Cover.pmd 1 15/12/2019, 22:12 Untitled-2 1 19/07/2019, 21:46 View From The Top What a year! The end of another year is upon us already! Every year, I promise that I’ll pay more Editor - Amy Saunders attention to the passing months, and yet every year, I’m surprised that it’s December already and we’re gearing up for the holidays. Maybe next year I’ll manage to keep a closer eye on the calendar! It’s been an interesting year for the space sector. Several of the planned small satellite constellations have begun to be launched in earnest - however, LeoSat looks set to be the sector’s first casualty, having ceased operations in November; 5G has hit certain parts of the world, including the UK; ultra-high frequency bands like V-band are rapidly coming into action; NASA has activated the first Deep Space Atomic Clock; space tourism is edging closer to reality, with space planes such as Virgin Orbit’s making major headway; in the Brexit-turmoil that is the UK, new deals are urgently being made to enable us to stay a major player in the space sector, and a whopping three new spaceports in Scotland and Cornwall are in the planning stages; NASA is investigating the world’s first space crime; Russia has sent a humanoid robot to the ISS. In terms of markets, we’re happy to see DTH and OTT continuing to grow - complementing one another nicely, while mobile satellite services, particularly for maritime and aviation, are booming. Satellite capacity costs may not be at their best, but they’re not at their worst either. There have been some major changes at Satellite Evolution as well. We’ve added two fabulous new members to our sales and marketing team – Belinda Bradford and Jill Durfee – and appointed our first News and Social Media Editor, Laurence Russell. Some readers will have noticed my absence from events this year following maternity leave – I’m looking forward to getting my feet back on the ground in the new year! All in all, it’s been a great year for the space and satellite sectors, and for Satellite Evolution as well. May it be followed by an even better year in 2020! Photo courtesy of Shutterstock www.satellite-evolution.com | November/December 2019 1 editorial.pmd 1 15/12/2019, 17:46 Contents November/December 2019 - Vol.16. - No6. Editor Amy Saunders 1 Editorial 4 Satellite news [email protected] What a year! News and Views News and Social Media Editor Laurence Russell [email protected] Contributing Editors Bert Sadtler, Mark Williamson Marketing and Business Development Manager Belinda Bradford [email protected] Sales Manager Sam Baird Debris Removal - page 6 [email protected] Sales Director Jill Durfee [email protected] Publisher Richard Hooper [email protected] Managing Director David Shortland [email protected] High Throughput Satellites - page 8 Earth Observation - page 12 Front cover photo courtesy of ICEYE No part of this publication may be transmitted, reproduced or electronically stored without the written permission from the publisher. DS Air Publications does not give any warranty as to the content of the material appearing in the magazine, its accuracy, timeliness or fitness for any particular purpose. DS Air Publications disclaims all responsibility for any damages or losses in the use and dissemination of the information. Government VSAT Solutions - page 16 Q&A AMOS Spacecom - page 20 All editorial contents Copyright © 2019 DS Air Publications All rights reserved ISSN: 1745-5502 Printed by: Times Printing Singapore Broadcast Piracy - page 24 Critical Communications - page 28 DS Air Publications 1 Langhurstwood Road Horsham West Sussex, RH12 4QD United Kingdom T: +44 1403 273973 F: +44 1403 273972 Email: [email protected] www.satellite-evolution.com Q&A GTMaritime - page 32 Interference - page 36 2 www.satellite-evolution.com | November/December 2019 contents.pmd 2 15/12/2019, 19:27 Untitled-2 1 15/12/2019, 18:50 News Review & Analysis ND SATCOM selects WORK Microwave A-Series DVB-S2X combined with IP encapsulation and traffic shaping — will gateways be replaced by the WORK Microwave A-Series platform. With For its leading network product portfolio SKYWAN 5G, with the new SKYWAN 5G R1.6, both DVB Gateway products are hybrid MF-TDMA and DVB-S2X, ND SATCOM has selected fully supported. A mix of ODG-200 and AT-60 at different sites WORK Microwave’s A-Series DVB-S2X modulator platform. within the same network is feasible; SKYWAN 5G terminals The SKYWAN 5G DVB solution features a unique two- use the same signalling protocol for terminal registration and way broadband satellite communication network for high- ACM with both products. quality services, combining the widely adopted DVB-S2/S2X transmission standard with the ND SATCOM MF-TDMA Omnispace supports WRC-19 decisions on sharing of technology optimised for real-time traffic in mesh topologies. spectrum resources SKYWAN 5G DVB comprises a DVB-S2 outbound link and Omnispace, the company that is reinventing mobile up to 16 configurable TDMA full-meshed carriers. The communications by building one global hybrid network, SKYWAN 5G DVB solution performs policy-based dynamic welcomes the outcomes of the International routing and leverages DVB-S2/S2X and TDMA satellite Telecommunication Union’s (ITU) World Radiocommunication access for highly efficient bandwidth utilisation to best fit end- Conference (WRC-19) that was held recently in Sharm el- user applications. Sheikh, Egypt. The WRC-19 made critical decisions regarding SKYWAN 5G’s new release R1.6 features advances such efficient use of global spectrum resources, including those as Pure Data Channels for efficiency-optimised meshed MF- related to the 2GHz S-band (1980-2010 MHz/2170-2200 TDMA topologies. In addition, the latest version of SKYWAN MHz). 