#spacecraft data slot

[sw5w]

Don't Worry, We Have R2 with Us

STAR WARS EPISODE II: Attack of the Clones 00:31:03 - 00:31:08

[swifty-fox]

Sci-Fi Horror AU

idk kinda word vomited this tonight after trying a new strain. I will be continuing it into a full story but not sure when

Entry Log 2043

-DateStamp: 14th July 5399

-Location: DeepSpace Sector G8677-65HG-76789_I

-Personnel File: Maj. J.C. Egan (Zoot Suit) 

Recording_

“This is Major John Egan, callsign ZootSuit, aboard the vessel M’lle ZigZag. Today is the dawn of my final day of exploration, putting an end to a sixteen-month foray into DeepSpace. Initial findings reveal little of note. A few developing stars and planets; an asteroid belt; and a total of six planets, two of which I will be recommending for a second more thorough exploration of due to planets possibly location being within the ‘Goldilocks Zone.’ I look forward to whiskey, solid food and to breathe air that isn’t recycled from a fucking can. I can’t wait to fuck my husband-”

John pauses.

“Ah, computer erase the last seven words. Reasoning: Irrelevant to mission. I will be entering Hyperspace within the hour, once I hit proper trajectory to slingshot around the primary sun.”

He taps the record button to end the log, carefully labeling the file and placing it in a folder with the few thousand other logs he’d recorded over the last year and a half. A verified library of data, observations and the occasional love-letter. A year and a half of research; one of the longest expeditions ever undertaken by any pilot. Considered bold by some and risky by far more. Deep space played with people's minds, the long stretches of isolation broken up only by Hypersleep creating the perfect recipe for a light case of mental instability.John had trained for this, ran through thousands of psychological tests and millions of scenarios. There was not a person in the universe more capable of this task. 

John rubs his jaw, feeling the scratchy beard and spins out of his pilot's chair, leaving the computer to guide the craft. 

Moving about the cramped space of the craft, built to maximize storage space; and to minimize comfort in his opinion, he begins securing anything not already safely battened down. He shaves in the cubicle sized bathroom, splashes water across his face and ignores the swirling flickers of color and light around the edges of his sight. Jaw smooth save for the now carefully trimmed mustache - just how Gale liked- he makes his way to the tail of the spacecraft to run an inventory check on his samples. Moon rocks and space dust and asteroid dirt. Anything the computer pinged or John spotted in his long hours gazing out into the empty void of space. 

He checks a few straps, making sure they’re tension tight before hitting the override on the artificial gravity. He holds the intentionally placed handle as he slowly lifts from the metal walkway. Giving himself several seconds to adjust he uses the similarly placed handles along the wall to pull himself back over to the pilot's chair. A second check on the navigation systems; the mathematical calculations for his trip around the sun and through hyperspace. Much of the process was left up to the computer these days, but John hadn’t survived twenty one missions - one of the highest in the force save for a handful - by not being thorough. 

Finding nothing out of the ordinary he switches all the lights off until his world is lit only by the approaching Red Giant, bathing everything a warm red. System lights blink soothingly as he takes a moment to take in the vast wonder in front of him. Years now it had been, and it still never failed to leave him breathless.

“Computer, begin countdown to Hyperspace entry, one minute. Beginning LCHS procedure, eta one minute.”

John pulls himself to the economically sized bunk, slotting into the space that barely left room for him to stretch and roll over, strapping himself down. 

“32…31…Thirty Second To HyperJump’’  the computer announces.

Bucky presses two fingers to his lips and then to the photograph taped above his bed. Folded so many times the crease lines were white and soft to the touch, Gale’s face gazed back at him. Caught unawares he was smiling soft and curving, glancing somewhere behind the camera. Laughing at something John had said, trying to pretend that he wasn’t. His cheek was rested in one elegant hand, gold ring glinting in the sunlight; a carbon match to the one on John’s own finger. 

“Be seeing you soon Buck.” John adjusts himself against the organic synthetic fibers of the mattress below him.

Fifteen seconds the computer chirps warningly. John always thought she got a little testy in those last few moments, as if scolding an unruly child. 

John reaches for the pouch beside his temple, withdrawing the last pill from the sheathe. Soft baby blue and the size of a quarter, he’d been issued exactly sixty-five of them upon the start of his expedition. Enough to get him all the way to the furthest reaches of the known galaxy in the shortest amount of time. Seven more consecutive jumps than had been previously attempted. Anything more than thirty and Federal Law was a minimum six months rest and recuperation before attempting further jumps. Risks for brain bleeds, heart attacks and Z-Sum sleep went up with every extra jump. John had stopped only once, stretching to forty five jumps before stopping at the nearest C-Class Planet Simulator outpost to rest. It had been his last chance to speak to Gale before he exited the reach of all communications. Eight months since he had seen that smile in any medium other than this photo. 

A quiet, tense conversation. Buck hadn’t wanted him to go; knew better than to stop him. 

“You’ll be careful out there John?” Buck was the only one to never call him Bucky. To the public he was Egan, Major if they were being formal. In private it was John, always John. His husband was strange like that. 

“More careful than a cat in a rainstorm.” 

Buck hums and squints his eyes at him. Stress sat in heavy lines at the corners of his lips, between his brows and around his temples. It had been eight months since John had kissed that mouth, tasted Gale’s sweet noises on his tongue. 

“You have enough LCHS’s to get through? None of them are compromised?” 

“Buck.” John sighs, “Come on.” 

Gale runs a hand through his hair, sucks his bottom lip between his teeth “I know you know what you’re doing...” His deep voice rumbled through the comms, staticky and pale in comparison to the in person thing.

“It’s just your job.” John finishes, grinning at Bucks self-amused shrug. “I checked them all twice. No leakage, no discoloration.” 

“I love you.” 

It never failed to make John’s spine tingle, hearing those words spoken so easily and effortlessly. The Gale he had gone to flight school with was a reserved quiet thing; John was better off trying to space-walk without a suit than pull an ounce of vulnerability from the other man. The years had softened him - John had softened him. 

“I love you too sweetheart. I’ll see you in eight months.”

Ten seconds. 

John startles, the pill slipping from his fingers and drifting in the gloom. He curses and reaches for it, straining against the straps holding him down. His steady beating heart kicks into panic mode. 

For centuries mankind had struggled to break out of the tiny confines of their miniscule corner of the universe. Confined by things like time-space and the limits of the human life span versus the distance needed to travel to discover anything new. They’d languished away certain of it was their destiny to never walk amongst the stars. Until HyperSpace had been discovered. The miniscule pocket between the folded pages of space-time. A way to jump through matter from one corner of the galaxy to another - and further. It blew the doors wide open on space exploration. They could go anywhere, journey past the point of creation they could find it. 

The only thing holding them back was the side effects of HyperSpace. It didn’t seem to pair so well with the cranial contents of human beings. The tendency to turn ones brain to pure soup was a drawback that left researchers, scientists and theorists all stumped. SMall jumps were manageable, with migraines and dizziness a much more risk-acceptable outcome. But in order for them to make any real progress they would need to find a solution,

LCHS. Lysergic Cerebral Hibernation Synthesizer.

The miracle drug and the solution to their dilemma. Developed initially from LSD the drug soothed the more vulnerable edges of one's brain and put the subject in such a deep sleep it took a reversal injection to bring one back to the waking world. It was used recreationally now as well; a way of opening one's mind to the world beyond the physical dimensions. Where light and color and feeling weren’t senses but physical states of being. It kept their pilots down for the jump; kept them asleep to the journey home. 

Without it. Well. Nobody had made a waking Hyperjump in as long as John could remember, at least had done it and lived. 

Five seconds.

John hisses through clenched teeth, straining for that little blue pill, technology his husband had dedicated his life to. Logically they both knew it was unlikely Gale had made the exact LCHS’s that sustained John, but he knew the other man pretended he did either way. The level of care put into each new batch as if it was made for his beloved specially. 

Three seconds.

John risks freeing one of his shoulders from the straps so he can get better reach. “Come on” he hisses. Closes his fingers around the dosage.

Two seconds.

John lays back, shoves his shoulder back into the strap so quickly the velcro scrapes his skin raw. He lifts the pill to his mouth, pressing past his lips.

One second.

_

_

_

Entering Hyperspace. 

Gale. John thinks.

His brain turns to mush.

[amrutmnm]

Market Segmentation: Services, Payload Systems, and Software in the SSA Industry

Space Situational Awareness (SSA) is the comprehensive understanding of the space environment, encompassing the tracking of all objects in orbit and the monitoring of space weather and debris. SSA involves a combination of technologies, data analysis, and international cooperation to ensure the safety and sustainability of space activities. The SSA industry has seen significant advancements and updates, reflecting strides in technology, policy, and international collaboration. This report delves into the market statistics, market size, trends, and key factors influencing the Space Situational Awareness Industry.

