Page 66 - SAMENA Trends - August 2019

SATELLITE UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

Ready-To-Fly Satellite Computers to Be Developed By RUAG Space and

Kubos Corporation

RUAG Space and Kubos Corporation have to enterprise IT, have made the turn hardware combinations. KubOS is the
signed a Memorandum of Understanding towards open source software. The KubOS Android of space systems. By combining
(MOU) — the agreement outlines how community has swelled in 2019 to more it with a wide range of powerful hardware
the companies will work together on than 500 aerospace developers, making it platforms, it can bring incredible value to
multiple new lines of ready-to-fly satellite the largest open source movement in the its end-users. Dr. Peter Guggenbach, CEO
computers. These new integrated products, space community. Kubos CEO Marshall of RUAG Space, added that customers have
geared toward the U.S. commercial and Culpepper said that the collaboration of come to know and expect reliable systems
government satellite constellation market, large, successful aerospace firms with from RUAG Space, but the challenge the
take the KubOS software and RUAG Space innovative software companies is going company faces as an industry is producing
satellite computing hardware into the to be an unstoppable trend as more large the same reliable systems at scale and at
quickly growing mega constellation and constellations are planned and launched a level that makes them affordable for a
>150 kg markets. This agreement is an into orbit. The underlying truth for those mega constellation. To accomplish this
important first step for KubOS and secure applications is that they need both flexible requires strategic partners, particularly
open source, which has been a mainstay software and reliable hardware. The in software — and visionary thinking and
of the nanosatellite market, to the larger company has developed an open-source, innovative collaborative approach — which
mini/medium size satellite enterprise. integrated flight software framework that leads to this partnership with Kubos.
Several industries, from smartphones can easily run on an array of different

General Atomics Orbital Test Bed Satellite Payload Commissioning is

Underway

General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems (GA-EMS) reports
that the commissioning of NASA’s Deep Space Atomic Clock
(DSAC), the primary hosted payload on-board the Orbital Test
Bed (OTB) satellite, is now underway — GA-EMS’ OTB was
successfully launched at 2:30 a.m. EDT on June 25, 2019, on
board the SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket. DSAC is a miniaturized,
ultra-precise, mercury-ion atomic clock intended to support deep
space navigation and exploration. It was designed and built at
NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory for NASA Space Technology
Mission Directorate’s Technology Demonstration Missions
Program. In addition to DSAC, GA-EMS’ OTB spacecraft is hosting
technology demonstration payloads including: a Modular Solar
Array developed for the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory is operating nominally and the company has successfully met the
(AFRL); an Integrated Miniaturized Electrostatic Analyzer sensor first milestone in DSAC commissioning, which involves power up
payload developed by cadets at the U.S. Air Force Academy; and establishing normal telemetry. GA-EMS is working closely
the RadMon next generation radiation effects monitor; and the with JPL to successfully bring DSAC to operational status, and
FlexRX programmable satellite receiver. Also on board OTB as a will continue to provide operations support services as DSAC
passive payload are Celestis cremains for Earth orbit memorial enters its year-long mission to demonstrate its capabilities to
spaceflight. Scott Forney, the President of GA-EMS OTB spacecraft support deep space navigation.

Brazil Launches Consultation for New Satellite Exploitation Rights

Brazil’s National Telecommunications Agency (Anatel) launched conference on Brazilian Satellite Exploitation Rights for four orbital
a public consultation to sound out interest in using satellite positions (61, 65, 70 and 84 West), for which the rights expire on
capacity for at least five years, from 01 January 2021. The 31 December 2020. Contributions in the public consultation will
result will influence the regulator’s decision regarding the future be received until 07 September.

66 AUGUST 2019