NewSpace International ... · small satellite, Industry 4.0 and much more. The Space Data Association has contributed an article covering the impact of the new and upcoming small

1www.newspaceinternational.com NewSpace International - September 2020

NewSpace.pmd 05/11/2020, 10:531

https://v5.b2bdoc.net/App/Start.aspx?awb=eskeqakiaegkaeimqaeugiuagok

NewSpace International - September 2020 www.newspaceinternational.com2

NewSpace.pmd 05/11/2020, 10:532

https://satelliteevo.com/fg3


A su

rreal

year

for a

ll

#EDITOR #COVID-19 #LEO #HIBER #SDA #NEWSPACE #ESA #NASA

Dr Amy Saunders

Editor

NEA Scout assembled, photographed with developers for scale. Photo courtesy NASA-MSFC

It seems so early in the year to be finishing up the last issue ofNewSpace International until 2021, but then, it’s been a strange

year on all accounts.Here in the UK, we were all expecting a big year with the finalisation of Brexit.

Four years after the general public voted for it, the end of 2020 was the plannedseverance from the European Union. However, the latest news reports as we go toprint indicate that the UK Government may be moving the goalposts again for themillionth time, with emergency meetings being called left right and centre. Theoutcome is far from certain, with questions of deals still hanging in the air.

Across the pond in the US, millions of Americans are gearing up for an extremelyfraught election.

And of course, it’s also been the first year featuring a global pandemic in modernhistory, and certainly the first the vast majority of those alive today can recall. We’vegone from something initially passed off as no worse than a cold to vast parts ofthe world jumping in and out of lockdown at the drop of a hat as cases rise and fall.As we go to print, many thousands of children are returning to school in the UK;and after just one day back, many schools are having to immediately close downclasses, year groups or entire schools following suspected or confirmed COVID-19cases amongst students and staff. The resulting impact on the wider workforce ofparents will be astronomical, both in terms of working capabilities and finances.

Continuing on from a most surreal year and trying to carry on as normal, we’veprepared another fabulous issue of NewSpace International, featuring exclusiveinterviews with Hiber and Firefly Aerospace wherein we discuss all things digitization,small satellite, Industry 4.0 and much more. The Space Data Association hascontributed an article covering the impact of the new and upcoming small satellitesin LEO and MEO upon space situational awareness (SSA). Meanwhile, we’ve exploredthe latest developments in solar sails for deep space transportation, which ebbsever closer to reality. The full extent of the race to LEO is explored, with particularemphasis placed on the recent goings on with COVID-19 still in full swing.

We hope you enjoy this issue, the final edition for 2020, and join us again in 2021for a (hopefully) brighter and better year!

NewSpace.pmd 05/11/2020, 10:533

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.newspaceinternational.com


Letter from the Editor 3A surreal year for all

NewsBlast 6Key news from around the world

Firefly Aerospace readies historic Vandenburg launchcomplex 8CEO and CTO Dr Tom Markusic is preparing for the inaugural liftoff ofFirefly Aerospace’s Alpha launch vehicle. The Firefly team is executing aseries of acceptance tests on the Alpha Flight 1 vehicle and putting thefinishing touches on its launch complex at Vandenberg Air Force Base.This final push to Firefly’s first Alpha flight later this year is the culminationof years of hard work. We caught up with the Firefly CEO for the latestupdates as Firefly approaches its first Alpha launch later this year.

The way forward for LEO - The NewSpace race clears itsbiggest hurdle 10In recent years, LEO has cemented itself as perhaps the most potentbuzzword in the NewSpace sphere. Steadily its detractors have fallenever quieter, as the dream of multiple high-speed constellationsconnecting the world became real. However, then came the disastrouseconomic shockwaves of the COVID crash and OneWeb’s subsequenttrip to chapter 11. Is this cause to reignite our forgotten worries, or aninevitable hiccup only accelerated by the pandemic?

Pioneering IoT developer 14Hiber is a pioneering IoT developer dedicated to expanding anddeepening our understanding of connectivity through disruptivetechnology. As the last year has drawn unprecedented distances betweenus, Hiber endeavours to leverage technology to bring us closer together,strengthening businesses and industry with sophisticated digitization.Coen Janssen, Co-Founder & Director of Business Intelligence, discussesHiber’s solutions and their strategies to integrate them.

The impact of small satellites on space situationalawareness 16With the number of small satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO) set to boom inthe next few years, possibly even increase tenfold, the question of spacesafety has become even more pressing. With very few small satellitessuccessfully being de-orbited, the possibility of growing volumes of spacedebris threatens the sovereignty of the space environment.

Solar sails - The key to deep space odysseys 22Solar sails are an underutilized method of spacecraft propulsion, makinguse of the easily available solar energy in inner-solar space to acceleratevia radiation pressure. While the technique is only practical for smallprobes, the method is gaining popularity in the scientific community as ameans of cost-effective thrust, particularly for sustaining interstellar travel.

Front cover: Photo courtesy ofSpace Data Association

EditorAmy [email protected]

Marketing and BusinessBelinda [email protected]

PublisherJill [email protected]

Sales ManagerSam [email protected]

Publishing DirectorRichard [email protected]

No part of this publication maybe transmitted, reproduced orelectronically stored withoutthe written permission from thepublisher.

DS Air Publications does notgive any warranty as to thecontext of the materialappearing in the magazine, itsaccuracy, timeliness or fitnessfor any particular purpose. DSAir Publications disclaims allpersonal responsibility for anydamages or losses in the useand dissemination of theinformation.

