Page 59 - SAMENA Trends - January 2021
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SATELLITE UPDATES  SAMENA TRENDS

        Iodine Serves to Propel Satellite in Space


        For  the  first  time,  a  telecommunications   a  propulsion  system.  The  space  agency   begin  to  drift  towards  the  planet.”  The
        satellite has used  an iodine  propellant   specifically  hopes  the  innovation  could   technology  was  developed  by  the French
        to  change its  orbit  around  Earth, reports   help with the issue of space junk. The idea   company  ThrustMe, a  spin-off  company
        the  European  Space  Agency  (ESA).   is that it could more easily enable satellites   from  the  École  Polytechnique  and  the
        Specifically, it has been used in an electric   to self-destruct cheaply at the end of their   French  National  Centre  for  Scientific
        thruster that controls the satellite’s height   missions, by steering  themselves into   Research  (CNRS),  and  was  supported
        above Earth. Iodine is described as being   the atmosphere where they would  burn   by ESA through its program of Advanced
        less expensive and simpler to  use than   up.  “The  technology  could  also  be  used   Research in Telecommunications Systems
        traditional  propellants.  This  means  that   to boost  the mission lifetime  of small   (ARTES).  ThrustMe  launched  its  iodine
        small satellites, such as CubeSats, would   CubeSats  that  monitor  agricultural  crops   thruster on a commercial research nanosat
        be able to  do propulsive operations and   on Earth or entire mega-constellations   called  SpaceTy  Beihangkongshi-1  that
        that bigger satellites could  also gain by   of  nanosats  that  provide global internet   went into space in November 2020. It was
        reducing both the complexity and cost of   access,  by  raising their orbits when they   test  fired  earlier  this  month  before  being
                                                                                 used  to  change  the  orbit  of  the  satellite.
                                                                                 ThrustMe outlines three main advantages
                                                                                 of using  iodine  over xenon  and other
                                                                                 propellants:
                                                                                 •  Iodine  is  stored as  a  solid, unlike
                                                                                    xenon which is stored under pressure.
                                                                                    Therefore, no sloshing, no explosion risk,
                                                                                    no  cumbersome  launch  qualifications
                                                                                    and no intervention  needed  at the
                                                                                    launch pad.
                                                                                 •  It is the least reactive of the halogens,
                                                                                    thus it is not a metal and will not deposit
                                                                                    on  conductive  surfaces  (as  the  first
                                                                                    electric  propulsion systems did when
                                                                                    they were propelled with cesium).
                                                                                 •  Iodine  cost  10  to  100  times  less  than
                                                                                    xenon – just to buy the same amount




        SSI Partners SES For Satellite Capacity in Northern Canada


        SSi  Canada  –  which  operates  the  QINIQ  broadband  and  SSi   satellite backbone capacity to Northern Canada including all 25
        Mobile services in Nunavut – has signed a multi-year partnership   communities  of  Nunavut.  A  press  release  says  the  partnership
        with  SES  Networks  under  which  the  latter  will  deliver  new   comes  at  a  critical  time  for  Nunavut,  with  the  COVID-19  crisis
                                                               having led to an unprecedented  need  for reliable internet  and
                                                               mobile communications for studying,  working and shopping
                                                               online  and  at  home,  causing  rising  demand  for  QINIQ  and  SSi
                                                               Mobile services. SSi CEO Jeff Philipp declared: ‘Thanks to timely
                                                               regulatory  approvals  from the Canadian government,  we are
                                                               now working hard to bring  this  new capacity online  as  quickly
                                                               as  possible.  This  is  an  essential  step  to  ensure  continuity  of
                                                               QINIQ broadband, and we look forward to expanding our network
                                                               offerings and capabilities in the coming months and years as we
                                                               work to deliver on the government’s goal of broadband connectivity
                                                               for every Canadian, no matter where they live.’ Omar Trujill, VP of
                                                               Sales, Fixed Data Americas at SES Networks, added: ‘We are happy
                                                               to bring our expertise of operating more than 70 geostationary
                                                               and  medium  earth  orbit  satellites  to  help  SSi  Canada  scale  up
                                                               their backbone, ensuring that the remote communities in Nunavut
                                                               are at the forefront in achieving the 50Mbps/10Mbps [download/
                                                               upload] threshold.’
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