NASA selects Lockheed Martin to develop lightning mapper for NOAA

NASA, on behalf of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), has selected Lockheed Martin Corp. of Littleton, Colorado, to develop a lightning mapping instrument as part of NOAA’s Geostationary Extended Observations (GeoXO) satellite program.

This cost-plus-award-fee contract is valued at approximately $297.1 million. It includes the development of two flight instruments as well as options for two additional units. The anticipated period of performance for this contract includes support for 10 years of on-orbit operations and five years of on-orbit storage, for a total of 15 years for each flight model. The work will take place at Lockheed Martin’s facilities in Sunnyvale, California, and Littleton, Colorado, NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, and the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

The GeoXO Lightning Mapper will detect, locate, and measure the intensity, duration, and extent of lightning flashes. The instrument will continue critical observations provided by the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites-R (GOES-R) Series Geostationary Lightning Mapper. Data from Lightning Mapper will be used to analyze severe storms, increase warning lead time for hazardous weather, and provide earlier indications of impending lightning strikes to the ground. The data will also be used for hurricane intensity prediction, wildfire detection and response, precipitation estimation, and to mitigate aviation hazards.

Forecasters need lightning information from geostationary orbit because the data are available where other sources are more limited, especially over oceans and in mountainous and rural areas. The data are also available more frequently than local radar and fill in radar coverage gaps.

Viasat and Pulsar expand commercial partnership

Viasat, Inc. a global leader in satellite communications, today announced Pulsar International (Pulsar) as the latest member of its ELEVATE program – helping to bring Viasat’s reliable L-band connectivity to more customers around the world.

Pulsar is a satellite communications and connectivity solutions provider with a reputation for innovation and reliability. It offers mobile satellite communication, high-speed internet, voice and data services, as well as network management and cybersecurity solutions to facilitate remote operations in critical, rural and challenging environments on land and at sea. The company works with major satellite communication providers, including Viasat, to enable Pulsar to optimize customers’ end-to-end experience while improving resilience and security.

As an ELEVATE partner, Pulsar will continue to utilize Viasat’s reliable satellite network for niche use cases across markets like agriculture, energy, utilities, mining and for governments.

Its services include Pulsar iO, a suite of proprietary data and network management tools to view and control your global networks via a single pane of glass, and Tracertrak, Pulsar’s robust exception management system for worker safety, personnel and asset tracking, and fixed asset management designed for reliability and ease of use.

Showcasing its reputation for reliability, Pulsar supported Brazil’s 2022 Municipal Elections utilizing Viasat’s satellite network, providing resilient and assured connectivity for voters submitting from remote areas which lack terrestrial connectivity.

ICEYE to deliver SAR satellites and data to Greece’s National Satellite Space Project in collaboration with the European Space Agency

SAR satellites and data enable Greece to monitor their areas of interest and improve their natural catastrophe detection and maritime awareness capabilities.

 

       

ICEYE, the global leader in synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite operations for Earth Observation, persistent monitoring, and natural catastrophe solutions, has today announced signing the contract for the Greek National Satellite Space Project Axis 1.2 (radar program) for the Greek Space Agency and Greek Ministry of Digital Governance, together with the European Space Agency.

 

Axis 1.2 covers the Greek SAR Space Segment and includes both radar imagery and the development of a Greek Observation System with two ICEYE SAR satellites, and their launches. In addition to sovereign satellites, Greece will also have access to ICEYE’s existing SAR satellite constellation, the largest in the world, and can start monitoring its areas of interest already while building its space capabilities. Since 2018, ICEYE has launched 38 satellites for its own constellation and for the use of its customers internationally.

 

Delivery of the ICEYE SAR imagery to the Government of Greece is expected to commence immediately, providing quick access to monitor the relevant areas of interest. Following that, the satellites are scheduled for a rapid delivery enabled by ICEYE’s fast production capabilities and booked launch schedule for many years to come.

 

ICEYE is establishing a stronger presence in Greece to accelerate the growth of the Greek space sector, and the satellites will be assembled in a new ICEYE facility to be opened in Greece.

