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ArianeGroup to speed up the development of Europe’s 1st reusable + eco-friendly launchers

ArianeGroup has been given responsibility for two, particularly ambitious projects to speed up the development of reusable, eco-friendly, European launchers — the company will be heading the SALTO and ENLIGHTEN projects, bringing together numerous academic and industrial partners, including innovative start-ups.

The SALTO (reuSable strAtegic space Launcher Technologies & Operations) project will test vertical landing by a reusable launcher stage prototype within the next two years, with a budget of 39 million euros. SALTO aims in particular to validate the landing phase, which is essential for launcher recovery. This phase is highly complex and entails a real learning curve – by means of situational tests – to speed up European expertise in this technology. The target vehicle, which comprises a number of technologies matured by ArianeGroup and its partners, will pave the way for even more ambitious demonstrations to reproduce the high-energy trajectory representative of an actual operational launch.

The SALTO project includes a full-scale demonstrator, which will carry out a number of low-altitude flights from the Kiruna site in Sweden.

ESA’s Kiruna site, Sweden. Photo iis courtesy of ESA.

These tests are being prepared in synergy with ESA’s Themis reusable stage program for which ArianeGroup is lead contractor, and jointly with the Callisto project sponsored by the French (CNES), German (DLR) and Japanese (JAXA) space agencies.

ESA is taking the first steps toward the in-flight demonstration of a prototype reusable rocket first stage called Themis starting in 2023. Image is courtesy of ESA.

The maturity of the technologies will be achieved through in-flight experimentation, and is inspired by Agile development methods. These projects are preparing key technological building blocks for the next generation of reusable and eco-friendly European launchers.

For SALTO, ArianeGroup will be coordinating a consortium of 26 partners from 12 different countries and consisting of…

Industrial firms…

Research institutes…

Start-ups…

ENLIGHTEN (European iNitiative for Low cost, Innovative & Green High Thrust Engine) is designed to develop and test advanced production and deployment technologies for reusable rocket engines, following on from the Prometheus program. The project has a budget of 17.4 million euros.

ENLIGHTEN will strengthen the new propulsion system initiatives that ESA has entrusted to ArianeGroup in order to create a family of reusable, high-power engines using bio-methane or green hydrogen. These engines will power Europe’s future family of reusable, eco-friendly launchers.

The goal will notably be to continue with development of key technologies for rocket engines, such as additive manufacturing and artificial intelligence, which are essential for monitoring and maintenance applications for reusable engines.

The ENLIGHTEN consortium, headed by ArianeGroup, comprises 18 partners from eight countries (Austria, Belgium, Estonia, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands and Portugal) and consists of…

Industrial firms…

Research institutes and universities…

SMEs and start-ups…

“This European Commission initiative will enable us to accelerate the development of the first reusable and eco-friendly launchers in Europe, by mobilizing all the expertise on our continent and by combining the know-how of the major groups, research institutes and innovative start-ups,” said André-Hubert Roussel, ArianeGroup CEO. “After the unfailing support of the European Space Agency for the Prometheus reusable engine demonstrator and Themis reusable stage demonstrator, this further support from the European Commission – via the financing of ambitious projects – is excellent news for European sovereign access to space.”

ArianeGroup is lead contractor for civil and defense space launcher systems, responsible for the design and the entire production process of Europe’s Ariane 5 and Ariane 6, including marketing and operation by its Arianespace subsidiary, as well as for the design, manufacture, and operational condition maintenance of the missiles of the French oceanic deterrent force. Internationally recognized for its innovative, competitive solutions, ArianeGroup has expertise in all aspects of state-of-the-art space propulsion technologies. ArianeGroup and its subsidiaries also offer their specialist skills in space equipment, services, space surveillance, and critical infrastructure to benefit other industrial sectors. ArianeGroup is a joint venture equally owned by Airbus and Safran, and employs around 7,000 highly qualified staff in France and Germany. Group revenues in 2021 amounted to €3.1 billion.

