trace Gas Orbiter at Mars help us get there,” said Tony Antonelli, a former NASA space shuttle pilot who heads advanced civil space Image: ESA/ATG medialab programs for Lockheed Martin. “The goal of Generation

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Beyond is to spark student interest in STEM, and this the crew module for EM-1. Everyone on the team contest is one of many ways we’re using exciting topics, understands how crucial this test campaign is, and more like space travel, to engage students in learning.” importantly, what this spacecraft and mission means to Lockheed Martin reached a major milestone in May, our country and future human space flight.” when its Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigation, The initial power-on event was the first time the Geodesy and Heat Transport (InSight) was launched on vehicle management computers and the power and board a United Launch Alliance Atlas V 401 rocket; it is data units were installed on the crew module, loaded now well on its six-month journey to Mars, due to arrive with flight software and tested. Evaluating these core on 26 November. InSight, managed by NASA’s Jet systems, thought of as the ‘brain and heart’ of the Orion Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), will be the first mission to capsule, is the first step in testing all of the crew module study the planet’s interior by measuring its heat output subsystems. Although astronauts will not fly in this and observing its rotational variations. It will use the capsule on this flight, a large majority of the subsystems seismic waves generated by Mars quakes and meteorite and avionics are the same design that astronauts will impacts to develop a map of the planet’s deep interior. rely on during following missions with Orion into the solar The resulting insight into Mars’ formation will help system. mission scientists to better understand how other rocky With the successful initial power on behind them, planets, including Earth, evolved. engineers and technicians will continue integrating the Lockheed Martin designed, built and tested the 55 components that make up the spacecraft avionics spacecraft and is responsible for flight operations during suite, connecting them with nearly 400 harnesses. Over the cruise phase as well as entry, descent and landing the course of two to three months, as each system is in November later this year. Once the lander is on Mars, installed, they will perform thorough functional tests to the mission operations team, based in Denver, will ensure Orion is ready to move to the all-important support science collection through the life of the mission environmental testing phase. – approximately two Earth years or one Martian year. “The Orion crew module is essentially complete and “Though the six-month journey is called the ‘quiet we’re moving soon into environmental testing,” Rob cruise phase’ there are many things our team must do Chambers, Director of Human Spaceflight Strategy at to make sure we are ready for InSight’s arrival at Mars,” Lockheed Martin, told NewSpace International. “We just said Tim Linn, InSight Deputy Program Manager and installed the large heat shield and soon the service Entry, Descent and Landing Manager. “The spacecraft module will arrive from Europe where it was built by will be travelling at a Mars relative velocity of Airbus. Once at Kennedy, we’ll integrate it with the crew approximately 12,500mph, so we need precise entry module and move into testing. NASA is planning to flight path angle and orientation of the InSight spacecraft launch Orion onboard the large SLS rocket in late 2019/ to be able to execute a successful propulsive landing early 2020 on its Exploration Mission-2 uncrewed test and get the lander to a safe speed of approximately flight that will go out 40,000 miles beyond the Moon on 5mph before landing softly on the Red Planet.” a three-week mission.” Later in August, Lockheed Martin took the next step in the development of the Orion crew module, powering NASA continues on wealth of Mars missions up the spacecraft for the first time at the Kennedy Space NASA has worked tirelessly over the years to provide a Center in Florida. NASA’s Exploration Mission-1 (EM-1) continuous flow of scientific information and discovery will be the first integrated unmanned test of NASA’s through a carefully selected series of robotic orbiters, deep space exploration systems: The Boeing-built landers and mobile laboratories interconnected by a Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, the Orion spacecraft, and the ground systems at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral. Orion will launch on the ‘most powerful rocket in the world’ and fly further than any spacecraft built for humans has ever flown. It will travel 280,000 miles from Earth over the course of the approximately three-week mission and will stay in space longer than any ship for astronauts has without docking to a space station. “Orion was designed from the beginning to take humanity farther into space than we’ve ever gone, and to do this, its systems have to be very robust and reliable,” said Mike Hawes, Vice President and Orion Program Manager at Lockheed Martin. NASA Curiosity Mars Rover “Over the last year, we’ve built Image: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS great momentum in assembling

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high bandwidth Mars-Earth communications network. evidence in the Martian atmosphere that relates to the Current missions with NASA involvement include: search for current life on the planet. The new findings include ‘tough’ organic molecules in 3 billion year old • MAVEN: Launched in 2013, the Mars Atmospheric sedimentary rocks near the surface, as well as seasonal and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) mission is variations in the levels of methane in the atmosphere. obtaining critical measurements of the Martian “Are these signs of life on Mars? We don’t know, but atmosphere to help understand dramatic these results tell us we are on the right track,” climate change on Mars. commented Michael Meyer, Lead Scientist for NASA’s • Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter: NASA’s Mars Mars Exploration Program. Reconnaissance Orbiter, launched in 2005, is on Organic molecules contain carbon and hydrogen, and a planetary exploration mission homing in on also may include oxygen, nitrogen and other elements. details of Martian terrain with the most powerful While commonly associated with life, organic molecules camera ever flown on a planetary exploration also can be created by non-biological processes and mission. are not necessarily indicators of life. • Mars Science Laboratory – Curiosity: Launched “Curiosity has not determined the source of the in 2011, the Curiosity Rover is investigating Mars’ organic molecules,” said Jen Eigenbrode of NASA’s habitability, including its climate and geology, and Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, collecting data for manned missions to Mars. who is lead author of one of the two new Science papers. • Mars Exploration Rover – Opportunity: The Mars “Whether it holds a record of ancient life, was food for Exploration Rover was launched in 2003 to meet life, or has existed in the absence of life, organic matter several targets, including characterizing a wide in Martian materials holds chemical clues to planetary range of rocks and soils for clues to past water conditions and processes.” activity on Mars. Building further on its current collection of successful • 2001 Mars Odyssey: NASA’s oldest spacecraft still missions, NASA has a stake in several upcoming on Mars, the Mars Odyssey launched in 2001 to exploration missions, including; the ExoMars Rover, due make the first global map of the amount and for launch in 2020; the InSight mission, recently launched distribution of many chemical elements and and expected at Mars in November; and the Mars 2020 minerals making up the planet’s surface. Having mission… completed that mission, the orbiter now acts as The Mars 2020 mission features a land rover that will a communications relay for NASA’s Exploration conduct geological assessments of its landing site on Rovers. Mars, determine the habitability of the environment, • Mars Express: Launched in 2003, the ESA’s Mars search for signs of ancient Martian life, and assess Express orbiter is helping to answer fundamental natural resources and hazards for future human questions about the geology, surface explorers. The instruments on board the rover will be environment, history of water and potential for used to identify and collect samples of rock and soil, life on Mars. encase them in sealed tubes, and leave them on the • ExoMars: Consisting of the TGO, already in orbit, surface of Mars for potential return to Earth by a future and a land rover, due for launch in 2020, the ESA’s mission to the planet. and Roscosmos’ ExoMars is expected to reveal In May, it was announced that NASA’s Mars 2020 new information on the exobiology on Mars. mission has begun the assembly, test and launch operations (ATLO) phase of its development, on track NASA’s Mars missions have been highly successful for a July 2020 launch to Mars. The first planned ATLO to date. Recently in June, the Curiosity Rover found new activities will involve electrical integration of flight evidence preserved in rocks on Mars that suggests the hardware into the mission’s descent stage. The Mars planet could have supported 2020 rover, as well as its cruise stage, aeroshell and ancient life, as well as new descent stage - a rocket-powered ‘sky crane’ that will lower the rover to the planet’s surface - will undergo final assembly at the Spacecraft Assembly Facility High Bay 1 at NASA’s JPL. Over the next year-and-a-half, engineers and technicians will add subsystems such as avionics, power, telecommunications, mechanisms, thermal systems and navigation systems onto the spacecraft. The propulsion systems were installed earlier this year on the cruise and descent

