Page 70 - SAMENA Trends - January 2020

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Capella Unveils Radar Satellite Design

Capella Space unveiled the new design Jan. 21 for its Whitney added a second star tracker, opted for larger reaction wheels and
constellation of seven synthetic aperture radar satellites redesigned the reflector antenna for its Whitney constellation.
scheduled to launch in 2020. Weighing in at 100 kilograms, the new Capella’s new 3.5-meter aperture deployed mesh-based reflector
satellites are about twice the size of Denali, Capella’s 48-kilogram antenna is designed to deliver high-contrast, low-noise imagery
technology demonstration spacecraft launched in December with resolution better than 50 centimeters. “Implementing all
2018. “We spent a lot of time talking to key customers and end of these improvements, however, did require making difficult
users and the message we received was very clear,” Christian Lenz, choices,” Payam Banazadeh, Capella founder and CEO, said in
Capella vice president of engineering, told SpaceNews. “A high- a Jan. 21 blog. “We delayed commencement of service by eight
performance, low-latency, excellent user experience system was months to complete and validate Sequoia’s evolved design.” In
needed.” To achieve that vision, Capella made significant changes addition to redesigning satellites, Capella worked on streamlining
to the Denali design. The firm doubled the size of solar arrays, processes for accepting orders, tasking satellites and delivering
imagery. Capella customers will request imagery electronically.
The firm will then uplink requests to its constellation through
Inmarsat communications satellites. On the back end, Capella
will rely on Amazon Web Services and Amazon Ground Stations to
reduce the time it takes to get imagery and data from the satellite
to the ground, process it and get it to the user, Lenz said. Sequoia,
Capella’s first operational satellite, is scheduled to launch in
late March on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket alongside Argentina’s
Saocom-1B synthetic aperture radar satellite. Capella plans to
launch three additional radar satellites in mid-2020 and three
more by the end of the year, Lenz said. Capella customers include
the U.S. Air Force, which awarded the firm a contract in November
after Space Pitch Day, and the National Reconnaissance Office,
which awarded the firm a study contract in December.

Arianespace Launches Eutelsat, ISRO Satellites on First 2020 Mission

European launch provider Arianespace Alenia Space built the all-electric satellite platform. Leroy said Eutelsat Konnect
completed its first launch of the year Jan. on its Neosat bus, which it brands should reach its orbital location this
16, sending two communications satellites Spacebus Neo. Eutelsat Konnect took four summer, and begin commercial service
into geostationary transfer orbits. The years to produce, Yohann Leroy, Eutelsat’s in the fall. General Dynamics and Hughes
Ariane 5 rocket lifted off from the Guiana deputy CEO, said in a post-launch speech. Network Systems are building the ground
Space Center at 4:05 p.m. Eastern with “Beyond Eutelsat, this is the success infrastructure for the satellite, he said.
the 3,600-kilogram Eutelsat Konnect of a European dream team,” Leroy said. Thales Alenia Space has sold seven
satellite and the 3,400-kilogram GSAT- Eutelsat then split Konnect’s capacity to Spacebus Neo satellites since the program
30 satellite. Eutelsat Konnect separated cover Western Europe and get a head start began in 2015. Airbus Defence and Space,
from the rocket’s upper stage about 28 over Viasat, whose Europe, Middle East which also has a Neosat platform it brands
minutes later, followed by the Indian space and Africa-focused ViaSat-3 satellite isn’t Eurostar Neo, has sold four. Jan Woerner,
agency ISRO’s GSAT-30 satellite after expected to launch until mid-to-late 2021. director general of the European Space
another 10 minutes. Eutelsat Konnect is Peter Newell, Eutelsat’s program manager Agency, hailed the success of the Neosat
both a technology milestone for Europe for Konnect, said the Ka-band satellite program. “Now we are in 2020 and 11 of
and a tactical gambit for Eutelsat after will initially cover 15 countries in Europe these satellites are already sold,” he said.
the company abandoned plans to invest and 45 countries in Africa. The satellite’s “This is a tremendous success.” Magali
in a Viasat satellite two years ago. The coverage can later be reallocated fully to Vaissiere, the departing director of ESA’s
European and French space agencies Africa, he said. Eutelsat has a larger very Telecommunications and Integrated
helped fund the satellite because it uses high-throughput satellite called Konnect Applications division, spearheaded the
a new Neosat satellite platform intended VHTS planned for launch in 2022. The 500 Neosat program, Woerner said. Woerner
to lower the cost of manufacturing. The gigabits per second Konnect VHTS satellite said 17 countries contributed to the
goal of the Neosat program is to give is fully dedicated to European broadband. Neosat program.
European manufacturers an edge over Thales Alenia Space is building Konnect
competitors in the U.S. and Asia. Thales VHTS as well, also using a Spacebus Neo

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