All editorial contents Copyright© 2020 DS Air LtdAll Rights ReservedISSN: 2516-4848

DS Air LtdBoxer Retreat,Langhurstwood RoadHorsham, West SussexRH12 4QDUnited KingdomT: +44 1403 273 973

CONTENTS

16

NewSpace.pmd 05/11/2020, 10:534








NewSpace.pmd 05/11/2020, 10:535

https://satelliteevo.com/spaceflight


#T4i #ESA #PROPULSION #REGULUS #

T4i wins contract fromESA for propulsion system

To include your news in NewSpace Internationalmagazine please contact

Dr Amy [email protected]

T4i has won a contract from ESA for its EP REGULUSpropulsion system evolution.

T4i, a company providingcustomized and off-the-shelfpropulsion systems, is enteringthe microsatellite market with itsfirst propulsion system product,REGULUS. It all begun in 2006with the initial thrusterdevelopment at the University ofPadua. Passing through the yearsthe first thruster version wasminiaturized and thensurrounded by all the othersubsystems to get a completepropulsion unit. Today REGULUSis almost ready to be integratedin UNISAT-7 for its first launch inspace in October.

This 2020 is in fact a bigmilestone for REGULUS but itdoes not represent the end of T4iEP systems developments.Rather this is the beginning. “Apartfrom being the first EP systemusing iodine that is going to fly,thanks to its technologyREGULUS represents a new eraof doing propulsion”, says ElenaToson, T4i Business Development Manager. “To make acorrelation, Ferrari cars stands for electric propulsionexisting technologies just as Fiat 500 stands for REGULUS.

And in the past Fiat 500 completely revolutionized theway people were moving.”

But T4i is already thinking about the future and whatwill be its next EP steps. In fact, T4i won a contract fromthe European Space Agency for the development ofE-REGULUS, an even more versatile and economicallyaffordable propulsion system. Matteo Duzzi, ProjectManager of E-REGULUS development says: “We arevery proud to improve the capabilities of our system

with this project, and to carry out this activity under aprogramme of, and funded by, the European SpaceAgency. I particularly like the thruster evolution to

target a broader microsatellites powerrange and the interchangeability of thefluidic line.

“These will open up new andinteresting perspectives, making thesystem effectively adaptable to differentmissions and different propellants. In thisway it will be easier to match customers’particular needs”.

E-REGULUS is specifically designed toserve platforms in the range between 50and 200kg, requiring thrust capability forstation keeping, phasing, drag compens-ation and other maneuvers. The systemis designed with a building blockapproach thus the system integrators cancustomize the subsystems configurationbasing on their specific needs. Moreover,it is versatile in using different type ofpropellant as Ar, Kr, Xe, I2, water. In termsof performance over cost, E-REGULUS

is the best of its class.With a development roadmap of one year and a half,

E-REGULUS has the ambition of entering the marketof small satellites and become the EP systemreference for mini platforms, for LEO and far beyondLEO missions.

Photo courtesy of T4i

NewSpace.pmd 05/11/2020, 10:536




NewSpace.pmd 05/11/2020, 10:537

https://satelliteevo.com/yux


A nighttime test of the Firefly Alphastage one Reaver engines at theaerospace company's test facilityin Briggs, Texas Photo courtesy ofEdwards Media

Firefly Aerospace readies historicVandenberglaunch complex

Laurence Russell, News & Social Editor, NewSpaceInternational

#FIREFLY #ALPHAFLIGHT #VANDENBURG #PROPULSION

CEO and CTO Dr Tom Markusic is preparingfor the inaugural liftoff of Firefly Aerospace’sAlpha launch vehicle. The Firefly team isexecuting a series of acceptance tests on theAlpha Flight 1 vehicle and putting the finishingtouches on its launch complex at VandenbergAir Force Base. This final push to Firefly’s firstAlpha flight later this year is the culminationof years of hard work. We caught up with theFirefly CEO for the latest updates as Fireflyapproaches its first Alpha launch later thisyear.

Dr Tom Markusic, CEO and CTO, Firefly

Question: Could you recap Firefly’s journey fromdevelopment to production stages, ready for its firstlaunch later this year?Tom Markusic: Firefly is currently preparing for themaiden launch of the Firefly Alpha. That means we aremanufacturing and acceptance testing the Alpha Flight1 vehicle and finalizing our launch complex infrastructureat Vandenberg Air Force Base. At the same time, we arealready manufacturing Alpha Flight 2, which will allow

us to rapidly execute fully commercial missions soonafter a successful Flight 1.

Question: You recently achieved your AS9100 qualitycertification, allowing you to focus on full productioncapabilities. What does this mean for Firefly?Tom Markusic: AS9100 certification is a qualitymanagement practice that is widely used andstandardized across the entire aerospace industry.

NewSpace.pmd 05/11/2020, 10:538



#FIREFLY #ALPHAFLIGHT #VANDENBURG #PROPULSION

Launch vehicles transport business-critical customercargo to space and this certification assures ourcustomers that we have the quality processes in placenecessary for repeatable success.

Question: What can you tell us about the Alpha launchvehicle testing going on at your site in Briggs, Texas?Tom Markusic: We are currently undergoingacceptance testing for the systems that will fly on AlphaFlight 1. All of the structures, which include propellanttanks, are tested, while at the same time, the flightengines are separately tested.

Once these tests are complete, the engines and tankswill be integrated into full stages, which are then furtheracceptance tested with static fires on our 100-footvertical test stand.

Once all tests have been successfully executed, thestages will be shipped to our launch site at Vandenbergfor the first Alpha launch later this year.