Market Overview

The SSA industry was valued at $1.5 billion in 2021 and is estimated to grow from $1.6 billion in 2023 to $1.8 billion by 2026, at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 4.6%. The primary factors contributing to this growth include the increasing use of small satellites for Earth observation, communication, and scientific research, and the growing focus on reducing mission costs by space companies.

Get a Deeper Understanding of the Industry by Visiting: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/space-situational-awareness-market-150269456.html

Market Dynamics

Drivers

Increasing Demand for Space-Based Sensing Activities

The demand for space-based sensing activities is driven by the growing importance of satellite technology in various aspects of modern life. These activities span multiple sectors, including environmental monitoring, national security, telecommunications, and commercial enterprises. The need for precise, timely, and comprehensive data from space propels advancements in space-based sensing technologies and expands their applications.

Restraints

Complex Regulatory Requirements

The International Telecommunication Union (ITU), a United Nations agency, regulates the orbital slots for satellites and radio frequencies used by satellite operators. The proposed launch of low-orbiting satellites by private players aiming to offer global Internet connectivity poses regulatory challenges. Current ITU rules do not favor deploying small satellites in orbit since the payload of the main satellite determines the orbit injection point of small satellites. Additionally, ensuring that the broadcast frequencies of new satellites do not interfere with pre-existing satellite systems is crucial. SSA service providers must adhere to these complex regulatory norms, impacting their operations.

Opportunities

Rising Demand for Lower Earth Orbit (LEO)-Based Services

Technological advancements, commercial opportunities, and growing consumer needs drive the demand for LEO-based services. LEO satellites offer advantages such as lower latency, higher data speeds, and increased accessibility. This has spurred interest and investment in LEO-based services across various sectors.

Challenges

Inability to Detect Micro-Sized Debris

Orbital debris, particularly micro-sized debris resulting from object breakups, poses a significant challenge. These debris particles move at high speeds relative to operational satellites, containing substantial kinetic energy. Even small particles can cause severe damage to spacecraft, leading to mission termination and the creation of more debris. Detecting and managing micro-sized debris is a critical challenge for SSA.

COVID-19 Impact

The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted the SSA market, causing disruptions in manufacturing and supply chains. The production of SSA systems, subsystems, and components was halted, and resuming activities depended on COVID-19 exposure levels, manufacturing operations, and import-export regulations. Although companies continued to take orders, delivery schedules were uncertain.

Get Thorough Information in Our PDF Brochure: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=150269456

Market Segmentation

By Solution

Services

The demand for SSA services is increasing due to the need for real-time monitoring, collision avoidance, and risk assessment. Service providers offer data analysis, orbital tracking, and situational awareness tools to satellite operators, space agencies, and commercial entities. Subscription-based models and on-demand services are gaining popularity, offering flexible solutions tailored to specific customer needs.

Payload Systems

Advancements in sensor technology and miniaturization are driving the development of advanced payload systems for SSA. These systems include optical telescopes, radar sensors, and infrared cameras deployed on ground-based stations and dedicated SSA satellites. Next-generation payloads aim to improve detection capabilities, enhance data resolution, and expand coverage to track smaller objects in orbit.

Software

SSA software solutions play a crucial role in data processing, analysis, and visualization. Machine learning algorithms and artificial intelligence (AI) techniques are increasingly integrated into SSA software to automate tasks, predict collisions, and identify potential threats. User-friendly interfaces and cloud-based platforms facilitate collaboration and data sharing among stakeholders.

By Capability

Detect, Track, and Identify (D/T/ID)

The ability to detect, track, and identify objects in space is fundamental to SSA. Continuous advancements in sensor technology and data processing algorithms enable more accurate and efficient D/T/ID capabilities. Automated tracking and identification systems reduce manual intervention and enhance the scalability of SSA operations.

Threat Warning and Assessment

Threat warning and assessment capabilities are evolving to address emerging challenges such as space debris, hostile maneuvers, and cyber threats. Integrated modeling and simulation tools enable scenario analysis and risk assessment for proactive threat mitigation. Collaborative efforts between government agencies, industry partners, and international organizations strengthen threat awareness and response capabilities.

Characterization

Characterization capabilities focus on understanding the behavior, composition, and dynamics of objects in space. Advanced sensors and spectroscopic techniques provide insights into the physical properties and orbital characteristics of satellites, debris, and other space objects. Characterization data informs collision avoidance maneuvers, debris mitigation strategies, and space traffic management initiatives.

Discover All the Steps in Our Detailed Sample: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestsampleNew.asp?id=150269456

By Object

Mission-Related Debris

Mission-related debris, including spent rocket stages, defunct satellites, and mission-related fragments, pose significant challenges to space operations. SSA efforts target the identification and tracking of mission-related debris to mitigate collision risks and maintain orbital safety.

Rocket Bodies

Rocket bodies left in orbit after satellite launches represent a substantial portion of space debris. SSA systems monitor these objects to assess collision risks and predict potential conjunctions with operational spacecraft.

Fragmentation Debris

Fragmentation events, such as satellite collisions and explosions, generate debris clouds that pose immediate threats to nearby satellites and increase the long-term risk of collision for all space assets. SSA capabilities aim to detect and track fragmentation debris to minimize hazards in orbit.

Functional Spacecraft

Functional spacecraft, including satellites, space stations, and manned vehicles, require continuous monitoring to ensure operational safety and security. SSA services provide real-time tracking and situational awareness to support mission planning, maneuver coordination, and anomaly detection.

Non-Functional Spacecraft

Non-functional spacecraft, such as abandoned satellites and derelict rocket stages, contribute to the growing population of space debris. SSA efforts focus on cataloging non-functional spacecraft, assessing collision risks, and implementing debris mitigation measures.

By End Use

Commercial

Commercial entities, including satellite operators, launch providers, and space industry stakeholders, rely on SSA services to safeguard their investments, protect assets in orbit, and comply with regulatory requirements. Commercial SSA solutions offer tailored capabilities to meet the specific needs of private-sector customers.

Government & Military

Government agencies and military organizations prioritize SSA for national security, defense, and space surveillance purposes. Government-funded SSA programs enhance situational awareness, space traffic management, and space domain awareness to support strategic objectives and protect critical assets.

By Orbital Range

Near-Earth

Near-Earth SSA focuses on monitoring objects in low Earth orbit (LEO), medium Earth orbit (MEO), and geosynchronous orbit (GEO). The proliferation of satellites, including mega-constellations and small satellites, increases the complexity of near-Earth SSA operations and drives the need for advanced tracking and collision avoidance capabilities.

Deep Space

Deep space SSA extends surveillance beyond Earth's immediate vicinity to monitor interplanetary missions, near-Earth objects (NEOs), and space debris in distant orbits. Deep space SSA capabilities enhance space situational awareness for scientific exploration, planetary defense, and future space missions.

By Region

North America

North America, led by the United States, remains at the forefront of SSA innovation, with a focus on advanced sensor development, space traffic management initiatives, and public-private partnerships. U.S.-based companies and government agencies collaborate to enhance SSA capabilities and support space sustainability efforts.

Europe

Europe, represented by the European Space Agency (ESA) and individual member states, contributes to SSA through satellite missions, ground-based tracking facilities, and international cooperation initiatives. ESA's Space Situational Awareness program focuses on enhancing European capabilities in collision avoidance, debris monitoring, and space weather forecasting.

Asia-Pacific

The Asia-Pacific region, including countries like Japan, China, and India, is investing in SSA to support their growing space programs, satellite constellations, and space exploration ambitions. Asian space agencies collaborate on SSA research, data-sharing agreements, and regional cooperation frameworks to address common challenges and promote space safety and security.

Key Market Players

The Space Situational Awareness Companies is dominated by globally established players such as L3Harris Technologies (US), Lockheed Martin Corporation (US), Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. (US), Parsons Corporation (US), and Peraton (US). These companies have secured significant SSA contracts in recent years, focusing on new product development and meeting the changing requirements of government, military, and commercial space users.

The global SSA market is poised for substantial growth, driven by increasing demand for space-based sensing activities, rising investment in LEO-based services, and continuous advancements in technology. Despite challenges such as complex regulatory requirements and the detection of micro-sized debris, the market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 4.6%, reaching $1.8 billion by 2026.

Key trends, such as the integration of SSA data with broader space traffic management systems and the development of innovative solutions for space debris management, will shape the future of the industry. The presence of major players and ongoing investments in SSA infrastructure will ensure the development of efficient, reliable, and sustainable solutions, maintaining a safe and secure space environment for all stakeholders.

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[warningsine]

With the Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM), Japan followed the United States, the Soviet Union, China and most recently India in achieving the feat.

