Smallsats
4S Symposium (Small Satellites Systems and Services)
What’s up? is the special topic of the 4S 2020 Symposium (Small Satellites Systems and Services) taking place in Vilamoura, Portugal. The recent development of drones and high-altitude aerial platforms have opened up new…
Small Satellites 2020
SMi Group are proud to announce the Small Satellites Conference taking place in London on the 27th and 28th April 2020.
With nations around the world developing their small satellites capability at pace, governments and trans-national agenc…
EchoStar, fresh off Helios Wire acquisition, orders S-band smallsats from Tyvak
EchoStar has ordered two tiny S-band satellites from Tyvak Nano-Satellite Systems to jumpstart a low-Earth-orbit constellation using spectrum gained through its October acquisition of IoT startup Helios Wire.
Electric-propulsion startup Orbion raises $9.2 million Series A
Orbion aims to eventually build and ship thrusters in six to eight days from receiving an order.
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.
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
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.
FCC outlines proposed smallsat licensing rules
Under newly proposed rules, smallsat operators will be able to choose a licensing path — for authorization as a domestic operator or for U.S. market access as a foreign operator — for $30,000 instead of the $472,000 fee required today for satellites in non-geosynchronous orbits.
Parsons planning more merger and acquisition moves
Fresh off its purchase of geospatial intelligence firm OGSystems in January, Parsons is searching for more companies to buy that would further expand its presence in space, among other industries.
Kinéis takes control of Argos system, finalizes successor constellation plans
Kinéis, a subsidiary formed last year by French maritime company CLS, has taken over operation of the Argos hosted payload system, and finalized manufacturing agreements for a constellation of 25 small satellites for Internet of Things connectivity.
ÅAC Clyde raises $9 million amid hiring spree
Craig Clark, chief strategy officer at ÅAC Clyde, said the company is hiring more staff this year to support a backlog of smallsat business for customers who are finalizing decisions on what spacecraft they want.
Rocket Lab unveils Photon smallsat bus
At the 35th Space Symposium here, Rocket Lab unveiled Photon, a smallsat based on the kick stage the company uses on its Electron rocket.
Vega rocket-builder Avio sees revenue jump, new rockets progressing
Avio, the company that builds Europe’s light-lift Vega rocket and the future Vega C, reported a double-digit jump in revenue for its first full year as a publicly traded company.
LeoStella looks for more customers as it opens satellite factory
As LeoStella inaugurated the factory that will be used to produce a series of Earth imaging satellites, the joint venture of Thales Alenia Space and Spaceflight Industries continues to look for other customers.
Smallsat industry faces new challenges to growth
The small satellite field, which has enjoyed significant growth and investment in the last few years, will face new challenges this year demonstrating their business plans, with some expecting a shakeout in some parts of the sector.