Question: You have a launch complex underconstruction at Vandenberg Air Force Base inCalifornia. What can we expect from that facility?Tom Markusic: Our first launch site is SLC-2W atVandenberg Air Force Base (VAFB). We are excited tobuild on the historic legacy of this launch site at VAFB,where more than 70 Thor and Delta rockets have beenlifted into space since 1966. We are developing theFirefly Launch Center Complex and look forward toachieving many exciting milestones, including thecompletion and activation of the launch pad, the launchcontrol center, and the integration hangar over the nextfew months leading up to our inaugural launch. Once

SLC-2W is activated, our team will shift to additionallaunch sites on the eastern US coast, making Firefly theonly US small launch company with west and east coastlaunch sites.

Question: Firefly fills a niche with the capability to lift630kg payloads to Sun Synchronous Orbit. How haveyou made that viable?Tom Markusic: We have relationships with the USGovernment and commercial customers throughout theworld. We consistently hear from our customers thatthe Alpha performance niche is perfectly sized for thesmall spacecraft market. Whether it is launching four orfive 100kg class satellites in one launch to populate aplane in a constellation or launching larger 500 kg to600 kg satellites to their ideal orbit on their preferredschedule, our customers are excited to see Firefly Alphatake flight.

Question: What are some of the possibilities forapplications delivered by the NewSpace sector whichFirefly hopes to assist in delivering?Tom Markusic: Morgan Stanley estimates the globalspace industry will exceed one trillion dollars by 2040,triple what it is now, with other estimates far exceedingtheir projections. Whether it is imaging, broadbandcommunications, IoT applications, in-orbit services orother applications that are still beyond the horizon, therewill be thousands of spacecraft launched to low earthorbit in the coming decades, and Firefly’s industryleading payload performance will allow us to capture asignificant portion of the small to medium launch vehiclemarket.

NewSpace.pmd 05/11/2020, 10:539


https://satelliteevo.com/ago


#LEO #ONEWEB #COVID #SATELLITE #DEBRIS #STARLINK #ATHENA #KUIPER

The way forward forLEO – The NewSpacerace clears itsbiggest hurdleIn recent years, LEO has cemented itself asperhaps the most potent buzzword in theNewSpace sphere. Steadily its detractorshave fallen ever quieter, as the dream ofmultiple high-speed constellationsconnecting the world became real. However,then came the disastrous economicshockwaves of the COVID crash andOneWeb’s subsequent trip to chapter 11. Is thiscause to reignite our forgotten worries, or aninevitable hiccup only accelerated by thepandemic?


As of 2020, a quarter of all objects in Earth’s orbit havebeen put there in the last five years of our history, andit’s predicted that between now and 2030 we can expect57,000 new satellites to join them.

Since the lucrative opportunity to bring high-speedconnectivity all over the planet became apparent in LEO,the world’s premiere entrepreneurs have been racingto secure a healthy foothold in the impending market.

The ‘NewSpace Race’ to occupy and monetize LEOspace by providing competitive global connectivity had

been heating up to a fever pitch until the catastrophiceconomic damage of COVID-19 set it back.

In the Spring of 2020 when the virus was rapidlyspreading across the Western world, OneWebsuccessfully launched its 74th satellite with the sameenthusiasm that won over investors at its launch theprevious year, before abruptly filing for bankruptcy onthe 27th of March.

OneWeb’s original CEO Greg Wyler launched thecompany with a mission statement emphasising the useof satellites to address the digital divide, specifically inNorth America, targeting rural America, Alaska andcertain Canadian territories.

Until then, OneWeb had ground out a solid reputation,and earned a great deal of business confidence.Suddenly the murmurs of trepidation over LEO fromcautious experts that we’d almost forgotten camecrashing back into relevance, as the NewSpaceeconomy was shaken, and a new wave of doubt spreadacross the industry.

Was the LEO goldmine as safe as we’d been told, orwas the house of cards starting to fall?

In the case of OneWeb, we already have a fairlysuccinct answer. Following a successful offer made bythe British government, Bharti Airtel, and Softbank ofJapan, OneWeb was revived.

The acquisition is thought to stimulate the UK techindustry while providing wholesale connections to telcosand ISPs, by providing backhaul to rural cell sites, andpotentially providing the country with a sovereign GPSsystem. The kind it would’ve had with the Galileo projectit spent £1.2 billion on, had it stayed in the EU. Withanother £1 billion needed to cover up the company’sexisting debts, and a further £1.4 billion needed in 2021,the company is expected to return to profitability in 2023.

OneWeb’s messy circumstances aside, thecompany’s rescue stands as something of a rallying cryfor LEO. A reminder that the world won’t let the satelliteindustry’s dream of realising superfast globalconnectivity be easily abandoned.

LEO coverage excels at providing high speed and lowlatency, a demand of government and industry, as wellas consumers of the developed world, especially inunderserved regions. Such a great set of demographics

Illustration of a OneWeb satellite.Photo courtesy of OneWeb

NewSpace.pmd 05/11/2020, 10:5310



NewSpace.pmd 05/11/2020, 10:5311

https://rebrand.ly/5w37vmg



LEO constellation. Photo courtesy Airbus

describes a massive market share, and one that certainlymotivates the incredible sums of money piled into LEOprojects.

Starlink – The new frontrunner?Starlink, Elon Musk’s own foray into the LEO goldrush,recently made headlines with the announcement that itwas looking for beta customers to trial the extreme low-latency connections at the heart of LEO’s business case.While the measure will no doubt better informdevelopers looking to optimize the innovative venture,the assumption is that this initiative is primarily intendedto make headlines and spur investment.

Reddit users recently managed to log Starlink pre-beta speeds using the Ookla Speedtest app to discovera downstream of 60Mbps besides an upstream of17.7Mbps with a 31ms latency. These are very healthyspeeds considering the US average connection sits at18.7Mbps according to Akamai’s 2017 survey, though wemust recognise that Starlink’s pre-beta stats aren’t agood barometer for the performance customers willreceive, as platforms managing full capacities will beunder a much greater strain.