 

2D Metamaterial breakthrough for satellite applications in 6G networks

A new cheap, easily manufactured device could lead to improved satellite communication, high-speed data transmission, and remote sensing, scientists say.

A team of engineers led by researchers from the University of Glasgow have developed a ultrathin 2D surface which harnesses the unique properties of metamaterials to manipulate and convert radio waves across the frequencies most commonly used by satellites.

Metamaterials are structures which have been carefully engineered to imbue them with properties that don’t exist in naturally-occurring materials. 

The team’s metamaterial, unveiled today in a new paper published in the journal Communications Engineering, could allow future generations of 6G satellites to carry more data, improve their remote sensing ability, and benefit from improved signal quality.

Current communication antennas are designed to transmit and receive electromagnetic waves oriented either vertically or horizontally – a property called linear polarisation. 

Misalignment between transmitting and receiving antennas can lead to signal degradation, reducing their efficiency. They are also susceptible to atmospheric effects like rain fading and ionospheric interference, which can distort signals.

The team’s breakthrough 2D metamaterial converts the linearly-polarised electromagnetic waves into circular polarisation, which could improve the quality of communication between satellites and ground stations. Satellite communication with circular polarisation offers enhanced reliability and performance, minimising signal degradation from polarisation mismatch and multipath interference.

Circular polarisation is highly resistant to atmospheric effects like rain fading and ionospheric disturbances, ensuring stable connections. It is especially beneficial in mobile applications, as it eliminates the need for precise antenna alignment. 

Airbus built Sentinel-2C satellite successfully launched

         The third Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellite has been successfully launched on a Vega rocket from Kourou, French Guiana. The Airbus-built Sentinel-2C satellite will enter service in low Earth orbit at 780 km following initial testing and commissioning. Then, it will replace Sentinel-2A, which will retire and operate in tandem with Sentinel-2B.

Marc Steckling, Head of Earth Observation, Science and Exploration at Airbus, said: “This launch gives the world another important sensor to monitor our changing planet and provides crucial continuity since the first Sentinel-2 satellite launch in 2015. Equipped with a high-resolution multispectral imager the satellite will collect vital imagery for a myriad of applications from agriculture to water quality monitoring.”

The Sentinel-2-mission is based on a constellation of two identical satellites, flying in the same orbit but 180° apart for optimal coverage and revisit time. The satellites orbit the Earth every 100 minutes covering all Earth’s land surfaces, large islands, inland and coastal waters every five days.

Offering "colour vision" for the Copernicus programme, Sentinel-2C – like its precursor satellites Sentinel-2A and -2B – will deliver optical images from the visible to short-wave infrared range of the electromagnetic spectrum. The 1.1 ton satellite will enable continuation of imaging in 13 spectral bands with a resolution (per pixel) of 10, 20 or 60 metres and a uniquely large swath width of 290 km.

UK Space Command successfully launches first military satellite

Cutting-edge new satellite launched by UK Space Command to provide crucial space-based intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance.

A UK satellite to support military operations successfully launched into space last Friday night. 

Named Tyche, the satellite is UK Space Command’s first satellite which can capture daytime images and videos of the Earth’s surface.  

The satellite will strengthen the UK’s Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities.   

As the conflict in Ukraine has shown, the use of space is crucial to military operations. Tyche is the first satellite to be launched under the Ministry of Defence’s space-based ISR programme, which will deliver a constellation of satellites and supporting ground systems by 2031.  

These satellites will not only support military operations, but also contribute to other government tasks, including natural disaster monitoring, the development of mapping information, environmental monitoring and tracking the impact of climate change around the world.   

Designed and built in the UK through a £22 million contract awarded by Defence Equipment & Support to Surrey Satellites Technology Limited (SSTL), Tyche is the first satellite to be fully owned by the Ministry of Defence.

ICEYE launches four new satellites into orbit, expanding its own constellation and serving customer missions

The latest successful satellite deployment strengthens the Earth observation capabilities for ICEYE’s customers and includes the first ICEYE satellite mission for Bayanat and Yahsat.

