Page 67 - SAMENA Trends - February 2022

SATELLITE UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

US Company Contracts SpaceX to Launch Second-Generation Satellite

Servicing Spacecraft

SpaceLogistics, a unit of major US and Optus are tangible evidence of our several MEPs. In addition to fitting orbiting
aerospace and defence group Northrop momentum and commitment to deliver satellites with MEPs, the MRV will also be
Grumman, has signed an agreement with second-generation on-orbit servicing able to carry out detailed inspection, repair
space company SpaceX to launch the technologies to the satellite industry,” and relocation of satellites. It will be the
former’s Mission Robotics Vehicle (MRV) affirmed SpaceLogistics business first spacecraft capable of providing such
in early 2024. The MRV is a second- development VP Joseph Anderson. “We services persistently, to GEO satellites.
generation development of SpaceLogistics’ are thrilled to have Optus as our premier “Satellite owners are demonstrating
two Mission Extension Vehicles (MEV- MEP customer as we continue pioneering enthusiasm and confidence for our life-
1 and MEV-2). Like them, the MRV is the future of space and expanding the extension solutions and the potential cost-
intended to extend the operational life of realm of what is possible with on-orbit savings they could provide,” he highlighted.
orbiting satellites. Since 2020, the MEV-1 servicing and sustainment.” Both the MRV “Our Optus contract represents our third
and MEV-2 have provided propulsion and and MEP passed their preliminary design service contract with commercial satellite
pointing control to commercial satellites reviews in the northern autumn of last providers, and with several signed term
in geosynchronous equatorial orbit (GEO, year and are on course for their critical sheets in queue our installation manifest
also known as geostationary orbit). The design reviews, during this year. When for MEPs is already full for 2025 and nearly
MRV, however, will use a robotic arm to launched in 2024, the first MRV will carry full for 2026.”
fit each client’s orbiting satellite with a
Mission Extension Pod (MEP). The MEP,
also a product of SpaceLogistics, is a
self-contained propulsion system, which
can increase the life of a 2 000 kg GEO
satellite by up to six years. The MEP will
be owned and controlled by the client.
Simultaneously with the MRV launch
contract announcement, SpaceLogistics
also reported that it had sold its first MEP,
to Australian satellite owner and operator,
Optus. The MRV will install an MEP on
the Australian company’s D3 satellite
in 2025. “Our contracts with SpaceX

Orange, Sonatel and SES to Deploy O3b mPOWER Gateway in Senegal

African telco Orange and subsidiary telco to adopt O3b mPOWER, with plans to and that the many innovations it currently
Sonatel are partnering with SES to start service from the constellation in the showcases will give it an increasingly
deploy and manage the O3b mPOWER Central African Republic. SES said it will growing position in the telecommunication
constellation’s first gateway in Africa, the also use the gateway to support telemetry, field, in Africa as well as other countries, ”
companies announced Wednesday. The tracking and command (TT&C) functions commented Jean-Luc Vuillemin, executive
gateway will be located at the Sonatel for the O3b mPOWER fleet. SES CEO Steve vice president of Orange International
teleport in the Senegalese territory of Collar said the gateway will enable Sonatel Networks. This partnership “will add a
Gandoul and will deliver low-latency, and and Orange to deliver more bandwidth via major new component to Orange’s mission
cloud-optimized connectivity services O3b mPOWER to remote and underserved to build intelligent, open networks in order
in Africa. This agreement follows after regions. “We continue to believe that to foster usages and access to digital
Orange signed on in 2020 as the first satellite remains a promising technology technologies for the greatest number of
people.” The Sonatel teleport was the site
of Africa’s first 30-meter satellite dish.
Orange, Sonatel and SES also plan to
establish a memorial on site at the Gandoul
gateway to highlight the history of satellite
connectivity in Africa.

67 FEBRUARY 2022