stage main structures. In the same month, it was revealed that the Mars 2020 rover will be accompanied by a

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Mars Helicopter; a small autonomous rotorcraft that will demonstrate the viability and potential of heavier- than-air vehicles on the planet. “Exploring the Red Planet with NASA’s Mars Helicopter exemplifies a successful marriage of science and technology innovation and is a unique opportunity to advance Mars exploration for the future,” said Thomas Zurbuchen, Associate Adm- inistrator for NASA’s Science D-MARS site Mission Directorate at the Image: D-MARS agency headquarters in Washington. “After the Wright Brothers proved 117 years ago that powered, by ground travel. sustained, and controlled flight was possible here on “The ability to see clearly what lies beyond the next Earth, another group of American pioneers may prove hill is crucial for future explorers,” said Zurbuchen. “We the same can be done on another world.” already have great views of Mars from the surface as The Mars Helicopter weighs in at 1.8kg, with a fuselage well as from orbit. With the added dimension of a bird’s- ‘the size of a softball.’ Twin counter-rotating blades will eye view from a ‘marscopter,’ we can only imagine what bite into the thin Martian atmosphere at almost future missions will achieve.” 3,000rpm, about 10 times the rate of a helicopter on In other news, in June, NASA achieved another world Earth. The helicopter also contains built-in capabilities first, this time for the class of CubeSats, which are needed for operation at Mars, including solar cells to opening new access to space: NASA’s MarCO-A and charge its lithium-ion batteries, and a heating MarCO-B CubeSats have been firing their propulsion mechanism to keep it warm through the cold Martian systems to guide themselves toward Mars. The pair of nights. CubeSats that make up the Mars Cube One (MarCO) “The altitude record for a helicopter flying here on mission were both launched in May alongside the InSight Earth is about 40,000 feet. The atmosphere of Mars is lander. They were designed to trail InSight on the way only one percent that of Earth, so when our helicopter to Mars, aiming to relay data about InSight as it enters is on the Martian surface, it’s already at the Earth the planet’s atmosphere and attempts to land. The equivalent of 100,000 feet up,” said Mimi Aung, Mars MarCOs were not intended to collect any science data; Helicopter Project Manager at JPL. “To make it fly at that instead, they are a test of miniaturized communication low atmospheric density, we had to scrutinize and navigation technology that can blaze a path for everything, make it as light as possible while being as future CubeSats sent to other planets. strong and as powerful as it can possibly be.” Both MarCO-A and B successfully completed a set Once the rover is on the planet’s surface, a suitable of communications tests in the past couple of weeks, location will be found to deploy the helicopter from the according to John Baker, Program Manager for Planetary rover and place it onto the ground. The rover then will SmallSats at NASA’s JPL. “Our broadest goal was to be driven away from the helicopter to a safe distance demonstrate how low-cost CubeSat technology can be from which it will relay commands. After its batteries used in deep space for the first time,” said Baker. “With are charged and tests are performed, controllers on both MarCOs on their way to Mars, we’ve already Earth will command the Mars Helicopter to take its first travelled farther than any CubeSat before them.” autonomous flight into history. Should the CubeSats make it all the way to Mars, they “We don’t have a pilot and Earth will be several light will attempt to relay data to Earth about InSight’s landing. minutes away, so there is no way to joystick this mission InSight won’t rely on either CubeSat for that data relay, in real time,” said Aung. “Instead, we have an however; that job will fall to NASA’s Mars autonomous capability that will be able to receive and Reconnaissance Orbiter. interpret commands from the ground, and then fly the mission on its own.” D-MARS: Simulating the Martian environment The full 30-day flight test campaign will include up Interest in Mars research has been proven truly global, to five flights of incrementally farther flight distances, as evidenced by Israel’s latest project. The Desert Mars up to a few hundred meters, and longer durations as Analog Ramon Station (D-MARS) programme, located long as 90 seconds, over a period. On its first flight, the in the Mitzpe Ramon area of Israel’s Negev Desert, is a helicopter will make a short vertical climb to 10 feet, unique enterprise that has established an interplanetary where it will hover for about 30 seconds. As a technology research analog centre aimed at promoting science and demonstration, the Mars Helicopter is considered a high- technology in the country. The station will also serve as risk, high-reward project. If it does not work, the Mars an important resource for STEM-driven educational 2020 mission will not be impacted. If it does work, programs. helicopters may have a real future as low-flying scouts The site was chosen as the geology, aridity, and aerial vehicles to access locations not reachable appearance and desolation resembles the Martian

