Mission Overview: GEOMETRIC-2 is a train constellation rideshare mission, consisting of two ~10 kg 6U class satellites (NOCLIP-1 and MOXY-1) using a common spacecraft bus intended to reach a stable low altitude (~550 km) high inclination (~89 degrees) Sun Synchronous Orbit lunar Orbit (SSO) on the SpaceX Transport 8 Launch (NET June 2023) and operate for up to two years.
Can you provide the original source? Thanks
IVO Ltd. to Launch Quantum Drive Pure Electric Satellite Thruster into Orbit on SpaceX Transporter 8 with partner Rogue Space SystemsWASHINGTON, March 15, 2023IVO Ltd., the pioneer of capacitive based technologies, today announced its pure electric thruster for satellites, the IVO Quantum Drive, will be aboard SpaceX Transporter 8. Hosted by IVO’s partner, Rogue Space Systems, the Quantum Drive-powered satellite will begin its journey to low earth orbit on June 10th, 2023. After demonstration and baselining of the IVO Quantum Drive’s performance specifications, IVO Ltd will provide propulsion for Rogue Orbots supporting Rogue’s high-mobility satellite servicing business model.The IVO Quantum Drive is the world’s first commercially viable and available pure electric propulsion technology to achieve legitimacy via thermal vacuum testing. The thruster technology provides unmatched efficiency, achieving up to 52 mN from a single watt with the ability to stack units to multiply thrust output. Thrusters can be mounted in any orientation enabling up to 6 degrees of freedom. This is done solely via electricity, eliminating the need for liquid, solid or gas fuels. The elimination of legacy fuel systems and storage allows for a larger payload and a reduced form factor of any spacecraft. Due to a lack of emissions, the thruster can be mounted internally to a satellite.The IVO Quantum Drive:removes the need to refuel or deorbit due to fuel limitations,draws limitless power for propulsion from the sun, andbrings unmatched efficiency, scalability and capability to the space industry.“Quantum Drive’s small size and big capabilities helps us develop incredibly efficient, lightweight, maneuverable, fuel independent and most importantly cost effective spacecraft,” said Brent Abbott, chief business officer, Rogue Space Systems.“Deploying Quantum Drive into orbit in a Rogue satellite on SpaceX Transporter 8 is a milestone for the future of space propulsion,” said Richard Mansell, CEO, IVO, Ltd. “Quantum Drive’s capability allows Rogue to produce new satellite vehicles with unlimited Delta V.”Space Propulsion Breakthrough:In 2021 Richard Mansell discovered pure electric thrust is viable for spacecraft through a combination of mathematics and empirical test data.Mansell invented the IVO Quantum Drive. Due to its use of electricity only and zero fuel, the IVO Quantum Drive has zero emissions and is self contained. This allows it the unique ability to be internal to the spacecraft itself. The IVO Quantum Drive’s modular design allows it to scale on multiple axes to meet the needs of each individual spacecraft regardless of thrust requirements.IVO Ltd. worked with E-Labs of Fredericksburg, VA to test and validate the Quantum Drive pure electric thruster under the rigorous conditions it will see in space.About Rogue Space SystemsRogue is engineering the first generation of Orbital Robots. We call them Orbots™. The space industry is growing rapidly, and human presence in space is expanding. Orbots™ are designed to support the growth of the industry and human endeavors in LEO, GEO and beyond… https://rogue.space/About IVO Ltd.IVO Ltd. is a company made up of inventors, innovators, dreamers and creators dedicated to pushing the boundaries of modern technology. IVO Ltd. is providing revolutionary technology from pure electric thrusters to capacitive based wireless energy transmission solutions. The company is committed to developing technologies that improve life on Earth and expand mankind’s reach to the stars beyond. https://ivolimited.us/
Way cool, I've wondered about practicality of that kind of propulsion for low earth orbit for years. Basically use the earths magnetic field as a motor.
The Spei Satelles, or “Guardian of Hope” satellite will carry a record of the Pope’s Statio Orbis of 27 March 2020 – held at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic – into orbit around the earth.The SpeiSat 3U CubeSat will launch on 10 June 2023 from Vandenberg Space Force Base in the US state of California aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, which will place it in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at an altitude of 525km.Peaceful payloadThe satellite—about the size of an American football—will house a “nanobook” version of Pope Francis’ Why Are You Afraid? Have You No Faith?, a book containing images and words from the Statio Orbis.The nanobook was created by the Polytechnic University of Turin, is about the size of the tip of a pen, and can only be read by highly-advanced nanotechnology reading devices.Yet, anyone with an amateur UHF-band radio can pick up a broadcast beamed from the satellite on 437.5 MHz to hear excerpts from the Pope’s book as it passes overhead.
