EPICHyper-1, a 6U AAC Clyde Space EPIC VIEW satellite (image above), was successfully launched on the SpaceX Transporter 7 mission on April 15, 2023. The satellite will deliver Earth Observation (EO) data to Canadian company Wyvern Inc., under an exclusive Space Data as a Service (SDaaS) deal and is planned to be followed by the launch of a further two, 6U satellites during 2023.
The satellite lifted off on the Falcon 9 rocket on April 14, 2023 from the Space Launch Complex 4E in Vandenberg, California. The Transporter 7 mission is a dedicated rideshare flight to SSO with dozens of smallsats for commercial and government customers.
The project leverages a SDaaS model in which AAC Clyde Space owns and operates the three satellites under a GBP 8.4 million (approx. SEK 108 million) contract signed in 2021. After the first four years, the contract can be extended on an annual basis.
The satellites will generate revenue for AAC Clyde Space once they start to deliver data. This first satellite is expected to start delivering data during the second quarter of 2023. The other two satellites under the contract are expected to be delivered and launched in 2023.
Once deployed, the satellite will add significantly to AAC Clyde Space’s SDaaS revenue, thereby representing yet another significant milestone for the Group. It follows the launch in January 2023 of the first of two satellites dedicated to delivering AIS data to ORBCOMM, also under a SDaaS model, supporting the Group’s shift towards a recurring revenue model.
“We are delighted to confirm the successful launch of the satellite and are looking forward to our second significant SDaaS project starting to deliver data, this time enabling smarter farming. The transformation of AAC Clyde Space continues.” — AAC Clyde Space CEO Luis Gomes.
By the end of 2023, AAC Clyde Space is expected to own a total of 11 satellites dedicated to delivering data from space, a number that is planned to increase further over the coming years.