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.

Rocket Lab gets ready for back-to-back launches for climate change research mission

Rocket Lab USA, is preparing two back-to-back Electron launches to deploy NASA’s PREFIRE - Polar Radiant Energy in the Far-InfraRed Experiment mission.  The two dedicated missions will each deploy one satellite to a 525km circular orbit from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 in Mahia, New Zealand. The first mission – named ‘Ready, Aim, PREFIRE’ – is scheduled to launch no earlier than May 22, 2024. The launch date of the second mission – named ‘PREFIRE And Ice’ – will be scheduled to take place within three weeks of the successful deployment of the first PREFIRE mission. The missions will be Rocket Lab’s 48th and 49th Electron launches overall and its sixth and seventh launches of 2024.

NASA’s PREFIRE mission is a climate change-focused mission that will systematically measure the heat, in the form of infrared and far-infrared wavelengths, lost from Earth’s polar regions for the first time. Extreme storms, flooding, and coastal erosion are examples of weather outcomes that are influenced by climate conditions in the Arctic and Antarctica. Once deployed to their separate orbits, the two PREFIRE satellites will criss-cross over the Arctic and Antarctica measuring thermal infrared radiation – the same type of energy emitted from a heat lamp – that will make climate models more accurate and help predict changes caused by global warming. PREFIRE consists of two 6U CubeSats with a baseline mission length of 10 months.

Airbus expands its Earth observation constellation with Pléiades Neo Next

Airbus has launched the Pléiades Neo Next programme to expand its very high-resolution Earth observation constellation. This new programme will result in new satellite assets and capabilities, including enhanced native resolution. As a first step of Pléiades Neo Next, Airbus is developing a new satellite which will be launched in the next few years.

“The Pléiades Neo Next programme builds on the success of our existing Pléiades Neo constellation which serves government and commercial customers around the world,” said Karen Florschütz, Executive Vice President of Connected Intelligence at Airbus Defence and Space. “This new programme will further enhance our standard of excellence in terms of quality, performance, and reliability to deliver images as well as geo-intelligence services and applications.”

The Pléiades Neo Next programme is funded, manufactured, and operated by Airbus Defence and Space, with the full image capacity available for a wide range of sectors including defence and intelligence, agriculture, environment, maritime, disaster response, mapping, location-based services, civil engineering, urban planning and utilities.

Users will continue to be able to directly task the Airbus satellites up to a few dozen minutes prior to the satellite over the area of interest. Images will be received through the customer’s Direct Receiving Stations (DRS) on the ground, or on the OneAtlas digital platform, swiftly after collection, allowing mission-critical applications.

Space Flight Laboratory (SFL) confirms deployment of HawkEye 360 microsatellite clusters 8 and 9

Space Flight Laboratory (SFL) confirmed that six radio frequency geolocation microsatellites developed for HawkEye 360 of Herndon, Va., have successfully communicated with ground control. The HawkEye 360 Cluster 8 and 9 satellites were launched yesterday at 7:16 pm EDT from Florida aboard the SpaceX Bandwagon-1 Rideshare.

The two new three-satellite clusters bring to 27 the total number of geolocation microsatellites developed by SFL for HawkEye 360, which integrated Cluster 8 at its own plant in Virginia under SFL’s Flex Production Program. For Cluster 9, which represents the next evolution and includes updated payload and platform features, SFL handled the entire process, including development, integration, and testing, at its Toronto facility.

“SFL is proud to play a key role in the development of HawkEye 360’s space assets as it continues to expand and enhance its unparalleled space-based RF data detection and analytics capabilities,” said SFL Director Dr. Robert E. Zee.

