Telesat's Lightspeed LEO Constellation

[Robotbeat]

I've long thought the Telesat constellation was a more formidable competitor than OneWeb.

People like to act like Musk is all hype and no action (dumb), but Wyler has been hyping OneWeb for much longer, and it STILL hasn't had anything launch. Telesat, on the other hand, has been quietly working.

OneWeb has satellites at the launch pad.  Telesat hasn't even selected a contractor yet.

Telesat has already launched prototypes over a year ago whereas OneWeb has not. The whole argument that “we can skip prototypes and go straight to production” is incredibly naive for a new company & just because Wyler’s good at hyping that solution doesn’t mean I have to be naive enough to believe it. But the horse race is missing the point: Telesat’s architecture is superior.

Can you say why you consider the architecture of Telesat superior to the Oneweb?

Not bent-pipe-only but also does inter-satellite links, like Starlink. And unlike Starlink or OneWeb, it's viable at a smaller minimum size, which makes it more viable from a capital efficiency standpoint as well.

[king1999]

Source: https://www.reddit.com/r/spacex/comments/a2bvuw/a_technical_comparison_of_three_low_earth_orbit/

[Lar]

Source: https://www.reddit.com/r/spacex/comments/a2bvuw/a_technical_comparison_of_three_low_earth_orbit/

What was your net take on the conclusions drawn?

[Rondaz]

Blue Origin To Launch Satellites For Company Battling SpaceX And Others For Space Internet Supremacy

Jonathan O'Callaghan Contributor

https://www.forbes.com/sites/jonathanocallaghan/2019/02/01/blue-origin-to-launch-satellites-for-company-taking-on-spacex-in-global-space-internet-battle/#7f514db0516a

[ncb1397]

Small launch vehicle developer Relativity announced April 5 a contract with Telesat to launch a portion of that company’s low Earth orbit broadband satellite constellation.
The contract covers the launch of an unspecified number of Telesat LEO satellites on Relativity’s Terran 1 launch vehicle, starting no earlier than 2021. The companies declined to disclose the terms of the contract.

https://spacenews.com/relativity-signs-contract-with-telesat-for-launching-leo-constellation/

[gongora]

The Government of Canada and Telesat Partner to Bridge Canada’s Digital Divide through Low Earth Orbit (LEO) Satellite Technology, Over $1 Billion in Revenue for Telesat expected

July 24, 2019 12:15 ET | Source: Telesat Canada
OTTAWA, July 24, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Telesat and the Government of Canada have partnered to ensure access to affordable high-speed Internet connectivity across rural and remote areas of Canada through the development of Telesat’s LEO Satellite Constellation. The partnership is expected to generate $1.2 billion (CAD) in revenue for Telesat over 10 years, which includes a contribution of up to $600M (CAD) from the Government of Canada, supporting the company’s mission of deploying a transformational communications architecture that delivers affordable, high-speed broadband services across Canada and the rest of the world.

Additionally, the Government of Canada will contribute $85 million (CAD) to Telesat through the Government’s Strategic Innovation Fund (SIF).  Telesat, as part of the agreement,  will support approximately 500 jobs in Canada, invest $215 million (CAD) in R&D over the next five years, and promote STEM jobs and education in Canada through a newly created scholarship, university partnerships and other initiatives, with a strong focus on creating opportunities for women.

Over 48% of the world’s population does not have access to reliable, affordable, high-speed Internet. Telesat LEO is a transformational, space-based broadband infrastructure that will address this urgent need. The first Telesat LEO satellite launched in early 2018 and the full constellation will be comprised of 298 satellites. These LEO satellites will be 35 times closer to Earth than traditional satellites, resulting in a shorter trip for Internet signals and making low-latency, fiber-like Internet accessible anywhere in the world.

In Canada, there are currently 2.3 million households that do not have access to affordable and reliable high-speed Internet, which prevents Canadians from fully participating in and benefitting from the digital economy, including opportunities for education, job advancement and access to healthcare. This is partially due to the high cost of installing fiber-optic cables in remote regions of Canada. Telesat LEO will offer users high quality, reliable Internet access at affordable rates, making this partnership an important step towards bridging the digital divide in Canada.

“Telesat LEO is the most ambitious global broadband infrastructure program ever conceived and will revolutionize how Canadians, and everyone else in the world for that matter, experience and leverage the Internet,” said Dan Goldberg, Telesat’s President and CEO. “Today’s announcement will help achieve Canada’s goal of universal connectivity, ensuring that Canadians, regardless of where they work or live, have affordable, high quality, and high-speed Internet. Telesat LEO has garnered substantial interest from commercial enterprises and governments around the world. That interest, together with the funding received from the Strategic Innovation Fund and Canada’s plan to secure Telesat LEO capacity on a long-term basis for Canadians, underpin Telesat’s plan to fully bridge the digital divide with this advanced Telesat LEO Constellation.”

