SmallSat
SpaceNews.com is reporting from Logan, Utah, Aug. 5-8 to bring you comprehensive coverage of the AIAA/Utah State University 33rd Conference on Small Satellites.
Lacuna Space aims to ride IoT wave with a 32-cubesat constellation
Whether Lacuna Space will rise to the front is still to be determined. But Spurrett believes the company’s emphasis on offering the lowest price service will make it a winner.
Mecano ID, with help from CNES, making its first smallsat deployer
The deployer, still under development, is Mecano ID’s first smallsat product, Didier Zely, manager of Mecano ID’s deployment systems product line, said by email.
Iceye reveals radar imagery of less than one meter resolution
Iceye is publicly releasing its first synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite imagery with a resolution of less than one meter.
Virgin Orbit offers vision of responsive smallsat constellation launch
As Virgin Orbit prepares to attempt its first orbital launch later this year, the company is offering a long-term vision of using multiple planes flying from multiple spaceports to be able to deploy an entire constellation within hours.
U.S. military is eager to take advantage of smallsats at scale if price is right
The U.S. military is eager to take advantage of small satellite constellations if the technology proves it can fulfill military requirements and the price is right.
Download your digital edition of the SpaceNews SmallSat Show Daily
The Day 1 issue, published Aug. 6, features coverage of OneWeb, Arianespace, SpaceX, HawkEye 360, LeoLabs, Kubos, Ruag Space, Momentus, Blue Canyon Technologies, Capella Space and more.
Exolaunch qualifies, begins selling microsatellite separation system
German launch services provider Exolaunch sees strong demand for the microsatellite separation system, CarboNIX, it qualified on the July 5 Soyuz rideshare mission
NASA seeking proposals for cubesats on second SLS launch
NASA is soliciting proposals to fly cubesats on the second flight of its Space Launch System, even as those cubesats chosen for the first SLS launch patiently await their ride.
AeroCube 10, jam-packed with experiments, deploys from Cygnus
The Aerospace Corp.’s two-satellite AeroCube 10 mission was released from the Northrop Grumman Cygnus spacecraft Aug. 7 packed with sensors and experiments to study Earth’s atmosphere, prepare for satellite proximity operations and measure the degradation of solar cells in orbit.
NOAA seeks to “kick the tires” on new instruments, mission concepts
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration plans to conduct technology demonstrations and pathfinder projects as it prepares to update its Earth observation constellations.
Viasat expanding into crowded ground-as-a-service business
Viasat is building out a network of nine ground stations around the world to downlink data from Earth observation satellites, marking an expansion from the operator’s satellite broadband and hardware business.
Kleos and Spire announce “Safety at Sea” Collaboration
Spire Global and Kleos Space of Luxembourg announced plans Aug. 6 to create new satellite-derived products aimed at enhancing maritime safety.
FCC’s streamlined licensing rules seen as boon for smallsat industry
The U.S. Federal Communications Commission’s streamlined licensing rules for small satellites sailed through a vote Aug. 1, establishing a path for companies to secure spectrum rights much faster and cheaper than current regulations allow.
Roccor touts advantages of retractable solar sails
Roccor is hoping the recent success of the Planetary Society’s Lightsail 2 will bolster interest in a retractable solar sail the Longmont, Colorado, small business displayed at the Small Satellite Conference here.
Amid $5 billion buyout, Cobham in hot pursuit of megaconstellation work
SpaceNews spoke with Cobham Advanced Electronic Solutions President Shawn Black to find out what’s in store for CAES’s spacecraft component business and where it sees itself in the growing small satellite market.
Orbex wins launch contract from In-Space Missions
Orbex, a United Kingdom-based small launch vehicle developer, announced Aug. 7 that another British company, In-Space Missions, awarded it a contract for the launch of a small satellite.