JAXA confirmed that the SLIM "landed on the Moon at 00:20 am on 20 January 2024 (Japan Time). Communication has been established since landing," JAXA said.

"However, the solar cells are not generating power and data acquisition from the lunar surface is given priority," it added.

"The SLIM is operated with on-board batteries. The data acquired on landing is stored in the spacecraft, and we are currently working to maximise the scientific results by first transmitting this data back to Earth," said JAXA official Hitoshi Kuninaka.

Japan's mission is one of a string of new projects launched in recent years on the back of renewed interest in Earth's natural satellite.

The Japanese craft -- equipped with a shape-shifting mini-rover co-developed by the firm behind Transformer toys -- has been designed to land with unprecedented precision.

If all went to plan, it will have landed within a target area just 100 metres (yards) across, far tighter than the usual landing zone of several kilometres (miles).

Success would restore high-tech Japan's reputation in space after two failed lunar missions and recent rocket failures, including explosions after take-off.

It would also echo the triumph of India's low-cost space programme in August, when it became the first to land an uncrewed craft near the Moon's largely unexplored south pole.

'Crucial' rocks

Japan's space agency JAXA has already made a pinpoint landing on an asteroid, but the challenge is greater on the Moon, where gravity is stronger.

SLIM was meant to try to reach a crater where the Moon's mantle -- the usually deep inner layer beneath its crust -- is believed to be accessible at the surface.

"The rocks exposed here are crucial in the search for the origins of the Moon and the Earth," Tomokatsu Morota, associate professor at the University of Tokyo specialising in lunar and planetary exploration, told AFP.

This includes shedding light on the mystery of the Moon's possible water resources, which will also be key to building bases there one day as possible stopovers on the way to Mars.

"The possibility of lunar commercialisation depends on whether there is water at the poles," Morota said.

Renewed interest 

More than 50 years after the first human Moon landing, many countries and private companies are attempting to make the trip anew.

But crash-landings, communication failures and other technical problems are rife.

This month, US private firm Astrobotic's Peregrine lunar lander began leaking fuel after takeoff, dooming its mission.

On Thursday, contact with the spaceship was lost over a remote area of the South Pacific after it likely burned up in the Earth's atmosphere on its return.

NASA has also postponed plans for crewed lunar missions under its Artemis programme.

Russia, China and other countries from South Korea to the United Arab Emirates are also trying their luck.

Previous Japanese lunar missions have failed twice -- one public and one private.

In 2022, the country unsuccessfully sent a lunar probe named Omotenashi as part of the United States' Artemis 1 mission.

In April, Japanese startup ispace tried in vain to become the first private company to land on the Moon, losing communication with its craft after what it described as a "hard landing".

Butterfly or crawl 

SLIM's spherical metal probe, slightly bigger than a tennis ball and weighing the same as a large potato, is meant to pop open like a Transformer toy.

Equipped with two cameras, the two halves of the SORA-Q sphere are designed to slot out and propel the gadget around either in "butterfly" or "crawl" mode, JAXA says.

Back on Earth, a toy version costs 21,190 yen ($140) and, according to its promotional video, can roll around a living room taking pictures -- for example, of a buyer's cat.

(AFP)

[nasa]

What Space Weather Means for You

In space, invisible, fast-moving particles from the Sun and other sources in deep space zip around, their behavior shaped by dynamic electric and magnetic fields. There are so few of these particles that space is considered a vacuum, but what’s there packs a punch. Together, we call all of this invisible activity space weather — and it affects our technology both in space and here on Earth.

This month, two new missions are launching to explore two different kinds of space weather.

Scrambled signals

Many of our communications and navigation systems — like GPS and radio — rely on satellites to transmit their signals. When signals are sent from satellites down to Earth, they pass through a dynamic zone on the upper edge of Earth's atmosphere called the ionosphere.

Gases in the ionosphere have been cooked into a sea of positive- and negative-charged particles by solar radiation. These electrically charged particles are also mixed in with neutral gases, like the air we breathe. The charged particles respond to electric and magnetic fields, meaning they react to space weather. Regular weather can also affect this part of the atmosphere.

Influenced by this complicated web of factors, structured bubbles of charged gas sometimes form in this part of the atmosphere, particularly near the equator. When signals pass through these bubbles, they can get distorted, causing failed communications or inaccurate GPS fixes.

Right now, it's hard to predict just when these bubbles will form or how they'll mess with signals. The two tiny satellites of the E-TBEx mission will try to shed some light on this question.

As these CubeSats fly around Earth, they'll send radio signals to receiving stations on the ground. Scientists will examine the signals received in order to see whether — and if so, how much — they were jumbled as they traveled through the upper atmosphere and down to Earth.

All together, this information will give scientists a better idea of how these bubbles form and change and how much they disrupt signals — information that could help develop strategies for mitigating these bubbles' disruptive effects.

Damaged satellites

The high-energy, fast-moving particles that fill space are called radiation. Every single spacecraft — from scientific satellites sprinkled throughout the solar system to the communications satellites responsible for relaying the GPS signals we use every day — must weather the harsh radiation of space.

Strikes from tiny, charged particles can spark memory damage or computer upsets on spacecraft, and over time, degrade hardware. The effects are wide-ranging, but ultimately, radiation can impact important scientific data, or prevent people from getting the proper navigation signals they need.

Space Environment Testbeds — or SET, for short — is our mission to study how to better protect satellites from space radiation.

SET aims its sights on a particular neighborhood of near-Earth space called the slot region: the gap between two of Earth’s vast, doughnut-shaped radiation belts, also known as the Van Allen Belts. The slot region is thought to be calmer than the belts, but known to vary during extreme space weather storms driven by the Sun. How much it changes exactly, and how quickly, remains uncertain.

The slot region is an attractive one for satellites — especially commercial navigation and communications satellites that we use every day — because from about 12,000 miles up, it offers not only a relatively friendly radiation environment, but also a wide view of Earth. During intense magnetic storms, however, energetic particles from the outer belt can surge into the slot region. 

SET will survey the slot region, providing some of the first day-to-day weather measurements of this particular neighborhood in near-Earth space. The mission also studies the fine details of how radiation damages instruments and tests different methods to protect them, helping engineers build parts better suited for spaceflight. Ultimately, SET will help other missions improve their design, engineering and operations to avoid future problems, keeping our space technology running smoothly as possible.

For more on our space weather research, follow @NASASun on Twitter and NASA Sun Science on Facebook.

Meet the other NASA missions launching on the Department of Defense's STP-2 mission and get the latest updates at nasa.gov/spacex.

Make sure to follow us on Tumblr for your regular dose of space: http://nasa.tumblr.com.

[spaceexp]

Getting ready for Mars – on the Space Station

ISS - International Space Station logo. 27 May 2019 From disrupted biological clocks to radiation and contamination hazards, Europe is running experiments on the International Space Station to take human exploration one step closer to Mars.

Earth or Mars?

As a new week starts on planet Earth, continuous research in orbit brings new knowledge about the challenges of making a trip to the Red Planet a reality. Martian rhythm A crew on a journey to Mars would live outside of the 24-hour cycle of light and darkness we experience on Earth. So do astronauts on the Space Station who experience 16 sunrises and sunsets every day. Scientists believe that such disruption has an impact on the astronauts’ biological clock. To see how long-duration spaceflight affects people, NASA astronaut Anne McClain wore two sensors – one on the forehead and another one on the chest – for 36 hours as part of the Circadian Rhythms experiment. For the fifth and last time during her mission, Anne’s core body temperature and melatonin levels were monitored. Results will be compared to those taken on Earth before and after her mission to understand the effects and how to counteract them during deep space missions.

Anne's rhythm in space

Strategies for adapting – or not – to new rhythms could shed light on sleep disorders and help people on Earth that live outside of the natural cycle, staying up late or working night shifts.   The pass of time could also be an issue for a trip to Mars that would last over 500 days. Recent research shows that astronauts underestimate time in orbit, just as they have an altered perception of distance in space. Canadian Space Agency astronaut David Saint-Jacques and NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nick Hague gauged how long a visual target appears on a laptop screen and their reaction times to these prompts recorded to process speed and attention. This was all part of the Time experiment, a relevant research because a misperception of time may cause delayed reactions and create risks for crew safety. Oxidative Mars Space takes its toll on the human body. An interplanetary mission to Mars will see astronauts ageing faster. The International Space Station provides a unique opportunity to both reproduce the effects of ageing and study the huge oxidative impact. The European Nano Antioxidants experiment is seeking innovative antioxidants to stimulate cells in the battle against muscle loss. Living cells and ceramic particles were placed in the Kubik incubator for six days, housed in ESA’s Columbus module. Half of the samples were kept at close to zero gravity, while the rest were exposed to the same gravity as Earth.