“Access to high-speed Internet is not a luxury; it is essential, and all Canadians should have access to it regardless of where they live,” said the Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development. “Rural and remote areas need this service to do business, upgrade their education and build stronger communities. Today’s announcements will provide us with a glimpse of what future connectivity of rural and remote communities will look like. It will also ensure that innovative Canadian companies, like Telesat and its partners, remain world leaders, creating highly skilled jobs in Canada.”

“Affordable high-speed Internet and mobile wireless coverage is critical to the continued vibrancy and success of rural Canada,” said the Honourable Bernadette Jordan, Minister of Rural Economic Development. “Our government is leveraging various innovative and disruptive technologies to improve rural connectivity and to ensure that Canadians in all areas of the country have access to the latest technologies. LEO satellite technology will substantially increase capacity and offer better speed and signal strength for Canadians from Coast to Coast to Coast.”

The partnership was announced today at a press event hosted by the Government of Canada at the Canada Aviation and Space Museum in Ottawa, Canada, where The Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development and Telesat President and CEO Dan Goldberg made remarks. The Government of Canada and Telesat signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) yesterday, outlining objectives for the partnership to address connectivity gaps via Telesat LEO satellite capacity. The MOU can be viewed at http://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/smt-gst.nsf/eng/sf11543.html. For more information on Telesat LEO, visit our website at www.telesat.com/connect-everyone.

About Telesat LEO
Telesat’s LEO constellation will leverage the company’s global, priority spectrum rights in Ka-band and patent-pending LEO architecture to transform global communications. It will offer a combination of capacity, speed, security, resiliency and affordability with ultra-low latency that is equal to, or better than, the most advanced terrestrial networks. Able to serve the entire globe, Telesat LEO will help satisfy many of the world’s most challenging communications requirements. It will bridge the digital divide with fiber-like high-speed services into rural and remote communities, accelerate 5G expansion, and set new levels of performance for commercial and government broadband connectivity on land and in key maritime and aeronautical markets.

About Telesat 
Telesat is a leading global satellite operator, providing reliable and secure satellite-delivered communications solutions worldwide to broadcast, telecom, corporate and government customers. Headquartered in Ottawa, Canada, with offices and facilities around the world, the company’s state-of-the-art fleet consists of 16 GEO satellites, the Canadian payload on ViaSat-1 and one Phase 1 LEO satellite which is the start of Telesat’s planned advanced global LEO satellite constellation that will offer ultra-low latency, extremely high throughput, affordable broadband services. Telesat is also a leading technical consultant providing high value expertise and support to satellite operators, insurers and other industry participants on a global basis. Privately held, Telesat’s principal shareholders are Canada’s Public Sector Pension Investment Board and Loral Space & Communications Inc. (NASDAQ: LORL). www.telesat.com

[Semmel]

This should be here too:

https://twitter.com/jeff_foust/status/1171445913245470725

Mowry mentions Blue Origin’s deal with Telesat. Shotwell interjects: is that a real deal, signed contract? Mowry: yes it is.

Not surprising giving the announcement in January, but this puts Telesats operational deployment into 2022. Even if NG launches 2021 (which I doubt, but would love to be wrong), they will not hit the road running and any second launch or sequence of launches will take time after the first one. So Telesat might have an operational part of its constellation in 2022 at the earliest.

If nothing goes wrong with SpaceX in the meantime, they may realistically launch about 20 F9s next year (Shotwell advertised up to 24 launches next year, but lets tone that down a bit) full of about 60 Starlink sats each. That is 1200 in 2020 and say they repeat the performance in 2021. So Starlink would be at about 2400 sats by the end of 2021, or in other words, a fully operational constellation at half its design capacity.

This is a pretty hard place to start for Telesat, lets hope it works out for them.

[gongora]

Telesat said at WSBW that they haven't selected a contractor to build the satellites yet, might select one later this year.

[gongora]

[Space News] Maxar-Thales Alenia Space team breaks up, now competing separately for Telesat LEO

Maxar Technologies and Thales Alenia Space abandoned plans to jointly compete to build Telesat’s low-Earth-orbit broadband constellation, setting up a now three-way race for a multibillion-dollar contract expected to be awarded soon.

[su27k]

Maxar backs away from Telesat LEO competition

Maxar Technologies no longer expects, at least initially, to win any manufacturing contracts for Telesat’s future multibillion-dollar broadband megaconstellation of roughly 300 satellites.

Dan Jablonsky, Maxar’s chief executive, said Aug. 5 during an earnings call that a procurement decision for the constellation, called Telesat LEO, remains delayed — an announcement was expected in mid-2019 — and no longer looks like a significant business opportunity for Maxar.