Turion Space selects Exolaunch to provide launch services for the DROID smallsat

Turion Space has selected Exolaunch to provide launch services for the company’s first DROID spacecraft aboard a SpaceX, Falcon 9, Transporter rideshare mission.

The launch is planned for early 2023 using Exolaunch’s CarboNIX separation system that proved its reliable performance having deployed nearly 40 microsats over nine missions.

This is the first mission for Turion Space, named “Get it Up There,” to serve as a demonstrator for a fleet of satellites designed, assembled, launched, and operated by Turion Space. This fleet is designed to provide on-demand and recurring inspection data of other space objects in LEO and host internal development experiments for future space logistic services, including space debris removal.

“Exolaunch was recommended to us by several companies and it became apparent from day one why,” said Tyler Pierce, CFO at Turion Space. “They have been so easy to work with, have a very high-reliability system, and top-notch customer support at all levels.”

“We’re pleased to welcome Turion Space as a customer and support the launch of DROID.001 with Falcon 9,” said Kier Fortier, Launch Director at Exolaunch USA. “The choice of the launch partner is a matter of trust, especially for the premiere flight. Our teams are working closely to send DROID.001 to orbit early next year and we look forward to future missions with Turion Space.”

Turion Space designs, develops, and operates “DROID” spacecraft in Irvine, California. These spacecraft enhance space resiliency by gathering space-situational-awareness data and providing space logistics services including in-orbit transportation, and orbital debris removal services. Turion Space is a startup backed by Y-combinator to combat the growing threat of space debris, clearing a safe path for humanity’s exploration and expansion into the final frontier.

Exolaunch (Germany, USA) is a global leader in rideshare launch, deployment and integration services for the NewSpace industry. With a decade of flight heritage and 230+ satellites launched across 16 missions on launch vehicles around the world, Exolaunch has an industry insight it can leverage to develop one-stop solutions tailored towards meeting customer needs and addressing market trends. Exolaunch executes launch contracts for NewSpace leaders, the world’s most innovative startups, research institutions, government organizations, and space agencies. Exolaunch manufactures lightweight and flight-proven separation systems to deliver integration and deployment services for small satellites. The company is also developing a line of environmentally-friendly orbital transfer vehicles named Reliant for the satellite last-mile transportation, in-space logistics and space debris removal. Exolaunch is committed to making space accessible for everyone and to promoting safe, sustainable and responsible use of space.

Viasat’s overwhelming approval for Mark Dankberg to resume his original CEO and Chairman positions

The organization change follows Viasat’s recent overwhelming shareholder approval for the acquisition of Inmarsat.

Viasat Inc., announced that, effective July 1, 2022, Mark Dankberg, Viasat’s co-founder and executive chairman, will resume the roles of chairman and CEO, while current President and CEO Rick Baldridge will assume a newly created vice chairman position. Viasat is a global communications company.

Mark Dankberg, Viasat’s co-founder and executive chairman, will resume the roles of
chairman and CEO

Baldridge will focus on the remaining steps to closing the Inmarsat acquisition, and the organizational integration planning and execution strategy to position the combined companies to achieve the financial and operational objectives underpinning the transaction — including cost, capital, and revenue synergies already identified. The organization change follows Viasat’s recent overwhelming shareholder approval for the acquisition of Inmarsat. Baldridge will also continue to lead Viasat’s evaluations of strategic initiatives and certain ongoing organizational initiatives. Viasat is a global communications company.

Baldridge’s new role also reflects the results of internal organizational planning and evolution over the past two years designed to scale Viasat internal operational responsibilities. Since co-founding Viasat in 1986, Dankberg has led Viasat’s growth, technology strategy and commercial operations over many years, and served as chairman and CEO from inception through 2020. Now, Dankberg will be supported in overseeing Viasat’s day-to-day operations by Kevin Harkenrider, a long time Viasat executive with experience in a broad range of operating roles who was promoted to Chief Operating Officer in 2021. 