https://www.vaticannews.va/en/vatican-city/news/2023-03/vatican-dicastery-communication-pope-francis-statio-orbis-spei-s.htmlQuoteThe Spei Satelles, or “Guardian of Hope” satellite will carry a record of the Pope’s Statio Orbis of 27 March 2020 – held at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic – into orbit around the earth.The SpeiSat 3U CubeSat will launch on 10 June 2023 from Vandenberg Space Force Base in the US state of California aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, which will place it in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at an altitude of 525km.Peaceful payloadThe satellite—about the size of an American football—will house a “nanobook” version of Pope Francis’ Why Are You Afraid? Have You No Faith?, a book containing images and words from the Statio Orbis.The nanobook was created by the Polytechnic University of Turin, is about the size of the tip of a pen, and can only be read by highly-advanced nanotechnology reading devices.Yet, anyone with an amateur UHF-band radio can pick up a broadcast beamed from the satellite on 437.5 MHz to hear excerpts from the Pope’s book as it passes overhead.https://www.speisatelles.org/
ICEYE sought, and was granted authority, to launch and operate six NGSO EESS small satellites. ICEYE will have exhausted that authorization with the launch of its fifth and sixth satellites in June 2023.The satellite bus has a total mass of less than 150 kilograms, including propellant. Its smallest dimension is approximately 0.65 meters... The satellites will operate in Low Earth Orbit at an altitude up to 600 kilometers... Each satellite has an expected operational lifetime of 3 years.
Planet will utilize both U.S. and foreign launch opportunities as either primary or secondarypayloads. Planet often takes advantage of “last minute” launch opportunities, or launch opportunitieswhere the exact orbit or exact number of satellites to be launched is not known until very close to thelaunch date.The Pelican satellites are optical Earth imaging smallsats with a launch mass of no greater than160 kg. Basic physical dimensions are 2300 mm x 1000 mm x 600 mm in the deployed configuration.The first Pelican satellite will be launched into a maximum 550 km (525 +/- 25 km) circularsun-synchronous orbit as a secondary payload. Subsequent Pelican launches areexpected to have injection orbits either with similar or lower insertion orbits.
✅Avionics✅Payloads✅Solar Panels🔜ShipoutOrbiter SN3 is almost ready to ship out to Vandenberg for payload processing operations and Falcon 9 mating.
The launch madness does not seem to stop! With two satellites launched on April 15th, our team shipped 5 more to their launch pad for launch vehicle integration.If you need a robust small satellite bus to deliver valuable data, explore our small satellite bus portfolio below.
Well done to everyone from SSTL and our partner Satellite Vu involved in satisfactorily completing the Flight Acceptance Review for Satellite Vu's first MWIR Satellite! Now we can carefully box her up.. ready for dispatch in the next couple of days for transit to the launch site
Fast approaching L-1m to Transporter-8 Launch, @VardaSpace and our partner @RocketLab are busy putting final touches on the world's first space factory!And this is just the beginning...
Air Force to launch Link 16 tactical communications cubesatMay 2, 2023A U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory cubesat equipped with a Link 16 tactical communications radio will launch to low Earth orbit as early as June on the SpaceX Transporter 8 rideshare. The long-delayed experiment, named XVI, will demonstrate “improved communication with the allied Link-16 community,” a spokesperson for AFRL told SpaceNews. “The knowledge gained from the XVI experiment will inform future U.S. space architectures and acquisitions.”Viasat built the satellite for AFRL under a $10 million contract awarded in 2019. The company used a 12U cubesat bus made by Blue Canyon Technologies, a Link 16 payload made by Viasat and an L-band antenna made by Redwire.Viasat recently sold its Link 16 business to L3Harris Technologies.The U.S. military is interested in deploying Link 16 nodes in space to extend the network’s reach. Link 16 is an encrypted tactical data protocol used in military radios to connect aircraft, ships, and ground vehicles so they can exchange data, including text, voice messages and imagery.Link 16 is a line-of-sight network, and extending it into space would provide beyond line-of-sight connectivity.The XVI cubesat was projected to launch in 2020 but was delayed by supply chain problems. The experiment will support the Space Force’s Space Development Agency’s low Earth constellation which is deploying data transport satellites equipped with Link 16 communications payloads. This will allow SDA’s data-relay satellites to talk to platforms in the air, ground and sea via a the Link 16 network.
[TechCrunch] Orbital Sidekick raises $10M to bring hyperspectral imaging to oil and gas pipeline monitoring[Jan 31]Quote...gears up to launch its first two commercial satellites in April, aboard SpaceX’s Transporter-7 rideshare mission. Orbital Sidekick is also planning to launch two satellites, which it calls Global Hyperspectral Observation Satellite (GHOSt), each aboard Transporter-8 and Transporter-9.
...gears up to launch its first two commercial satellites in April, aboard SpaceX’s Transporter-7 rideshare mission. Orbital Sidekick is also planning to launch two satellites, which it calls Global Hyperspectral Observation Satellite (GHOSt), each aboard Transporter-8 and Transporter-9.
SpIRIT is moving from Transporter 8 to Transporter 9.https://www.industry.gov.au/news/ground-breaking-nanosatellite-showcases-australian-technology [Mar 2]"SpIRIT will launch in late 2023 with ISISPACE on SpaceX’s Transporter-9."
The first Optimus orbital transfer vehicle has moved from Transporter 8 to Transporter 10. From The Advertiser, Saturday, 6 May 2023, p.26."Space Machines Company will launch its first orbital transfer vehicle, Optimus, on a SpaceX rocket in January, and then plans to launch three more and eventually have a fleet of four spacecraft to help customers manage their satellites in space."
