The partnership involves integrating Astrolight’s ATLAS-1 optical terminal into PeakSat, a CubeSat mission that must enable laser communication from low Earth orbit (LEO) to ground stations in Greece.As part of this agreement, Astrolight will supply its ATLAS-1 optical terminal, which will serve as the primary payload for PeakSat. Astrolight will also upgrade Holomondas’s Optical Ground Station (OGS) with its 808 nm Laser Beacon and C-band optical receiver. These upgrades will ensure precise alignment and up to 1 Gbps data reception during the mission and handle the demands of laser communication under varying atmospheric and operational conditions.Scheduled for launch in Q4 2025 via SpaceX’s Transporter-15 mission, PeakSat aims to establish optical communication links between LEO satellites and ground stations.
On April 1st, 2023, a handful of students walked into a lab at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. We scribbled down our first mission requirement; “MIS-010: Establish a laser communication link between a satellite and Earth.”👩💻Today, after two years of overcoming countless obstacles and tiny victories, we stand miles away from where we began.Meet PeakSat, SpaceDot’s first satellite and the first CubeSat ever built at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki! 🛰️💡Designed and developed entirely by students and young researchers at SpaceDot, PeakSat is a 3U CubeSat aiming to demonstrate high-speed optical communications between space and Earth. This mission will help lay the foundation for future quantum-secure networks from orbit and mark a giant leap for student-led space research in Greece.💡
The Winnebago 5 mission is scheduled to launch on SpaceX’s Transporter 15 rideshare mission, launching no earlier than October 1st, 2025
Inclination: 97.5°Apogee/Perigee: 510 km
The Spirit-EEL mission would include three 3U cubesats providing training data streams to finetune Basalt’s software and demonstrate its reliability. The satellites would –• leverage AI agent and multi-agent systems to effectively manage and control unpropelled Earth imaging spacecraft in orbit with high service uptime and minimal human intervention.4• “roleplay” as a commercial imaging service constellation and manage changing data, thermal, and power needs of the camera while keeping the spacecraft bus alive using using Basalt’s algorithms.• schedule time to downlink Earth imagery.
The Realizing Rapid, Reduced-cost high-Risk Research project, or R5, is a series of CubeSats that are intended to rapidly and affordably get technology prototypes into Low Earth Orbit (LEO). By accelerating the onorbit demonstration of technologies, engineers and scientists will be able to more quickly prove them and make them available to NASA missions and other users.[...]The baseline R5 spacecraft configuration is a 6U (2x3U) bus and of that approximately 3U is payload volume.
Iridium Satellite LLC (“Iridium”) seeks an experimental license for a twelve (12) month period, beginning October 1, 2025, to transmit in the 1618.725-1626.5 MHz band from its space stations to an experimental CubeSat, known as “R5-S7,” to be operated by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (“NASA”). Iridium requests that its experimental license be issued by August 1, 2025, to satisfy the requirements of the launch integrators.NASA will use its R5-S7 CubeSat to advance in-space inspection technologies that will reduce risk and accelerate NASA and industry development of the type of spacecraft used. NASA has separately requested authority from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (“NTIA”) to operate the CubeSat.R5-S7 will perform maneuvering demonstrations and risk reduction activities in the vicinity of another space vehicle to verify the proximity operations capability of the R5 6U MARK 4 bus. The data gathered during these maneuvers will be relayed to the Earth via Iridium’s “Big LEO” constellation.
Realizing Rapid, Reduced-cost high-Risk Research (R5) R5 (S3/S5): Launch is anticipated NET October 2025 R5 (S7): Launch is anticipated NET October 2025
The ANDURIL-216 satellite will be constructed using an Apex Aries satellite bus supplied by Apex Technology, Inc. The satellite will carry Electro-Optical and Long-Wave Infrared sensor payloads. During the mission, Anduril will test and demonstrate the geospatial awareness and space domain awareness sensing capabilities of the payloads. [...]The ANDURIL-216 satellite will launch onboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rideshare as part of the Transporter-15 mission from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. The launch is currently planned for October 2025. The target orbit is a circular orbit with an altitude of 550 km and a ±20 km orbital altitude error, with an inclination of 97.7°
In 2025, Anduril will launch its own self-funded mission, powered by Apex’s Aries bus, featuring upgraded mission data processing and new infrared imaging capabilities, marking the next phase of their collaboration. This next mission will serve as an essential tech maturation demo, and it will be the foundation for Anduril and Apex’s commitment to regularly deploying more mass to orbit.
