Space for Earth

EpiSci has announced an SBIR Phase II contract with the Space Development Agency (SDA) to advance the capabilities of low earth orbit (LEO) overhead persistent infrared (OPIR) sensors. This effort builds on EpiSci’s expertise in signal processing technology using state-of-the-art artificial intelligence (AI)/machine learning (ML) techniques to provide warfighters a competitive advantage.

LeoLabs has released a joint statement on debris remediation signed by representatives of commercial entities in collaboration with the Secure World Foundation (SWF). LeoLabs and SWF led this effort in response to the continual accumulation of massive derelict objects (e.g. spent rocket bodies, etc.) in low Earth orbit (LEO). As of January 2024, around 29% of the total mass in LEO consists of these massive objects, 43% of which were left in orbit since the turn of the century. These objects pose the greatest debris-generating potential in LEO, putting the satellites the global economy relies on at risk.

SpaceX has issued a commitment to space sustainability, pledging to perform controlled descents of approximately 100 additional early-version 1 Starlink satellites in the coming weeks and months. With space sustainability in mind, SpaceX has to-date initiated controlled deorbits on 406 satellites out of the nearly 6000 Starlink satellites launched. Of those, 17 are currently non-maneuverable, passively decaying, but well-tracked to help mitigate collision risk with other active satellites. The other 95% of satellites the Starlink team initiated controlled descent for have already de-orbited. 

Capella Space Corp., an American space tech company with data and satellite solutions for Government and commercial applications, has announced a partnership with TCarta, a global provider of hydrospatial products and services, to add high-resolution SAR satellite imagery to TCarta's coastal monitoring and shoreline feature extraction solutions. This partnership will enable more consistent and reliable identification of coastline changes so coastal managers have accurate and up-to-date information for mitigating the impacts of climate change. 

CoreLogic Australia has partnered with ICEYE on a disaster response solution for the banking and finance industry. The partnership aims to combine four decades of CoreLogic’s property data with ICEYE’s hazard insights, which leverage synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite data and auxiliary ground data, to develop a new disaster solution that can pinpoint areas and properties affected by flood and bushfire as events unfold.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has launched the Plankton, Aerosol, Climate, ocean Ecosystem (PACE) satellite. The satellite launched into orbit aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida to study ocean health, air quality, and the effects of a changing climate for the benefit of humanity. NASA subsequently confirmed signal acquisition from the satellite about five minutes after launch.

Astroscale Japan Inc., a subsidiary of Astroscale Holdings Inc., will launch its commercial debris inspection demonstration satellite, Active Debris Removal by Astroscale-Japan (ADRAS-J), on a Rocket Lab Electron rocket from Launch Complex 1 in Mahia, New Zealand, on Sunday, February 18 UTC. Furthermore, the Company has shipped ADRAS-J from its headquarters in Tokyo, and final preparations for launch are underway at Rocket Lab’s facilities, in addition to operational control testing from the Mission Control Center in Tokyo.

In this Space Café Radio Geopolitics, SpaceWatch.Global publisher Torsten Kriening spoke with Mahhad Nayyer,  Astrodynamicist - Systems Engineer - Project Manager - Space Sustainability Enthusiast - Steward of Spaceship Earth. Mahhad Nayyer is a young Pakistani whom Torsten met first in the AIAA D12 - Diverse Dozen Cohort 2022 virtually. We were really impressed by Mahhad's work, so we invited him as a guest in our episode.

Pale Blue Inc. has received a grant from Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) under the Small and Business Innovation Research 3 (SBIR-3) program to develop and demonstrate key technology for space debris mitigation. The grant is worth up to USD 27 million (JPY 4 billion) and will enable the development and demonstration of a miniaturized water-based ion thruster and a water-based hall-effect thruster by fiscal 2027.

Kuva Space has announced its expansion to the United States, establishing Kuva Space US in Fairfax, Virginia. As a result, Jerry Welsh, the former CEO of ICEYE US, has joined Kuva Space as a board member and will lead the company’s expansion efforts to become a leading provider of hyperspectral insights to the U.S. Government (USG).