International Space Station (ISS)

The cells are now frozen at –80°C and waiting for their ride home on 3 June aboard the SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft. Findings from this research could aid the development of new supplements to support astronauts on missions to Mars. As soon as humans leave the protective shield that is Earth’s atmosphere, space radiation becomes a serious concern, especially if headed to Mars. Radiation levels in space are up to 15 times higher than on Earth. The Dosis-3D experiment helps understand space radiation and how it penetrates the Space Station walls. Eleven radiation detectors attached to the walls of Columbus record how much radiation gets through and help create a complete picture of space radiation inside the Station. The latest data downlink on 21 May marked seven years of continuous measurements in space for Dosis-3D. Resistant materials for the interplanetary journey Radiation also has an impact on hardware. The ICE Cubes facility is ESA’s faster, lower cost answer to making science happen in space. One of the “cubes” – small modular containers slotted in the Columbus lab – is investigating commercial computer boards’ resistance to space radiation. Bacteria and fungi can become a threat for both human health and equipment as they tend to build up in the constantly-recycled atmosphere of the International Space Station. European researchers are addressing this contamination with the Matiss-2 experiment. This study aims to find better materials to build a space station or spacecraft, especially important on our way to Mars.

Unwanted bacteria

Scientists will analyse the materials to see how the bacteria formed biofilms that protect them from cleaning agents and also help them adhere to surfaces. This week David Saint-Jacques packed the seventh sample holder with anti-microbial surfaces to be shipped back to Earth for analysis. ESA has demonstrated expertise in studying Mars from orbit, now we are looking to secure a safe landing, to rove across the surface and to drill underground to search for evidence of life. Our orbiters are already in place to provide data relay services for surface missions. The next logical step is to bring samples back to Earth, to provide access to Mars for scientists globally, and to better prepare for future human exploration of the Red Planet. This week we’re highlighting ESA’s contribution to Mars exploration as we ramp up to the launch of our second ExoMars mission, and look beyond to completing a Mars Sample Return mission. Join the conversation online with the hashtag #ExploreFarther. Related links: Circadian Rhythms: https://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Human_and_Robotic_Exploration/Research/Keeping_the_rhythm_in_space Time experiment: http://www.esa.int/spaceinimages/Images/2018/06/Lost_in_time Nano Antioxidants experiment: https://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Human_and_Robotic_Exploration/International_Space_Station/Stop_ageing_in_space European space laboratory Columbus: http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Human_and_Robotic_Exploration/Columbus International Space Station (ISS): http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Human_and_Robotic_Exploration/International_Space_Station Images, Animation, Text, Credits: ESA/NASA/A. Gerst/Gianni Ciofani. Greetings, Orbiter.ch Full article

[spaceandisronews]

ISRO's GSLV Mk III - D2 / GSAT-29 Mission Launch

The GSLV MkIII-D2 mission is scheduled to launch India’s high throughput communication satellite, GSAT-29 tentatively on November 14, 2018 from Satish Dhawan Space Centre SHAR, Sriharikota subject to weather conditions.

GSLV MkIII-D2 will inject the satellite into GTO with required inclination to the equator. The satellite will be placed in its final Geostationary Orbit (GEO) using the onboard propulsion system. It may take few days after separation from launcher to reach its orbital slot.

GSLV MkIII is a three-stage heavy lift launch vehicle developed by ISRO. The vehicle has two solid strap-ons as first stage, a liquid propellant core as second stage and a cryogenic as third stage. GSLV Mk III is designed to carry 4 ton class of satellites into Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO) or about 10 tons to Low Earth Orbit (LEO), which is about twice the capability of GSLV Mk II.

GSAT-29 is a communication satellite weighing 3423 kg. The spacecraft will be located at 55 °E longitude and designed for a mission life of 10 years.

GSAT-29 carries Ka/Ku-band high throughput communication transponders intended to meet the communication requirements of users including those in remote areas. In addition, several new technologies such as Q/V-band payload, data transmission through optical communication link will be demonstrated. This will help in realizing future advanced satellites.

[sciencespies]

Space Force grappling with aging infrastructure used to operate satellites

https://sciencespies.com/space/space-force-grappling-with-aging-infrastructure-used-to-operate-satellites/

Space Force grappling with aging infrastructure used to operate satellites

One of the challenges in using commercial infrastructure is that the ground control systems developed for military satellites can’t talk to commercial antennas

WASHINGTON — The ground stations and tracking antennas the U.S. military relies on to communicate with its satellites — known as the Satellite Control Network, or SCN — are decades old and short of the capacity needed to keep up with the projected growth in space activities.

There are seven SCN sites located in the United States and around the world. About 15 large dish antennas at these sites command more than 190 military and government satellites in multiple orbits.

“Certainly the Satellite Control Network is a venerable system that’s been around for a long time. So we have multiple efforts ongoing to ensure that it’s ready for the future that we now find ourselves in,” Lt. Gen. Stephen Whiting, commander of the U.S. Space Operations Command, said last month at the 36th Space Symposium.

The seven remote tracking stations monitor the position of satellites and control spacecraft’s propulsion, thermal and other systems. Because the antennas can only talk to one satellite at a time, they have limited capacity to transmit, and receive telemetry, tracking and command data.

Whiting said Space Force operators are figuring out ways to not overtax the system. 

“We’ve worked with the squadrons that fly the satellites to make sure they’re only coming to the network when they absolutely have to,” said Whiting. “There was a time when we had a lot of extra capacity and you can just go do extra ‘states of health’ on your satellites,” he added. 

“We’re trying to lower the demand signal,” Whiting said. “And we’re looking at new capabilities coming on, like phased array antennas which would give us a significant increase in capacity, as well as partnering with commercial and civil organizations to use their satellite control networks.”

Fred Taylor, vice president of space and cyber operations at Viasat Government Systems, said time slots to use DoD satellite tracking stations are limited. “It can be difficult to get the aperture you need, when you need it for your mission. A missed contact can have dire consequences.”

Viasat is one of several companies that provide commercial antennas and ground services to supplement the SCN. 

Buy hardware or use commercial services?

Space Force officials said the strategy to modernize the SCN will include a mix of new hardware procurements and commercial services augmentation.

The Pentagon’s Defense Innovation Unit and the Space Systems Command over the past two years have looked at options to replace the existing parabolic antennas with modern electronic phased arrays that can maintain contact with multiple satellites across different orbits and frequency bands.

After evaluating electronic phased array antennas from several providers, the  Space Force’s Space Systems Command ended the program. A new procurement is now being run by the Space Rapid Capabilities Office, a separate organization that acquires classified technologies. 

The Space Force-run project to evaluate phased array antennas — known as MBMM, short for multi-band multi-mission — wrapped up in February, Lt. Col. Louis Aldini, materiel leader for data transport at the Space Systems Command’s Enterprise Corps, said in a statement to SpaceNews.

“During the life of the contract, MBMM demonstrated a phased array technology for transmitting and receiving capabilities with live DoD assets,” said Aldini. “While SSC is no longer pursuing MBMM, we are continuing to work in partnership with Space RCO to share relevant information, knowledge and lessons learned from the original MBMM effort.”

A spokesperson for the Space RCO said the agency could not comment on its plans to modernize the satellite control network. 

“We have a related procurement, but it is not MBMM-reincarnated,” the spokesperson said.

To supplement capacity at the SCN tracking stations, the Space Force can tap into the Commercial Augmentation Services (CAS) program.

The CAS program started in 2016 when the Air Force Research Laboratory awarded Braxton Science and Technology Group a small business innovation research contract to figure out how to augment the military satellite control network with commercial antennas. 

Braxton in 2019 got a $14 million contract to expand the CAS. The company in October 2020 was acquired by Parsons Corp.

Ed Baron, former president of Braxton who now runs the CAS program at Parsons, told SpaceNews that the military is not fully taking advantage of the commercial capacity available. 

“It’s hard for satellite operators to schedule time on commercial systems,” he said. The SCN is overtaxed and meanwhile, the commercial industry is offering increasingly lower cost services, he added. 

Baron said the MBMM effort to acquire phased array antennas was “an excellent program to be investing in, but tapping into commercial gives them access to hundreds of antennas.” Phased arrays each cost tens of millions of dollars, he said, so the government should consider the economic benefits of using commercial services.

For the CAS program, Parsons works with commercial providers Intelsat, Viasat and Kongsberg Satellite Services.

One of the challenges in using commercial infrastructure is that the ground control systems developed for military satellites like GPS can’t talk to commercial antennas. Braxton developed software to make commercial antennas compatible with government systems. “So any of their existing ground systems can now talk to a commercial antenna and use a commercial antenna to talk to the spacecraft,” Baron said.