Space Forge has been awarded a licence from the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to launch ForgeStar-1 - its pioneering in-orbit manufacturing satellite. With the launch set for later this year, this marks a significant milestone for both the company and Wales as ForgeStar-1 is set to become the first UK ISAM satellite in orbit.The licence approval paves the way for Space Forge’s first in-orbit demonstration mission. This mission is the company’s next step towards establishing a scalable, returnable, and re-launchable platform for manufacturing high-performance semiconductor materials in space.By harnessing the unique conditions of space - including microgravity, vacuum, and extreme temperature differentials - Space Forge is unlocking the ability to manufacture materials that are impossible to produce on Earth. [...]ForgeStar-1 will also test the mechanics of the Pridwen shield - Space Forge’s innovative heat shield designed to facilitate safe, reusable satellite re-entry.
Chair: Where are you intending to launch ForgeStar-1 from?Joshua Western: ForgeStar-1 is going to be launching from the States.Chair: Whereabouts in the States?Joshua Western: As yet, we do not know—either Florida or Vandenberg. It is going up on a SpaceX.
5:20: "Looking at shipping [Forgestar-1] stateside in a few weeks". [Apr 20]
In a landmark moment for the UK space sector and advanced materials science, Cardiff-based Space Forge has shipped ForgeStar®-1 - made in Wales and the UK’s first In-Space Advanced Manufacturing (ISAM) mission – to the U.S. ahead of launch later this year.As a next generation materials manufacturer, Space Forge is harnessing the unmatched conditions of space – microgravity, extreme temperatures, and a vacuum environment – to produce materials that are impossible to make on Earth. These advancements have wide-reaching applications in semiconductors, quantum computing, clean energy, and defence technologies. Research suggests that manufacturing these materials in space could reduce CO2 emissions by 75% in high-value infrastructure - delivering breakthroughs in security, defence, and climate-focused innovation.ForgeStar-1 will also test the mechanics of the Pridwen shield - Space Forge’s innovative heat shield designed to facilitate safe, reusable satellite re-entry.This historic mission follows Space Forge becoming the first company to be granted a UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) licence for ISAM, cementing its leadership in the field and unlocking a new era of sustainable, scalable manufacturing in orbit. ForgeStar®-1 will prove that high-performance semiconductor materials can be manufactured in space and safely returned to Earth.
But before ForgeStar®-1 left the hangar, it got a send-off like no other - a performance by the Caerphilly Male Voice Choir, that hit all the right notes and set the tone for a mission that’s rewriting what’s possible.
A long time ago…well, not that long ago…we started preparing for our next mission 🛰Now, on #StarWarsDay meet The Forge Awakens 🔥Say “Hello there” to our mission patch for ForgeStar®-1 👋May the Forge be with you.
Our ForgeStar®-1 satellite has been fully integrated - the final technical hurdle cleared ahead of launch of The Forge Awakens mission.
• First mission doesn't have permission to recover Forgestar, will burn up on reentry. • Satellite is integrated on US launch vehicle (can't say who yet), and waiting for launch window to open in "the next couple of months" (June) [11:20].
Samara Aerospace’s technology demonstration is scheduled to reach low-Earth orbit in October as a hosted payload on a SpaceX Transporter rideshare. That flight will provide “validation on the core fundamental technology,” Vedant said.[...]“We have 15 kilograms of payload space on that tech demo and are actively looking for payloads,” Vedant said. “We are hoping to get customers interested.”
Samara Aerospace delivers “Cicada” payload to Impulse Space for 1st in-space validation of MSAC technology. Samara Aerospace has delivered its first flight payload, Cicada, to Impulse Space, marking a significant milestone in the company’s path toward operational spaceflight heritage.
Samara Aerospace’s patented satellite-pointing technology will soon be tested in orbit! Our Multifunctional Structures for Attitude Control (MSAC) technology will enable rapid deployment of constellations, better imagery, and faster data.