Commenting on behalf of Viasat’s Board of Directors, Lead Independent Director Sean Pak stated, “Today’s moves allow us to optimize the contributions of Viasat’s foundational leaders in Mark and Rick, and reflect the Company’s commitment to a thoroughly planned and executed integration with Inmarsat that will position us to achieve the financial and operational results enabled by the transaction. Through their close and selfless partnership Mark and Rick have created and led an exceptional management team that is delivering outstanding growth in the satellite industry.

“A combination of technology and strategy leadership in a rapidly growing and dynamic market, plus integration of the best aspects of Viasat’s and Inmarsat’s executive, operational, and go-to-market skills will be required to achieve our objectives. Beyond Mark and Rick, we are confident in the broad management bench strength at the Company as we capitalize on our compelling combination of spectrum, licenses, space and ground assets, our existing talent, and the new talent brought by the Inmarsat transaction and distribution to build a global communications leader.”

ESA signs a deployment deal with ASECNA that brings EGNOS tech to Africa

The international cooperation agreement was signed at ESA’s offices in Paris by Louis Bakienon, Director of the ASECNA SBAS Program, and Josef Aschbacher, ESA Director General.

European technology that allows satellite navigation signals to safely guide aircraft down for landing in the majority of Europe’s airports will now also be put to use across Africa and the Indian Ocean. ASECNA, the Agency for Air Navigation Safety in Africa and Madagascar, and ESA have signed an agreement to deploy a Satellite-based Augmentation System (SBAS) across a service region of more than 16.5 million sq. km, one and a half times the size of Europe’s coverage area.

ESA will provide technical support to ASECNA based on Europe’s EGNOS technology and using the Galileo satellites. The system initial operational capabilities are projected to enter into service from 2025.

ASECNA Member States Map.

ASECNA provides air navigation services within an airspace of 16.5 million sq. km, divided into six flight information regions covering its Member States: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Comoros, Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, France, Gabon, Guinea Bissau, Equatorial Guinea, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal, Chad and Togo.

Aschbacher said, “I welcome this exciting new partnership with Africa. International cooperation has always been an ESA priority; space technology has the potential to improve everyone’s lives, and by working together we get to make that happen. EGNOS technology – designed, developed and demonstrated in Europe – will have its clear safety, environmental and economic benefits extended to African airports, airlines and passengers.”

ASECNA logo.

ASECNA Director General, Mohamed Moussa, said, “The implementation of satellite-based augmentation infrastructure will represent a huge step forward towards the unification of the African airspace. Airspace users will benefit across the continent from the most advanced navigation services and will significantly improve the safety and efficiency of their operations, and reduce their environmental impact. This service is sufficiently accurate and reliable to guide aircraft for critical flight operations will also be valuable across many other important sectors, such as land and maritime transport, precision agriculture, drone navigation, mapping and surveying.”

ASECNA Chairman of the Board, Jean Lamy, said, “This program is part of the Africa-EU strategic partnership on satellite navigation. It provides a solution for the implementation of the navigation and positioning component of the Space Policy of the African Union. It will support the development of a continiuum airspace purpose of the single Sky for Africa Project (CUPA Project) developed by ASECNA and which contribute to the African Union’s Single Air Transport Market initiative (SAATM).”

The European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service (EGNOS) uses additional ground stations being used to enhance the accuracy and reliability of existing satnav services across a given geographic regions. Signal error measurements or integrity warnings highlighting reliability problems are then relayed to geostationary satellites for rebroadcast to users – available to any suitably equipped receiver. The resulting performance enhancements allow satnav to be employed for ‘safety of life’ services, especially aviation, but also any application requiring high precision.

ESA Director of Navigation, Javier Benedicto, said, “Together with Galileo, EGNOS is Europe’s other satellite navigation system, which is today in routine use at around 367 European airports and helipads. Through the use of EGNOS, satellite navigation signals become sufficiently accurate and reliable for all kinds of ‘safety-of-life’ uses. ESA, as the original designer of the EGNOS system, is well-placed to advise on the design and establishment of a new augmentation system with our ASECNA partner.”

Didier Flament, overseeing EGNOS for ESA, added, “Building on past know-how, this new system will deliver positioning with meter-level accuracy and with a high level of Integrity with a progressive coverage of the continent.”