[su27k]

Not sure what this is about, the article is behind a paywall

https://twitter.com/Megaconstellati/status/1308542359798525952

@Telesat proposes to liberate 400MHz of C-band spectrum & sell half itself to fund LEO constellation, return other half to Flag of Canada Gov for public auction. C$85m funding & C$600m commitment over next decade not enough - more Gov support needed. Launch in 2023.

Internet everywhere, but at a cost: The race for the low-Earth satellite market

[Steven Pietrobon]

You can read the article by viewing the HTML text. The article says that Telesat wants to build a LEO constellation at 1000 km altitude, in order to reduce internet access latency. 292 satellites total with 72 in polar orbit and 220 in an inclined orbit. Telesat is funding the project using equity and debt. Telesat is planning to go public next year. Requires agreement from current owners the Canadian Public Sector Pension Investment Board and Loral Space & Communications. They have to sell some of their spectrum for 5G. Will sell 400 MHz if 200 MHz can be sold to telecoms with funds used for constellation. Has received $65M from Canada and $600M commitment over next 10 years for delivery of broadband. Service planned to start in 2023.

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/article-telesat-canada-preparing-to-go-public-next-year/

[gongora]

C-band operators in the US are getting billions of dollars to vacate part of that spectrum, Telesat is looking to do something similar in Canada.  Apparently they haven't managed to come up with funding for their LEO constellation as it keeps getting pushed into the future.

[su27k]

Telesat to announce satellite, launch contracts by year’s end

Canadian satellite fleet operator Telesat is in advanced discussions with vendors seeking to build and launch satellites for its multibillion dollar, 298-satellite Telesat LEO constellation.

“My expectation is that we’d be in a position to make some announcements about who those vendors are by the end of this year,” Telesat CEO Dan Goldberg said during an Oct. 29 earnings call.

[su27k]

Telesat remains optimistic about prospects for LEO constellation

Telesat announced Nov. 9 that it finalized an agreement with the Canadian government to provide subsidized broadband internet services to rural communities in the country. The government will pay Telesat $600 million Canadian ($460 million) over 10 years, and Telesat will, in turn, offer a “dedicated pool” of broadband capacity for rural communities at “greatly reduced rates.”

Telesat will start receiving that funding once the Telesat LEO constellation enters service. However, the company has yet to select a manufacturer for those satellites, let alone start deploying them. In an Oct. 29 earnings call, Telesat Chief Executive Dan Goldberg said the company should make “some announcements” about satellite manufacturers before the end of the year.

[gongora]

Telesat created a subsidiary for the LEO constellation, appropriately named Telesat LEO Inc.

[high road]

Telesat remains optimistic about prospects for LEO constellation

Telesat announced Nov. 9 that it finalized an agreement with the Canadian government to provide subsidized broadband internet services to rural communities in the country. The government will pay Telesat $600 million Canadian ($460 million) over 10 years, and Telesat will, in turn, offer a “dedicated pool” of broadband capacity for rural communities at “greatly reduced rates.”

Telesat will start receiving that funding once the Telesat LEO constellation enters service. However, the company has yet to select a manufacturer for those satellites, let alone start deploying them. In an Oct. 29 earnings call, Telesat Chief Executive Dan Goldberg said the company should make “some announcements” about satellite manufacturers before the end of the year.

So, this hasn't happened yet.

Is the 460 million tied to milestones or can Telesat start to cash in and hypothetically start launching near the end of the ten year period?

[gongora]

Is the 460 million tied to milestones or can Telesat start to cash in and hypothetically start launching near the end of the ten year period?

It's for providing discounted service.  Only supposed to be paid out when the system is active.

[gongora]

Telesat to Redefine Global Broadband Connectivity with Telesat Lightspeed, the World’s Most Advanced Low Earth Orbit (LEO) Satellite Network

Thales Alenia Space Selected to Manufacture First-of-its-kind Dynamic LEO Broadband Network with Services Starting in 2023

OTTAWA, CANADA – February 09, 2021 – Telesat, one of the world’s largest satellite operators, announced today that it has entered into an agreement with Thales Alenia Space to be the prime manufacturer of Telesat’s global LEO constellation, Lightspeed, initially comprised of a fleet of 298 next-generation satellites integrated with an advanced ground network. Lightspeed is the most innovative, cutting-edge broadband satellite network ever conceived. Thales Alenia Space and its affiliate Telespazio have made a Lightspeed capacity commitment in connection with the agreement.