Airbus-built EUTELSAT 36D satellite shipped inside the BelugaST to its launch site

22nd Airbus-built satellite for EUTELSAT

Fourth Airbus Eurostar Neo satellite delivered

The Airbus-built EUTELSAT 36D geostationary telecommunications satellite has been shipped from Toulouse, France to Sanford, Florida, USA, on board an Airbus BelugaST (A300-600ST). Its next step is the Kennedy Space Center, in Florida, where it will be launched into orbit aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 later this month. With the advent of the new BelugaXL, based on the larger A330-200 platform, the A300-600 based BelugaST fleet is now fully available for outsized freight transport services globally.

EUTELSAT 36D is based on the latest generation Eurostar Neo geostationary telecommunications satellite and will provide TV broadcasting (DTH) and government services over Africa, Europe and eastern countries and has a planned lifetime of more than 15 years.

Philippe Pham, Head of Telecommunications & Navigation Systems at Airbus, said: “EUTELSAT 36D is the latest milestone of our longstanding partnership with Eutelsat stretching back more than 30 years. It is the 22nd geo satellite we have built for them and will provide extended capacity over Africa and Eurasia.”

With 70 physical Ku-band transponders, the all-electric EUTELSAT 36D will assure all the main legacy missions of EUTELSAT 36B, with enhancements to coverage and performance.

It is the fourth Eurostar Neo in orbit. Eurostar Neo satellites combine increased payload capacity and more efficient power and thermal control systems with reduced production time and optimised costs as part of a fully digitalised production process. EUTELSAT 36D combines 18 kW of electric power with a reduced launch mass of approximately five metric tonnes, enabled by Airbus’ EOR (Electric Orbit Raising) capability, reinforcing Airbus’ position as the world leader in electric propulsion.

The Eurostar Neo family of Airbus telecommunications satellites is based on a next-generation platform and technologies, developed with the support of the European Space Agency (ESA), and others, including the Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales (CNES) and the UK Space Agency (UKSA).

This is the third time that a Beluga transport aircraft is delivering an Airbus geostationary satellite to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Previous missions include HOTBIRD 13G on 17 October 2022 and Inmarsat 6-F2 on 30 January 2023. Airbus' ability to offer an autonomous European solution is demonstrated by the transport of the Airbus satellites on the unique Beluga aircraft, a true example of pan-Airbus synergies.

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Sierra Space Dream Chaser® Spaceplane Successfully Completes First Phase of Pre-Flight Testing

Sierra Space, a leading commercial space company and emerging defence tech prime building a platform in space to benefit and protect life on Earth announced today the successful completion of the initial phase of environmental testing on the revolutionary Dream Chaser® spaceplane, Tenacity®, at NASA’s Neil Armstrong Test Facility in Sandusky, Ohio.

Over the past month, the Sierra Space Dream Chaser and its cargo companion, Shooting Star™, underwent rigorous vibration testing while stacked in launch configuration inside the Mechanical Vibration Facility at the NASA complex. In readiness for launch from Kennedy Space Center, the tests exposed the vehicles to the intense conditions of launch vibrations using the world’s most powerful spacecraft shaker table. See video here.

“We are coming out of years of development, years of hard work and years of resolving tough engineering challenges that come from revolutionary new ways of doing things,” said Sierra Space CEO Tom Vice. “This phase of development illustrates how Dream Chaser and the Shooting Star cargo module will handle the mechanical rigours of launch. This is the year that we transition from development and enter orbital operations – it is the year that changes how we connect space and earth.”

EarthCARE goes west for launch..........climate monitoring satellite leaves Europe

The Airbus-built EarthCARE (Earth Clouds, Aerosols and Radiation Explorer) spacecraft has left Munich, Germany, and is now on its way aboard an aircraft to its launch site in Vandenberg, California. EarthCARE is planned to be launched in May on a Falcon 9 rocket.

EarthCARE is the most complex Earth Explorer mission in the European Space Agency’s (ESA) FutureEO programme. This new satellite mission will quantify and reduce the uncertainty about the role that clouds and aerosols (tiny atmospheric particles) play in heating and cooling Earth’s atmosphere, contributing to our better understanding of climate change. The spacecraft was developed, built and tested with the involvement of experts from 15 European countries as well as Japan and Canada.