Samara Aerospace poised for spaceflight testing of Hummingbird technology [Mar 18]QuoteSamara Aerospace’s technology demonstration is scheduled to reach low-Earth orbit in October as a hosted payload on a SpaceX Transporter rideshare. That flight will provide “validation on the core fundamental technology,” Vedant said.[...]“We have 15 kilograms of payload space on that tech demo and are actively looking for payloads,” Vedant said. “We are hoping to get customers interested.”
Defense wants to increase space capacity in the short term with four satellites27-03-2025Defence wants to have four additional small satellites in space in the short term. De Telegraaf reports that according to those involved, two satellites will be launched in June and October of this year. The other two should then be launched in the second quarter of next year. These are probably so-called nanosatellites: small satellites about the size of a milk carton.Defence had previously indicated that it wanted more capacity in space, but the launch of the four satellites had not yet been announced.A spokesperson for Defence does not go into details, but does say that "the Dutch armed forces have invested heavily in satellite capabilities in recent years and will continue to do so in the future".[...](Google Translate from Dutch)
Iridium Satellite LLC (“Iridium”) seeks experimental special temporary authority (“STA”) to transmit in the 1618.725-1626.5 MHz band from its space stations to a reentry capsule associated with Winnebago-5, a smallsat to be operated by Varda Space Industries, Inc. (“Varda”) that is scheduled to be launched no earlier than October 1, 2025.Iridium requests that its STA have a term of six months beginning October 1, 2025. Iridium asks that the license be issued by August 1, 2025, to satisfy the requirements of the launch integrators. The six-month term of the STA is meant to account for the possibility of launch delays. As stated in Varda’s application for Winnebago-5, the mission is part of a series of spacecraft designed to facilitate space manufacturing methods in the microgravity environment of low earth orbit. At the end of the mission, a re-entry capsule will separate from the satellite bus and have a controlled landing while the satellite bus demises in the atmosphere. The capsule will allow for study of hypersonic environments during re-entry. An Iridium transceiver modem (model 9602D) will communicate with the Iridium constellation from the return capsule after it separates and until it lands.
This is a request for modification of the Experimental License for the TRYAD satellites, license number 0915-EX-CN-2023, Granted 11/3/23.This modification is requested because the launch has been changed to SpaceX Transporter 15. This changes the launch date to No Earlier Than October 1, 2025, and it changes the orbit to 510km Circular, Sun-Synchronous Orbit, LTAN 1030. The original orbit was 550km SSO, LTAN 1800.The emission was changed, reducing the X band transmitter power so that, taking into account the reduction in orbit altitude, the PFD at Earth surface does not exceed the limit. No other emission changes were made.The mission and the physical design of the spacecraft, are unchanged.
The deployment orbit altitude will be 510 km ± 20 km. Following deployment, the YAM-9 spacecraft will employ its propulsion capability to move to the operational orbit of 530 km x 530 km orbital altitude with an inclination of 97.7 degrees at an LTDN of 10:30....The YAM-9 is expected to be launched aboard a Falcon-9 launch vehicle, as part of the Transporter-15 rideshare program. The launch site is Vandenberg, CA
Impulse Space's Leo Express-3 is on this launch.
Impulse-3 is a redesigned, Impulse-built spacecraft featuring advancements from Impulse 1 and Impulse-2. The spacecraft is a free-flying OTV that will deploy no more than four third party spacecraft, host six non-deployable payloads (see Table A-1), and demonstrate on-orbit maneuvering capabilities. [...]This date is when SpaceX requires all regulatory document submission for the Transporter-15 mission.[...]Impulse-3 also has an orbital period between 5270.86 seconds (at a minimum 175 km altitude) and 7082.50 seconds (at a maximum 1600 km altitude).
The upgraded Mira will fly its first mission later this year on LEO Express 3, which is already fully manifested. The LEO Express 3 mission includes several significant and rapid maneuvers to support customer objectives, demonstrating Mira’s performance capabilities. After deploying several customer satellites in their desired orbits, other hosted payloads will remain on Mira for the full mission, leveraging its power, pointing, and autonomy.