Aircraft pilots are making use of EGNOS for what are known as ‘approach with vertical guidance’ procedures at suitably certified European airports. They can provide vertical guidance down to within 60 m altitude of given runways in all weather and conditions, at which point the pilot does the rest.

Louis Bakienon, Director of the ASECNA SBAS Program, noted, “SBAS services will enhance navigation operations for all phases of flight, from en-route down to precision approaches, and surveillance operations as well, as providing a source of position for terminal and surface surveillance.”

Julien Lapie, Manager of the ASECNA SBAS program, said, “The ASECNA SBAS program primarily aims to provide, through a self-sufficient infrastructure, airspace users with advanced navigation services to enhance significantly flight safety and efficiency, reduce their environmental impacts and improve airport accessibility. This program is a key enabler to the implementation of the Space Policy and Strategy of the Africa Union, and is recognised by the International Civil Aviation Organisation.”

EGNOS, the European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service, sharpens the accuracy of GPS signals over European territory up to meter-scale precision while also giving a real-time‘integrity’ – or reliability – level of the signals and of the final corrected position thanks to EGNOS. The current EGNOS system relies only on US GPS signals but an updated version is being prepared for implementation later this decade (by 2028) – EGNOS v3 – which will also use Galileo signals, further increasing its accuracy and robustness. Moreover, this second generation will also provide an increased level of resilience to security (in particular cyber security) threats. EGNOS-using airports and helipads EGNOS-using airports and helipads.

Together with Galileo, EGNOS is Europe’s other satellite navigation system, which is today in routine use at around 367 European airports and helipads. Through the use of EGNOS, satellite navigation signals become sufficiently accurate and reliable for all kinds of ‘safety-of-life’ uses. These airports and helipads are utilising EGNOS-based LPV-200 approaches, short for ‘Localizer Performance with Vertical guidance – 200 ft (60 m)’. The freely-available EGNOS service requires no ground equipment whatsoever, replacing the radio guidance beamed upward by traditional CAT I Instrument Landing System (ILS) infrastructure with no decrease in performance.

The current EGNOS allows aircraft to be guided safely down in any visibility to within 60 metres of height from the runway while the new EGNOS V3 aims at delivering a future capability of an auto-landing service (a first feasibility demonstration of this capability was performed in November 2019 with an Airbus A350 at Toulouse Airport).

The Satellite-based Augmentation system of ASECNA will provide the same levels of services, based on an fully-fledged African infrasctructure, composed of a ground segment (reference stations, mission control centers, uplink stations) and a space segment.

ASECNA signed an international agreement with the European Union in 2018 on satellite navigation, and is benefiting from funding and access to the EGNOS technology. ESA will deploy a team of around ten experts, providing technical support focused on ground infrastructure for the SBAS while French space agency CNES will advise on engineering of the demonstrator, the space segment and performance.

SpaceX’s Falcon 9 pushes the Thales Alenia Space-built SES-22 satellite up from Cape Canaveral SFS

The launch from Cape Canaveral SFS of the SES-22 satellite by SpaceX. Image is courtesy of the SpaceX simulcast of the launch.

The SES-22 satellite was successfully launched into space onboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from SpaceX’s Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (SFS) in Florida, United States, at 5:04 p.m., local time for SES.

Artistic rendition of the SES-22 and SES-23 satellites on-orbit, image is courtesy of Thales Alenia Space.

Built by Thales Alenia Space, the first of SES’s C-band satellites dedicated to freeing up the lower 300 MHz of C-band spectrum will operate in the 135 degrees West orbital slot. The satellite will deliver TV and radio to millions of American homes and provide other critical data transmission services, with satellite operations is expected to start by early August of 2022.

The SES-22 spacecraft had a fast on-ground delivery time as satellite manufacturer Thales Alenia Space shipped it only 22 months after it was ordered. SES-22 is the seventh SES satellite launched by SpaceX over the last 10 years. This was the second launch and landing of this Falcon 9 booster, which previously supported the launch of one Starlink mission.