Cultural resistance to commercial services

Even though Braxton solved the technology gap, the Space Force has been slow to embrace commercial capabilities, Baron said. There is still an internal debate on whether CAS should be treated like a traditional acquisition “where you take the system through full testing, or do you treat it more like a commercial capability?”

By comparison, NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for decades have relied on commercial services to command and control their satellites, said Baron. Most of the ground systems the Space Force uses today were not designed to communicate with commercial, “so the protocols don’t work.”

Parsons currently has “10 antennas set up for them to use,” he said. But demand has been slow. “We have three more coming online so there will be 13 antennas. We haven’t scheduled a single minute of time for them in probably a year,” said Baron. 

“People ask for commercial capabilities,” he said. “This is one that we’d like to see them use more, and we think can save a lot of tax dollars.”

Craig Miller, president of Viasat Government Systems, said Parsons’ software helped to simplify the process of scheduling time on commercial antennas.

The issue is not just technical incompatibility between government and commercial systems, said Miller. “The Space Force’s biggest challenge is cultural,” he added. “It’s something senior leaders have publicly acknowledged and it remains an obstacle to taking full advantage of commercial capabilities.”

Despite some efforts to leverage commercial capabilities “some resistance remains due to outdated processes,” said Miller.

Another commercial option is being offered by Atlas Space Operation, a company that operates a global network of 30 satellite antennas and has a software platform that automates the scheduling process. 

“Our experience working with the Air Force is that accessing commercial systems is still very manual, and very slow,” Atlas CEO Sean McDaniel said. 

Atlas won a small business innovation research contract from the Air Force Research Laboratory to demonstrate the software platform, said McDaniel. “We provide DoD access to not only commercial networks, ours included, but also government owned networks, civil antennas, as well as DoD antennas through a unified access platform.”

#Space

[sw5w]

I Think the Republic Needs You

STAR WARS EPISODE II: Attack of the Clones 00:39:13

[aiaalalv]

Spacecraft in Science Fiction with the Three Spacecateers

Spacecraft in Science Fiction with the Three Spacecateers: Aldo Spadoni, Rick Sternbach, and Rod Pyle ! May 30, 2020 from 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM (PT) RSVP and information:https://conta.cc/366jc77 Volunteers are needed for all AIAA activities, please contact cgsonwane@gmail.com Spacecraft in Science Fiction with The Three Spacecateers (Rod Pyle, Aldo Spadoni, & Rick Sternbach) (Online) Saturday, May 30, 2020, 1 PM - 4 PM (Add to Calendar) Event Calendar RSVP and information: https://conta.cc/366jc77 Upcoming Events: https://aiaa-lalv.org/events Join us for a remarkable discussion about the intersection of the science fiction and science facts behind spacecraft, past, present and future. Two noted space artists and a space historian join forces to explore how the idea of plying the interplanetary and interstellar spaceways came to be, who designed the spacecraft we all know and love—many of which have become major cultural icons—and what the future holds for the exploration of deep space. Your guides to this superluminal adventure are: Rod Pyle is a space author, jounalist and historian. He has authored eleven books on space history, exploration and development for major publishers that have been published in seven languagaes. His frequent articles have appeared in Space.com, LiveScience, Futurity, Huffington Post and WIRED. He has written extensively for NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Caltech, and authored the Apollo Executive Leadership Program for the Johnson Space Center with The Conference Board. His most recent book release is "Mars: Making Contatct." Rod is currently writing Space 2.0: The New Space Age" in association with the National Space Society, and "Technology Highlights" for NASA/JPL. He appears frequently on national radio and television, with regular slots on KFI/Los Angeles, and WGN/Chicago. He was recently featured on PBS's "Between the Lines" and C-SPAN's "Book TV." Rod holds an MA from Stanford University and a BFA from the Art Center College of Design, and lives in Pasadena, CA. Aldo Spadoni is an MIT graduate with an aerospace engineering career spanning over 35 years. He has made significant technical contributions to numerous advanced aircraft, missile, and spacecraft programs for NASA, DARPA, and the U.S. Armed Services. He began his engineering career at Hughes Space & Communications Group as a spacecraft configuration design engineer working on the Galileo Jupiter spacecraft. Later, he joined TRW Defense & Space Systems as a navigation systems engineering specialist working on ICBMs and spacecraft programs. Aldo joined Northrop in 1985, supporting the advanced design team in the area of advanced avionics system integration and project management. He created and managed an award-winning creative simulation team at Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems. Aldo is a recipient of NASA’s 2004 Turning Goals Into Reality team award for Reusable Launch Vehicle Development. He is an accomplished self-taught artist and concept designer with four U.S. patents to his credit. He is a Fellow of the International Association of Astronomical Artists (IAAA) and is currently serving on its Board of Trustees. Aldo’s consulting company, Aerospace Imagineering, specializes in the conceptual design, visualization and prototyping of advanced technology products and concepts. His visualizations have appeared in numerous magazines and television documentaries. He has worked closely with hard science fiction authors such as Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle to bring their technological visions to life. As an aerospace concept designer and technology consultant to the entertainment industry, he supported the production of APOLLO 13, SUPERNOVA, STEALTH, IRON MAN 1 & 2, and other movie projects. He helped produce the 2009 National Geographic Channel documentary called HITLER’S STEALTH FIGHTER. Aldo’s personal goals are to promote STEAM education and create compelling visions of humanity’s spacefaring future. Rick Sternbach has been a space and science fiction artist since the early 1970s, often combining both interests in a project. His clients include NASA, Sky & Telescope, Data Products, Random House, Smithsonian, Analog, Astronomy, The Planetary Society, and Time-Life Books. He is a founding member and Fellow of the International Association of Astronomical Artists (IAAA), which was formed in 1981. He has written and illustrated articles on orbital transfer vehicles and interstellar flight for Science Digest. Beginning in the late 1970s Rick added film and television illustration and special effects to his repertoire, with productions like Star Trek: The Motion Picture, The Last Starfighter, Future Flight, and Cosmos, for which he and other members of the astronomical art team received an Emmy award, the first for visual effects. Rick also twice received the coveted Hugo award for best professional science fiction artist, in 1977 and 1978. In 2006, after fifteen years with the Star Trek franchise, Rick produced physical terrains and globes of Mercury, Venus, Mars, and Saturn’s moon Iapetus for the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles, for their Gunther Depths of Space exhibit. Digital renderings of the Cosmos 1 solar sail were done for the Planetary Society, along with composited images of a sixteen square foot scale model of their revised Lightsail 1. He has also built a scale model of a proposed asteroid retrieval spacecraft for the Keck Institute for Space Studies. Most recently, Rick was included as a member of the special committee overseeing the restoration of the original U.S.S. Enterprise eleven foot filming miniature by the National Air & Space Museum in Washington, D.C. This incredible adventure of fact-meets-fiction is hosted by the AIAA LA/LV Section, and is illustrated with lavish visual media to bring you some of your favorites from science fiction past and a peek at some likely future designs. It’s sure to be the best hour of entertainment you’ll find this side of the Mos Eisely Cantina! May 30, 2020 1:00 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada) Please click the link below to join the webinar: https://aiaa.zoom.us/j/213164674?pwd=dEZvUUFic2Q3ZzNRVlZqditGdkpwQT09 Password: 977956 Or iPhone one-tap : US: +16699009128,,213164674# or +12532158782,,213164674# Or Telephone: Dial(for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location): US: +1 669 900 9128 or +1 253 215 8782 or +1 346 248 7799 or +1 646 558 8656 or +1 301 715 8592 or +1 312 626 6799 or 877 853 5257 (Toll Free) or 888 475 4499 (Toll Free) Webinar ID: 213 164 674 International numbers available: https://aiaa.zoom.us/u/abctskKwFb AIAA LA LV | Events/Program Chair | 949.426.8175 | events.aiaalalv@gmail.com | aiaa-lalv.org Read the full article

[vsplusonline]

A satellite for only Rs 10 crore, with a little help from Elon Musk and ISRO

New Post has been published on https://apzweb.com/a-satellite-for-only-rs-10-crore-with-a-little-help-from-elon-musk-and-isro/

A satellite for only Rs 10 crore, with a little help from Elon Musk and ISRO

In December 2018, Mumbai-based Exseed Space created nothing short of history by being the first private commercial organisation in the country to launch a satellite in space via Elon Musk-led SpaceX.

The company, now rechristened Satellize, did what was considered unthinkable at one time – slashing down the cost of building a satellite. So, while earlier satellites would cost Rs 1,000 crore each to build and launch, Satellize‘s technology brought this down to under Rs 10 crore each. “These make them radically affordable both for the private and public sectors,” says Mahesh Murthy, Founder & Director, Satellize.