ICEYE, the global leader in synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite operations for Earth Observation, persistent monitoring, and natural catastrophe solutions, successfully launched four new SAR satellites on August 16,  2024. The new satellites further expand the world’s largest SAR constellation, owned and operated by ICEYE. The satellites were integrated via Exolaunch and successfully lifted off aboard the Transporter-11 Rideshare mission with Space X from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, USA. Each spacecraft has established communication, and early routine operations are underway.

The satellites serve both ICEYE’s commercial and dedicated customer missions and were manufactured by ICEYE in Finland and ICEYE US in the United States. The satellites include the first ICEYE satellite launch for Bayanat (a leading provider of AI-powered geospatial solutions)  and Al Yah Satellite Communications Company PJSC (Yahsat – the UAE’s flagship satellite solutions provider) for their earlier announced Earth Observation Space Program.

“With frequent and steady deployment of new satellites into the ICEYE constellation, we are making progress towards our vision of improving life on Earth by becoming the global source of truth in Earth Observation. The powerful and capable satellite constellation ensures fulfilling our commitments to working as a trusted partner with a growing number of governments and commercial industries to deliver timely, accurate, and actionable insights for faster and better decision-making. We are proud to launch the first ICEYE satellite for our customer Bayanat and Yahsat and look forward to continued successful cooperation on their missions”, said Rafal Modrzewski, CEO and Co-Founder of ICEYE.

Hasan Al Hosani, Managing Director of Bayanat, said: “The launch of our first satellite marks a highly anticipated milestone for both our collaborative efforts and for the UAE. This is a triumphant moment for Bayanat and a defining step toward our future as Space42. Inaugurating our Earth Observation capabilities, including the debut of our SAR satellite constellation, will further strengthen our position as a leader in AI-powered geospatial analytics. Our ongoing partnership with ICEYE, building on our shared ambition with Yahsat, continues to prove invaluable, enabling us to leverage space insights for informed decision-making on Earth.”

Rocket Lab ships two satellites to the launch site for NASA Mars mission

Rocket Lab USA has successfully packed and shipped two Mars-bound spacecraft to Cape Canaveral, FL in preparation for launch. These twin spacecraft for the Escape and Plasma Acceleration and Dynamics Explorers (ESCAPADE) heliophysics mission were designed, built, integrated, and tested by Rocket Lab for the University of California Berkeley’s Space Science Laboratory and NASA.

The spacecraft, known as Blue and Gold, recently completed comprehensive assembly, integration, and test at Rocket Lab’s Spacecraft Production Complex and headquarters in Long Beach, California. Following this milestone, the Rocket Lab team conducted final closeout activities, including the installation of spacecraft solar arrays and multi-layer insulation (MLI) blankets, before they were packaged and shipped to Florida for launch.

Upon arrival at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center (KSC) Launch Complex, Rocket Lab team members will transfer the spacecraft to a cleanroom for post-transport inspections and tests. Following thorough checks, the team will commence preparation for fueling the spacecraft in anticipation of their upcoming launch on Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket.

“We’ve already been to the Moon for NASA, so we’re excited to build on that and send Rocket Lab technology deeper into the solar system, this time to the Red Planet,” said Rocket Lab founder and CEO Sir Peter Beck. “Our Space Systems team has built a beautiful and highly capable pair of spacecraft to help NASA and the University of California Berkeley further humanity’s understanding of Mars. We couldn’t be prouder to be an ESCAPADE mission partner enabling science and exploration missions beyond our planet. After a meticulous but speedy build and test phase, we’re excited to have Blue and Gold on their way to the Cape and a step closer to Mars.”

Maxar’s Third and Fourth WorldView Legion Satellites Performing Well After Launch

Maxar Intelligence, a provider of secure, precise geospatial intelligence, has confirmed that its third and fourth WorldView Legion satellites are performing well after being launched on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket earlier today from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida.

The satellites are successfully communicating with Maxar’s ground teams. They are now going through the commissioning process, with first images expected in the early fall.