The launch of SES-22 is part of a broader Federal Communications Commission (FCC) program to clear a portion of C-band spectrum to enable wireless operators to deploy 5G services across the contiguous U.S. (CONUS). In response to a mandate from the FCC, satellite operators, such as SES, are required to transition their existing services from the lower 300 MHz to the upper 200 MHz of C-band spectrum to make room for 5G.

To meet the FCC’s accelerated deadline of clearing C-band spectrum across the U.S. by December of 2023 while maintaining uninterrupted services, SES will launch five satellites – SES-18, SES-19, SES-20, SES-21 and SES-22 in 2022.

“We are thrilled with the successful launch of SES-22, thanks to our partners at Thales Alenia Space and SpaceX,” said Steve Collar, CEO of SES. “The launch of SES-22, together with other upcoming C-band satellite launches scheduled this year, will enable us to continue providing the high-quality services that our customers have been accustomed to over the last several decades, while freeing up spectrum that will enable the US to rapidly unlock the promise of 5G.”

“The successful launch of SES 22 is the result of our long-standing and fruitful collaboration with SES,” said Hervé Derrey, President and CEO of Thales Alenia Space. “This achievement reflects the robustness and flight-proven heritage of our Spacebus 4000 B2 platform combined with our ability to timely and quickly deliver SES-22, two key elements leading to the decision of SES working with us to replace its existing C-Band fleet.”

The SpaceX Falcon 9 launch of the SES-22 satellite, photo courtesy of SpaceX.

UK Government to offer financial support for debris removal missions + space legislation review

The UK’s Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy will begin to develop a number of initiatives to help protect the planet’s orbital environment.

This announcement pledged to develop a new standard for space sustainability which will be designed to encompass existing guidelines and principles in relation to space sustainability and fill the gaps in these standards and guidelines, seeking to develop best sustainability practice across the lifecycle of space activities. Astroscale, as Co-Chair of the In-Orbit Servicing and Manufacturing Working Group at UKspace, is proud to support the review and industry consultation in the coming months.

The UK government Plan for Space Sustainability includes a review of secondary legislation and associated regulations focused on orbital constellations with a view to the update reflecting the huge growth in satellite constellations and the rapidly changing space environment. The Plan also placed more emphasis on the UK space system licensing process and associated third party liability insurance that will enable safe spacecraft operations and incentivize the sustainable use of space.

The Plan highlighted a desire for UK leadership and an important confirmation of £5 million investment in Active Debris Removal, de-orbiting unprepared defunct satellites from space, and on-orbit servicing and manufacturing missions that Astroscale is competing for funding in the coming months.

The partnership between UK government, industry, academia, legal and financial experts is expected to be delivered in collaboration with other international partners, providing multiple opportunities to align priorities for regulatory reform in the UK with other national and multi-lateral agendas.

“We welcome the government announcement to continue to invest in-orbit servicing and active debris removal missions through contributing to UK Space Agency and European Space Agency missions. This investment will provide tremendous opportunities to establish a UK leadership position, create jobs and commercialise this fast-growing sector.” said Nick Shave, Managing Director of Astroscale Ltd. “To realise Astroscale’s intention to make on-orbit servicing routine by 2030, we’re also very supportive of the UK government’s pledge to review secondary legislation with a view to regulatory reform that will compliment efforts driven by our international policy partners at CONFERS, IAF, GSOA, SSC, Paris Pearce Forum, World Economic Forum and UKspace. With the on-orbit servicing global economy estimated to reach $4.4 billion by 2030*, the UK should invest in relevant space system technologies and target becoming a dominant space player globally in the On-Orbit Services and Manufacturing (OSAM) market with the objective of the UK capturing $1Bn of the global market by 2030,” Shave adds. “We need to act now to create a world class commercial and regulatory environment for operators and on-orbit servicing companies to thrive over the next decade.”