The company has an interesting story behind how it all started. Mahesh Murthy and Asshar Farhan, the founders of Satellize, go back a long way. They first met as quizzers and debaters while at rival schools in the year 1980 in Hyderabad where bonding over steaming cups of Irani Chai only seemed natural. 15 years ago, a company that Farhan co-founded was acquired by Geodesic, a company that Murthy had co-founded.

Flashback then to five years ago when Murthy and Farhan jointly mentored a space startup called Dhruva Space. After the government’s Electronics Development Fund contacted Murthy in 2017, he called Farhan and a brainstorming session on a fund for space followed soon enough.

“We believed it might be a hard sell to raise a fund focused around space back then – and decided to do a startup to prove the point that world class space startups can be built in India. One of the first things we did was to acquire the assets of Dhruva Space and kick off Satellize in 2017,” he recalls.

Chart: Typical cost of various components in a satellite launch.

A first mover The founders’ vision was to become a leader in spacecraft manufacturing. Satellize claims to build satellites that offer high performance at radically lower costs. “We have launched two already and are the only Indian firm to do so. Moreover, we have experience launching on both SpaceX and ISRO platforms. No other company in Asia has either,” asserts Murthy. Companies, he says, tend to buy them in constellations of dozens each. ISRO is a world leader in launching them with a market share of over 30%.

The founders draw attention to how what was once being achieved through large satellites at phenomenally high costs can today be made possible via nanosatellites. And they can do it all – earth observation, remote sensing, optical imaging and communication – at highly reduced costs.

“India has over 150,000 trained people with hands-on space expertise – except there was no private space industry in India that existed earlier. Specifically, no one was making nanosatellites, one of the fastest-growing parts of this sector. The world is moving towards smaller, more affordable satellites called nanosatellites about the size of a few coffee cups,” reveals Murthy.

Their satellites are beneficial for imaging, communication and other data gathering purposes. A range of use cases such as helping detect diseases on farms and increasing crop yields; monitoring road and infrastructure construction; helping cities govern themselves better and detect intruders via sea, forest or land; picking up distress calls of teams in remote mountainous areas for search and rescue operations are possible via Satellize. “We have partners within and outside the group who help us offer customers the entire solution from one single source – from payload manufacturing, satellite assembly and rocket launches, to ground station coverage, data analysis and insight sharing,” he highlights.

The India opportunity The opportunity for India is waiting to be tapped and a space strategy can be a gamechanger for both government and private companies, feels Murthy. Satellize is currently working with several state governments and central bodies to help re-shape their approach to solutions by using new space technology.

Murthy is of the firm belief that India needs to up the quantum of its nanosatellites to make a qualitative difference. “India launches a few hundred nanosatellites a year. Just a couple every year are of Indian origin. Even if we were to make 10% of the nanosatellites that India launches – that alone is a $100m revenue base. When you add other satellites that are launched from the US, New Zealand, Europe, China and other nations, even a 10% share of this market quickly takes potential revenues way past the $ 1 billion mark,” he reasons.

Besides this, the revenue potential available in the rest of the space ecosystem is also immense. As per estimates, space is expected to be a trillion dollar sector in 5 years and Indian companies can vie for a chunk of this pie.

Despite such potential, however, the space startup faced a lot of resistance in 2018 when they tried to get a launch slot on an Indian rocket as there was no precedent. “We even had spies from Indian intelligence agencies vetting us before ISRO gave us a go ahead,” adds Murthy.

They tried for over a year where they had to solve a wide range of issues from insurance and liability to clearance for spectrum and ensuring the payloads worked before finally being cleared to launch on SpaceX. “This was a blessing in disguise because knowing that we had successfully launched on SpaceX then helped ISRO to understand our capabilities and welcome us as a partner and customer in India,” he gushes.

Asshar Farhan and Mahesh Murthy, the founders of Satellize

Spacing it out well The founders are enthused by the response and have plans lined up for the innings ahead. On the anvil are plans to launch 8 more payloads in the next three months. “We hope to launch 10 more payloads in 2020, most of them being commercial. We aim to be one of the world’s leading players in this business by 2022. It’s hard to say what this means in revenues – but it’s not likely to be a small number. We hope to grow sustainably at over 50% a year over the next 2 to 5 years,” he candidly states.

The startup has made steady progress. Murthy says that they now get regular calls from ISRO and other government agencies to advise them on various aspects. Potential customers also feel exhilarated to know that they can have their own space-based assets for Rs 10 crore.

All this is making Satellize come closer to what they had envisioned of kick-starting the private space revolution in India. The going ahead, then, looks better than what they had even expected. “The support for our vision is already there overseas – and is growing in India. We are beginning to see the centre, various states and private industries show interest in working with us,” he says.

Murthy gives food for thought before signing off by talking about helping to build the future of humanity even in space. This stems from all the ecological issues on earth at present which, the founders believe, may warrant a better alternative for people of the planet. “And that is, a life off-planet. We don’t know how and when that might happen – but we would like to do our bit to make this possible, with affordable technologies for space,” reveals Murthy, with a conviction clear enough to narrate their future leanings in space.

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[educationtech]

What are the applications of microstrip antenna ?

Theories and designs for B Tech in Electronics and Communications

Microstrip antenna is the most popular types of printed antenna. In today’s wireless communication systems or degrees like B Tech in Electronics and Communication Engineering, these play a very important role. It is one of the critical components in any wireless communication system. In other words, the antenna is a part of a transmitting or receiving system that designs to radiate or receive electromagnetic waves.

Classification of different antenna

Antennae broadly divided into several categories. It includes:

Wire antennae – This is the most basic type of antenna. It uses widely on the top of buildings, ships, automobiles, and spacecraft by the students of the list of engineering colleges in Jaipur. After all, these antennae are made into different shapes like the loop, straight wire (dipole), and helix.

Aperture antennae – These are in the form of a slot or aperture in a metal plate. They commonly use at higher frequencies like 3-30 GHz by the students of B Tech College in Jaipur. For instance, slotted waveguide antennae and horn antennae. They are very useful for aircraft and spacecraft applications because they can be conveniently flush-mounted on the surface of the spacecraft or aircraft.

Printed antennae – A printed antenna is fabricated and makes use of standard photolithography technique. The most common version of the printed antenna is a microstrip antenna. In addition, it consists of a metallic patch above a ground plane. Therefore, the shape and size of the patch mainly determine the frequency of operation including its antenna and performance.

There are various other types of antennas which include array antennae, reflector antennae, lens antennae, etc.

Applications of the most common printed microstrip antennae

Microstrip patch antenna finds several applications in wireless communication for the students of Top Engineering Colleges in Jaipur. For instance, satellite communication requires circularly polarize radiation patterns that can be realized using either circular or square or circular patch microstrip antenna. In global positioning satellite (GPS) systems, circularly polarize microstrip antennae can be used. They are very compact in size and quite expensive due to their positions.

Mobile communication

Mobile communication requires low or small cost, low-profile antennae. In some mobile handsets, diodes or detectors depends on semiconductor uses as antennae by the individuals of Best B Tech College in Jaipur. However, they are similar to the p-n diode photo-detectors but work in relation to the microwave frequency.

Medical applications

The treatment of malignant tumors allows the microwave energy to induce hyperthermia. However, the radiator should be easy-to-handle for the individuals of Engineering Colleges in Jaipur, light-weight, and rugged. Only a patch radiator fulfills these requirements.

Textile antennae: recent research

Based on the different types of antennae, students of Best Engineering Colleges in Jaipur continuously monitor the biometric data of the human body. It requires the nearest positions to the human body so that the individuals can send the information can happen outside the world. The hard antennae should not attach to the human body. In addition, it consists of textile material that will not harm the human body and can be worn for extended periods.

Thanks for Read our blog, you can check out full blog on official Page Arya College, Arya College is one of the Best Engineering College In Jaipur Rajasthan. In This College Many Branches for Engineering you can make great future with us. Arya College Provides Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering & Electronics Engineering’s Branch for our Engineering students with top companies placements in campus.

[spaceexp]

SlingShot Tests Small Satellite Deployment and Payload Hosting Capabilities

ISS - International Space Station logo. Feb. 8, 2019

SlingShot on Cygnus Spacecraft. Image Credit: NASA

Launching satellites is a growing business. A new platform that could bolster satellite deployment opportunities in space seeks to service this burgeoning economy. SlingShot, by the company SEOPS, is designed to deploy CubeSats at altitudes above the station using the infrastructure offered by the International Space Station in partnership with the U.S. National Laboratory and Northrop Grumman. SlingShot arrived at the orbiting laboratory aboard the SpaceX CRS-16 mission in early December. During this flight, the company is testing every aspect of the technology’s potential uses while also deploying satellites for SEOPS’ clients.