The company has explained that it intends to raiseadditional funds “up to US$1 billion” to sustain thebusiness, in addition to the US$3.5 billion it has alreadysecured. Bloomburg estimates that Starlink would needUS$50 billion to stay in business until 2033, when thecompany has been projected to achieve cash-positivity.

With 540 satellites currently in orbit, Starlink is far fromthe target of 4,000 installations that its business planrequires, set to expand to 12,000 units by 2027. Thecompany is even seeking approval for a further 30,000units. With only a 5-6 year lifespan for each satellite, itappears the model requires all units to be concurrentlyreplaced as they lose functionality. We’ve been told that‘most’ Starlink platforms will feature onboard propulsion,allowing them to deorbit themselves at the end of theirlifespans, though those that don’t will be left to burn upon their own.

That kind of imprecision has driven a wedge betweenthe famously extravagant industrial icon and the

scientific community. Not least since ESA were forcedto reposition one of its satellites to avoid a collision witha Starlink satellite. Without ESA’s quick reactions, thismishap may have brought about the dreaded KesslerEffect, causing untold havoc in space and chaos forthose disconnected from satellite services on Earth.

Dr Alice Gorman, the self-styled “Dr Space Junk” haslong publicised the issue. She reminds us that just “acouple of catastrophic collisions or more destructiveanti-satellite tests and suddenly we’re in the territorypredicted by Donald Kessler and Burton Cour-Palais inthe 1970s, where it will no longer be possible to usecertain regions of space.” In the event of a full-scaleablation cascade, space would become categoricallyinaccessible, potentially dooming mankind to anEarthbound existence for the rest of its days. Shedescribes such a world as a “Prison planet, where thebars are deadly high-speed space junk missiles.”Needless to say, the stakes have never been higher.

The US Federal Communications Commission is stillundecided on whether Starlink will be privy to theupcoming Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) grantsauction in October 2020. The US Government hasalready handed nearly US$4.9 billion in taxpayer moneyto Musk’s companies via various subsidy handouts, butStarlink’s status as a business with an undeliveredproduct and incomplete funding would make it anunprecedented recipient of the RDOF.

Athena and Kuiper – The working titles with clearpotentialFacebook’s long-awaited plans for satellite launchcannot be discounted either, as project Athenacontinues to gain momentum, with public filingssuggesting the social network firm is actively preparingfor experimental launch. Operating through the shellcompany PointView Tech LLC, Athena was originallyintended to launch in 2016 but was held back by theSpaceX rockets they were using exploding.

The incident set the Athena project back by years. Atthe time of writing, Facebook continues to decline toprovide information about their launch plans.

NewSpace.pmd 05/11/2020, 10:5312




Now pursuing a proof-of-concept Small SpacecraftMission Service (SSMS) flight with Arianespace, Athenaagain missed its planned launch in 2019 to retrysometime in 2020.

The soon-to-be trillionaire Jeff Bezos is no strangerto the LEO frontier either, though his own venture retainsits working title of project Kuiper. Kuiper recentlyreceived FCC approval for the undertaking, which plansto orbit 3,236 satellites. As part of the FCC’s arrangement,Amazon is required to deploy half of its satellite fleet by2026, with the remaining number in orbit by 2029.

The current plan will stagger the fleet into three ringsinside of low Earth space. 784 installations will orbit atthe lowest altitude of 590km, 1,296 will sit at 610km, and1,156 will operate at 630km. Supposedly thisarrangement will be capable of serving 95 percent ofEarth’s entire population, with the initial customer basebeing American.

“We are doing an incredible amount of invention todeliver fast, reliable broadband at a price that makessense for customers,” explained Rajeev Badyal, VP ofTechnology for Project Kuiper.

Being the richest person on Earth, Bezos is more thancapable of self-funding the project through thick andthin, making the collapse of the business difficult toforesee.

Project Kuiper appears to be mercifully aware of theissue of orbital debris too, committing themselves to astandard of deorbiting satellites within one year of thecompletion of their missions, as well as all of NASA’scurrent guidelines concerning surviving debris. Animpressive standard considering NASA’s own deadlinefor the deorbit of post-mission platforms is 25 years.

News from the LEO frontier remains encouraging,despite the shock of OneWeb’s misfortune. While dateshave been re-addressed, the constellations are stillbeing positioned, and we have every expectation offinding ourselves in a LEO connected world by the endof the first quarter of the 21st century.

A Falcon 9 launch. Photo courtesy of SpaceX

NewSpace.pmd 05/11/2020, 10:5313

https://satelliteevo.com/y30



#HIBER #IOT #DIGITALIZATION #DATA #TECHNOLOGY

Pioneering IoT developerHiber is a pioneering IoT developer dedicatedto expanding and deepening ourunderstanding of connectivity throughdisruptive technology. As the last year hasdrawn unprecedented distances between us,Hiber endeavours to leverage technology tobring us closer together, strengtheningbusinesses and industry with sophisticateddigitization. Coen Janssen, Co-Founder &Director of Business Intelligence, discussesHiber’s solutions and their strategies tointegrate them.

Amy Saunders, Editor, NewSpace International

Question: What can satellite IoT offer the business andenterprise sectors? Coen Janssen: Until recently, 90 percent of the world’ssurface, mainly rural and remote areas such as jungles,oceans, agricultural areas as well as developingcountries, did not have the option to access an Internetconnection. To this day, this means that businessesoperating in these areas are reliant on manual processes,which increases costs, reduces efficiency, and opensthem up to the possibility of human error. However, thishas now changed with innovations in Internet of Things(IoT) and remote monitoring.

