Ibadan, 16 November 2022. – Spire Global, Inc., a leading global provider of space-based data, analytics and space services, has revealed a next-generation 16U satellite bus design at Space Tech Expo Europe. The satellite bus is tailored for customers with missions that require larger payloads and more power, volume, and data capabilities than a conventional 16U, such as Earth observation and space domain awareness missions.
Spire, which operates the world’s largest multipurpose satellite constellation, designs and builds its satellites entirely in-house at its manufacturing facility in Glasgow. The company has built and launched more than 150 satellites, carrying nearly 500 years of spaceflight heritage across its fleet.
Exolaunch’s EXOpod Nova deployer, a custom launch deployer developed in partnership with Spire, has enabled the company to optimize the capacity and volume of the satellite while still fitting into standard deployment settings. The 16U satellite can accommodate payloads of up to 30 kilograms.
“Increasingly, we’re seeing that our customers’ missions require buses that offer the performance of a larger satellite with the agility of a nanosatellite,” said Joel Spark, Co-Founder and General Manager of Space Services, Spire. “It’s a tall order, but we’ve leveraged our extensive space heritage and experience in satellite design and manufacturing to build a one-of-a-kind satellite bus that checks all those boxes. Our next-gen satellite has been a natural next step for us, driven by the market’s needs.”
Spire Space Services customers can leverage the company’s proven space, ground and web infrastructure to scale their constellation quickly. In 2023, Spire will launch its next-gen 16U satellites to orbit, carrying payloads for Space Services customers NorthStar Earth & Space and GHGSat.
“This is an exciting time for the space sector in Scotland. Businesses such as Spire Global are delivering innovative new satellites, helping to position Scotland as a global leader for commercial space developments gaining a £1 billion share of the global space market,” said Scottish Government Minister for Business, Trade, Tourism and Enterprise, Ivan McKee MSP.
