Sompo Japan Insurance, Japan’s second-largest property insurance company, has formed a business and capital alliance with the Tsukuba-based startup Warpspace. The startup has received pre-series B funding from Sompo Japan. Warpspace is developing the WarpHub InterSat an optical inter-satellite data relay service, as against the now common electromagnetic, radio-frequency, data relays. Warpspace intends to use optical data relays for satellites operating in the more radiation dense medium-Earth-orbit. As compared to conventional radio communications, WarpHub InterSat’s optical communications will give higher data-throughput, lower transmission times, real-time accessible time, and with high data transmission security. Such real-time data transmission is useful for…
Author: Team Interstellar
The China Great Wall Industry Corporation, a subsidiary of the China Aerospace Science & Technology Corporation launched four SAR satellites owned by Piesat and built by GalaxySpace, both commercial companies. The satellites were launched by the CGWIC on the Long March 2D launch vehicle, from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center. Of the constellation, Piesat-1-A-01 is the master satellite, weighing 320 kg, while the other three, Piesat-1-B-01, Piesat-1-B-02, and Piesat-1-B-03, are assistant satellites weighing 270 kg. The wheel-like formation of this constellation is considered superior to the typical interferometric satellites. The satellite will carry out high-precision geophysical mapping and will have…
On March 30, 2023, Virgin Orbit Holdings, which is in the commercial business of aircraft-launched two-stage-to-orbit launch services, laid off 85% of its employees. The announcement came to the fore when Virgin Orbit, the Delaware-based company within the UK-based Virgin Group, filed a Form-8K with the U.S. Securities and Trade Commission. Virgin Group owns a 33% share in Virgin Orbit, while 18% is owned by the United Arab Emirates state-owned holding company – Mubadala. Virgin Orbit has announced that it will cease operations “for the foreseeable future” due to a lack of funding, according to CEO Dan Hart during an…
In this episode of ORBITAL RENDEZVOUS, we have among us Lt. Gen. Anil Bhatt (Retd.), Director General, Indian Space Association. Lt. Gen. Bhatt speaks to us about what has changed in the relations between the defence ministry and the private sector regarding supplies of space technologies in the past few years. He discusses the role of IDEX in space innovation, on hyperspectral satellites, Indian space startups going global, and, more importantly, the Defence Space Symposium that ISpA is organising from April 11-13 at the DRDO Bhawan in New Delhi.
Luxembourg’s most prominent technology ambassador, its satellite manufacturer SES, is holding talks with the US-based and world’s most prominent communications satellite operator, Intelsat, are holding talks over a merger. If it materialises, the SES-Intelsat merger could be one of the most lucrative sat-com partnerships, valued at more than USD 10 billion, including debt. SES has confirmed the merger but has not divulged greater details. SES said, “In response to rumours in the market, SES S.A. confirms that the company has engaged in discussions regarding a possible combination with Intelsat. At this stage, there can be no certainty that a transaction…
In late March, the Goa Science Centre and Planetarium organised a night sky observing activity that attracted both locals and tourists. The event, which took place on Miramar Beach near Panaji, featured portable telescopes that allowed attendees to observe celestial objects. While the activity may have seemed unremarkable, it was praised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for its promotion of India’s rich heritage in astronomy. The Goa Science Centre and Planetarium is a member of the National Council for Science Museums, which seeks to foster scientific awareness and promote the growth of science and technology in industry and human welfare.…
On March 29, 2023, the Ministry of Defence signed a contract with the Department of Space New Space India Limited – a public sector undertaking of the Department of Space – for the procurement of an advanced communication satellite for the Indian Army. The Ministry of Defence will procure from NSIL the GSAT-7B advanced communication satellite built indigenously under the Buy IDMM category, where IDDM stands for Indigenously Designed, Developed, and Manufactured, contiguous with the Aatmanirbhar Bharat push in defence. The GSAT-7B will be a geostationary satellite, like the GSAT-7A operated by the Indian Air Force and GSAT-7 operated by…
The crew of China’s Shenzhou-15 mission onboard the Tiangong space station is currently setting up scientific payloads in the Mengtian module of the station. The China Manned Space Agency (CMS) has been broadcasting video footage of the meticulous work the crew is doing at present as part of its ongoing education. Education from space has been a crucial part of the CMS for the past ten-odd years. In 2013, while doing his first spacewalks aboard the Tiangong 1 space station, Wang Yaping – also known in China as Goddess II, being the second female taikonaut – delivered her first lecture…
On March 23rd, 2023 Senegal’s President Macky Sall announced the launch of the Senegalese Space Study Agency. This is a significant step for Senegal and the economically under-developed Western African region. President Sall made the announcement during the premiere of an TV program episode titled “Star Chasers of Senegal” produced by the American public broadcaster PBS, as part of its well-known popular science TV program called NOVA. The documentary features Senegalese astronomer, Maram Kaire, who has been promoting astronomical sciences in Senegal, through his Dakar-based Senegalese Association for Promotion of Astronomy, for more than 15 years. Senegal’s Minister for Education,…
On March 27, 2023, the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre (IN-SPACe) – the Indian Department of Space’ new space sector regulation and promotion agency – has taken one step ahead with its space sector promotion responsibilities by establishing a state-of-the-art Space Systems Design Laboratory at its Headquarters in Bopal, Ahmedabad. By establishing the Space Systems Design Lab, IN-SPACe aims to provide pre-fabrication and pre-machining – space-environment simulation and design – support to private sector entities, including startups. The facilities in the lab include single-physics and multi-physics modelling and simulating chemical phenomena, heat transfer, acoustic modelling, acoustics, electromagnetic, and…