Telesat and Thales Alenia Space have engaged in substantial and sustained collaboration on Lightspeed’s innovative design.  Specifically, Lightspeed has been optimized to serve the fast-growing broadband connectivity requirements of fixed and mobile network operators, aeronautical and maritime users, enterprise customers and governments. Operating under Telesat’s global Ka-band priority spectrum rights, the first Lightspeed satellites are expected to be launched in approximately two years, with customer beta testing beginning shortly thereafter and commercial services commencing in the second half of 2023.

“We are very pleased to be moving forward with Thales Alenia Space on Lightspeed, the most advanced and capable LEO network in the world,” stated Dan Goldberg, President and CEO of Telesat. “As the world’s leader in manufacturing and implementing cutting edge global satellite constellations, Thales Alenia Spaceis the right industrial partner to deliver Lightspeed, a fully integrated global communications network that will revolutionize satellite-delivered broadband and give Telesat and its customers a decisive competitive edge in this high growth market.”

Goldberg added: “The name Lightspeed underscores the essential speed advantages inherent to Telesat’s LEO design. Lightspeed is the most technologically capable satellite communications network in history and exploits the latest advances in space-based data processing, laser communications, digital antenna technology and machine learning.”

Lightspeed will provide fibre-like connectivity across the entire Earth at price points that allow network operators to efficiently and economically enhance their network coverage, performance and profitability. Designed with a deep understanding of the bandwidth intensive applications and cloud-based network connectivity that users require, Lightspeed will eliminate the hurdles that telecommunications service providers face today when incorporating satellite into their networks.

Operating roughly just 1,000 kilometers above Earth in LEO, Lightspeed will be free from the long latency delays and capacity limitations that are inherent to satellites in geostationary and medium Earth orbits. In addition, Lightspeed satellites incorporate leading-edge technologies and features, including:

Sophisticated phased array antennas on each satellite that are combined with advanced beam hopping technology to create approximately 135,000 beams that can dynamically focus multiple Gbps of capacity – an order of magnitude higher than any other system – into demand hot spots like remote communities, large airports or major sea ports;

Nearly 1,200 high capacity optical links – four on each satellite – that combine to create a first-ever, highly resilient, flexible and secure space-based IP network, moving data across the network and around the world at the speed of light;

Data processing in space, including full digital modulation and  demodulation on the satellite, coupled with a revolutionary end-to-end network operating system, that improves link performance and gives customers unprecedented flexibility for routing traffic across the globe, eliminating gateway hops for the fastest, most secure, end-to-end delivery of data; and

A patent-pending architecture for the constellation of satellites, which features satellites operating in both polar and inclined orbital planes. This results in true pole-to-pole global coverage, concentrating capacity in areas where it is most needed to maximize network efficiency and achieve superior unit cost economics.

Telesat is developing affordable end-user terminals, with a range of antennas and modems optimized for each of the market verticals Lightspeed will serve. In addition, Lightspeed leverages industry-wide network interface standards to enable simple, seamless integration with customers’ terrestrial networks, without the need to integrate proprietary hardware or software.

Under the terms of the Agreement, the parties have provided for the advancement of the program while the financing for the project is being finalized. The commencement of full construction activities and the final constellation deployment schedule are subject to, and conditional upon, the progress of the financing for the program.   

As a responsible owner and operator of space assets for nearly 50 years, Telesat has designed and will operate the Lightspeed satellites in a manner that ensures that LEO orbits are safely available for other users and that the night sky is safeguarded for astronomical observation.

More details about Lightspeed can be found at https://www.telesat.com/lightspeed. Related resource: Lightspeed Specifications

[DreamyPickle]

Very interesting quotes in this CNBC article https://www.cnbc.com/2021/02/09/telesat-building-5-billion-lightspeed-global-satellite-internet.html

"This is not a consumer broadband play," Goldberg said.

SpaceX claimed several times they want to go into the long-distance business and compete against submarine cables on latency. Maybe Telesat is attempting the same? It could just mean they're focused on institutions that function at isolated locations.

One of the key technologies that Goldberg said the Lightspeed satellites will leverage is intersatellite links

Starlink doesn't currently have inter-satellite links but probably will by the time the Telesat launches.

Telesat plans to begin launching the first Lightspeed in 2023, with initial satellites launched by Jeff Bezos's Blue Origin on its New Glenn rocket. Goldberg said he's been tracking New Glenn's development "closely," as the rocket's inaugural launch is planned in the next year, but he's confident that "it will be ready" when Telesat begins launching in two years. Telesat will also "be announcing other launch providers in the coming months."

Primary launcher seems to be New Glenn, but not exclusive. This would likely be a large number of launches.

The network, known in the industry as a constellation, will consist of 298 next-generation satellites that orbit the Earth at an altitude of about 1000 kilometers, or a little over twice the altitude of the International Space Station.

Despite what people might claim I do not believe that this is a positive aspect. Higher orbits are worse for space debris and also for light polution.