Holmes Mk2, our latest Non-Earth Imaging camera, is fully integrated onto Mira and ready for flight.This marks our second mission with Impulse Space, and a major step forward in our ability to deliver space-based inspection at scale.This Holmes Mk2 features a suite of upgrades including:• Higher-resolution optics for sharper satellite identification and characterisation• Improved onboard processing for near-real-time insights• Radiation tolerance for extended operations beyond LEO
This mission provides the first in-space validation of Samara’s Multifunctional Structures for Attitude Control (MSAC), a groundbreaking technology enabling active jitter mitigation and precision spacecraft agility using intelligent, structural actuation.The Cicada hardware will be subjected to on-orbit disturbances, enabling Samara to test MSAC’s active response in real-world thermal, vacuum, and radiation conditions. This demonstration validates the riskiest component of Samara’s spacecraft bus, setting the stage for future missions requiring ultra-precise pointing, low jitter, and agile attitude control.
We’re moving quickly toward our LEO Express 3 mission later this year. This mission’s Mira is undergoing exhaustive functional testing to validate each of its subsystems ahead of launch. Vacuum, vibration, and light to battery end-to-end testing simulate conditions this spacecraft will endure during launch, and in orbit. With our vertically integrated manufacturing and test facilities, we have tight control over hardware and timelines—so we can build, qualify, and get spacecraft on orbit rapidly.
Payload integration for our LEO Express 3 Mira is a "wrap"—the spacecraft is now fitted with multi‑layer insulation (MLI) ahead of its launch later this year.In space, temperature extremes pose significant challenges for spacecraft. MLI ensures our avionics, propulsion systems, payloads, and other onboard components stay within their acceptable thermal ranges throughout the mission lifetime.Our team is now focusing on final system checkouts before shipping to the launch site.
Ready for launch! Space-Qualified, entanglement-based QKD system to enable trusted-node satellite missions [Oct 14]QuoteThe QKD system, which has been delivered to the UK for integration into the SpeQtre mission, is expected to fly on SpaceX’s transporter-14 mission next year. SpeQtre is a 12U QKD technology demonstrator satellite built by SpeQtral and RAL Space UK and will likely be the first entanglement-based QKD missions launched outside of China. It aims to demonstrate intercontinental, trusted node QKD by downlinking quantum keys to compatible Quantum-Optical Ground Stations (Q-OGS) across the world, including in Chilbolton, UK and Singapore.The mission objective is to successfully demonstrate a form of entanglement-based QKD known as the BBM92 protocol. This is achieved by using the EPPS to generate pairs of photons entangled in polarisation. One of each of the photons in each pair is routed to an optical terminal, developed by RAL Space UK, to be downlinked to the Q-OGS, while another is routed internally to the ‘Alice’ quantum receiver on board the satellite. During a satellite ground station pass the polarisation of the photons is measured both on board the satellite as well as at the ground stations . A series of post-processing steps as per the BBM92 protocol are performed on the measured data to result in a shared, unique bit-string which can be used as a key to encrypt data communications.SpeQtreQuoteSize: 12UQuantum Payload: Entangled photon source and single downlinkTelescope Aperture: 8cmUltra-secure quantum communication from space: exciting milestones underway for SPEQTRE [Aug 22, 2023]QuoteRAL Space has several roles in the SPEQTRE project, including design and development of the optical payload used for maximising transmission of the quantum beam, as well as initial operations of the satellite and development of an optical ground station for receiving keys.The satellite is now in the assembly, integration, and testing phase, with the engineering model having just been tested using RAL Space thermal vacuum and vibration facilities. The project has taken an agile approach to testing, tailored to achieving the mission requirements and establishing the effectiveness of this new technology quickly. This means explicitly accepting a higher level of risk of failure in exchange for reduced cost and time, in order to maintain the rapid development advantage of the CubeSat platform, which is being provided by Dutch company ISISPACE.
The QKD system, which has been delivered to the UK for integration into the SpeQtre mission, is expected to fly on SpaceX’s transporter-14 mission next year. SpeQtre is a 12U QKD technology demonstrator satellite built by SpeQtral and RAL Space UK and will likely be the first entanglement-based QKD missions launched outside of China. It aims to demonstrate intercontinental, trusted node QKD by downlinking quantum keys to compatible Quantum-Optical Ground Stations (Q-OGS) across the world, including in Chilbolton, UK and Singapore.The mission objective is to successfully demonstrate a form of entanglement-based QKD known as the BBM92 protocol. This is achieved by using the EPPS to generate pairs of photons entangled in polarisation. One of each of the photons in each pair is routed to an optical terminal, developed by RAL Space UK, to be downlinked to the Q-OGS, while another is routed internally to the ‘Alice’ quantum receiver on board the satellite. During a satellite ground station pass the polarisation of the photons is measured both on board the satellite as well as at the ground stations . A series of post-processing steps as per the BBM92 protocol are performed on the measured data to result in a shared, unique bit-string which can be used as a key to encrypt data communications.
