Israel invests millions in the space industry and Mitsubishi invents new 3D printing technology for outer space
Precious Payload Weekly Smallsat News: May 16 – 22
Precious Payload gives you access to the latest news on small satellites, launchers, and other related developments so you can keep up with the industry without having to search for sources, leads or deals yourself.
Insights
Next week, the launch window for the CAPSTONE mission opens up. It’s the first deep-space mission for 🇺🇸Rocket Lab. The NASA-funded project will test the future orbit of an upcoming lunar space station using a 6U cubesat. It’s a significant paradigm shift for the industry, where a micro launcher can do deep space missions on a budget!
Read this article to learn more about other space missions that launched the new era of space exploration.
🇺🇸Launcher Space is making a bold move. While the company is working on a small rocket, it will accelerate the development of its space tug for Transporter missions. Considering the market environment, and given that the company already has paying clients and will increase TRL levels for its technology, it allows them to delay or even cancel their micro launcher program without losing the business itself.
Launch Updates
🇦🇺Gilmour Space successfully tests its latest rocket engine Eris to propel smallsats for launch in Q4 of 2022 from Bowen Orbital Spaceport.
🇺🇸Launcher will launch six cubesats and four hosted payloads aboard its Orbiter vehicle on SpaceX’s Transporter-6 rideshare mission in October.
The satellites are for:
- 🇺🇸Skyline Celestial
- 🇦🇷Innova Space
- 🇮🇹NPC Spacemind
- Student projects from Cal Poly Pomona and Stanford University
Hosted payloads are for:
- 🇺🇸Cesium Astro
- Beyond Burials
- TRL11
🇦🇺Space Machines Company will launch its OTV, Optimus, via SpaceX’s April 2023 rideshare mission.
🇺🇸ABL Space Systems successfully tested the second stage of its small launch vehicle, RS1, after its previous test failure in California.
🇬🇧/ 🇧🇪Veoware Space gets in agreement with 🇮🇹D-Orbit to launch their micro Control Moment Gyroscope aboard ION Satellite Carrier in early 2023 for its in-orbit demonstration.
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Funding:
🇮🇪 Ubotica Technologies has raised €4M in seed funding to grow its team and develop the next generation of its CogniSat platform. [Source]
🇨🇳Kongtian Dongli raises funding for its constellation with an on-orbit test in Q4 2022. [Source]
🇨🇳Orienspace raised $59.9M to develop its LV, Gravity-1, for launch in mid-2023 and build a new reusable liquid rocket engine. [Source]
🇮🇱 Israel plans to invest $176M over the next five years to develop its space industry, increase employment, and launch its research sat, Shalom. [Source]
Headlines
Kanyini, a 6U cubesat by 🇦🇺Inovor Technologies, completed a critical design review and is ready to be launched later this year. [Source]
🇸🇪OHB Sweden AB-led consortium develops 16 weather smallsats for ESA. The constellation will be launched in 2024. [Source]
🇨🇦Telesat tested high-speed connectivity in India last month with its Phase-1 LEO satellite. [Source]
🇦🇪DEWA, which recently has launched its DEWA-SAT1, partners with 🇬🇧Wyld Networks to develop IoT interfaces for nanosats that will help with energy and water system maintenance and development. [Source]
🇺🇬Uganda’s first satellite, PearlAfricaSat-1, developed by a student team within the 🇯🇵Kyushu Institute of Technology program, will be launched to the ISS in August. [Source]
🇮🇳Manastu Space gets contracted by 🇫🇷Venture Orbital Systems to develop its auxiliary propulsion system and reaction control system for their launcher. [Source]
🇯🇵Mitsubishi Electric Corporation developed a technology for 3D printing satellite antennas in outer space by using the sun’s UV rays for photopolymerization. [Source]
Three microsatellites from 🇱🇹NanoAvionics have been ordered by 🇳🇴Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace for launch in 2024 to monitor vessels operating in the North Sea. [Source]
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