Marc Steckling, Head of Earth Observation, Science and Exploration at Airbus said: “As the world’s climate continues to change at a faster and faster rate, scientists need ever more sophisticated space assets to enable better analysis. EarthCARE will help fill in the gaps by providing unprecedented measurements so that meteorologists and climatologists can better understand how energy is transmitted within the atmosphere.”

A joint undertaking between ESA and the Japanese Space Agency (JAXA), EarthCARE will examine the role clouds and aerosols play in reflecting solar radiation back into space and also in trapping infrared radiation emitted from the Earth’s surface.

Icelandair selects Viasat for inflight connectivity on new Airbus fleet

The Icelandic carrier Icelandair has chosen Viasat, a global leader in satellite communications, to provide inflight Wi-Fi systems for the airline's new fleet of Airbus A321XLR and A321LR aircraft. 

Icelandair is expecting to put the new jets on services between Iceland and major cities in Europe, as well as on transatlantic flights, to various destinations in the U.S. The Airbus aircraft are scheduled to start being delivered to the carrier in the last quarter of this year.

Viasat's satellite connectivity service will be configured to provide a high-quality, fast online experience on all routes Icelandair serves, including streaming entertainment, and real-time productivity tools, keeping passengers and crew connected throughout the flight.

While providing fast in-flight connectivity across popular flight corridors and busy airport hubs, Icelandair will benefit from Viasat's focus on serving the aviation market – which it does through a combination of high throughput satellite capacity and the ability to flex that capacity, to meet demand where it peaks and is most concentrated. Thanks to this, together Viasat and Icelandair can provide a consistently high quality, high-speed, and content-rich in-flight Wi-Fi experience, even during times of intense demand.

"For several years now, we have enjoyed a great partnership with Icelandair while servicing its complete Boeing 737 MAX fleet," said Don Buchman, VP and GM, Commercial Aviation at Viasat. "We understand the patterns of Icelandair's operation and passenger demand for in-flight Wi-Fi, and we are excited to extend this experience and trust to include fast and resilient connectivity on the new Airbus aircraft."

"By expanding our high-speed streaming Wi-Fi offering to the new aircraft, we are doubling down on the state-of-the-art connectivity that has become a highly sought-after element of the Icelandair passenger experience," said Helga Huld Bjarnadóttir, Director of Product and Service Management, Icelandair. "Viasat has proven to be an innovative and trusted partner for how we approach the future of Wi-Fi at Icelandair, and we look forward to continuing this into the future."

Earlier this month, Icelandair confirmed it had selected Pratt & Whitney GTF engines to power the 35 new Airbus A320neo family aircraft, comprising a mix of leased and purchased A321XLR and A321LR aircraft.  The carrier also selected an EngineWise agreement for the long-term maintenance, repair and overhaul of its GTF engines. Pratt & Whitney will provide support to facilitate smooth entry into service and efficient long-term operation of the engines.

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1200 MHz radar bandwidth in-orbit technology demonstrator enhances ICEYE’s expansive SAR satellite constellation

                  ICEYE, the global leader in persistent monitoring and natural catastrophe solutions, successfully launched three additional synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellites on March 4, 2024, including a 1200 MHz radar bandwidth in-orbit technology demonstrator that will enable 25 cm imaging. The satellites were integrated via launch integrator Exolaunch and successfully lifted off aboard SpaceX’s Transporter-10 rideshare from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, USA. Each spacecraft has established communication, and early routine operations are underway. 

ICEYE strengthens its persistent Earth Observation capabilities with the successful launch of three new satellites.

Two of the three SAR satellites launched on the mission are manufactured by ICEYE US, while one is an in-orbit technology demonstrator manufactured by ICEYE in Finland. The in-orbit demonstrator model features an upgrade to ICEYE’s unique X-band antenna, increasing radar bandwidth to 1200 MHz. This enables higher-resolution imagery, up to 25 cm, and will be initially assigned to engineering tests before being made available to ICEYE customers. 

