Ivy Lee’s Post

India's push for home-grown satellite constellation gets 30 aspirants Thirty Indian companies have answered the space regulator's call to build and operate constellations of Earth observation (EO) satellites in a groundbreaking private-public partnership to reduce the country's reliance on foreign data for defense, infrastructure management and other critical mapping needs.

The Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe) has issued an ‘Announcement of Opportunity’ (AO) inviting non-government entities (NGEs) to build, launch and use a telecommunications satellite. The aim of this AO is to identify and empower eligible NGEs to utilise unallocated ITU filings. This filing process necessitates the submission of comprehensive technical details regarding the satellite, including its planned orbital position and frequency usage. The purpose is to coordinate orbital slots and frequencies to prevent interference among satellites. Click here to read more - https://lnkd.in/gbxK4Ssk #INSPACe #AnnouncementOfOpportunity #TelecommunicationsSatellite #NGEs #SatelliteLaunch #ITUFilings #OrbitalSlots #FrequencyUsage #SpaceInnovation #BlueEconomy #OceanMonitoring #MaritimeSurveillance #DisasterResponse #MarineBiology #Communications #Shipping #Surveillance #Oceanography #Weather #SatelliteDevelopment #SpaceTech #IndianSpaceProgram

🛰🎉Celebrating five years of EDRS-C! On 6 August 2019, we launched EDRS-C, as part of our public-private partnership with Airbus, the second satellite in the European Data Relay System. This high-tech satellite is a vital part in providing near-real-time data relay services, accelerating emergency response to forest fires, floods, and other crises. The geostationary position allows the constellation to maintain a nearly constant connection with low-Earth orbiting satellites, eliminating delays of up to 90 minutes caused by the need for direct line-of-sight with ground stations. 🌎Leveraging advanced laser technology, EDRS-C can transmit data at unprecedented speeds, reducing the time it takes for Earth Observation satellites to send information to ground users. 🚀Relive the launch 👉 https://lnkd.in/epc2sp-t #esa #europeanspaceagency #airbus #edrs #datarelay #earthobservation #satellite #connectivity #anniversary #europe #european #frenchguiana #satellites #copernicus #ariane5 #ariane6

🚀 𝐒𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐗 𝐋𝐚𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐬 𝐒𝐄𝐒 𝐎𝟑𝐛 𝐦𝐏𝐎𝐖𝐄𝐑 𝐒𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐬, 𝐀𝐝𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐏𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐬 SpaceX successfully launched the O3b mPOWER 7 and 8 satellites for SES on December 17, 2024, marking its third Falcon 9 mission within 24 hours. Liftoff occurred at 5:26 p.m. EST from Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Complex 39A, despite challenging weather conditions. The satellites are part of SES's medium Earth orbit (MEO) broadband network, designed to serve millions of users globally. This mission follows earlier launches of O3b mPOWER satellites, which faced power module issues. SES has implemented fixes for future satellites, including operational adjustments and hardware replacements. The Falcon 9 booster, flying its first mission, landed successfully on the droneship Just Read the Instructions, ensuring its potential for reuse. SES plans to complete its constellation with additional launches through 2026. Screenshot: spacex.com Stay updated with the latest insights by visiting xpylon.com. https://lnkd.in/dU6rfnVd #Aerospace #Aviation #SpaceX # #SatelliteLaunch # #TechnologyInnovation

Yesterday, the US Space Force successfully (and surreptitiously) completed the Rapid Response Trailblazer (RRT-1) mission, in which a GPS-III satellite was placed into MEO on only six month’s notice—18 months faster than the typical 24 month mission cycle. While a terrific achievement by all parties involved, it highlights some of the ongoing challenges the Space Force faces as it looks to improve resiliency. 1.      The mission leveraged a GPS-III satellite which had been sitting in storage for several years—is USSF (and more importantly, Congress) prepared to build-ahead and store critical space capabilities? 2.      SpaceX had previous experience launching GPS-III satellites, dramatically reducing mission planning time. What steps are necessary for reducing the mission planning cycle for new satellites? (Theoretically this would become less of an issue with proliferated architectures…) 3.      The long-pole in the tent driving the six-month timeline was the need to modify the GPS III payload adapter so it could launch on a Falcon 9—what would it take to develop a series of standardized payload adapters to improve mission flexibility? 4.      Six months is a tremendous improvement from 24 months—but is it fast enough to maintain capability through conflict? How fast is fast enough, and is there a viable path to get there? The last point raises a broader issue around how the USSF should pursue resiliency: Rapid reconstitution is but one of many methods which must be balanced against efficacy and cost… …Finding the right balance across methods remains an ongoing debate-- one which must be resolved soon.