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environment, according to reports. D-MARS will simulate Exploring Martian soil missions to Mars and other planets, allowing analog ESA and NASA are investigating opportunities to astronauts to live on-site as real explorers; the daily transport Martian soil back to Earth, having routine, food, communication and other challenges will signed an agreement to explore mission be very similar to those faced in the future during an concepts. While orbiting spacecraft have actual planetary mission. As well as investigating a provided a wealth of new information, variety of fields relevant to future off-world missions, transforming our understanding of the planet, the including satellite communications, radiation, searching next step is to bring samples to Earth for analysis. for life signs and the effects of isolation, the project will Bringing Martian soil to Earth would require at also increase public interest and awareness in future least three missions from Earth and one never- Mars missions. been-done-before rocket launch from Mars. In exploring the satellite communications aspects, NASA’s 2020 Mars Rover is set to collect surface Spacecom embarked on a joint experiment utilising the samples in up to 31 pen-sized canisters, to be AMOS-7 satellite to provide communications links for collected at a later date, as it explores the planet. the analog astronauts located in the simulated Mars Meanwhile, a second mission with a small rover habitat near the Ramon Crater. The experiment, would land nearby and retrieve the samples in a conducted with the Austrian Space Forum (OeWF), Martian search-and-rescue operation. This rover tested aspects of long range interplanetary space would bring the samples back to its lander and communications, and examined challenges and issues place them in a Mars Ascent Vehicle – a small that may arise from manned planetary missions. rocket to launch the football-sized container into “The D-MARS project pulls Israel to the forefront of Mars orbit. A third launch from Earth would space, and particularly Mars, exploration. With the provide a spacecraft sent to orbit Mars and AMOS-7 satellite, we are adding an interplanetary-type rendezvous with the sample containers. Once the communications facet to our experiments by simulating samples are collected and loaded into an Earth various challenges for our analog astronauts to handle entry vehicle, the spacecraft would return to and overcome. This is an amazing opportunity, and Earth, release the vehicle to land in the USA, made even more so by our cooperation with Austria’s where the samples will be placed in quarantine OeWF which will be conducting a simultaneous analog for analysis by a team of international scientists. experiment in collaboration with ours in Israel,” said Hillel “A Mars sample return mission is a tantalising Rubenstein, D-MARS Project Manager. but achievable vision that lies at the intersection Meanwhile, Gilat Telecom was chosen to provide of many good reasons to explore space,” said satellite voice and data connectivity to astronauts in the ESA’s Director of Human and Robotic Exploration, D-MARS programme. From 15-18 February, eight David Parker. “There is no question that for a astronauts living in the D-MARS space station planetary scientist, the chance to bring pristine, conformed to the expected daily routine for humans carefully chosen samples of the Red Planet back living on Mars and conducted various research projects to Earth for examination using the best facilities at the same time. Gilat Telecom provided connectivity is a mouth-watering prospect. Reconstructing to and within the space station. Astronauts used Push the history of Mars and answering questions of to Talk (PTT) units to communicate with each other and its past are only two areas of discovery that will with the control room in Rehovot. be dramatically advanced by such a mission. The “It’s very exciting to be part of an experiment that will challenges of going to Mars and back demand advance space and science exploration. We will ensure that they are addressed by an international and that the astronauts have reliable communications which commercial partnership – the best of the best. will enable them to complete their mission,” commented At ESA, with our 22 member states and further Ami Schneider, VP of Gilat Telecom’s Mobile Satellite cooperating partners, international cooperation Services. is part of our DNA.” “Previous Mars missions revealed ancient SpaceX’s Mission to Mars streambeds and the right chemistry that could Elon Musk has been very vocal in his plans for his have supported microbial life on the Red Planet,” company, SpaceX, to bring humans to Mars since way said NASA’s Associate Administrator for the back in 2007. Development work towards this goal could Science Mission Directorate, Thomas Zurbuchen. be considered as starting in 2012 with the design of the “A sample would provide a critical leap forward Raptor rocket engine, which will propel all versions of in our understanding of Mars’s potential to the BFR launch vehicle. harbour life. I look forward to connecting and Since one of SpaceX’s key ethos is to make space collaborating with international and commercial travel affordable, the company’s long-term plans partners on tackling the exciting technological envisage a re-usable launch vehicle capable of lifting challenges ahead—that would allow us to bring 150 tonnes into space. The system will be powered by home a sample of Mars.” the Raptor bipropellant liquid rocket engines for both The results of the mission studies will be stages, using densified liquid methane fuel and liquid presented at ESA’s council at ministerial level in oxygen oxidizer. The engine is expected to be test fired 2019 for a decision to continue developing these for the first time in 2020. missions. Findings from the ExoMars rover SpaceX aims to send its first cargo mission to Mars in mission may help decide which samples to bring 2022. The objectives for this first mission will be to to Earth during the Mars sample return mission. confirm water resources and identify potential hazards in establishing initial power, mining, and life support

20 NewSpace International - September/October 2018 www.newspaceinternational.com #MARS #SPACEX #MISSIONTOMARS #MARSONE infrastructure. A second mission carrying a crew is remain. Mars One is currently preparing for Round Three planned for 2024, with primary objectives of building a and Four. The design for the next rounds is ready and propellant depot preparing for future crew flights. The the next steps are determining the locations and dates, spacecraft used for transportation from Earth will also expanding the team of selection and training specialists, be utilized for the first Mars base. and logistics. From the first selection series, up to six Landing the first humans on Mars is one of the great groups of four will become full time employees of Mars races underway today. Recently, Boeing’s CEO Dennis One, after which they will start training for the mission. Muilenburg made the news when he claimed that the Parts of the training will take place in simulation outposts SLS rocket the company is developing for NASA would on Earth. bring humans to Mars ahead of SpaceX. Boeing is One of Mars One’s main challenges is securing currently developing the world’s biggest rocket for enough funding to move the mission forward. Since its NASA, complete with 9.2 million pounds of thrust, and launch in 2011, around US$1 million has been raised, measuring 38 stories tall. The first test firing is scheduled mainly through donations, sales of merchandise, private for 2019. investments, astronaut applications, sponsorships and Indeed, when CNBC host Jim Cramer asked whether partnerships, and speaking engagements. This has been Boeing or SpaceX would get a man to Mars first, spent on building a small core team, the first conceptual Muilenburg reportedly responded: “Eventually we’re design studies performed by Lockheed Martin and going to go to Mars, and I firmly believe the first person Paragon Space Development Corporation, developing that sets foot on Mars will get there on a Boeing rocket.” and executing the first rounds of the Astronaut Selection SpaceX CEO Elon Musk responded concisely on Program, public outreach, and operational costs. In Twitter: “Do it.” December 2016, Mars One Ventures went public at the Frankfurt Stock Exchange, enabling supporters to ‘own’ Mars One achieves new funding part of the historic venture. Mars One is another private company with he lofty aim More recently, Mars One signed an agreement with of landing the first humans on Mars. Established in 2011, Swiss investment company Phoenix Enterprises AG; Mars One plans to form the first permanent human under the agreement, Phoenix will subscribe for Mars settlement in the coming decades. Mars One is formed One Ventures AG shares over a twelve month period, of the not-for-profit Mars One Foundation, which raising a total of up to €12 million, with a minimum implements and manages the project, and the for-profit of €0.5 million to be raised in any one calendar month. company Mars One Ventures, the controlling “Mars One has a very innovative business model stockholder. combining branding and media rights with the The mission is currently in the early mission concept increasingly popular topic of space exploration. Mars phase, Phase A. Since Mars One is not an aerospace One’s historic viewership statistics clearly demonstrate company and won’t be developing any technology itself, its potential. We are very excited to be providing the the mission requirements have been identified and funding required to kick-start Mars One’s activities and discussed with established aerospace companies. with it the media interest that will be transformative for Possible solutions were proposed and discussed after Mars One Ventures AG,” said Oscar Christian, CEO of which a baseline mission concept was defined, and Phoenix. rough cost figures were discussed. In this phase, The first proceeds were expected in July 2018. Mars suppliers will be contracted to perform conceptual One Ventures intends to use the proceeds to complete design studies for every major sub-system required for its re-listing on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange, to the permanent settlement mission, leading to a strengthen its team, and to pay the license fee to the comprehensive technical concept design of the various Mars One Foundation. This in turn allows the Foundation components of the mission. The Mars One mission to fund the next round of astronaut selection, bringing design will be updated according to the results of the the Round 3 candidates together in a desert location to conceptual design studies and changes will also be test their team skills. The Foundation will also strengthen included when technology matures further. Phase A will the technical team and will contract aerospace result in a firm baseline design and improved cost companies to perform feasibility studies required to figures. The initial concept includes launching a robotic continue to the next phases in the Mars mission. lander and orbiter as early as 2020, to be followed by a Furthermore, Mars One will release a documentary crewed mission of four in 2024, and another in 2026, series on how to select the best teams to train for a which would not be returned to Earth. mission where teams go to Mars to stay. The next phase of development, Phase B, will be the detailed design of all elements needed to safely bring humans to Mars. These designs and further improved cost figures will allow Mars One to move the mission forward to Phases C and D in which all elements are built, manufactured, integrated and tested, and launched to Mars. This should lead to full system readiness on the surface of Mars, giving the green light for the first crew of four astronauts to start their journey to Mars. Mars One’s first Astronaut Selection Program started in 2013 with the first of four selection Mission to Mars rounds. The first two rounds have already been successfully completed: 100 Round 3 candidates Image: SpaceX