5G introduces full support for WORK Microwave’s A-Series By providing interference analysis and measurements, product portfolio as the preferred DVB gateway for outbound Omnispace actively participated in the studies related to the transmissions. ND SATCOM collaborated with WORK Microwave to seamlessly integrate the A-Series all-IP platform with SKYWAN 5G. The AT-60 IP Modulator was selected due to its high-performance features, including a flexible SDR (Software Defined Radio) architecture that was customised for SKYWAN 5G. Offering support for DVB-S2X up to 256APSK, the AT-60 IP Modulator and the AT-80 wideband variant are the perfect platforms for a variety of applications, from low to very high throughput. “We continue to seek synergistic opportunities that uphold the excellence our brand represents and our customers expect. The integration of WORK Microwave’s A-Series into our latest SKYWAN 5G release does exactly that,” said ND SATCOM CEO, Alexander Mueller-Gastell. By supporting DVB-S2X extensions, WORK Microwave’s AT-60 IP modulator embedded in the DVB Gateways provide operators with a future-proof platform that offers smaller roll- offs, advanced filtering, and higher modulation schemes for increased efficiency gains. “Today’s satellite operators are looking for high- performance, cost-effective satcom solutions, and that’s why we’ve teamed up with ND SATCOM,” said WORK Microwave CEO, Thomas Fröhlich. “Combining the latest SKYWAN 5G DVB solution with our AT-60 IP Modulator, end-users can achieve unparalleled efficiency and flexibility for a wide range of applications.” WORK Microwave’s AT-60 IP modulator is one of the industry’s only solutions that comes predistortion-ready for automatic group delay and nonlinearity compensation. Using this capability, operators can mitigate the negative effects in satellite filters and amplifiers while reducing power and increasing beam coverage, throughput, and availability. The latest SKYWAN 5G solution featuring WORK’s A- Series ensures high-performance DVB outbound link capabilities, including DVB Gateway redundancy and ACM (Adaptive Coding and Modulation) on the DVB outbound path toward the SKYWAN 5G remotes. DVB Gateway management is integrated in the SKYWAN 5G NMS, which allows on-the- fly parameter changes as part of network-wide reconfigurations of DVB services. The SKYWAN ODG200 DVB Gateway — based on the Photo courtesy of Blue Origin very reliable WORK Microwave DVB-S2X modulator module 4 www.satellite-evolution.com | November/December 2019 news.pmd 4 15/12/2019, 17:49 News Review & Analysis coexistence of mobile-satellite services and terrestrial mobile services in the 2GHz S-band. Omnispace is pleased that the www.satellite-evolution.com ITU took action by setting guidelines to protect both services, including establishing a power limit on mobile stations that Want to supply content for consideration? transmit in the 1980-2010MHz band or limiting the use of Contact the Editor: [email protected] this band to an uplink mode (user equipment to base stations). The WRC-19 also made the decision to balance expanding deployment of outdoor radio local area networks TriSept and Satellite Applications Catapult team to (RLANs) in the 5GHz band with the current use of the band advance space access in the UK and beyond by global non-geostationary mobile-satellite services TriSept Corporation, a leading provider of launch integration systems. These efforts represent important steps in management services for commercial and government supporting ongoing technological innovation in hybrid missions, has signed a comprehensive teaming agreement satellite/terrestrial networks and systems like those operated with Satellite Applications Catapult, to explore and accelerate by Omnispace. new innovations, missions and space access across the “As we look to bring connectivity to users around the world burgeoning UK space industry and beyond. via ‘one global network,’ Omnispace supports the work of Satellite Applications Catapult, part of The Catapult the ITU in ensuring scarce resources are efficiently utilized network and one of dozens of innovative firms based at the while still enabling innovation,” said Mindel De La Torre, Chief Regulatory and International Strategy Officer of Omnispace LLC.