Animation above: The Cygnus Spacecraft leaves the ISS with SlingShot payloads in preparation for deployment activities. Animation Credit: NASA. SlingShot was designed to launch on any cargo vehicle. For this mission it was transferred from the SpaceX vehicle to the Cygnus vehicle attached to the station and then loaded with satellites for deployment when Cygnus departs from the station. After Cygnus leaves the station, the cargo craft will navigate to approximately 310 miles (500 kilometers) above the Earth, approximately 62 miles higher than the space station’s orbit. There, Slingshot deploys two satellites, expected to stay in orbit at least two years. In addition, a mounted payload will test SlingShot’s capability to host fixed payloads for an extended period, where the payload uses Cygnus’ power, attitude control and communication capabilities. SlingShot’s approach to satellite deployment builds on previous efforts made by other companies and international partners. Most previous deployments from the space station were at lower altitude orbits that degrade within months, limiting the useful life of the satellites.

Animation above: ISS Crew members David Saint-Jacques and Anne Mcclain installed two Slingshot deployables, SEOPS-Quantum Radar -1 and -2s, onto the outer hatch of the Cygnus Spacecraft. Also installed in a deployable slot is the UbiquityLink-1 orbit to ground communications hardware. The two passive optical reflector satellites will be released after Cygnus moves away from the ISS. Animation Credit: NASA. “That is a great orbit for test demos,” said Chad Brinkley, principal investigator for the facility, “but if you look at the market for where rockets are trying to go, 500 km is ideal for closing a business case for companies that are considering flying CubeSats to give them revenue from a satellite for two plus years.” The satellites SlingShot accommodates are modular small satellites called CubeSats that come in different configurations. Brinkley noted, “Our system is so flexible, we can accommodate the different CubeSat formats – all of them!” One surprise to the development team has been the level of interest in the payload hosting capability. Fixed mounted payloads do not require adding avionics and a bus, so the development cost is significantly lower than developing a satellite. Additionally, the payload “can use Cygnus’ power and data as well as point the payload,” said Brinkley.

Animation above: NASA Astronaut Anne Mcclain installs a data cable and controller to prepare SlingShot for operations. Modular in design, SlingShot can hold up to nine deployers that can launch CubeSats of multiple sizes or can host fixed payloads that remain rigidly attached to Cygnus to gather and transmit data while the vehicle is in orbit. Animation Credit: NASA. SEOPS worked closely with NASA to develop and get approval for SlingShot in less than a year. The company contracted directly with Northrop Grumman for the non-recurring engineering to integrate SlingShot with Cygnus and worked with the U.S. National Laboratory to receive their allocation, securing space for transportation as well as crew time for installation of the hardware. “For a commercial company, this is to me a great model for how you can do business with NASA and other commercial companies,” said Brinkley. “We’re excited about having an opportunity to do this,” Brinkley said, “I feel like we’re executing the vision for commercialization of space.” Related links: SlingShot: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Facility.html?#id=7847 U.S. National Laboratory: https://www.issnationallab.org/ Northrop Grumman: http://www.northropgrumman.com/Pages/default.aspx SpaceX CRS-16: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/news/spx16-research CubeSats: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/news/cubesats_possibilities Space Station Research and Technology: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/index.html International Space Station (ISS): https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/main/index.html Image (mentioned), Animations (mentioned), Text, Credits: NASA/Michael Johnson/JSC/International Space Station Program Science Office/Carrie Gilder. Best regards, Orbiter.ch Full article

[konnraelectronics]

Six major trends in electrical connectors

What do you know about the electrical connector? Below, Konnra Electronics Engineer will analyze the six trends of the electrical connector to give you a deeper understanding of the electrical connector.

In recent years, the market has become more and more popular, and from the data of the terminal market, the communication setting equipment is still the largest consumption group of electrical connectors, occupying 25% of the market share. The types of connectors used in mobile phones vary slightly depending on the product. The number of uniform applications is between 5 and 9. The product variety can be divided into external FPC connectors and board-to-board connectors, and internally connected I. /O connector, as well as battery, SIM card connector and CameraSocket.

The hot market in the smartphone market has continued to increase the demand for connectors. The current trend of mobile phone connectors is: low height, small pitch, multi-function, excellent electromagnetic compatibility, standardization and customization. The presentation of new skills and new materials has also greatly advanced the progress of the industry. The following five trends will appear in the future of electrical connectors:

First, the assembly skills are developed by the pull-out device skill (THT) out-of-surface placement (SMT) skill, which in turn proceeds to micro-assembly (MPT) skills. Active application of micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) is a source of power for improving electrical connector skills and cost-effectiveness.

Second, the size and shape size are huge and sliced. For example, 2.5Gb/s and 5.0Gb/s wireless product connectors, fiber connectors, broadband connectors, and heights as low as 1.0mm to 1.5mm are presented on the market. Fine pitch connectors (pitch 1.27mm, 1.0mm, 0.8mm, 0.5mm, 0.4mm, 0.3mm).

Thirdly, the common use of pressure common smashing parts is widely used in cylindrical slotted jacks, elastic stranded pins and double-curved wire spring jack electrical connectors, which greatly improves the reliability of the connector and ensures the transmission of the signal. High fidelity.

Fourth, semiconductor chip skills are becoming the driving force for skills developed at all levels of interconnected electrical connectors. For example, with a 0.5mm pitch chip package, the speed is 0.25mm pitch, so that the number of device pins of the I-level interconnection (external to the IC device) and the II-level interconnection (device-to-board interconnection) is hundreds of lines. Thousand lines.

The fifth is the blind matching skill that makes the electrical connector form a new connector product, the push-in connector, which is important for system-level interconnection. Its biggest advantage is that it does not require cables, the device is easy to assemble, it is easy to change on site, the insertion speed is fast, it is not smooth and stable, and it can obtain excellent high-frequency characteristics, which is used in spacecraft.

Sixth, the buckle structure has become an important guarantee for the stability of the connector. In many fields, there is a high requirement for the shock resistance of the connector connection (such as: automobile, aerospace, ship, etc.). The stability of the buckle connector is better than that of the normal buckle. With the development of technology, the demand for products in these fields will increase. Therefore, the demand for buckle connectors will increase greatly.

Konnra Electronics is constantly striving to provide better connector solutions.

[sciencespies]

Boeing Q&A: Staying on track despite pandemic disruption

https://sciencespies.com/space/boeing-qa-staying-on-track-despite-pandemic-disruption/

Boeing Q&A: Staying on track despite pandemic disruption

Ryan Reid spent more than two decades at Boeing before being promoted May 24 to lead its commercial satellite programs.

However, the pandemic brings fresh challenges for the space industry as COVID-19 continues to disrupt and delay critical supply chains.

These supply constraints threaten to hold back an exuberant satellite market that is rushing to meet surging demand for data, amid a flood of investor capital into satellite projects.

Ryan Reid, president of Boeing Commercial Satellite Systems International. Credit: Boeing

SpaceNews caught up with Reid on the sidelines of Satellite 2021 to learn more about how Boeing is managing this juggling act.

Can you give us a sense of how many satellite contracts are out for competing bids right now, and how that compares with previous years?

I would be probably making, at most, an informed guess on that because there’s a [specific] space that we target. I will say that there’s definitely a re-emergence of RFPs this year — and RFIs as well — where I’d say things have been a little quieter in the past couple of years. That’s encouraging to see.

Our customer engagement on the sales side has definitely picked up as well. Some of that is happening, of course, here at the [Satellite 2021] conference. But also ahead of the conference, meeting with customers virtually and, in some cases, meeting in person. It’s been exciting to see things starting to happen again, whereas in the GEO market it’s been a bit quieter over the past few years.

Do you see the industry returning to an average of 20 commercial GEO satellites a year?

I don’t see that happening. That was the long-standing bread and butter of the industry in the broadcast or DTH FSS markets. I think the GEO orbital slots are still the beachfront property, but I think it’s more repurposing those slots and shifting more toward network, data, and not seeing video broadcast or DTH as really growth markets. 

I think we’re going to see different kinds of satellites emerge for those spots, but it’s not going to be 20-satellites-a-year … spread around the industry. We haven’t seen that in many years. I don’t anticipate that returning in that way.

Is that why we haven’t really seen many large export credit agency-backed satellite projects, even now that Ex-Im Bank has returned to full service?

When the Ex-Im Bank was kind of on pause, I certainly think that had an impact, but it may have been coincidental with shifts in the market, where a lot of the traditional operators, or I’d say regional operators, were in a situation where the market is changing and these players really needed to pause to look at where to make their next capital investments. 

Is Boeing considering competing in the LEO marketplace? 

