SpaceNews.com
• Jason Rainbow
Kepler Communications has begun commercial in-orbit optical data relay services, marking an expansion beyond the smallsat operator’s IoT connectivity business. The launch positions Kepler to provide high-speed data links between spacecraft and ground networks as demand grows for faster space-based communications.
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CesiumAstro plans to launch its first Element satellite in October, marking a precursor mission for a planned constellation of more than 700 spacecraft. The launch will provide an initial step toward the company’s broader satellite deployment strategy.
Kepler Communications has begun commercial in-orbit optical data relay services, marking an expansion beyond the smallsat operator’s IoT connectivity business. The launch positions Kepler to provide high-speed data links between spacecraft and ground networks as demand grows for faster space-based communications.
Beyond Reach Labs has unveiled Flarewing, a patent-pending solar-array deployment system designed to fold flat during launch and expand in orbit. The startup says its large deployable structures could enable small satellites to generate substantially more power without requiring correspondingly larger launch configurations.
Star Catcher Industries, which is developing power-beaming technology for satellites, has signed an agreement with Aethero to distribute its technology. The deal marks a commercial step for Star Catcher as it seeks to advance space-based power delivery for satellite operators and other customers.
ICEYE has formally established ICEYE India in New Delhi to support defense and security cooperation, provide synthetic aperture radar intelligence to Indian agencies, and pursue domestic radar-satellite manufacturing. The move gives the Finnish company a local base in one of the world’s largest defense and space markets.
Veoware successfully demonstrated its mini control moment gyroscopes (miniCMGs) aboard a Planet Pelican Earth-observation satellite, marking the technology’s first demonstration in orbit. The test represents an in-space milestone for Veoware’s compact spacecraft attitude-control technology.
Kongsberg NanoAvionics unveiled a 500-kilogram version of its MP42D satellite bus, increasing the platform’s maximum supported mass by more than twofold. The larger bus is designed to accommodate more demanding defense and intelligence missions, expanding the company’s offering for heavier spacecraft payloads.
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