Right now, nanosatellites in near space are zoomingaround the Earth every 90 minutes, covering the wholeplanet every single day. The creation and deploymentof this technology has revolutionised communicationsas we know it, opening up 100 percent of the Earth’ssurface to connectivity.

Through small modems placed in IoT sensors in anylocation around the world - in a water well, railcar, a ricefield, or a ship’s storage unit - data can be transmittedto a corresponding nanosatellite when it passes over.The nanosatellite then collects the data, store it, andforward it to a local ground station to be transmittedelsewhere.

COVID-19 has exponentially increased therequirement for technology that allows people andorganisations to complete tasks remotely. But when itcomes to operating in hard to reach areas in particular,remote IoT monitoring has numerous added benefitsfar beyond reducing the need for human travel to andinteraction with distant locations:

Providing consistent data-driven insights - Withmore frequent automatic data gathering using IoT,businesses can get a more consistent overview ofoperations as well as reducing the risk of human error.This consistent insight enables businesses to makeinformed data-driven decisions and assign supportwhen needed. For example, remote monitoring of soilmoisture and climate levels on farms helps farmersunderstand whether their crops need water withouthaving to travel onsite across rural locations. This

results in increased yields, less water consumption,and less operational costs. Increasing efficiency - Efficiency of operations isincreased as organisations can take informed andtimely action from afar, reducing downtime. Reducing costs - Deploying this technologyreduces costs for businesses by negating the need forfly-ins, fly-outs and hotel stays to on-site operationsto conduct manual checks. Maintenance andoperations can be monitored from a central base andteams will only need to be deployed on-site when anissue has been identified by the platform. Businessesalso save money on repairs as inconsistencies can becaught by technology early on, ensuring they areaddressed as soon as possible and do not worsenrequiring a full replacement of equipment. Moreover,this technology is provided at a low-cost and can beup to 20 times cheaper than alternative systems.

Question: Which industries stand to benefit most bydigitalization? Coen Janssen: Businesses operating in remote areasthat still rely on mainly manual processes which havethe potential to be automated stand to benefit the mostfrom digitalization.

COVID-19 has forced businesses away from thetraditional way of doing things and to accept the benefitsthat cutting-edge technology can offer, where before alack of buy-in, budget and other complexities haltedthem from implementing a digital transformationprocess. In many cases the technological solutionsalready existed, such as IoT remote monitoring forexample, and during this time organisations have justhad to take the step forward and adopt it.

The oil and gas industry is one example. In May thisyear, during the height of COVID-19, Reuters reportedthat a handful of oil and gas companies had to postponemaintenance and repairs due to social distancingmeasures and travel restrictions. Halting such practicescan increase the risk of potential environmental dangers,such as leaks or a reduced production due to faulty

Coen Janssen, Co-Founder & Director ofBusiness Intelligence,Hiber’

NewSpace.pmd 05/11/2020, 10:5314



#HIBER #IOT #DIGITALIZATION #DATA #TECHNOLOGY

equipment. This can easily be solved through theadoption of remote monitoring technology as sensorscan track data points to identify leaks or pressure buildups, delivering data to a central urban hub and flagginganomalies.

Construction, mining, agriculture, and the supplychain are just some other examples of industries thatare undergoing an overdue digital transformationfollowing COVID-19 and will benefit in both the shortand long term.

Question: As we continue to realise the revolution ofIndustry 4.0, and machine learning and automationplay ever stronger roles in our day to day lives; howcrucial a role does IoT play in delivering an automatedworld?Coen Janssen: COVID-19 has certainly put pressure oncompanies to adopt technology in order to survive, thusspeeding up the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Differenttypes of technologies all have an important part to playand are all crucial in delivering an automated world.However, IoT is particularly important as it connectstechnology together, enabling a flow of information inreal-time from anywhere in the world, opening up a vastamount of different possibilities. The insights providedthrough this technology are the backbone of efficientbusiness operations as they provide an overview ofprocesses and highlight potential issues. As well as this,businesses are no longer inhibited from working inremote areas that traditionally did not have anyconnectivity.

To empower the most efficient use of technologyeverything must be interconnected. For example, IoTremote monitoring solutions will utilise AI to conductautomatic analysis and automatically implement nextsteps without the need for human intervention.

Question: Hiber was recently awarded Dutch NationalIcon status besides an EU grant for its pioneering workdelivering IoT technology to developing countries.How did you attract such prestigious attention? Coen Janssen: Hiber’s vision and what we have achievedso far is unlike what other IoT technology companiesare doing at the moment. We are using IoT and our ownnetwork of nanosatellites to create positive change andspur innovation through low-cost remote digitalsolutions. We were the first IoT satellite solution to golive in 2019, bringing IoT connectivity to the 90 percentof the world that previously didn’t have access to it.

We are also working on innovative and critical projectswith our customers. For example, our technology isbeing used to help the conservation of bees, a vitalspecies in our ecosystem, as well as overall helping toelevate business efficiency for a large range of sectorsglobally. In truth, our IoT network has limitlesspossibilities that can help a wide range of businessesoperating in remote areas.

Question: Much of the private sector has sufferedunder the challenges of the global pandemic, butsome have managed to reinvest their resources tokeep running as normal with the use ofcommunications technology. What are the primarylessons business ought to learn from the adversitiesof 2020? Coen Janssen: One of the most important lessons that

the pandemic has taught businesses is the need toembrace digitalization.

Digitalizing operations leads to increased efficiencyand can often lower costs for a company. IoTtechnology, especially in this time, has enabled manybusinesses in industries such as oil and gas, mining andagriculture to maintain day to day activities safelythrough the use of remote monitoring systems,complying with social distancing while even improvingproductivity.

