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Today's constellations and satellite services are being launched with greater expectations on inter-satellite links (ISL) and other aspects of satellite to satellite communication. The growing focus on sustainability in orbit requires the development of systems that can communicate effectively with other stakeholders in their operating domain and potentially use satellite ranging to enhance safety. In addition, as end-users increasingly expect (and are paying for) a more reliable and consistent service, satellite to satellite communication can play a role in improving downlinking speed and efficiency, while also offering redundancy in the event of any issues. And finally, with data collection and processing volumes growing, constellation operators are using inter-satellite communication to better manage how and where valuable data is delivered. When done well, this results in an overall more profitable service and a more versatile operation, particularly for constellations launched in iterations, with improvements in each generation. There are many engineering considerations that go into building effective inter-satellite links, from data privacy to third-party operator collaboration, and we've put together a new article outlining some of these at a conceptual level (link in comment). It also links to our popular satellite communication supply chain hub that features structured information on a huge range of commercially-available satellite communications hardware (link also in comment). Hope you find this useful. Ad astra!

Satellite to satellite communications, or inter-satellite links (ISL), are becoming both an increasingly important and ever more complex challenge in today’s industry. With data collection and processing volumes growing in orbit, and new satellite constellations requiring higher levels of coordination, it’s easy to understand why. Here are a few engineering and design considerations for ISL use: ??? Satellite data exchange facilitates multiple applications – when satellites act as consistent nodes on a network, it can open up new operating concepts and even business models. ??? Inter-satellite ranging is crucial for high-frequency remote sensing – ISL is needed for applications that require precise satellite to satellite communication to measure the distance between each, so that data from the different passes can be coordinated. ??? Data security and cybersecurity – ISL must be secured to at least the same level as the space-ground data connection to ensure cyber threats are minimized. And, if data is passing through satellites or processing chains involving more than one operator (or is data from/for multiple end-users) effective encryption is needed to sure confidential information remains secure. ??? Traceability – following from the previous point, to ensure that problems or inefficiencies in the satellite to satellite comms chain can be identified and fixed, the system needs to be auditable, with accurate telemetry metadata accessible by the operations team. ??? MissionOps impact – while ISL communication can bring benefits, it can also add complexity to operations. Unless the satcomms chain is largely automated, increasing operator decisions could be a factorial problem, slowing down the system. ??? Enabling engineering – the two forms of satellite to satellite communication are RF comms and Free Space Optical (FSO) or lasercomms. RF links between satellites vary slightly to RF ground-space links, and will require limited engineering changes. Lasercomms on the other hand requires precise pointing to ensure line of sight, and so may need more extensive redesigns. These are just a few of the engineering challenges, and opportunities, that satellite to satellite communication brings. Ultimately, ISL quality and efficiency relies on high quality communications hardware in orbit. And the best place to find it is on the satsearch multi-vendor supply chain hub, right here: https://lnkd.in/etPqe3hE #Space #NewSpace #SatelliteCommunication #SatCom

Control moment gyroscopes (CMGs) are one of the newer classes of attitude actuator to be used on microsatellites and larger CubeSats in recent years, and the supply chain for them is developing well. They consist of a spinning rotor fixed to motorized gimbals that are used to alter the rotor’s orientation and thus change its angular momentum, producing torque. This torque acts on a satellite to change its attitude in orbit, or to counteract attitude changes caused by external forces. This is similar in function to a reaction wheel of course, however a CMG can produce torque in any direction whereas a reaction wheel is in a fixed position and can produce it in one direction only. This means that although CMGs are heavier and take up more volume than a reaction wheel, to deliver the same amount of torque, you only need one system (if gimballed correctly) to replace multiple reaction wheels. Several companies, including satsearch Trusted Suppliers Tensor Tech and VEOWARE SPACE, have brought to market CMGs that are designed to maximize torque output with a minimal SWaP budget, and they can also work well when used in conjunction with reaction wheels, or even multiple CMGs for larger systems and more complex mission needs. Take a closer look at this technology in our overview here: https://lnkd.in/eAuk-Zxu - and let us know if you need support sourcing attitude actuators for your next mission ?? Ad astra!

NewSpace is changing: > Customer expectations are growing, > The industry's "state-of-the-art" tech updates faster than ever, > And more and more sectors are incorporating, or even relying on, space services for success. Old approaches, business models, and operating concepts are becoming obsolete, while demand and applications are also evolving quarter by quarter. It's more important than ever to keep up to date with movements in the sector. At satsearch we help you do just that; by sharing updates and analysis from the global space supply chain, so you can better understand the missions, services, and innovation behind the headlines. And so today I'm very pleased to share with you a huge new collection of supplier views, insights, and predictions on how NewSpace will further evolve in 2025 and beyond. We've collected contributions from experts in 22 different satsearch Trusted Suppliers that are all openly published in this comprehensive resource: https://lnkd.in/ejm6BYn3 Featuring: - Ronnie Nader of the EXA - Ecuadorian Space Agency - Miko?aj Podgórski of Scanway - Tjorven Delabie of arcsec - James Barrington-Brown of NewSpace Systems - Lukas Felderhoff of IQ spacecom (of IQ Technologies for Earth and Space GmbH) - Federico Pergolesi of Paradigma Technologies - Thys Cronje of Simera Sense - Aland A. of ReliaSat - Jaroslav Laifr of SkyFox Labs - Tushar Goyal of AAC Clyde Space - José Miguel Moreno López and Alberto Ordaz Acero of SOLAR MEMS - Stefan Frey of Vyoma - Jason Cerundolo of Colossus - Tomasz Palacz of Liftero - Julien Hennequin of Tensor Tech - Nicolò Benini of NPC SPACEMIND - Shreyas Urunkar of Akula Tech - Bryan Dean of Dragonfly Aerospace Hope you find something useful in the piece - and gain a deeper understanding of the drivers and opportunities in the modern space industry. Please feel free to post your own thoughts on the future direction of NewSpace in the comments too!