Tuesday, April 30, 2024

Satellite boom strains space sustainability • Space Force assessing value of commercial services

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National security insights for space professionals. Delivered Tuesdays.

In this week's edition:

• Report: Space congestion no longer just a theoretical risk

• Europe's Galileo constellation grows to 30 satellites

• Space Force: Industry has to prove the value of in-orbit refueling

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Today's highlights:

Slingshot Aerospace today released its first "State of Satellite Deployments & Orbital Operations" report, sounding alarms over the increasing congestion and risks in Earth's orbital environment.

"The industry has been saying space is becoming more congested for years, but now reality is setting in and the pressure is on to address the increasing risk in orbit," said Melissa Quinn, Slingshot's general manager. "We need to come together as an industry to make meaningful progress."

The numbers: There were 12,597 spacecraft in orbit as of Dec. 31, including 3,356 inactive satellites. Orbital launches jumped 19.9 percent year-over-year to 223 in 2023, with satellite deployments up 14.6 percent to 2,877.

Commercial dominance: The commercial sector accounted for 89 percent of deployments last year, led by a surge in communications satellites that represented 79 percent of all deployed spacecraft.

Other data points:

2,285 comsats deployed in 2023
$995 million in insurance losses and just $557 million in premiums collected
508 dead satellites now reside in graveyard orbits, including 25 additions last year
33 percent decrease in average spacing between geostationary satellites since 2010

SpaceX on Saturday launched two European Galileo satellites into orbit from Florida's Kennedy Space Center. It marked the first time SpaceX has launched payloads for the Galileo navigation constellation, Europe's equivalent to the U.S. Global Positioning System.

The launch is the first of two that the EU procured from SpaceX because of a lack of available European rockets.

The total number of Europe's Galileo navigation satellites in orbit is now 30. Like GPS, the Galileo satellites are stationed in medium Earth orbit.

The European Union Agency for the Space Program said work is underway on the next generation of Galileo. The first of the next 12 Galileo second generation satellites are due to be launched starting in 2025.
Six are being produced by Airbus in Germany, and the other six are being built by Thales Alenia Space in Italy.

The Space Force is eager to tap into the booming commercial space industry, but it needs some convincing before diving headfirst into emerging technologies like in-orbit refueling.

The topic was discussed by Lt. Gen. Shawn Bratton, Space Force deputy chief of space operations for strategy, plans, programs and requirements, at an Atlantic Council event last week.

He raised several issues:

Uncertain value proposition: Military leaders are intrigued by the potential benefits of refueling satellites in space, but they're unsure if the cost justifies the strategic advantage.
Industry needs to lead: The Space Force wants companies to demonstrate the viability of their refueling tech and develop a solid business model.
Focus on ROI: Military funding will prioritize research and development, but large-scale commitments are on hold until the return on investment is clearer.
Open to collaboration: The Space Force sees itself as a partner, not a driver of innovation, and welcomes industry expertise to shape its future space tech adoption.

In other news 🚀

A big satcom merger was announced today: Global satellite operator SES plans to acquire Intelsat for $3.1 billion. The combination will create a "stronger multi-orbit operator, greater coverage, improved resiliency, expanded solutions," the companies said.

Russia vetoed a United Nations Security Council resolution crafted in response to reports that the country was developing a nuclear anti-satellite weapon.

Russia cast the only vote against the resolution that reaffirmed provisions in the Outer Space Treaty prohibiting the placement of nuclear weapons or other weapons of mass destruction in space.

Agile Space Industries has been tapped to develop a propulsion system for True Anomaly's Jackal vehicle, which was recently selected for the U.S. Space Force's 2025 "tactically responsive space" mission known as Victus Haze.

Under the agreement, Agile Space will supply the main engines, attitude control thrusters, propellant tanks, and other critical propulsion components for True Anomaly's spacecraft.

For the Victus Haze mission, the Jackal and another vehicle to be developed by Rocket Lab under a separate contract will be tasked to perform maneuvers in close proximity.

True Anomaly laid off about a fourth of its workforce, citing a need to streamline operations and eliminate duplicative roles after rapid growth over the past two years.

The company said the staff reductions will not impact the startup's ability to execute existing contracts.

"With our rapid growth over the past two years, we looked at every aspect of our company to make sure we are laser-focused on our goals and best positioned to execute," a spokesperson said.

Hughes Network Systems last week announced the opening of a manufacturing facility in Germantown, Maryland.

At the new facility, the company will develop and manufacture satellite modems and satellite terminals. The building will also serve as a testing ground for secure 5G networking applications for the Department of Defense.

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