www.newspaceinternational.com NewSpace International - September/October 2018 21 #EQUATORIALSPACEINDUSTRIES #LAUNCH #LEO Big plans for launch Equatorial Space Industries is a Singapore-based satellite launch company looking to begin test launches in 2019. Currently developing one of the smallest launchers every envisioned, the 4.6- tonne Volans will be capable of launching a 50kg payload into a variety of orbits from the South China Sea. Amy Saunders spoke with Simon Gwozdz, CEO at Equatorial Space Industries to find out more about the company’s capabilities and plans for the launch sector.

NewSpace: What can you tell us about Equatorial I, we aim at 35-70kg payloads to low Earth orbit (LEO). Space Industries’ vision? We are exploring modularity of our design, to allow Simon Gwozdz: We have started off in 2017 after a few multi-core configuration, in the near future. years of considering an appropriate project to enter in We are in early stage talks with some regional the space industry. To date, we have developed some authorities about a few prospective launch sites, each basic prototypes, with more sophisticated hardware, covering broad azimuth between equatorial and polar. inclusive of an engine using liquid oxygen (LOX), coming Our ideal launch site, however, would be from South our way over the next few months. It sure is an exciting China Sea in direct vicinity of our industrial base in time for our team! Singapore. We see the problems that nanosatellite operators To cover the multi-hundred satellite constellation face in terms of appropriate launch choices - the matrix market properly, we are looking at a very high cadence, of orbital and scheduling flexibility is now severely our initial target being 150 in a year - and we will take it impeding constellation deployment, and using a larger from there. number of smaller, dedicated launchers will be necessary to distribute the payloads into a variety of NewSpace: How does the cost structure look? What orbital planes and phases, rapidly. kind of prices can satellite operators expect? Simon Gwozdz: Our target is to reduce the cost per NewSpace: Can you tell us a bit more about the launch down to $500,000, although our aim in the first technology and launch plans? year is a million dollars for each dedicated mission. Simon Gwozdz: We are currently betting on the hybrid technology - LOX and a proprietary solid propellant for NewSpace: What kind of interest have you had from both stages with potential multi-restartability of the satellite operators to date? upper stage. In the first iteration of the Volans, the Block Simon Gwozdz: We have seen some cautious optimism

The project was first initiated by students and graduates from the National University of Singapore and is supported by NUS Enterprise Startup Incubator Image: Equatorial Space Industries

22 NewSpace International - September/October 2018 www.newspaceinternational.com #EQUATORIALSPACEINDUSTRIES #LAUNCH # LEO

ideal launch area, we could conduct our operations with great logistical savings as the sailing time between our integration base and the launch zone would be measured in hours. Simultaneously, we are one of the fewer small launchers optimised to send a few nanosatellites at a time in its basic configuration, making it perfect for distributed deployment specifically for applications such as Internet of Things (IoT) networks. Using hybrid propulsion will allow great savings in manufacturing and opera- ting costs which we will then be able to transfer to our clients.

NewSpace: What are your expectations for the next couple of years? Which milestones do you expect to achieve? Simon Gwozdz, Founder and CEO Simon Gwozdz: We hope to Equatorial Space Industries conduct the first suborbital flight by the year’s end - at which point we will proceed from many - after all, we are admittedly fresh in the with the orbital launcher game and the attrition rate in the small launcher business which we hope to fly before is notorious - but we have secured some strong business the end of 2019, and begin contacts and tentative agreements with a number of full-scale commercial operators. We hope to begin signing contracts soon after operations by the end of our suborbital mission which we plan for later this year. 2020. We are exploring various NewSpace: What’s your impression of the launch diversification options for market as a whole? Where do you see the biggest the near future. GEO opportunities, and what do you expect from it in the launches are our natural years to come? progression thanks to our Simon Gwozdz: Nanosatellite LEO constellations are a equatorial location. We do logical and relatively risk-free chance to enter the fantasize of developing industry for new players - it offers a chance to prove crew-rated vehicles, but our technology with pretty compact hardware before we’ll take it step-by-step! moving on to larger launch vehicles. What we do not know yet, and follow very closely, is how much the new nanosatellite propulsion systems will affect the optimum payload size per launch. An up-and-coming market will certainly be in the replenishment of mega-constellations such as Starlink and OneWeb, which is something future generations of Volans will be capable of doing. I believe the next boomtown after the nanosatellite market will be in space tourism, which will greatly benefit from the availability of the newly established launch technology. Simultaneously, we still see much potential in GEO, albeit more with satellite servicing than replacement.

NewSpace: How will Equatorial Space Industries set itself apart from other small satellite launchers in the market? Simon Gwozdz: Diversity of azimuths from a single location is our inherent advantage. Once we secure our The Volans Block 1 rocket is slated to carry 35-70kg payloads into a variety of inclinations from 2020

www.newspaceinternational.com NewSpace International - September/October 2018 23 #SPACEMINING #EXTRACTION #ASTEROID Space mining Fact or Fiction Space mining – it’s one of those topics that some of us might joke about among friends, the idea that one day people will be mining asteroids and other planets in space for their natural resources. We’ve already seen it happening in films, but it’s yet to translate to real life. However, as we start to think about the future of our planet’s resources, we begin to realise that what once was hard to imagine could well become a reality in a few short years. Journalist Elsie Heslop opines on the future of deep space mining.