These two spacecrafts were launched into mid-inclination orbit (MIO), greatly expanding the capabilities of Maxar’s industry-leading Earth imaging constellation and enabling dawn-to-dusk collection. With this successful launch, Maxar’s constellation now includes eight satellites on orbit, including four next-generation WorldView Legion satellites. The first two WorldView Legion satellites were launched in May 2024, with first images released by Maxar in July 2024.

“Maxar is on a mission to push the geospatial industry forward through secure solutions that deliver more real-time insights for our government and commercial customers, and this successful launch plays a pivotal role in that journey,” said Maxar Intelligence CEO Dan Smoot. “Having multiple WorldView Legion satellites in MIO dramatically increases our ability to collect high-resolution, 30 cm-class imagery across more times of day and gain more visibility in areas that face frequent weather events like morning fog.”

Rocket Lab successfully completes latest launch with Capella Space

Rocket Lab USA, a global leader in launch services and space systems, today successfully launched its 52nd Electron rocket and deployed a single satellite to low Earth orbit for Capella Space (Capella).

The mission, named “A Sky Full of SARs” in a nod to the synthetic aperture radar (SAR) capabilities of Capella’s spacecraft, lifted off at 01:18 AM New Zealand Standard Time on August 12th from Launch Complex 1, Rocket Lab’s private orbital launch site on New Zealand’s Mahia Peninsula. The mission deployed the next of Capella’s third-generation SAR Acadia satellites to a mid-inclination 615km low Earth orbit. In addition to the launch service, Rocket Lab provided a custom extended fairing on Electron to encompass the payload before Capella’s satellite was deployed to space from a Rocket Lab-produced separation system.

The mission was the fifth launch for Capella that’s taken place since Capella’s first mission on Electron in August 2020. That mission, called “I Can’t Believe It’s Not Optical”, launched from Launch Complex 1 to deploy the very first satellite in Capella’s SAR constellation. Subsequent successful missions include the “Stronger Together” mission launched for Capella from Rocket Lab’s Launch Complex 2 on Wallops Island, Virginia, in March 2023 and the “We Love The Nightlife” mission launched from Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand just five months later in August 2023.

Airbus to build two radiometers for CNES for use on NASA/JAXA international climate satellite mission

Microwave radiometers tandem to measure the vertical velocity of clouds and water profile in the atmosphere

Airbus has been selected by the French Space Agency (CNES) to design and build two new generation microwave radiometers as part of the French contribution to the Atmosphere Observing System (AOS): the C²OMODO mission (Convective Core Observations through MicrOwave Derivatives in the trOpics). A cooperation between the United States, Canada, Japan, Italy and France, AOS’ goal is to optimise how we examine links between aerosols, clouds, atmospheric convection and precipitation. Encompassing six satellites as well as suborbital platforms in the air and on land, it will provide key data for improved forecasts of weather, air quality and climate.

“Working on climate missions is something that really matters to us at Airbus. Just a few weeks after launch of the EarthCARE mission with Europe and Japan, it is an honour to be part of another climate mission, this time NASA-led with international partners,” said Alain Fauré, Head of Space Systems at Airbus. “I would like to thank the French Space Agency, CNES, for supporting European industry: with this contract Airbus is further reinforcing its role in helping better understand clouds, weather and climate.”

Rocket Lab successfully completes latest launch for Synspective

Rocket Lab USA, Inc., a global leader in launch services and space systems, confirmed it had successfully launched its 51st Electron rocket and deployed a single satellite to low Earth orbit for Synspective, a Japanese Earth-imaging company.

The mission, named “Owl For One, One For Owl” in a nod to Synspective’s StriX satellites named after the genus for owls, lifted off at 04:39 a.m., August 3rd NZT (16:39 UTC, August 2nd) from Launch Complex 1, Rocket Lab’s private orbital launch site on New Zealand’s Mahia Peninsula. The mission deployed the fifth of Synspective’s StriX SAR-imaging satellites to low Earth orbit. In addition to the launch service, Rocket Lab provided a custom Electron fairing to encapsulate the StriX satellite and also performed an advanced mid-mission manoeuvre with Electron’s Kick Stage to shield the satellite from the sun and reduce radiation exposure on its way to orbit.

