Tag: optical communications
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Galaxia and Apolink Partner to Demonstrate Inter-Satellite Links in 2027 Mission
Canada’s Galaxia Mission Systems has signed a strategic partnership with U.S.-based Apolink Communications to demonstrate hybrid optical and radio-frequency inter-satellite link (ISL) technology on a future spacecraft scheduled for launch in 2027. Under the agreement, Apolink’s communications system will be tested aboard a Galaxia satellite operating in sun-synchronous orbit, a configuration commonly used for Earth…
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Gilmour Space and Transcelestial Partner on Laser Communications for Satellites
Australian launch and satellite company Gilmour Space Technologies has entered into a long-term strategic partnership with Singapore-based laser communications firm Transcelestial to integrate optical communications technology into future satellite platforms, the companies said on Monday. As a first step, Gilmour Space will fly a Transcelestial laser communications terminal on an upcoming mission, supporting an in-orbit…
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Samara Aerospace Raises $10 Million Seed Round to Improve Satellite Stability
Samara Aerospace, a San Francisco-based satellite bus developer, has raised $10 million in seed funding to advance a new approach to satellite stability that it says can significantly reduce vibration and improve performance in orbit. The round was led by Balerion Space Ventures, with participation from Illinois Ventures, MFV Partners and Access Venture Partners. The…
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Voyager Technologies Wins U.S. Patent for Microgravity Crystal Manufacturing
Voyager Technologies has secured a U.S. government patent for a process that manufactures high-performance crystals in microgravity, a technology the company says could underpin future optical communications and advanced computing systems. The company said this week it plans to fly the patented manufacturing process to the International Space Station later this spring to demonstrate the…
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U.S. military begins launching satellites to counter hypersonic missile threat
SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket lifts off Sunday from Vandenberg Space Force Base, California. Credit: SpaceX The first 10 spacecraft for a planned U.S. military mega-constellation launched from California Sunday aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, setting in place the keystone for a multibillion-dollar network of hundreds of small satellites to improve defenses against hypersonic missiles…
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SpaceX launch for SDA aborted at T-minus 3 seconds
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket stands vertical on its launch pad at Vandenberg Space Force Base, awaiting liftoff with the first 10 satellites for the U.S. military’s Space Development Agency. Credit: SpaceX SpaceX aborted a launch attempt Thursday just three seconds before liftoff at the start of the engine ignition sequence, delaying the flight of…
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Live coverage: SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifts off on first SDA mission
Live coverage of the countdown and launch of a Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California with 10 satellites for the Space Development Agency’s Tranche 0 missile tracking and data relay network. Text updates will appear automatically below; there is no need to reload the page. Follow us on Twitter. [tabby title=”SpaceX Webcast”] [tabby…
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First launch for Pentagon’s own mega-constellation set for Thursday
This artist’s concept illustrates how the Space Development Agency’s mesh network will detect and track missiles, relay data, and perform navigation and tech demo missions. Credit: Space Development Agency The U.S. military’s Space Development Agency, established in 2019 to fast-track new national security capabilities in orbit, plans to launch the first 10 satellites for a…
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NASA developing plans for commercially-built Mars orbiter
An artist’s illustration of one potential design for NASA’s new Mars orbiter, which could launch as soon as 2022. Credit: NASA NASA is advancing a plan to send a robotic orbiter to Mars in the early 2020s, developing designs with five U.S. satellite makers for a mission to extend high-resolution mapping capabilities, telecommunications relay functions,…