Question: In the wake of the COVID crash, economiccommentators have increasingly stressed theimportance of sustainability in business. How cancompanies capitalise on fostering a healthy marketand retaining jobs with the use of technology?Coen Janssen: The adoption of technology has a largeimpact on the sustainability of a business. Technologycannot only retain jobs but can also create a host of newroles within a company leading to a healthy employmentand economic market. Technology, such as IoT, can helpmany businesses to work remotely without any impacton capabilities while also saving them money, which iscrucial to the sustainability of a business that is workingin the midst of a financial crisis. The right technologycan also help a business to be more agile and flexible -both extremely important qualities if organisations areto thrive and navigate through challenges they’ve neverexperienced before. We at Hiber are proud to enablethese sustainable improvements on a global scale.

Hiber Groundstation in Delft,Netherlands

NewSpace.pmd 05/11/2020, 10:5315



#SDA #DEBRIS #LEO #ESA #NASA

The impact of small satellites onspace situationalawarenessWith the number of small satellites in lowEarth orbit (LEO) set to boom in the next fewyears, possibly even increase tenfold, thequestion of space safety has become evenmore pressing. With very few small satellitessuccessfully being de-orbited, the possibilityof growing volumes of space debris threatensthe sovereignty of the space environment.

Pascal Wauthier, Chairman, Space Data AssociationPascal Wauthier, Chairman, Space Data Association

Low Earth orbit (LEO) launches are on the horizon, withhuge constellations set to be added to an alreadycrowded space. There already exist 1,900 satellites inLEO, but this number is set to increase by as much asten times in the next few years. Small satellites are onthe increase with the emergence of mega-constellations. In October 2019, SpaceX requestedpermission to launch an additional 30,000 LEO satelliteson top of the 12,000 already approved by the ITU andFCC.

There is no denying that LEO satellites, and inparticular mega constellations, deliver a hugeopportunity for the satellite industry. Consumers aredemanding more connectivity than ever before. Thegrowing appetite for Internet of Things (IoT) and pendingroll-outs of 5G will all contribute to the need for a reliableway to maintain that connectivity. LEO satellites canenable all of this new technology, however that needs

to be carefully balanced with their impact on the spaceenvironment and space situational awareness (SSA).

Current Space Situational AwarenessCurrently there are several ways SSA is handled. Thisincludes public catalogues that collate data on locationof satellites. The Space Data Center (SDA) couples thatwith operator provided ephemerides and futuremanoeuvre plans to give a more accurate and reliablepicture and to enable collision avoidance. However,even that has its limitations, especially because it is notfeasible to track much smaller objects that wouldnevertheless cause significant damage if they were tocollide with an operational satellite.

Current systems have gone a long way to ensuringspace flight safety. However, as space gets more andmore crowded, it is clear that these are not accurateenough. For one thing, they are unable to track verysmall objects, yet a collision with objects as small as20cm in size could cause a significant debris generatingevent. The large number of diverse flight dynamicssystems used by the operator community yieldsinconsistencies between orbit estimates, products,formats reference frames, and timing systems. Toovercome these issues, an effective space situationalawareness (SSA) system like the SDA Space Data Center(SDC) must validate and calibrate the operator-providedinformation.

Shortcomings in many of the public cataloguescoupled with these challenges means that accuracy isnot as good as it could be and needs to be. This meansthat are too many false alerts which also leads to acertain amount of apathy, and even worse can lead tomissing true alerts

LEO challengesLEO is already the most debris-filled region, and currenttrends point to a worsening of the situation. Over twoyears ago, NASA estimated that at the time there were

Photo courtesy Space Data Association

NewSpace.pmd 05/11/2020, 10:5316



#PROPULSION #IKAROS #NANOAVIONICS #CHEMICAL #ELECTRICAL

NewSpace.pmd 05/11/2020, 10:5317

https://satelliteevo.com/vq2



around 23,000 tracked objects greater than 10cm in size, most of it ‘junk,’ with another estimated 7,000 untrackedobjects that could cause catastrophic damage to othersatellites.

Add to this the fact that LEO environment comes withits own unique challenges, which are set to make SSAeven more complex:

1. LEO services require huge numbers of satellites ina constellationThe very nature of LEO means that to maintain coverageand anticipated demand, more satellites are needed.

2. De-orbiting is not enforcedWith a vast amount of smallsats set to be deployed inLEO, it is concerning that there is very little enforcementof de-orbiting regulations during the last decade.Currently, for low Earth orbits (LEO), the guidelinesrequire de-orbit into the Earth’s atmosphere within 25years. However, only around 15-25 percent of payloadsreaching end-of-life in LEO attempt to comply, and only5-15 percent are even successful.

3. Lack of on-board propulsionMany LEO satellites, especially small cubesats, don’thave on-board propulsion. Some rely on differential dragto avoid a collision, but this needs few days toimplement, therefore requiring an early close-approachnotice. Also, the velocity change might not be sufficient.This means many satellites are unable to performeffective and timely collision avoidance measures.

Impact on SSANaturally, the fact that LEO constellations need moresatellites to maintain coverage means there will be more

satellites in orbit than you would need in GEO or MEO. Amuch more crowded environment increases the risk ofcollision. Also, because they are moving faster than therotation of the Earth, it makes tracking them much amore complex task, which further complicates spacesituational awareness.