Definitely, we have a non-fully integrated subsidiary, Millennium Space Systems, and they do a lot of work in LEO. I would look at it from the perspective of Boeing focusing on the technologies that are applicable for any orbit. We saw the marketplace transitioning to a data network system, so Boeing has put a lot of work into technology development that is really applicable at GEO, MEO and LEO. 

Millennium Space Systems has a lot of expertise and history in the small satellite market. That positions us well to be able to work across whatever orbital regime. It really comes down to what problem or mission you’re trying to solve. Especially in the data market, some missions are well-suited for a network space environment, working across those orbital regimes. 

For example, the core technologies we developed for 702X — fully software-defined payloads that we are applying to the O3b mPOWER system [in MEO], and have also applied to the wideband global SATCOM system [(WGS) in GEO] for the U.S. military. 

About five years ago, Boeing applied for a license to deploy and operate a LEO constellation. What happened to those plans?

I can’t discuss that too much, but that’s still in play.

You’re still seeking partners?

As we’ve communicated before on that, we are continuing to look for partners, but there is work underway on that … I just can’t speak anymore publicly about it at this time. 

Boeing is financially supporting Virgin Orbit’s plan to go public by merging with a special-purpose acquisition company (SPAC), which would raise capital for a constellation of IoT and Earth-imaging satellites. Does that put Boeing in front of the line to build them?

I can’t really comment on that. That’s a strategic investment that Boeing is doing but I’d probably have to refer you over to Virgin Orbit to discuss that.

Pandemic-related component shortages seem to be impacting the whole space industry. How are they affecting your business and what are you doing to mitigate that?

We’re certainly not immune to the impacts of the pandemic, and no pun intended on that. Throughout the pandemic we had well over half of our workforce still on site. There’s a lot of precautions that we took to make that happen and to make that work. 

We were largely able to maintain our overall production and design efforts. There have been some supply issues that we’ve had to manage our way through. In this business, supply chain challenges are always something that needs to be worked through. It just might’ve been perhaps to a larger degree over the past 18 months. 

Where we’ve had supply challenges through the pandemic, we’ve worked with our suppliers on workaround plans [and adjusting] the program plans and manufacturing schedules, etc., in order to accommodate those to keep our production and design work going, so that we can deliver it to the customers to the best of our ability.

Have these shortages affected the timing of the satellites that operators have ordered to clear C-band spectrum at all?

We’re still on track to delivering the C-band satellites that we’re building for SES right now. One of the main reasons that SES came to us for that was because they knew that we could provide a high confidence delivery schedule. Even through the pandemic, we are still on track to deliver on time.

What are some of the longer-term effects that COVID-19 has had on the industry?

I think one thing that we’ve all experienced is demand for a lot more data. It’s created a shift in how people communicate and how business is done, and all of that has increased the demand for broadband data. Where we see the market moving toward, and certainly where Boeing’s technology is focused, is on providing data and that broadband access from space.

Has it shifted demand for software-defined GEO satellites, versus traditional bent-pipe spacecraft?

I don’t know that I would say the pandemic has made that shift. I think, when you’re talking about needing to have data and network services, that naturally leads you to something that has the kind of flexibility that the software-defined satellites provide, which is why Boeing began investing in this technology many years ago. That has ultimately now come to fruition in the 702X product line. 

Something that was well suited for DTH … was not going to lead you to the kind of efficiency and market flexibility that these networks systems really require. 

We’ve been building digital satellites probably for well over 20 years. So we’ve always been on the leading edge of doing nontraditional analog satellites, really bringing digital processing into space. It’s always been the dream to make it fully software-defined, so you could change the orbital slot for a satellite, or the coverage area as traffic demand moves around throughout the life of the satellite — being able to just reprogram it, move the power, the bandwidth, change the shape of the beams, what have you. We achieved that with the 702X.

What can you say about the split between software-defined and bent-pipe satellites, and are we heading to a future where all GEOs are software-defined?

I sometimes struggle with ‘all or none’ questions. It depends on what kind of mission one wants to solve. But I think that we will see certainly see software-defined satellites. One of the reasons why Boeing has invested so much into the technology to realize this capability is because we really believe in a networked world, and in a data-centric world you need to have that kind of flexibility. 

Bandwidth is such a precious resource. Having that fully software-defined flexibility allows you to maximize the value and the throughput that you can get from this really constrained resource. 

What’s a trend in commercial space that people aren’t talking enough about?

I think we’re starting to see a trend that we saw in terrestrial telecom in the space industry, where operators that are transitioning into network service providers — so shifting away from just bandwidth or spectrum wholesalers into managed network service providers — are forming the same kinds of partnerships and business arrangements.

Think of your cellphone, you have an infrastructure that is almost ubiquitous and operators who may own some of those assets are partnering together to provide integrated services.

I think there’s going to be a lot more of that in the future as space turns into essentially an extended network. When we looked at the 702X, we really looked at the satellite as a Layer 2 network switch. It’s a very different way of thinking about satellites as part of the network infrastructure.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

#Space

[carlaportoo]

Inmarsat rides SpaceX Falcon into orbit – BBC News

Image copyright SpaceX

Image caption An evening launch for the Falcon rocket and its Inmarsat passenger

Inmarsat, the UK's biggest space company, has boosted its global broadband network with the launch of a fourth high-frequency satellite.

The I-5 F4, which will service the voice, video and data needs of remote and on-the-move customers, was taken into orbit by a SpaceX Falcon-9 rocket.

It is the first time the London company has used the American launch provider.

The rocket and its payload lifted away from Florida's Kennedy Space Center at 19:21 local time (00:21 BST, Tuesday).

The I-5 F4 was ejected from the upper-stage of the Falcon some 32 minutes later.

At 6 tonnes, the satellite was on the limit of the rocket's performance, meaning SpaceX had no spare propellant to follow its usual practice of landing the vehicle's first-stage back on Earth after the mission. The booster was allowed instead to fall back uncontrolled over the Atlantic.

Intelsat rolls out next-gen system

Inmarsat's big boost to UK space

Inmarsat plans new plane wi-fi service

Inmarsat has not made it clear precisely where or how it will use the new satellite.

The firm already has three Ka-band spacecraft delivering its Global Xpress broadband service to customers worldwide.

These clients include ships, oil and gas platforms, armed forces and the media - users who need telecommunications away from a fixed line.

CEO Rupert Pearce told BBC News that the new "bird" would act in the first instance as a quick-response spare to fill in behind the primary satellites, should one of them unexpectedly experience a failure.

But it was inevitable, he said, that with ever-increasing demand for capacity, the I-5 F4 would ultimately be deployed to exploit new market opportunities. "You could say it's something of a 'Swiss Army Knife' for us, and that's a nice position to be in," he added. "I expect we'll become clear on the early business applications of the satellite around the end of the summer."

Inmarsat owns a number of orbital slots in the geostationary arc some 36,000km above the equator and so is under no pressure to say now exactly where the satellite will be stationed.

Image copyright INMARSAT/BOEING

Image caption The I-5 F4 being prepared for launch: It is a "Swiss Army Knife" in Inmarsat's business plans

This is a busy period for the London-based satellite operator.

Next month will see the launch of an S-band spacecraft which will work in tandem with ground antennas to provide wifi services onboard aeroplanes.

This project, which is a joint venture with Deutsche Telekom, will be the first hybrid space-terrestrial telecommunications network in Europe.

Providing in-flight services has become a key battleground for satellite operators and promises large growth opportunities in the years ahead.

Space analysts Euroconsult estimate that current revenues from in-flight connectivity of $1bn a year could top $6.5bn by 2026.

The industry leaders in this sector - such as Inmarsat, Gogo, Intelsat, SES, and ViaSat - are all investing heavily in systems that will allow passengers to use their mobile devices in the cabins of planes.

"There's a huge amount of effort going on at Inmarsat right now to make sure we take a meaningful bite out of this market because it's market share that will be determined in the next couple of years. So now is when you've got to participate," Mr Pearce said.

Inmarsat's S-band spacecraft was supposed to be being launched on a Falcon Heavy rocket, a beefed up version of the Falcon-9. But delays in the vehicle's development led to Inmarsat transferring the mission to a European Ariane-5 rocket instead.

Nonetheless, Mr Pearce said he was delighted to fly SpaceX for the first time, and looked forward to the occasion when an Inmarsat satellite would go up on one of the American provider's "second-hand" rockets.

"I'd like to see a longer track record of refurbished rockets being launched successfully without problems," the CEO told BBC News.

"At the moment, we don't put up satellites in sufficient numbers to be relatively sanguine about losing one. But I'm very encouraged by what I've seen in recent months, and once we feel that refurbished rockets are essentially the same as new rockets - we'll jump onboard and extend our relationship with SpaceX."

Jonathan.Amos-INTERNET@bbc.co.uk and follow me on Twitter: @BBCAmos

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