“Our growing constellation provides an objective and reliable source of intelligence, enabling a faster, more accurate response to changes taking place anywhere on the planet,” Rafal Modrzewski, CEO and Co-founder of ICEYE. “The launch of the 1200 MHz bandwidth technology demonstrator delivers 25 cm resolution SAR imaging, unlocking a new level of clarity and detail for high-priority decision-making.” 

The satellites launched include an advanced radar that enables major improvements in image quality, faster downlink speeds for more agile imagery collections, and better integration with ICEYE’s global network of ground stations. 

Eric Jensen, CEO of ICEYE US, said: “Our partners require dependable and persistent change detection to address emergent, time-critical needs. We are proud to add two additional U.S-built satellites to our constellation, strengthening our commitment to deliver strategic insights for our defense, intelligence, civil, and commercial customers.” 

ICEYE has now successfully deployed 34 spacecraft since 2018 and operates the world’s largest constellation of SAR satellites, which can image any location on the Earth’s surface in any environmental condition, day or night. SAR data provides precise insights for ICEYE’s government and commercial customers in near real-time.

 

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Contracts awarded for novel software that will control future UK MOD satellites

The contracts will develop innovative software to provide a robust, secure and automated satellite control system for future UK MOD satellites.

The awards, as part of Project Beroe, will underpin government control of future satellite constellations, further enhancing the UK’s multi-domain integration efforts.

Worth a total of £4 million, the contracts were placed with Rhea in Bath and Lockheed Martin’s Space Systems UK in Oxfordshire. They will aid the agile development of software for satellite system management, designed to capture and process onboard system data to control and monitor the performance of the satellite.

Commodore David Moody, Head of Capability at Space Command, said:

"This is a pivotal moment for UK Defence and the UK Space Sector as we develop software and partnerships that will determine the future of how we manage our activities in space.

This project will enable us to define and understand how we will control and optimise the use of our satellites in a safe and sustainable way, and is an important part of UK MOD’s future satellite aspirations.

These contracts also support the wider goals of enabling growth in the Space Sector to develop resilient space capabilities and services."

The contracts were placed by the Space Delivery Team at Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S), the procurement arm of the UK MOD, and support the UK’s National Space Strategy, reinforcing innovation within the Space Sector.

DE&S project manager Melanie MacDonald, said:

"We are developing critical software that will provide the UK government with direct control of a range of future satellites. As well as supporting wider government access to diverse satellite data, this capability will support UK Armed Forces operations and provide them with the edge they need to protect the nation."

Airbus awarded next stage of ESA’s TRUTHS mission for metrological traceability of Earth observation data

TRUTHS will provide a benchmark of Earth’s energy balance by consistent calibration traced to a metrological reference

Consistent calibration will also enhance existing satellite missions

Airbus has been awarded the latest phase in the European Space Agency (ESA) TRUTHS mission as part of ESA’s Earth Observation Earth Watch programme. The contract covers detailed definition of the mission and payload, and focuses on payload development and de-risking activities with an option for the procurement of long lead time hardware ahead of the full implementation phase following the 2025 ESA Ministerial budget meeting. The contract is worth €109.3 million including options and was signed at COP28 in Dubai.

The TRUTHS satellite mission will measure the Sun’s radiation and the sunlight reflected off Earth's surface relative to an accurate reference, which will then be used to improve the climatological data sets and calibrate the observations of other satellites. This space-based climate and calibration observing system will enable data from other satellites to be compared more easily providing greater standards of data harmonisation for even more accurate climate change forecasts.

Jean Marc Nasr, Head of Space Systems at Airbus said: “This contract takes us one step closer to building a mission that will enable scientists and climatologists to cross reference their measurements and data enabling much more accurate forecasts and analysis in a shorter time. TRUTHS will provide the gold standard of calibration for space-based Earth observation – a kind of ‘standards laboratory in space’.”