What is space mining? Deep space mining or asteroid mining involves extracting high-value raw materials such as iron, cobalt, titanium, aluminium, nickel and manganese, etc., from asteroids and other planets. These materials tend to be in low supply in the Earth’s crust, so it’s important that space mining is a success. Space mining isn’t as simple as it might sound. Indeed, once a resource-rich asteroid has been located, there are several options for further processing:

• The raw ore can be extracted and transported back to Earth for further processing and refinement. • The raw ore can be processed and refined in situ prior to transportation back to Earth. • The raw ore can be processed, refined and utilised in situ, never returning to Earth. • The material can be left inside of an asteroid for later processing, and the asteroid can be moved into a desired orbit, such as around the Moon.

Why target space? Our population is growing rapidly and the demand for resources is increasing. As we’ve become a more technologically-advanced civilisation, consumption of some raw materials such as transition metals, helium, silicon, etc., has boomed, and demand now outstrips supply. These valuable elements are in limited supply and will sooner or later be depleted. We may laugh at the prospect of mining in space now, but soon we will have to collect resources from a location other than Earth, become more proficient in re- using and recycling what we’ve already consumed, or else adjust our expectations. The ultimate solution may well be a combination of all three. However, it would prove difficult to change our ways now, and if we’re going to keep growing, we will need a different source to collect key elements from, and quickly. Billions of years ago, we didn’t have access to many of the key elements that play a vital role in modern The Orion Nebula technologies, as gravity pulled these elements down to the core of the Earth. It wasn’t until a shower of Image: NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Toledo

24 NewSpace International - September/October 2018 www.newspaceinternational.com #SPACEMINING #EXTRACTION #ASTEROID

asteroid impacts upon the Earth’s surface more than 4 billion years ago that these valuable elements were brought within reach. To some, since we’ve already acquired our resources from asteroids before, it makes sense to try to acquire them from asteroids again. For thousands of years, we’ve been exploiting our Earth’s crust for the resources we use on a daily basis, but the reality is that they’re fast running out. The question we should be asking is: What should we do when they run out? Because it’s now a question of when, not if. Peter Diamandis, Planetary Resources Co-Founder, believes that space mining will be a major boon for developing future technologies. “Many of the scarce metals and minerals on Earth are in near-infinite quantities in space. As access to these materials increases, not only will the cost of everything from microelectronics to energy storage be reduced, but new applications for these abundant elements will result in important and novel applications,” said Diamandis.

Space is a big place, and there are many potential areas for targeting which could host highly-valuable elements

The costs of research and development, exploration, construction, operations, engineering, and of course time, make space mining an expensive endeavour. However, is it prohibitively expensive? Only further experimentation will tell.

How does space mining work? There are many different techniques that can be used to extract elements from an asteroid or planet, including heating, surface mining, shaft mining, and the Mond Process, which extracts iron and nickel enclosed in other materials. However, the predominant method for extracting materials is to drill boreholes into the surface of the asteroid, to allow the target element to separate from its surrounding material, which reacts or melts with a hot fluid or gas that is poured into the borehole. This allows the specific element to be collected separately. The material gathered throughout these processes can be used for a variety of applications. For example, when ice is collected it can be melted and used to re-fuel an orbiting propellant depot; the ice can then be broken down into its constituent elements, hydrogen and oxygen, which can be utilised as fuel. This enables longer trips in space, as the spacecraft will be able to re-fuel while in orbit. Landing on the asteroid is one of the most difficult aspects of space mining, as they travel at very high speeds throughout space. Hayabusa, a Japanese spacecraft, launched in 2003, successfully landed on the Itokawa asteroid in 2005, where it collected samples. It returned to Earth in 2010, although it did suffer some damage following a crash landing. Indeed, space mining is about more than the action www.newspaceinternational.com NewSpace International - September/October 2018 25 #SPACEMINING #EXTRACTION #ASTEROID

of mining itself. “A lot of people think about bringing the three main types of asteroids: resources back to Earth, but it’s more about camping and frontiermanship,” asserts Chris Lewicki, Planetary • S-type: Silicaceous-made from nickel-iron and Resources’ President and CEO. stone-like materials found in the inner part of the asteroid belt. Where should we target? • M-type: Metallic-made from Nickel-Iron found in Space is a big place, and there are many potential areas the middle part of the asteroid belt. for targeting which could host highly-valuable elements. • C-type: Carbonaceous-made from a large The asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter is an area volume of carbon along with other rocks and of particular interest for scientists because it includes minerals found in the middle part of the asteroid belt.

The belt holds other asteroids that are rarer than these three described above, including A-type, D-type, E-type, P-type, Q- type and R-type. Further analysis on these rarer types of asteroids would be beneficial in the development of asteroid research. However, this belt lies a great distance away from the Earth, and even more so from the Sun, making any exploration of that region extremely expensive. It would require a lot of time, money, and resources, which are always limited. In addition, the effectiveness of solar energy as a means of power would be much reduced: “As you move further away from the Sun, you have the ‘Inverse Square Law’ coming into effect. If you are twice as far from the Sun, then you have a quarter of the energy coming in from a given area of solar collecting panels,” explained Alastair Reynolds, former Research Astronomer with the European Space Agency (ESA). The distance between the asteroid belt Large Magellanic Cloud galaxy in infrared light and the Sun means that solar power would Image: ESA/NASA/JPL-Caltech/STScI prove largely ineffective for such a mission. Energy derived from the Sun would likely be inadequate, thus a huge amount of fuel and accordingly expense would be required.

Food for thought… Many people think of space mining as a highly ambitious goal which makes sense to pursue in theory. However, we can’t help but wonder whether it will ever actually be possible. Scientists are still researching on the topic, and have no idea yet whether it’s safe; it’s been proven that drilling holes into asteroids and planets can result in the release of giant dust clouds due to the weak gravitational fields of small celestial bodies, which is unlikely to be good for anyone. In reality, space mining could be good or bad. It’s clear why scientists are keen to get started; it’s a new challenge, a new way to utilise space, and potentially a fantastic solution to our world’s rapidly-depleting essential elements. However, with 7.7 billion (and counting) people in the world, resource management continues to be a major concern – Is space mining really the right solution? Do we have the right to extract Cygnus Loop nebula in UV light resources from space just because we’ve Image: NASA/JPL-Caltech used up those on our own world?

26 NewSpace International - September/October 2018 www.newspaceinternational.com #SATELLITE #TERMINAL #OPTICS

www.newspaceinternational.com NewSpace International - September/October 2018 27 #MUSPACECORP #LAUNCH #HTS Targeting Southeast Asia and beyond mu Space Corp was established in August 2017 to deliver reliable satellite-based broadband, mobile and broadcasting solutions for telcos and businesses in Thailand. The company plans to expand its reach throughout the Asia-Pacific in the coming years with the launch of a low latency, high throughput satellite (HTS) in GEO. Amy Saunders spoke with James Yenbamroong, CEO and founder at mu Space Corp to find out more about this ambitious fledgling company.