Did You Know ⁉️   ➡️ The WorldView Legion fleet includes the first Maxar satellites in mid-inclination orbit (MIO), meaning they orbit around Earth's center rather than over its poles as the rest of our constellation does in sun-synchronous orbit (SSO). Satellites in SSO typically collect imagery from mid-morning to early afternoon, but expanding to MIO enables dawn-to-dusk collection. 🕗   Access to MIO will help us gain views at this level of detail into previously hard to see areas, with positive implications for timely missions such as #Defence and #DisasterResponse.   #ItTakesaLegion #ViewfromSpace

On October 23, 2024, a Boeing -built satellite, Intelsat 33e, exploded in orbit. The explosion occurred while the satellite was being moved to a new orbital position. The cause of the explosion is currently under investigation, but it is believed to have been triggered by a malfunction in one of the satellite's systems. The explosion has created a cloud of debris in space, which poses a risk to other satellites and spacecraft. The debris field is expected to persist for several years, and it may be necessary for other satellites to maneuver to avoid it. The destruction of Intelsat 33e has also disrupted communications services for some customers. The satellite was used for providing broadband internet and other communication services to various regions of the world. Boeing is investigating the cause of the explosion and assessing the potential impact on its other satellite programs. The company has issued a statement expressing its condolences to those affected by the incident and its commitment to ensuring the safety of its satellites. #Intelsat33e #SatelliteExplosion #SpaceDebris #Boeing #Satellite #Space #Communication #Technology #News #Update

Current space treaties make it illegal to touch another country's satellites, but what about another country's space debris? The more megaconstellations that get sent up will eventually create exponentially more debris. Why? Because they are designed to be quick and cheap to build, and if one satellite dies, many others can replace it. But the dead satellite does not go away. It could be in orbit for centuries before it finally burns up in the atmosphere. Now is the time to get serious about garbage cleanup in orbit. Is there a company willing to do both the technological and the legal challenge of making orbital paths safer for future spaceships?

SpaceX is preparing for its final two Falcon 9 launches of November, using launch pads in both Florida and California. First up is the Starlink 6-65 mission, which will likely add another 24 Starlink satellites to the company’s rapidly growing mega-constellation. Liftoff is set for no earlier than midnight (0500 UTC) on Nov. 30. Heading into the midnight mission, the 45th Weather Squadron forecast an 85 percent chance for favorable weather at liftoff, citing thick clouds along with gusty winds as potential concerns. “Precipitation is expected to be done heading into the primary launch window at midnight, but the question of clouds remains,” launch weather officers wrote in their forecast. “Most models still show an extensive post-frontal cloud deck hanging around, potentially flirting with the freezing level, and thus becoming a launch weather concern. “Factors that play into this will also include how quickly winds above the surface swing out of the north-northeast and reinforce the post-frontal inversion. The most problematic cloud decks will push south through the window, though a low-topped stratocumulus deck will likely remain. Post-frontal winds will also be a watch item, though the strongest winds will occur a few hours ahead of the window with speeds, while remaining breezy, diminishing through the late night.” The Falcon 9 first stage booster supporting this mission, tail number B1083 in the SpaceX fleet, will launch for a sixth time. It previously supported the launches of Crew-8, Polaris Dawn, CRS-31 and two Starlink missions. A little more than eight minutes after liftoff, B1083 will land on the SpaceX droneship, ‘Just Read the Instructions.’ If successful, this will be the 100th booster landing for JRTI and the 376th booster landing to date. SpaceX is poised to launch another Falcon 9 rocket as soon as about three hours after the Starlink 6-65 mission. The NROL-126 mission is scheduled to launch from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. This will be the latest flight for the National Reconnaissance Office as part of what it calls its proliferated architecture. #SpaceX #Starlink #Falcon9

Exciting developments from Maxar’s WorldView Legion fleet! Expanding into mid-inclination orbit (MIO) brings unparalleled dawn-to-dusk imaging capabilities, unlocking new opportunities for critical missions like defense and disaster response. A true leap forward in geospatial intelligence! #ItTakesaLegion #ViewfromSpace