Page 52 - SAMENA Trends - December 2020

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Russia Lifts 36 UK Telecom Satellites into Orbit

A Soyuz rocket blasted off from the OneWeb's first six satellites were launched launch from the Vostochny Cosmodrome,"
Vostochny Cosmodrome in Russia's by a Russian-made Soyuz rocket from the Roscosmos said earlier in the day. "It
Far East, putting into orbit 36 UK space center in Kourou in French Guiana will also be the first launch operated by
telecommunications and internet in February 2019. The company launched the European launch services provider
satellites, the Roscosmos space agency 34 more in February this year from the Arianespace for the company OneWeb
said. The launch was the first and only one Baikonur launch site in Kazakhstan, then from the first Russian civilian spaceport."
to take place from the cosmodrome this another 34 in March. OneWeb plans for The Vostochny launch site is one of the
year, Roscosmos told AFP. The rocket took its global commercial internet service country's most important space projects,
off at 1226 GMT, the space agency said, to be operational by 2022, supported by designed to reduce reliance on the
carrying satellites made by the British- some 650 satellites. "Today's launch will Baikonur space center Russia currently
based company OneWeb. Nearly five hours be the first fully commercial spacecraft rents from Kazakhstan.
later space agency chief Dmitry Rogozin
said that all the satellites had reached
their intended orbit. "The mission has been
successfully completed. Congratulations!"
he said on Twitter. Originally planned for
April, the launch was delayed after OneWeb
collapsed and was forced to declare
bankruptcy. Last month, the UK government
and Indian telecommunications giant
Bharti took control of the company,
investing 500 million U.S. dollars a piece.
The London-headquartered company is
working to complete the construction of
a constellation of low earth orbit satellites
providing enhanced broadband and other
services to countries around the world.

Helical Antenna Deployed for Satellite IoT Network

The first helical antenna system from India. The satellite is currently undergoing to working together toward a full satellite
Oxford Space Systems (OSS) has been the same sequence of in-orbit tests. “This constellation,” said Juan Reveles, CTO. CEO,
deployed in low earth orbit (LEO) for an represents a key milestone for OSS as it this satellite will greatly boost the Lacuna
IoT satellite. The antenna is used in a continues to execute the strategy to be network capacity and extend customer
CubeSat developed by Nanoavionics for a the leading global deployable antenna trials to additional market segments.
constellation to link the Interne of Things company for Space. Not only is this our Examples for applications include pre-
(IoT) run by UK-based Lacuna Space. first successful deployment of an antenna, dictive maintenance and tracking of heavy
Lacuna Space, also based near Oxford, UK, but our second successful hardware machinery in remote areas. Automating the
is building a constellation of IoT gateways deployment this year and our fourth in dispatch of replacement parts, scheduling
in LEO that enable ground-based sensors total. We continue to develop and deliver resources where needed and minimizing
to connect to the internet from remote our range of antenna products which down time. “It is great to announce another
areas using an open source low power wide give leading performance capabilities successfully commissioned satellite on
area network (LPWAN) protocol. The OSS with low launch mass and small stowage our path to the full constellation. Our
deployable helical technology allows the volumes,” said Sean Sutcliffe, CEO of OSS. plans have been somewhat delayed by
antenna to be stowed efficiently for launch “Through a combination of well proven the COVID-19 pandemic but despite the
and provide optimized RF performance mechanical principles, thorough material challenging times, we were able to proceed
from an orbit of 500km. The successful characterization and innovative design, and this latest mission entered the
deployment of the OSS helical antenna the OSS team have developed a cost- network in under 10 months from Lacuna
was confirmed when signals were received effective and highly scalable antenna Space placing the satellite order. Now,
by ground stations as expected, finalizing which can be customized to operate over as the launch back-log is flowing again,
the commissioning phase of the satellite. a wide frequency range. We are proud to we are expecting several additions to the
Lacuna is using a second OSS helical contribute to Lacuna Space’s ambition to demonstration network in the near future,”
antenna on a PSLV rocket launched from build an IoT Gateway and we look forward said Rob Spurrett, CEO of Lacuna Space.

52 DECEMBER 2020