Rocket Lab has been the sole launch provider for Synspective’s constellation to date. This mission was the fifth launch of a total of 16 launches booked on Electron for Synspective and the second launch for the Japanese company this year, after the “Owl Night Long” mission launched in March 2024. Most recently, Synspective booked ten dedicated Electron launches as part of a new multi-launch agreement announced in June 2024, with the launches in that new deal set to take place across 2025-2027.

Rocket Lab founder and CEO Sir Peter Beck says: “It’s wonderful to have launched our second mission for Synspective in five months as we continue our longstanding launch partnership. Electron is the ideal rocket for providing flexible, tailored, and direct access to orbit for constellation builders like Synspective, and I’m proud of the team for delivering this latest mission success."

The launch window for Rocket Lab’s next Electron mission will be announced in the coming days.

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Exolaunch successfully deploys satellites.........

Exolaunch Successfully Deploys Satellites on Historic Ariane 6 Inaugural Launch, Enhancing European Access to Space

Exolaunch played a pivotal part in the deployment of four satellites for its customers at ESA, NASA, and Spacemanic, marking a significant milestone for Europe's growing space industry

Exolaunch, the global leader in launch mission management, integration, and satellite deployment services, proudly announced the successful deployment of four satellites aboard Arianespace’s Ariane 6 maiden flight. The liftoff occurred on Tuesday, July 9 at 1600 GFT from the Guiana Space Centre, also known as Europe's Spaceport, in Kourou, French Guiana. Representing customers ESA, NASA, and Spacemanic, this mission highlights Exolaunch’s crucial role in broadening access to space and supporting new launch vehicle providers.

This historic launch featured ESA’s ISTSat-1 and 3Cat-4, NASA’s CURIE, and Spacemanic’s GRBBeta satellites. The successful deployment of these satellites underscores Exolaunch’s commitment to facilitating groundbreaking scientific research and technological advancements through reliable and innovative satellite deployment solutions.

ESA’s ISTSat-1, developed by students at the Instituto Superior Técnico in Lisbon, aims to demonstrate ADS-B technology, validating detection capabilities and assessing antenna and receiver performance for receiving messages from commercial aircraft. 3Cat-4, a CubeSat from Universitat Politécnica de Catalunya, features a flexible microwave payload technology demonstrator with scientific objectives related to GNSS for Earth observation and AIS receiver validation.

NASA’s CURIE mission comprises two near-identical 3U CubeSats designed to explore low-frequency radio interferometry in space. These CubeSats will study solar radio bursts by maintaining a 1-3 km separation post-deployment, contributing to the understanding of heliospheric space weather and serving as a proof of concept for future space-based interferometry observatories.

Airbus awarded German Armed Forces prime contract for military communications satellite system

Germany’s armed forces, the Bundeswehr, has awarded Airbus the SATCOMBw 3 prime contract for the next generation secure military satellite system which includes geostationary satellites as well as ground segment, launch and operation for 15 years. The spacecraft are due to be deployed before the end of the decade and the contract value amounts to €2.1 billion.

Michael Schoellhorn, CEO of Airbus Defence and Space, said: “After the success of the SATCOMBw Stage 2 programme, which we have been delivering since 2009, this latest contract reinforces our strategic partnership with the Bundeswehr, providing them with a greatly enhanced secure milsatcom capability that is future proofed into the 2040s. At a time when Western democracies are challenged and where the European institutional space ecosystem is struggling, we are excited and grateful to develop and build this leading-edge system. Long term partnerships are crucial to guaranteeing essential sovereignty and capability, and protecting our armed forces in the increasingly unstable geo-political environment.”

The contract covers the design, integration, test and in orbit delivery of two new Airbus built military GEO telecommunications satellites which are the successor communications satellites to COMSATBw 1B and 2B. It also includes upgrading of the existing ground segment to operate the new satellites as well as operational services for 15 years, with the possibility of extension.