NewSpace: Can you provide a brief overview of mu James Yenbamroong: In June 2018, we officially Space Corp’s capabilities and market presence? released the Request for Proposal (RFP) to satellite James Yenbamroong: mu Space Corp was formed in manufacturers, so we can’t reveal yet the name of the June 2017. We plan to offer three different services to successful bidder. We’re building a low latency, high people - satellite communications, digital park, and throughput satellite on a geostationary orbit (GEO) space tourism. location at 50.5-degree East orbital slot. It is expected The company currently delivers reliable satellite- to provide satellite communication services across Asia- based broadband for telcos and businesses in Thailand. Pacific and will have a lifespan of at least 15 years. We also support the Thai government in its nationwide We chose Blue Origin because we believe in their digital transformation efforts by bringing connectivity to vision. Also, the space technology they’re developing is rural areas and making Smart cities more sustainable. top notch, and will help improve the quality of life of In the coming years, we plan to expand our business people. We also like Blue Origin’s concept of a reusable across Asia-Pacific and Africa. In 2020, the company will rocket. It is a major breakthrough in space technology. launch into space a high throughput and low latency We expect that with this system, launching a satellite geostationary orbit (GEO) satellite aboard Blue Origin’s would be cheaper in the future. space vehicle New Glenn. Moreover, we plan to lead the provision of commercial space travel in Asia-Pacific. NewSpace: The NewSpace sector is booming right now; investment is heavy, and the possibilities are NewSpace: Let’s talk a little more about your plans almost endless. What’s your assessment of the for this GEO satellites. Can you tell us how you decided NewSpace revolution? to fly with Blue Origin? James Yenbamroong: NewSpace is going to be a big

Visualization of mu Space satellite Image: mu Space Corp

28 NewSpace International - September/October 2018 www.newspaceinternational.com #MUSPACECORP #LAUNCH #LEO industry. It was predicted that the global space industry will be worth US$2.7 trillion in the next 30 years. From our perspective, we will tap into this opportunity by launching our own satellite. Aside from that, space tourism is another business we’re planning to provide within the 2020s. Currently, Blue Origin, Space X and Virgin Galactic are leading space tourism. However, none of them is based in Asia. That’s why we decided to go with this business; I want mu Space to be the first in Asia. And having our head office in Thailand is just perfect for this business because the country is a famous tourism destination worldwide.

NewSpace: Earlier this year, it was announced that in cooperation with SES Networks and Hughes, mu Space Corp would provide broadband access to rural Thailand. What can you tell us about the agreement, and how will it help bridge the digital divide? James Yenbamroong, Founder and CEO of mu Space Corp James Yenbamroong: In Thailand, the local government Image: mu Space Corp has a project to connect remote villages to broadband. The project is worth US$449 million and will connect nearly 4,000 remote villages to broadband. Many of these villages are so remote that they’re just beyond the reach of digital infrastructures. So, a communication satellite is an ideal solution to provide these villages and the people with broadband, which is essential to rural and social development. Our communication satellite will be launched in 2020. Since the satellite launch is happening two years from now, we’re temporarily leasing bandwidth capacity using SES’ satellite to deliver broadband. With Hughes, we install their user terminals at the location of end users.

NewSpace: You’ve also announced a partnership with True Digital Park for the operation of a satellite and space technology lab. What can you tell us about the lab, and what do you hope to achieve with it? James Yenbamroong: True Digital Park will start operations in 2018. We will set up a laboratory there to develop and test products that we will use in our future space projects. It will also serve as a venue to showcase Engineers installing satellite dish in the field our work to the public to help them understand satellite Image: mu Space Corp and space technology, and its relevance to daily life. Space technology, for many people, is a hard-to- understand topic. We want to change that; we want to change people’s perception and show space is a fun topic. To promote better public understanding about space, we’ll showcase our work and the products we’ll develop to the public on our lab at True Digital Park. These products could include space suits and other advanced gadgets.

NewSpace: What’s on the horizon for mu Space Corp for the rest of 2018 and beyond? James Yenbamroong: This year, we’re looking at expanding to five other Southeast Asian countries, namely Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, and Vietnam. We’re also planning to set up an office in the US. These expansions could increase our head count to 50 by year-end. We target to join the space race with the launch of our own satellite in 2020. Aside from that, we will focus not only with satellite communications, but also James Yenbaroong (center) with Blue Origin Founder Jeff Bezos (second from left) extending our business to other space-related activities, like space tourism, within the next decade. Image: mu Space Corp

www.newspaceinternational.com NewSpace International - September/October 2018 29 #PHASOR #ANTENNA #ESA Critical connectivity solutions Phasor was founded to develop innovative phased-array, flat panel antennas for the commercial mobile broadband services market. The modular, electronically steerable antenna (ESA) is expected to provide significant advantages for the aeronautical, maritime, land-mobile and government communications sectors in terms of performance, flexibility, reliability and scalability. David Helfgott, CEO of Phasor, outlined the need for ESAs in today’s David Helfgott, CEO Phasor communications sector, and his plans for Image: Phasor launch before the year is up.

NewSpace: What can you tell us about your vision for in the air, and at sea. Phasor? The need for an incredibly compact, low profile, David Helfgott: Phasor is an electronically steerable automatic beam-steering antenna is driving Phasor antenna (ESA) technology company. Our focus is on innovation across a number of new age platform bringing satellite broadband connectivity to all solutions designed to deliver a seamless connected commercial vehicles; cruise ships, passenger jets, high- experience virtually anywhere in the world. Phasor is speed trains, etc. Once we’ve established that, we’ll be extremely well positioned to meet the demands of able to take that commercial technology and offer it to enterprise and high-end users who require very high government markets, for analogous ‘comms-on the gain, very high-quality networks. Airlines, cruise ships move’ applications. and government markets are really where the big Our core technology, a solid state flat antenna, allows demand is for ‘mission-critical’ and SLA driven network users to electronically track satellites as the vehicle is services. moving, or track satellites that move across the sky, such as low Earth orbit (LEO) or non-geosynchronous orbit NewSpace: Can you give us some insight into the (NGSO) satellites, whether the vehicle is moving or not. Phasor technology itself? We’re enabling a whole new generation of David Helfgott: The core building block of our connectivity. There are the traditional satellite operators technology is a custom-designed microchip, or ASIC, with high throughput satellites (HTS) who have which takes the satellite signal and down-converts it to sharpened their focus on mobility markets; getting 10MB base band. That chip is married with a set of patch on and off an aircraft, 150MB on and off a cruise ship, for antennas or elements in phased arrays. We arrange a example. That’s our sweet spot market as well. There’s group of those elements on a rectangular core module, also a big second wave opportunity for Phasor in which is the fundamental building block of our unique enabling NGSO constellations – in both Low Earth Orbit electronically steered antenna or ESA. and Medium Earth Orbit. The core module is two inches thick, 100 percent solid Our innovative work in LEO and MEO will open new state with no moving parts. We basically go from satellite doors of opportunity and make things a whole lot more signal to base band signal at the back end within the interesting, as these new networks supplement the antenna. Each core module has around 500 elements, current GEO-HTS coverages and provide truly global but because of our unique modular system architecture, coverage, lower latency, and a lot more capacity for we can combine modules to create larger and larger broadband communications. Until now, NGSO networks apertures, which can be flat like a table, or assembled focused on narrowband communications, but soon we to conform with the curvature of an aircraft or yacht for will see tens of Megabits and more delivered to even example. the most remote locations, including the poles, to All of this is managed and controlled via our system connect a broad range of commercial vehicles on land, software, which maximizes antenna gain, optimizes

