 | Top Stories
Earth observation companies are keeping a close eye on SpaceX's Starshield system. SpaceX announced Starshield nearly two years ago as a national security system based on Starlink satellites whose capabilities include Earth imaging. With an estimated two-thirds of commercial Earth observation revenues coming from defense customers, companies in the sector said at World Space Business Week (WSBW) Thursday that they are monitoring its development, with some expressing concern about having to compete with a system with the backing of the U.S. government. Others saw opportunities for partnerships and for growing the overall industry. [SpaceNews]
Indian information technology giant Infosys is investing in an Earth observation startup in the country. Infosys announced Thursday it was a "strategic investor" in a Series A round for GalaxEye Space that raised $6.5 million in August. GalaxEye is preparing to launch in 2025 what it calls the world's first multi-sensor Earth-observation satellites. Each satellite will be equipped with synthetic aperture radar and multispectral sensors. The company's CEO said at WSBW that the company has tested that technology on drones. [SpaceNews]
A company backed by Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund is seeking to lease multi-orbit satellite capacity ahead of developing its own constellation. Martijn Blanken, CEO of Neo Space Group (NSG), said the company is taking over the commercial activities of Saudi Arabia's share of the Saudi Geo Satellite 1/Hellas-Sat-4 satellite while looking to lease capacity on "third-party multi-orbit satellite constellation providers" as its builds up its capabilities. He said NSG is also planning to introduce an Earth observation wholesaler platform with a partner early next year. Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, one of the world's largest sovereign wealth funds, created NSG in May as part of plans to become a major force in space and further diversify its economy from oil. [SpaceNews]
The U.S. Space Force awarded Astranis a contract to make its communications satellites compatible with military terminals. Astranis received the $13.2 million contract through a Strategic Funding Increase (STRATFI) agreement, used by the military to help small businesses transition technologies from research and development to production. The funding will enable Astranis to add military Ka-band frequency compatibility to its next-generation Omega satellites. That would allow those satellites to be accessed by existing Department of Defense ground equipment, supporting high-capacity communications. [SpaceNews]
The Space Force's Space Systems Command says it is exploring commercial partnerships and international collaborations to enhance its ability to monitor space activities. Lt. Gen. Philip Garrant, commander of the Space Systems Command, said at the AMOS Conference this week that the service is facing pressure to improve space domain awareness, or the ability to track and understand what is happening with satellites and other objects in space. The service is exploring nontraditional commercial options and international partnerships to fill critical gaps in space surveillance, particularly in GEO. That includes a pilot program underway to increase the use of commercial SDA data. [SpaceNews]
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| Other News
SpaceX sharply responded to proposed FAA fines for launch license violations. In a four-page letter sent to the leadership of two key congressional committees, SpaceX defended its actions on two launches last year that led the FAA earlier this week to propose $633,000 in fines for violating the terms of the licenses. SpaceX argued in detail in the letter that the changes were minor, such as updating the location of a launch control center, and the FAA took months to review them. Those issues, SpaceX concluded, were evidence of "systemic challenges" by the FAA in launch licensing. [SpaceNews]
Radio astronomers warn that the latest generation of Starlink satellites are impairing their observations. In a study published this week, Dutch astronomers said that Starlink "v2 mini" satellites produce up to 30 times the emissions of older satellites. The emissions are at much lower frequencies than those used by the satellites for communications, suggesting they are unintentional emissions from spacecraft systems. Nonetheless, those emissions are far stronger than the astronomical sources scientists try to study from radio telescopes, leading those researchers to warn that a full constellation of such spacecraft could make such observations at the impacted frequencies impossible. Astronomers are in discussions with SpaceX about ways to mitigate the interference. [Science]
While the fifth flight of SpaceX's Starship is delayed, the company is already testing hardware for the sixth. The company performed a static-fire test of six Raptor engines in the Starship upper stage known as Ship 31 on Wednesday, part of preflight testing. That vehicle will be used on the sixth test flight of Starship. The fifth test flight is currently scheduled for no earlier than November because of FAA licensing delays. [Space.com]
Brazil's Senate has passed a space activities bill. The legislation, approved by the Senate earlier this month, directs the Brazilian space agency AEB to regulate civil space activities, while the Brazilian Air Force Command will oversee military space activities. They would handle licensing and oversight of those activities, including procedures for investigating accidents. The bill, awaiting approval by the country's president, requires those regulations to be in place within a year of enactment. [Aeroflap]
Landsat 7 has taken its final Earth images. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) announced Thursday that it is retiring the spacecraft 25 years after its launch. The spacecraft had been operating in a lower orbit since the 2021 launch of Landsat 9, which subjected the spacecraft to conditions that reduced its performance. USGS said it decided to retire the satellite, with Landsats 8 and 9 remaining in full operation. Landsat 7 took 3.3 million images despite a problem with a key sensor. [USGS]
| |  | Expired Excuse
"Anyone that blames delays or being slow to the effects of the pandemic? It's Covid-19, ok? We're in '24."
– Rafel Jordà, CEO of smallsat manufacturer Open Cosmos, expressing skepticism during a panel at World Space Business Week Thursday that supply chain issues in the industry today can be blamed on the pandemic.
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