    

Airbus built, Copernicus Sentinel-2C climate satellite heading for launch site

Spacecraft to reach launch site on board sail-assisted Canopée ship

After road transport from Airbus in Friedrichshafen to Bremen on 2 July, the Airbus-built Sentinel-2C satellite, the third Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellite, is about to be shipped to the European spaceport in French Guiana. The container has been loaded today onto the iconic Canopée, the first sail-assisted cargo ship designed specifically to transport Ariane 6 rocket components from European ports to the Guiana Space Centre in Kourou, where it will arrive in approximately two weeks.

"About half of the data used to assess and monitor the impact of climate change on Earth is actually delivered by satellites," said Marc Steckling, Head of Earth Observation, Science and Exploration at Airbus. "The Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellites have provided valuable climate information to scientists since 2015 and Sentinel-2C will ensure continuity. Additionally, they have also made monitoring marine litter from space a reality, a significant achievement considering how critical this issue has become."

Data collected by the Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellites is being used to monitor land use and change, soil sealing, land management, agriculture, forestry, natural disasters (floods, forest fires, landslides, volcanic eruptions and erosion) and to support humanitarian aid missions. Environmental monitoring, which provides information on the pollution of lakes and coastal waters, is also part of these activities, as is the monitoring of glaciers, ice and snow.

The Sentinel-2 mission contributes to the management of food security by providing information for the agricultural sector. Copernicus Sentinel-2, with its multispectral instrument, is the first optical Earth observation mission of its kind to include three bands in the "red edge", which provide key information on vegetation conditions. The satellite is designed to provide images that can be used to distinguish between different crop types, as well as data on numerous plant indices such as leaf area index, leaf chlorophyll content and leaf water content - all of which are essential for accurately monitoring plant growth.

Yahsat contracts Airbus for the construction of Al Yah 4 and Al Yah 5 satellites

Fully flexible, software-defined payloads will allow in-orbit reconfiguration of coverage area, capacity and communication frequencies

Contract includes two Airbus ARROW spacecraft platforms for future deployment in low Earth orbit

Al Yah Satellite Communications Company PJSC (Yahsat), the UAE’s flagship satellite solutions provider announced today that it has contracted Airbus Defence and Space, a leading satellite manufacturer, for its new geostationary telecommunications satellites, Al Yah 4 (“AY4”) and Al Yah 5 (“AY5”).

The significant step follows the signing of an Authorisation-to-Proceed with Airbus in Q2 2023 to commence initial activities in relation to the AY4 and AY5 satellite programme.

Airbus will design and build the AY4 and AY5 satellites based on the Eurostar Neo platform, with each having flexible payloads and benefitting from the strong heritage of the Eurostar family. The flexible multi-band payloads can be fully reconfigured while in orbit, capable of adjusting the coverage area, capacity and frequency “on the fly” to meet evolving mission scenarios.

Both AY4 and AY5 satellites will offer secure governmental communications over a wide geographical area across the Middle East, Africa, Europe and Asia. The new advanced satellites will eventually replace Al Yah 1 and Al Yah 2, which were launched in 2011 and 2012, respectively, and based on a previous version of the Airbus-built Eurostar platform.

Alain Fauré, Head of Space Systems at Airbus, said: “Today marks a real milestone with Yahsat selecting our pioneering fully flexible satellite technology. Sixteen years ago, we signed our first contract with Yahsat, bringing the first sovereign telecommunications satellite to the UAE. And now, our long-standing relationship is moving up a gear with this contract for two Eurostar Neos, further strengthening Yahsat’s in-orbit resources.”

Ali Al Hashemi, Group Chief Executive Officer of Yahsat, commented: “We are delighted to sign this contract with Airbus as part of our continuous efforts to enhance our satellite communications capabilities with the next generation of satellites. This is a significant step in Yahsat’s growth trajectory. The Al Yah 4 and Al Yah 5 satellites will enable us to provide the UAE Government with new cutting-edge solutions. Additionally, the two new LEO satellite platforms will support Yahsat’s future direction of providing multi-orbit satellite solutions to its customers.”