The lack of de-orbiting of course further adds to thatovercrowding. More than that, those satellites becomeimpossible to manoeuvre, leaving a lot of debris thatcannot avoid colliding with other objects. This is ofcourse the same problem with those cubesats thateither do not have on-board propulsion or have limitedmanoeuvre capability using differential drag. If theyreceive a conjunction alert with a satellite that does haveon-board propulsion, that can of course move, howeverthe situation could be concerning if neither is able toperform a manoeuvre in due time.

All of this leaves the industry with a daunting task.AGI, operators of the Space Data Centre (SDC), haveestimated that annual collision rates are set to increasesubstantially over the coming years. For example, usingpublicly available information regarding proposed largeconstellations over the next 10 years, some operatorscould experience as many as 30 million collisionwarnings (3km miss distance) and over 3 millionmanoeuvres. These estimates were derived assumingno mitigation measures. However, should a satelliteoperator need to perform these number of manoeuvresover a 10-year period, this drastically reduces the servicelife of an operational satellite and increases the risk forcollisions.

How do we solve it?There are several things we should put in place in orderto mitigate the risk and improve SSA in LEO.


NewSpace.pmd 05/11/2020, 10:5318



#ASGARDIA #MOON #SATELLITE #EARTHARKS #MOONARKS #STARARKS

Observing the Earth from space

NewSpace.pmd 05/11/2020, 10:5319

https://satelliteevo.com/yaf



1. RegulationIncreased regulation could be significant in improvingde-orbiting numbers and decreasing the amount ofspace debris above us over time. At present, there isvery little significant regulation in SSA whilst current lawsalso differ nationally, which means there areinconsistencies across operators. We should be mindful,however, that any regulations that do come into forcedo not cause a detrimental effect of adding to thecommercial cost for operators, nor hold back innovation.

2. Better cooperationAs well demonstrated with SDA, GEO operators havealready proven the benefits of collaboration to improvespace situational awareness. Now we need to replicatethat in LEO. Engaging with LEO operators will be paramountto ensure they understand the impact of their missions.

3. Better trackingIn response to this, it’s key that we consider the viabilityof developing measurement systems that might allowus to better track objects in LEO, including extremelysmall debris. Even in GEO (which is less debris-filled thanother orbits) if we were able to track objects between20cm and 1m in size, this would account for a potentialsignificant increase in the number of objects beingtracked. By doing so, data about these objects couldhelp operators to avoid collisions and keep spacecleaner for future use.

4. Government responsibilityUp until now, SSA has been largely handled bycommercial operators, both individually and collectivelythrough the Space Data Association. However, SSA is areal environmental issue. Without the ability to safelyoperate in space, many of the everyday services andthose of a more complex nature across the world couldbecome impossible. It should be treated as aninternational governmental issue, with nationscollaborating to improve the space environment for all.

5. Satellite reliabilityThe launch of mega-constellation raises the concernon satellite reliability. Even if only a few percent ofseveral thousand satellites would fail, this will increasefurther the debris that can’t manoeuvre.

LEO: Threat or opportunity?LEO launches are certainly set to have a massive impacton SSA and that is naturally a cause for concern.However, with a more holistic approach to SSA, greatercollaboration, reliable satellites and the use of advancedSSA tools together with multiple sources of data, I amconfident we could mitigate many of those risks. It willbe important for the LEO operators to engage with therest of the industry, but if handled well, in collaborationwith commercial operators and governing bodies, thesatellite industry can maximise the opportunity broughtby LEO.


NewSpace.pmd 05/11/2020, 10:5320



#SKYRORA #LAUNCH #ECOSENE #FIFE #AVIATION

NewSpace.pmd 05/11/2020, 10:5321

https://asiavideosummit.com/


#SOLARSAILS #NASA #JPL #ESA #JAXA #SPACE

Solar sails - The key to deep spaceodysseysSolar sails are an underutilized method ofspacecraft propulsion, making use of theeasily available solar energy in inner-solarspace to accelerate via radiation pressure.While the technique is only practical for smallprobes, the method is gaining popularity in thescientific community as a means of cost-effective thrust, particularly for sustaininginterstellar travel.


After conquering the logistical barrier of breaking withEarth’s gravity, spacefaring faces a second, far greaterlogistical challenge: Provisioning for journeys betweencelestial bodies.

The amount of rocket fuel required to enter orbitalone is staggering, but around the same amount againis needed for a trip to Mars, all of which is practicallydoubled in the case of return journeys. The sheertonnage of chemical propellant needed for the moreambitious space voyages has long been one of theprimary barriers to advanced space exploration.

An eloquent answer to the problem may be emergingfrom solar sail research, which appears to haveundergone several eureka moments in recent years. Thepromising results seen from trials of NASA’s Near-EarthAsteroid (NEA) Scout, a sophisticated CubeSat probe setto be placed in cis-lunar space in order to observenearby asteroids and support mitigation strategies forplanetary defence, have seen space scientists starttaking solar sails more seriously.

Renewable resources may be handy on Earth, but inspace they’re invaluable, and in the inner-solar spaceof our star system, no resource is more renewable thansolar power.

Going interstellar – Sailing the stars into the wildunknownOn a recent live web panel courtesy of Roccor - “Wherewill Solar Sailing take Small Satellites?” - in which aleague of experts discussed the future of the field,hosted by Scott Tibbitts, CEO of Starsys Research andKatasi, Inc., the prospect of interplanetary probes makinguse of solar sail acceleration was hotly enthused over.

“The trick is the constant acceleration,” explained DrDavid Spencer, Mission System Manager, Mars SampleReturn Campaign at NASA JPL. “Even a very smallacceleration applied over a massive timeframe can buildto an extreme velocity in space, and so it’s one of thefew technologies that can approach an interstellartrajectory and arrive within the span of a human lifetime.”