UK Science Minister George Freeman said, “A ‘Wild West’ space race without effective regulation risks a growing crisis of debris in space. That is why today I am announcing our Plan for Space Sustainability, a package of announcements which demonstrates the UK’s commitment to using our regulatory leadership. This Plan will ensure a safe and sustainable commercial space sector which rewards responsible satellite programs by lowering the costs of launch licenses and insurance for sustainable satellites and space missions.”

“Harmonized regulations will shape how operators, especially large constellations, behave in orbit. They will also enable on-orbit services such as end-of-life and debris removal to thrive in a more certain regulatory environment,” said Charity Weeden, Vice President of Global Space Policy and Government Relations at Astroscale U.S.

SES’ 1st C-Band satellite — SES-22 — to launch from Cape Canaveral SFS on June 29th

SES has announced that SES-22 is currently being prepared for launch from SpaceX’s Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on June 29, 2022, at 5:04 pm / 23:04 pm.

Built by Thales Alenia Space, SES-22 will operate in the 135 degrees West orbital slot and will deliver TV and radio to millions of American homes and provide other critical data transmission services. SES-22 is expected to start operations by early August of 2022.

The launch of SES-22 is part of a broader FCC program to clear a portion of C-band spectrum to enable wireless operators to deploy 5G services across the contiguous US (CONUS). In response to a mandate from the FCC, satellite operators, such as SES, are required to transition their existing services from the lower 300 MHz to the upper 200 MHz of C-band spectrum to make room for 5G.

SES completed all Phase I transition activities in September of 2021 and is on track for completing Phase II transition activities to meet the FCC’s December 2023 deadline.

Arianespace’s Flight VA257 successfully launches from Korou, French Guiana

Arianespace announced that on Wednesday, June 22, 2022, at 06:50 pm local time, an Ariane 5 launcher lifted off from the Guiana Space Center, Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana (South America), and successfully orbited two, geostationary, telecommunication satellites — MEASAT-3d and GSAT-24.

“With this Ariane 5 mission, Arianespace is honored to support the ambitions of two key actors in the Asia-Pacific region: MEASAT, the leading Malaysian satellite operator and NewSpace India Limited (NSIL), a Government of India company within the Department of Space (DOS) acting in concert with the Indian Space Agency ISRO. With the orbiting of both MEASAT-3d, the fourth satellite that we’ve launched for the benefit of Malaysia, and GSAT-24, the 25th Indian satellite we’ve delivered for them, we are affirming our long term partnership with these two great actors,” said Stéphane Israël, CEO of Arianespace.

MEASAT-3d, to be co-located with MEASAT-3a and MEASAT-3b in the 91.5°E orbital slot, is a multi-mission telecommunications satellite built by Airbus Defence and Space. It will significantly enhance broadband speeds of up to 100 Mbps per user in areas with limited or no terrestrial network throughout Malaysia, while continuing to provide redundancy and additional capacity for video distribution in HD, 4K, and ultimately 8K in the Asia-Pacific region.

MEASAT-3d

MEASAT-3d will also carry an extremely innovative payload on behalf of the Korean operator KTSAT. Conceived by Airbus Defense and Space, it will be used by the Korean Augmentation System (KASS), a project of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport led by KARI, the Korean Space Agency, to significantly improve air traffic control in South Korea.

GSAT-24

GSAT-24 is a Ku-band 4-ton class communications satellite built by the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) for NewSpace India Limited (NSIL) that will provide high-quality television, telecommunications and broadcasting services across India. It will be the first “Demand Driven” communications satellite mission undertaken by NSIL. 

“After the successful launch of the James Webb Space Telescope, this new achievement helps Ariane 5 write a new chapter in space history”, said André-Hubert Roussel, CEO of ArianeGroup. “Ariane 5 demonstrates its reliability once again, justifying the trust of Arianespace’s customers worldwide. Its successes are tied to Ariane 6, which benefits from the same reliability along with increased competitiveness and versatility.”

The Ariane 5 heavy-lift launcher is an ESA program carried out in cooperation between public institutions and industry across 12 European partner states. 