Heaven-sent EarthCARE to study clouds and climate

Airbus-built ESA-JAXA climate satellite successfully launched

The Airbus-built EarthCARE climate monitoring satellite has been successfully launched from Vandenberg military base, California. EarthCARE (Earth Cloud Aerosol and Radiation Explorer) is a joint undertaking between the European and Japanese Space Agencies (ESA and JAXA). The satellite will examine the role clouds and aerosols (tiny atmospheric particles) play in reflecting solar radiation back into space (i.e. cooling down the atmosphere) as well as in trapping infrared radiation emitted from the Earth’s surface (i.e. heating up the atmosphere).

“EarthCARE is ESA’s largest and most complex Earth Explorer spacecraft – a flagship mission whose data will help improve the accuracy and reliability of climate and numerical weather prediction models,” said Alain Fauré, Head of Space Systems at Airbus. “International cooperation was key with more than 200 research institutes and 45 companies across Europe working hand in hand to deliver this spacecraft.”

EarthCARE will draw up vertical profiles of natural and human-made aerosols, register the distribution of water droplets and ice crystals and how they are transported in clouds, and provide essential input to improve the modelling of the warming climate and weather forecasting. Aerosols influence the life cycle of clouds, and so contribute indirectly to how they give off radiation – measuring them will give a better understanding of Earth’s energy budget.

UK-based satellite communications business Hanwha Phasor expands in to U.S.

Hanwha Phasor, a UK-based satellite communications business, confirmed that following a successful four years in the UK, it has opened its first office in the United States. The initial focus of the business will be on developing its market position in the US which presents a wider potential for the portfolio of user terminals.

The office, located in Virginia, will serve as the primary base for the Hanwha Phasor employees based in the US, including the Vice President Business Development Mike Young, the recently joined Business Development Director, Rick LePage, and the new Commercial Director Aviation, Scott McCobb.

Alongside the new US office, Hanwha Phasor has two office locations in the UK. These include the business’ international headquarters in London as well as the ASICs Centre of Excellence in Cambridge.

ICEYE announces API that allows customers to directly task world’s largest SAR satellite constellation

Two new application programming interfaces (APIs) launched as the first in ICEYE’s wider API ecosystem, empowering customers to access critical data in response to time-sensitive demands.

 

ICEYE, the global leader in synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite operations, announced the launch of two new application programming interfaces (APIs) that will give customers faster access to imagery from the world’s largest SAR satellite constellation through a self-driven, automated process.

The first API automates the satellite tasking process, enabling machine-to-machine interactions for this critical step. Customers who have built their own platforms to access commercial tasking services may now seamlessly integrate into the ICEYE space and ground architecture without a human-in-the-loop.  The second API automates the process for customers to request SAR imagery from ICEYE’s extensive catalog of over 60,000 archive images. 

“We are thrilled to announce this new service, which makes the world’s largest SAR satellite constellation even more accessible to our customers,” said John Cartwright, SVP and Head of Data Product. “Customers increasingly seek to integrate access to the ICEYE SAR constellation, the largest in the world, through their own platforms.  The end-to-end workflow automation we are releasing today puts this power directly in their hands so they can make smarter, data-driven decisions in near real-time.” 

UK-based satellite communications firm Hanwha Phasor expands to the United States

Hanwha Phasor, a UK-based satellite communications business, confirmed that following a successful four years in the UK, it has opened its first office in the United States. The initial focus of the business will be on developing its market position in the US which presents a wider potential for the portfolio of user terminals.

The office, located in Virginia, will serve as the primary base for the Hanwha Phasor employees based in the US, including the Vice President Business Development Mike Young, the recently joined Business Development Director, Rick LePage, and the new Commercial Director Aviation, Scott McCobb.

Alongside the new US office, Hanwha Phasor has two office locations in the UK. These include the business’ international headquarters in London as well as the ASICs Centre of Excellence in Cambridge.