Once out of inner-solar space, Dr Spencer explained

Artist's impression of NASA's NEA Scout. Photo courtesy of NASA

NewSpace.pmd 05/11/2020, 10:5322




that a probe could detach its sails for even lighter mass,and upon reaching neighbouring systems, beginimaging its exoplanets, charting their continents torecover invaluable insights into alien worlds.

“The most realistic step we can take now istechnology demonstration missions in interstellarspace,” said Dr Artur Davoyan, Assistant Professor ofMechanical and Aerospace Engineering at the Universityof California, Los Angeles (UCLA). “There are so manyunknowns out there and so much evolving, emergentscience that we need to see put into practice.”

The proverbial revelatory moment in which thetechnology of solar sails went from impractical curiosityto crucial method of space exploration was describedby Les Johnson, Solar Sail Principal Investigator at NASA.“It hit me during the smallsat revolution. As spacecraftmass was effectively reduced, suddenly the area/massratios required for effective solar propulsion lined up.When you do the numbers, you can see that within realphysics, not warp cores or dark matter drives, but theactual behaviour of light, it’s possible to take a roboticprobe to another star system of exoplanets.”

The US$100 million Starshot initiative hypothesisedin 2016 plans to launch a swarm of tiny spacecraft withgossamer-thin sails dubbed ‘starchips’ to Alpha Centauri.Hypothetically, the starchips would accelerate to 20percent the speed of light to reach the neighbouring

system within 20 years. A highly advanced laser array isrequired to propel the starchips at such fantastic speeds.The kind that modern science isn’t yet capable ofconstructing. Such an array is estimated to cost betweenUS$5 and US$10 billion, assuming the grey areas canbe accounted for during R&D.

Inner-solar vigilance – A new standard for probestechnology?While exoplanetary survey isn’t yet practical, outer solarexploration is showing more promise. With extremeconservation of mass through probes constructed fromaerographite carbon foam, 15,000 times lighter thanaluminium, a solar sailed probe would not need a laserarray to reach high velocity. The resulting microprobecould potentially weigh just 2.3mg. After prototyping, it’spredicted that these aerographite probes could costUS$1,000 or less.

With an onboard 1g, 32W laser payload, such a probecould accelerate to 114,000mph. Enough to reach Plutofrom Earth in 3.9 years without an ounce of chemicalpropellant. The laser could then help astronomers onEarth detect gravitational effects which could reveal thepresence of bodies too dark and cold to see from Earth,such as the theoretical Planet Nine.

More aspirationallly, launching the same vessel closeto the sun (0.04 AU away), an aerographite craft could

Artist's depiction of the IKAROS probe,launched in 2010, Photo courtesyJAXA

NewSpace.pmd 05/11/2020, 10:5323




reach 15.4 million mph, which could reach ProximaCentauri in 185 years. However, aerographite drones arealso speculative, as there has never been anaerographite structure larger than a few centimetres,and an interstellar probe would require a design a fewmetres large.

“It’s really important to get creative and think big here,”edDana Turse, Director of Emerging Products at Roccor.“Extremely large apertures are possible with thistechnology. What if we manufactured sails of 10,000square metres, enabling a far larger payload? Thistechnology can be scaled up to enable vastly moreapplications that haven’t been broadly considered yet.”

While the most excitement for solar sails appears tobe deservedly centred on the possibilities for interstellartravel, more contemporary applications lie closer to NEAScout’s purpose in effectively monitoring our solarsystem. The Earth has managed to sidestep a numberof cosmic catastrophes in our history through sheer luck,

but we are fast approaching the era in which the dangersof incoming asteroids and freak solar storms arebecoming mankind’s responsibility to predict, preparefor, and wishfully prevent.

Later in the panel, Dr David Spencer argued that:“Solar sail spacecraft are uniquely well-suited forproviding solar storm monitoring because of theircapability in non-Keplerian orbit, which is perfect forgathering solar data.”

While space exploration and planetary defence arenoble and pointedly essential applications of spacetechnology, they may not be driven by the market atthe same speed as NewSpace interests. The revenuestreams involved in discovering new worlds, andsafeguarding old ones may seem obvious, althoughwithout the snappy return period that traditionallycompels governments and investors to award funding,the full potential of solar sailing may not be realised asquickly as other, more lucrative space technologies.

Starshot Starchip conceptualisation. Photocourtesy of Breakthrough Initiatives

NewSpace.pmd 05/11/2020, 10:5324



#INDUSTRY4.0 #QUADSAT #DRONES #SATELLITES

NewSpace.pmd 05/11/2020, 10:5325

https://www.paris-space-week.com/index.php

https://24hrs-global-space.onlinemeetings.events/EN/



COMING SOON...

Advertiser PageAdvantech Wireless 2AVIA Video Summit 21Comtech Xicom IBCOmnetics 9Orbital Transports 13Paris Space Week 25Printech 7Space Flight Laboratory 5Space Symposium 19STN OBCTerrasat 11Walton De-Ice 17

Coming up in the next issue of NewSpace

• News• Cryptocurrencies• AI• Launch sector• Mars exploration• Space tourism• On-orbit servicing

Enjoyed this issue of NewSpaceInternational magazine? Hold onto yourhats, because there’s much more to come!

The September issue of NewSpace Internationalhas featured the following advertisements:

ADVERTISERS’ INDEX

NewSpace.pmd 05/11/2020, 10:5326



NewSpace.pmd 05/11/2020, 10:5327

https://satelliteevo.com/xicom


NewSpace.pmd 05/11/2020, 10:5328

https://rebrand.ly/9zzsux7

Documents

NewSpace International ... · small satellite, Industry 4.0 and much more. The Space Data Association has contributed an article covering the impact of the new and upcoming small