Size: 12UQuantum Payload: Entangled photon source and single downlinkTelescope Aperture: 8cm
RAL Space has several roles in the SPEQTRE project, including design and development of the optical payload used for maximising transmission of the quantum beam, as well as initial operations of the satellite and development of an optical ground station for receiving keys.The satellite is now in the assembly, integration, and testing phase, with the engineering model having just been tested using RAL Space thermal vacuum and vibration facilities. The project has taken an agile approach to testing, tailored to achieving the mission requirements and establishing the effectiveness of this new technology quickly. This means explicitly accepting a higher level of risk of failure in exchange for reduced cost and time, in order to maintain the rapid development advantage of the CubeSat platform, which is being provided by Dutch company ISISPACE.
SPEQTRE aims to demonstrate Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) using the BBM92 protocol from space. The mission features a quantum payload consisting of an entangled photon source and a single optical downlink. ISISPACE is providing a 12U CubeSat Bus, with 4U allocated for the platform and approximately 8U for the payload, developed by SpeQtral and RAL Space. Scheduled for launch in October 2025, this mission will enable highly secure communication by leveraging quantum mechanics to new heights.
The spacecraft is due to launch in November 2025 aboard Space-X’s Transporter-15 SmallSat rideshare from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.Following launch, the satellite will undergo a commissioning phase where teams from RAL Space, ISISpace and SpeQtral will verify their systems are functioning correctly before experiments can begin in early 2026.
SNC has partnered with Muon Space Inc. (“Muon” or “Muon Space”) to develop and deliver three EESS satellites. SNC will own the satellites. Muon will manufacture and operate the three Vindlér satellites for Sierra Nevada. SNC will maintain ultimate control over the operation of the satellites. Muon Space is an end-to-end space systems provider that designs, builds and operates mission-tailored, low-earth orbit (LEO) satellite constellations. Muon has begun construction of the satellites (Vindlér 2.1, 2.2 and 2.3) prior to the Commission's grant of an authorization.[...]All three satellites are planned to be launched as secondary payloads on the SpaceX Falcon 9 Transporter 14 ride-share mission, planned to launch in October 2025. The orbital parameters of the transporter launch are described in a table later in this document.[...]Mass: ~130 kgApogee/Perigee: 480 - 620 kmInclination: 97-98° (SSO)
Vindlér is a space-based RF collection and analysis service able to detect and geo-locate certain objects based on targeted RF emissions. Complex algorithms can then correlate unknown activity across maritime and other anti-access/area denial (A2/AD) environments for suspicious behavior.
The Vindlér 2.0 satellites developed by Muon bring the constellation total to seven, significantly enhancing the duty cycle and ability to simultaneously collect multiple signals of interest over an unprecedented range of the RF spectrum. This also increases total downlink volumes to a potential of 1.5TB per day which opens the opportunity for future advancements by integrating AI directly into the processing chain.
The first Vindlér Block 2 satellite has completed full assembly and entered comprehensive environmental testing (EMI/EMC and vibration). Meanwhile our production team is rapidly advancing the second and third satellites through the manufacturing pipeline.
✅ 3 satellites for Sierra Nevada Corporation's Vindler completed environmental testing
Assuming "Transporter-14" was a typo and hasn't been delayed.
I think it more likely the Transporter number is in error. Distance between 14 and 15 is only one, while distance between June and October is four months!
Orbit Epoch Date: 06/01/2025
Quote from: Steven Pietrobon on 04/19/2025 06:40 amI think it more likely the Transporter number is in error. Distance between 14 and 15 is only one, while distance between June and October is four months!Other document confirms its a Transporter-14 payload.Quote from: Sched S Tech ReportOrbit Epoch Date: 06/01/2025
Other document confirms its a Transporter-14 payload.Quote from: Sched S Tech ReportOrbit Epoch Date: 06/01/2025
Could you please provide a link or attach this report? I can't find it. Thanks.