ArianeGroup is the lead contractor for the development and production of Ariane 5, and is responsible for campaign operations and preparation of the launch vehicle up to lift-off. ArianGroup hands over a “ready to fly” rocket to its subsidiary Arianespace, which sells the Ariane 5 and operates it from the Guiana Space Center in French Guiana. During launch campaigns, Arianespace works closely with CNES, who is the design authority for the Ariane 5 and controls the satellite preparation facilities at the CSG.

After this launch, four Ariane 5 vehicles remain before the Ariane 6 takes up the baton, supporting Europe’s institutional missions, while meeting the growing needs of the commercial market.

UPDATE: Stockholders approve the Viasat acquisition of Inmarsat — plus Viasat debuts New Choice home internet plans

Viasat Inc. (NASDAQ: VSAT) — at the company’s Special Meeting of Stockholders — received the necessary stockholder approvals for the proposed acquisition of Inmarsat.

Viasat continues to expect the transaction to close in the second half of calendar year 2022, subject to the receipt of certain regulatory approvals and clearances and the satisfaction of other customary closing conditions.

The combined company will create a leading global communications innovator with enhanced scale and scope to affordably, securely and reliably connect the world. Viasat believes the strategic combination will increase the pace of innovation to help drive new and better services for customers, broaden opportunities for employees as well as provide a foundation for significant, positive, free cash flow.

The complete results of the Special Meeting will be reported in a Form 8-K to be filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in the coming days, after certification by Viasat’s Inspector of Election.

Richard Baldridge, President & Chief Executive Officer, said, “This approval is an important milestone as we move closer to completing our acquisition of Inmarsat. The overwhelming support of our shareholders confirms that this transformative combination is in the best interests of our company, shareholders, and allows for significant future growth in revenue, EBITDA and free cash flow. The combination of our unique teams, technologies, and resources will provide an incredible foundation to advance broadband communications and drive greater performance, reliability, and value for our customers. We are excited about what the future holds and look forward to the opportunities ahead.”

Also, Viasat Inc. is elevating the home satellite internet experience in the U.S. and is now giving customers in select markets new residential plans that will offer, in the company’s words, blazing, high-speed connections that will allow customers to do more, faster – from downloading and streaming more movies, videos and content, to enjoying a snappier web browsing experience.

Viasat’s New Choice home internet plans will give U.S. consumers more options in selecting the correct internet service to meet their speed and data needs by offering five, enhanced, service plans that will deliver download speeds up to 25 Mbps and 150 Mbps in select areas.

Viasat’s New Choice home internet plans are available now, in select markets, with plans to roll out nationwide. Additional features include:

  • 4K streaming support
  • Double download speeds in select areas
  • Unlimited Standard Data
  • Best value in the satellite market
  • Pricing starting at $49.99/month

In a recent survey from Gallup, nearly half of all U.S. adults said they would prefer to live in a rural area or small town. This desire highlights the importance of high-speed satellite internet as people move into suburban and rural parts of America. Viasat’s New Choice home internet plans can help meet this demand for high-speed connectivity even in the hardest-to-reach locations, by offering packages that will deliver download speeds of up to 150 Mbps in select areas.

Viasat is committed to delivering more bandwidth, speeds and data to its residential customers. The Company’s next-generation satellite constellation, ViaSat-3, is expected to be capable of delivering even greater bandwidth capabilities that will result in more speed, data and streaming options. Viasat has received various accolades from consumer outlets, including being named the ‘Fastest Satellite Internet Provider‘ among U.S. rural internet service providers (ISPs) by CNET and receiving the Best for High Speeds designation by ZDNet.

Artistic rendition of the ViaSat-3 satellite, courtesy of the company.

Steven Mesnick, general manager of U.S. broadband at Viasat, said, “With the launch of these New Choice home internet plans, we are introducing a new satellite internet experience to help meet the evolving needs of residential consumers. By optimizing our satellite network, we expect to deliver more data at faster speeds, more consistently. These speeds will enable us to provide the experience that our customers desire. Our new service plans demonstrate a technological achievement that we are proud of: delivering 100 times the speed compared to the first service plans we offered when we entered the residential internet market ten years ago with the launch of ViaSat-1. We are committed to innovation so that our customers can do more, faster.”