30 NewSpace International - September/October 2018 www.newspaceinternational.com #PHASOR #ANTENNA #ESA operating power, acquires signals, and points and NewSpace: In March, Phasor reached an agreement switches beams instantaneously. with LeoSat Enterprises to develop a Ka-band NGSO- Our first release to the market will be an ESA with a ready version of its ESA. What can you tell us about separate transmit and receive sub aperture, which also the deal? allows dual beam illumination - one aperture that can David Helfgott: LeoSat is an NGSO start-up, focusing track two satellites simultaneously and receive two up at the high end of enterprise and government different feeds at the same time. It’s a very interesting markets with its LEO constellation. We love their network product for commercial mobility services via GEO architecture, and their mission and focus align very satellites, as you move from coverage area to coverage nicely with our own. We have a very scalable and flexible area. That dual beam illumination capability is mission- technology for transmit and receive access technology, critical for NGSOs, LEO and MEO constellations which and they have a very scalable and powerful satellite need to communicate with two satellites at any given network. It’s a very nice match of strategies. They’ve very time. One satellite is tracked and utilised for data transfer close to closing their A-Round Funding, and once and the second is tracked and ready to be engaged. they’ve closed that, we’ll be working with them very hard Once the first satellite is out of range, the second satellite to kick off our Ka-band development. communications link takes over. Our technology enables this seamless hand off from satellite to satellite, from NewSpace: In the same month, Phasor announced beam to beam, whether from a mobile vehicle or from a another agreement, this time with Hispasat, for the stationary location. development of Ku-band ESAs for land mobile applications. Can you tell us a little more about it? NewSpace: Let’s talk about commercialisation – What David Helfgott: Hispasat wanted to take our robust stage is Phasor up to right now? enterprise-grade, modular ESA and simplify it for the David Helfgott: Because we’re focused at the commercial land mobile segment. Phasor had enterprise-grade level, we’ve been very deliberate developed a unique product design strategy that could about our testing, field trials and beta test schedules. meet this need, and we are now working on a new form- We’re currently working on our land mobile and maritime factor of our ESA that will beautifully and effectively data test beds, and we’re going to take as long as we meet the underserved commercial land-mobile markets need to complete this stage successfully. Once these needs in Latin America. trials are initiated and completed to our satisfaction, we Intercity buses and other types of commercial land will release product. I think we’ll be doing those beta mobile vehicles are in huge demand across the Latin tests for the rest of this year, and then launching our American region, as well as municipal vehicles such as Release One products at the end of 2018 or early 2019. ambulances and other emergency response vehicles. The same core technology that has been described Seamless and reliable connectivity is critical for bus works equally well in aeronautical, maritime or land riders who want to remain in touch with friends, family mobile applications. However, because aeronautical and colleagues, and first responders need better markets have many more regulations to achieve communications capabilities. certification, our aero products will always come after There are tens of thousands of buses in Latin America, the first release products for maritime and land-mobility. and for a lot of people, that’s their primary mode of Our product and technology development roadmap transport. Smartphones have become ubiquitous, but goes out over the next four years. We’re already well reliable network connectivity lags, especially travelling onto the design and prototype development for our between city centers. The ability to get bandwidth onto Release Two products, which will come out some time these buses is a really interesting opportunity for us and after 2020. We anticipate launching a product in that the communities to be served by a new level of timeframe with equivalent RF performance but one-half connectivity. the footprint, along with a whole suite of new features and functionality. NewSpace: What’s your assessment of the satellite While our Release One and Two products are sector right now, and Phasor’s place within it? designed for Ku-band satellite frequencies, our Release David Helfgott: It is a very exciting time to be in the space Three Products will serve Ka-band, which will require and satellite communications industry. We see an tuning the ASIC and the ESA to the Ka-band frequency. inevitable and critical move to ESAs across the industry This will be very similar to our Release Two products, and the many verticals we will serve. We’re noticing that but obviously modified for the higher frequency. everybody in SATCOM, including traditional satellite

Phasor’s Core Module key ‘building block’ of the system Image: Phasor

www.newspaceinternational.com NewSpace International - September/October 2018 31 #PHASOR #ANTENNA #ESA

operators, are spending a lot more time thinking about the ground infrastructure and their terminal strategy, even as they tend to more traditional topics like spectrum rights, regulatory plans, manufacturing plans, and their launch options. Indeed, terminal technology has become front and centre. There are a lot of things going on right now in SATCOM, mobility and broadband. The GEO operators are adapting to new opportunities, new innovations, and new business models. The NGSOs appear to be positioned as a disruptive and enabling supplement to traditional SATCOM, driving globality and lower cost by providing ubiquitous coverage and huge amounts of additional wideband capacity. However, the three main Phasor maritime antenna solution that is equivalent themes I’ve seen this year are: to a 1m parabolic dish in performance

• The rise of NGSO satellites across wideband frequencies. • Commercial/Enterprise broadband mobility for ‘connect everywhere’ requirements. • The importance of having the right access technology.

These factors drive Phasor’s innovation. Things have certainly been moving rapidly in the NewSpace sector. There are a lot of new ideas and a lot that have actually been around for some time and are coming together now in new ways. NewSpace is about re-energizing and the reinvention of some of the key ideas in space and satellite communications. It is refreshing to see this renewal and to witness the energy generated by new start-up companies and the reinvention going on at the more traditional companies. Phasor small aero antenna designed for business jets Phasor is very pleased to contribute to this exciting era of innovation.

32 NewSpace International - September/October 2018 www.newspaceinternational.com #SMALLDATA #BIGDATA #SATELLITE

www.newspaceinternational.com NewSpace International - September/October 2018 33 #KEPLERCOMMUNICATIONS #POLES #LEO Communications at extreme latitudes Delivering ubiquitous connectivity around the world is one of satellite’s greatest capabilities. However, due to the sparse population at the polar regions, these areas have been largely underserved throughout the history of satellite. All that is changing as Kepler Communications readies its next-generation satellite service, as Jeffrey Osborne, VP of Strategy and Business Development, highlights.