 

UK Science, Research and Innovation Minister, Andrew Griffith, said: “This UK-led mission will have a global impact, providing invaluable measurements to improve our understanding of climate change. Overseen by Airbus UK, this work is generating growth and developing important industrial capabilities across our space sector, driving forward our ambitions to make the UK a science and technology superpower.” 

ESA’s Director of Earth Observation Programmes, Simonetta Cheli, said: “We are glad to award the contract to Airbus in the UK to take their work on developing TRUTHS into the next all-important phase. We see here at COP28 that the world is committed to climate action and having reliable data on which to base decisions is of the utmost importance. TRUTHS will be used as a benchmark so that data from other satellites can be compared more easily, thereby improving reliability.”

Airbus starts Galileo Second Generation satellite production

Manufacturing of six state-of-the-art GNSS satellites to augment the current Galileo constellation

Full production has begun on the six Galileo Second Generation (G2) satellites at Airbus’ site in Friedrichshafen, Germany, with the arrival of the first satellite Flight Model structure from Beyond Gravity in Zurich. After initial preparation the panels will be dispatched to other Airbus sites before final integration and testing at Friedrichshafen. The Galileo G2 satellites are scheduled for launch in the coming years to support the initial deployment and validation of the G2 System.

Jean-Marc Nasr, Head of Space Systems at Airbus, said: “After the successful design phase we are now kicking off production in earnest of the state-of-the-art Galileo G2 satellites. Our teams in Friedrichshafen are working with engineers across Europe to meet the challenging schedule and finalise these sophisticated satellites which will further improve the global Galileo system opening up even more opportunities for services on Earth.”

To meet the demanding schedule to deliver all six satellites in less than two years, Airbus has developed a coordinated production programme to leverage the spacecraft manufacturing, integration, and testing expertise across Airbus sites including Backnang (near Stuttgart), Friedrichshafen, Madrid, Ottobrunn (near Munich) and Toulouse. The second satellite structure is due to arrive in early 2024 and the third towards the end of next year. Airbus’ modular approach to the manufacturing of the G2 satellites will see three spacecraft being produced in parallel at any one time.

The G2 satellites will incorporate enhanced navigation antennas which will help improve accuracy of the flagship European Global Navigation Satellite System. The spacecraft, equipped with electric propulsion for the first time and higher-strength navigation antennas, will also feature fully digital payloads which will be easily reconfigured in orbit, enabling them to actively respond to the evolving needs of users with novel signals and services.

 

SYRACUSE 4B secure military communications satellite successfully launched

Satellite to serve France’s sovereignty needs by connecting its armed forces deployed on operations

The SYRACUSE 4B communications satellite, built by Airbus and Thales Alenia Space, has been successfully launched from the Guiana Space Center, Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana. It was the last launch of Ariane 5, the European heavy launcher.

SYRACUSE 4B, along with SYRACUSE 4A already in orbit, constitutes the space segment of SYRACUSE IV, the fourth generation secure military satellite communications system for the French Armament General Directorate (DGA - Direction Générale de l’Armement), the French Air and Space force and the French Space Command, built by the industrial consortium formed by Airbus Defence and Space and Thales Alenia Space.

SYRACUSE 4A and 4B will deliver increased capacity and enhanced functionality for the French Armed Forces, including higher throughput and flexibility, along with a broader coverage area. The increased flexibility will ensure the satellites can meet the needs of forces deployed anywhere in the coverage area, while also efficiently managing its X-band and Ka-band resources.

“Observation, signal intelligence, space situational awareness, and of course secure communications across key theatres of operation, are paramount for a nation’s autonomy and freedom of action. Airbus is proud to be a trusted partner of the French Armed Forces: thanks to SYRACUSE 4B, and other programmes, we support our national ambitions and capabilities in all these fields, today and in the decades to come!” said Jean-Marc Nasr, Head of Space Systems at Airbus.