Tyvak International completes the CDR of the deep space bound Milani smallsat in support of the ESA’s Hera mission

Artistic rendition of the Milani smallsat, courtesy of Tyvak International

Terran Orbital Corporation (NYSE: LLAP), has announced that the firm’s wholly-owned subsidiary, Tyvak International SRL, and partners have achieved full, Critical Design Review (CDR) of the Milani spacecraft.

Artistic rendition of Milani scanning the Dimorphos asteroid, courtesy of Tyvak International.

A critical component of the Hera planetary defense mission, Milani will be the European Space Agency’s (ESA) first, deep-space smallsat. Milani will also be the first smallsat to orbit an asteroid. Tyvak International is responsible for Milani’s design, build and mission operations. In this exploration, Tyvak International is joined by a consortium of European industries and research centers from Finland, Czech Republic and Italy.

The world’s first test of asteroid deflection, Hera, will perform a detailed, post-impact survey of the target asteroid, Dimorphos – the orbiting moonlet in a binary asteroid system known as Didymos. NASA’s DART mission will first impact the moonlet.

Following the DART impact, Hera will turn the experiment into a well-understood and repeatable planetary defense technique, using new technologies from autonomous navigation around an asteroid to low gravity proximity operations.

Photo of the Hera spacecraft, courtesy of ESA.

Hera will be humankind’s first probe to rendezvous with a binary asteroid system and Europe’s flagship Planetary Defender.

Milani, named after Andrea Milani, the pioneer of asteroid risk analysis who came up with the original double-spacecraft DART-Hera concept, is a companion smallsat of HERA, carried by the mothercraft along the journey to the asteroid and ultimately released in the asteroid’s proximity.

Milani’s main instrument will be the ASPECT hyperspectral imager (by VTT, Finland), combining visible and near-infrared wavelengths to survey the surface down to a maximum spatial resolution of one meter.

ASPECT will sift through sunlight reflected from Dimorphos as well as its bigger companion, Didymos, looking for distinctive, mineral absorptions of individual asteroid boulders.

Milani’s secondary payload is called VISTA (Volatile In-Situ Thermogravimeter Analyzer). The instrument (by INAF, Italy) can detect the presence of dust particles smaller than 5-10 micrometers in water and will monitor molecular contamination surrounding the satellite. Finally, laser reflectors (by INFN, Italy) will enable unprecedented gravity field measurements of the asteroid coupled with Hera’s laser range finder.

“Terran Orbital is honored to be selected once again for a contract that will yield unprecedented scientific returns for the global community while propelling Europe’s ambitions in Planetary Defense capabilities,” said Terran Orbital Co-Founder, Chairman, and Chief Executive Officer, Marc Bell. “Tyvak International’s design and construction of the Milani spacecraft will enable the acquisition of extremely valuable information for future asteroid deflection missions. We are thrilled ESA trusted us with this privilege, and we look forward to continuing to design, build, deliver, and operate cutting-edge satellite solutions that make our planet a safer place to live.”

“We are absolutely thrilled by the maturity reached by the Milani spacecraft in such a short time,” said ESA Hera Project Manager, Ian Carnelli. “The capability of Tyvak International, not only to meet this important milestone but to do so while developing new advanced technologies with its partners, is unprecedented. We look forward to continuing this adventure and giving Milani a beautiful ride to Didymos.”

Tyvak International, a Terran Orbital Corporation, is a leading European nano and microsatellite provider, based in Torino, Italy. A front runner in miniaturization and specialized in execution and delivery, Tyvak International is contract Prime of European Space Agency for the Milani mission, coordinating a team of 12 entities, universities, research centers, and enterprises in Italy and across all Europe. Learn more at www.tyvak.eu.

Terran Orbital is a leading manufacturer of small satellites primarily serving the aerospace and defense industries. Terran Orbital provides end-to-end satellite solutions by combining satellite design, production, launch planning, mission operations, and on-orbit support to meet the needs of the most demanding military, civil, and commercial customers. Learn more at www.terranorbital.com.