The Poles remain one of the most remote and least an insatiable need for data, shortcomings in populated regions on the Earth, yet have untold communications infrastructure in the region are potential. Sparsely populated but resource-rich, the becoming more evident. Arctic is increasingly being utilized by research organizations, enterprise, and a burgeoning tourism The problem industry. As the sea ice extent of the Arctic Ocean begins There are considerable challenges for deploying to wane due to the effects of climate change, there is terrestrial communication systems in the poles. Wired an increasing interest in shipping activity. Routes like the communication, such as fibre or copper lines, and Northern Sea route are becoming navigable for longer microwave backhaul equipment are economically periods of the year, and the Northwest Passage is set impractical, given the low user density, the geography, to open to cargo and passenger shipping. climate extremes, and the large service area. Satellite On the other side of the world, the Antarctic has no systems that typically fill in the voids where terrestrial permanent inhabitants, but does contain a large number connectivity have yet to penetrate do not operate at high of active civilian research stations. As well, tourism on latitudes, as these regions are outside the visibility of the continent has been steadily growing since the 1970s, the geostationary arc where most satellite systems with semi-permanent tourism camps now scattered reside. across the continent and a slew of vessels making In short, the communities, researchers, and visitations each year. businesses operating in these regions lack access to With the growth of human activity in the poles and reliable, and affordable communications.

Kepler Communications satellite Image: Kepler Communications

34 NewSpace International - September/October 2018 www.newspaceinternational.com #SMALLDATA #BIGDATA #SATELLITE

Kepler Communications satellite Image: Kepler Communications

Multiple solutions years at a fraction of the cost of traditional satellites. No single technology will address all of the difficulties Kepler’s next-gen satellites are already being in bringing connectivity to Earth’s polar extremes. deployed. Each satellite is approximately the size of a Improvements in existing wired installations and shoebox, and orbit at 575km above the Earth’s surface. terrestrial microwave will certainly play a role, but a key The satellites operate in a special type of polar orbit component of the solution will be next-generation called a Sun Synchronous Orbit (SSO). This orbit allows satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO) that do not suffer from the satellite to pass directly over the poles every 90 the same line-of-sight limitation as geostationary (GEO) minutes rather than having no visibility line like GEO satellites. satellites. When an individual satellite passes overhead, Canada’s Kepler Communications is launching a a window of connectivity opens for up to 10 minutes, constellation of LEO nanosatellites that will provide providing ample time to transmit large volumes of data. unparalleled connectivity for the Poles. Nanosatellites offer unique capabilities over their large satellite Kepler’s role counterparts both in terms of cost as well as in their Before Kepler’s services, the only LEO alternatives were ability to rapidly incorporate new technologies. those providing low bandwidth services predominantly for voice applications. Kepler’s store-and-forward data service offers a high bandwidth alternative for moving large chunks of delay-tolerant data; essentially a ‘drop The communities, researchers and box’ for data that connects polar operations with the rest of the world. The capabilities of the service are easy to businesses operating in these scale as demand increases; every satellite added to the network will simultaneously decrease latency and regions lack access to reliable and increase capacity. In January of 2018, Kepler launched their first affordable communications spacecraft, KIPP, which is currently being tested with customers. With one satellite, Kepler has become the Traditional satellites have a three to five-year world’s only provider of pole-to-pole high capacity Ku- development period, and a useful life of 10 or more band satellite services. In the coming weeks, a second years. “Imagine your cellphone from 10-15 years ago – satellite, CASE, will join KIPP on orbit, improving the that is the age of the infrastructure providing satellite company’s low-Earth orbit communication system. In services today,” said Kepler CEO Mina Mitry. Kepler’s mid-2019, nanosatellite platform is disrupting the status quo by Kepler’s third satellite, TARS, will be launched to being able to refresh the technology on orbit every three augment the capabilities of KIPP and CASE, while also

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delivering narrowband connectivity for Internet of Things of research back to processing centers for analysis. Many (IoT) devices. All of Kepler’s nanosatellites are based on times, data collected is physically transferred by air or the standardized CubeSat form factor, which means that water, which can result in long delays before data is they can be launched by any rocket, allowing for used, slowing research and adding the burden of flexibility and cost control. Often nanosatellites make increased operating costs to projects. up a secondary payload on a traditional launch or can be launched as a group, further reducing costs. There Tourism are currently two established gateways operated by More and more tour operators are servicing the poles. Kepler, one in Inuvik, Canada and one in Svalbard, Most tours are on vessels where the limited connectivity Norway. Norway handles most of the telemetry and can reduce passenger enjoyment and comfort. Store- housekeeping for the satellites, and Inuvik deals with and-forward services would offer the ability to move data. large media files, like video and photos, for tourists.

Customer applications Medical use With a single satellite, Kepler is capable of moving Small communities or research outposts and ships have upwards of 5GB in a single 10 minute ‘pass.’ Data is stored very limited medical facilities, often with only one care onboard the satellite until it passes over one of Kepler’s professional available. A high-capacity data service will gateways. This system of data movement, with one help overcome difficulties in sharing large patient files satellite, has minutes-to-hours delay before the and other data and complement existing broadband information is accessible, but continues to improve as services when available by reducing strain on networks more satellites are added to the constellation. GIS data, that provide real-time communication. CCTV logs, environmental data, and media files don’t require instant communication, so can be served by a Defense single LEO satellite. Kepler’s expandable model means Robust connectivity is paramount for the ability of that they are ‘live’ right out of the gate, with KIPP nations to enforce their Arctic sovereignty. High shouldering all of the workload. As satellites are added, bandwidth and reliable communications are needed total bandwidth increases, and the time-to-access will both for vessels for coast guard operations, as well as decrease. This scalable infrastructure model means that reconnaissance aircraft. Moreover, vessels are routinely the company will be able to meet customer needs with put into service for search and rescue operations in the unprecedented agility. poles, where poor connectivity can be life-threatening.

Maritime usage Summary The gradual reduction in sea ice coverage in the Access to affordable and reliable connectivity is crucial Northern polar region means that there are new in enabling polar communities and businesses to opportunities for cargo and passenger traffic. LEO flourish. Greater demand for bandwidth will require satellites will be providing high-bandwidth data services rapidly deployable and cost-effective infrastructure to for ships at sea to communicate route, weather, and ice support, sustain, and encourage growth in the coming information. years. Research, resource exploration, and tourism are on the rise, and the increased demand for rapidly Science and research deployable technologies like high-bandwidth LEO Existing demand for data transfer services far outstrips satellites will significantly improve operations and capacity. It is difficult to send data collected in the course peoples’ lives in the Earth’s extremes.

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