Page 83 - SAMENA Trends - April-May 2021

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NTT Plans Satellite Trials

According to reports from Nikkei, NTT is earth, but processing the images in space with critics noting the technical challenges
set to explore the concept of satellite data could reduce this to just a few hours. as well as legal ones surrounding ocean
centers in partnership with SKY Perfect NTT also notes that satellite data centers deployment. Nonetheless, results were
JSAT Holdings, Japan’s first private satellite could play a key role in data preservation, finally gathered in 2020, with the project
communications company. The project being unaffected by major natural largely deemed a success. Discussions
will see NTT equip each satellite with the disasters, such as the earthquakes which have now turned to how underwater data
computing power to process data, with hit Japan so regularly. The companies centers could be scaled up to power
the various satellites working in tandem hope to launch the satellite in 2025, with the full suite of Microsoft Azure cloud
with one another to function similarly to commercial operations to begin the services. Could NTT’s space-based data
an orbital data center. The concept here is following year. Positioning data centers in center concept follow a similar trajectory?
fairly simple. Traditionally, data received novel locations to improve effectiveness With the likes of SpaceX’s Starlink
by a satellite must be transmitted back to is nothing new for the telecoms industry. launching over a thousand satellites in the
Earth in order to be stored and analyzed, Back in 2016, Microsoft’s Project last couple of years, and now Amazon’s
a process which not only takes time but Natick began to explore the concept of Project Kuiper hot on their heels, satellite
also requires a large amount of electricity. underwater data centers, arguing that broadband could soon become a major
NTT suggests that if such processes could it had benefits such as reduced cooling player in the telecoms space. The cost of
instead be handled while still in space, then costs; the ability to use clean, renewable space-based operations is dropping and
only relevant data would be transmitted tidal energy; and lower latency and better soon new types of space infrastructure,
back to Earth, significantly speeding up application performance for those living such as data centers, will surely become
the data exchange. Satellite photographs, near the coast. The data center, which far more achievable.
for example, currently take a day to be was deployed in 2018 near the Shetland
sent from a satellite to receivers back on Islands, was met with much skepticisms,

Arianespace Vega Launcher Delivers First Pléiades Neo Satellite in Orbit

Arianespace has successfully delivered deployed and the first telemetry signals commercial service. Later this year, Airbus
the first satellite of the Pléiades Neo were received. Airbus’ control center in will launch another satellite Pléiades Neo
constellation in its planned orbit. Toulouse, France, commanded the satellite 4 onboard the Vega rocket. Airbus Defence
The satellite was launched onboard and initiated early orbit phase activities with and Space intelligence head François
Arianespace’s European launcher Vega the aim of acquiring the first image next Lombard said: “The launch of this first
from French Guiana. After being placed in week. The spacecraft will undergo an in- Pléiades Neo satellite will pave the way to
orbit, the solar arrays of the satellite were orbit calibration phase prior to opening for new services and great opportunities for
our customers, thanks to its high accuracy
and increased reactivity. “The Pléiades
Neo constellation will definitively boost
the 30cm imagery market, bringing a lot
of innovation and coverage capacity to the
commercial and governmental end-users.”
The Pléiades Neo project will comprise
four identical satellites that are entirely
funded, designed, manufactured, owned
and operated by Airbus. Each satellite will
cover half a million square kilometers a
day at a 30cm native resolution, providing
high-level insights to commercial and
institutional customers for the next decade.
Customers will access freshly acquired
and archive data, as well as extensive
analytics through Airbus’ OneAtlas digital
platform. The Pléiades Neo constellation
will work alongside the existing Pléiades
satellites and the remaining Airbus Earth
observation satellite fleet.

83 APRIL-MAY 2021