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AR/AI

Near-Term Focus Can Obscure Reliable Path Forward

So often in our industry, we can be too focused on near-term opportunities and navigating immediate issues. With a new U.S. administration on the way in and more than a handful of other...

Articles

RF & Microwave Electronics

This Laser Clock Could Transform Satellite Navigation Accuracy

A new laser clock from the German Aerospace Center has achieved a record level of accuracy for optical clocks with gas cells: in 30 million years, it would be off by just one second. Read on to learn more about it and what it could mean for satellite navigation accuracy.

News

Unmanned Systems

Space Docking and Satellite AI Research

Can electro adhesive forces help ease the process of docking in-orbit satellites? A team of industry and University of Colorado Boulder researchers is determined to find out.

Application Briefs

Defense

Five Missile-Tracking Satellites Launched

Five missile-tracking satellites designed and manufactured by L3Harris Technologies launched from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida in February, as part of the Missile Defense Agency’s (MDA) Hypersonic and Ballistic Tracking Space Sensor (HBTSS) program and the Space Development Agency’s (SDA) Tranche 0 (T0) Tracking Layer program.

Application Briefs

Manned Systems

New Satellite Connectivity for Air Force Research Aircraft

Intelsat will supply new satellite connectivity terminals on several different U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) aircraft, according to a Feb. 14 announcement by the satellite network operator.

Briefs

AR/AI

New Realistic Computer Model will Help Robots Collect Moon Dust

Working with their industry partner, Thales Alenia Space in the U.K., who has specific interest in creating working robotic systems for space applications, the team investigated a virtual version of regolith, another name for Moon dust.

Briefs

RF & Microwave Electronics

Advanced Satellite Communications Research

New algorithm strategies and diverse communication techniques are constantly emerging in the telecommunications realm that consumers, commercial, government, and military demand in order to push the boundaries of data throughput to receive information as quickly as possible.

Application Briefs

Aerospace

PHASA-35 Stratospheric Flight

British engineers have successfully completed a stratospheric flight trial of BAE Systems’ High Altitude Pseudo Satellite (HAPS) Uncrewed Aerial System (UAS) - PHASA-35.

Briefs

RF & Microwave Electronics

Deep Image Prior Amplitude SAR Image Anonymization

Synthetic Aperture Radar images are a powerful tool for studying the Earth’s surface. They are radar signals generated by an imaging system mounted on a platform such as an aircraft or satellite. As the platform moves, the system emits sequentially high-power electromagnetic waves through its antenna.

Supplier Eye

Propulsion

Moons Aligning

So far this decade, our industry has been heavily impacted by an endless stream of calamities. When impacted in isolation, dealing with a pandemic, weather disasters, supply- chain disruptions, ICE-to-BEV transition risks,...

Articles

Manufacturing & Prototyping

Understanding the Unique RF Interconnect Requirements for Ultra-Demanding Hypersonic Missile and Satellite Applications

RF cable assemblies might appear to be a minor component in system design, but they can make all the difference between success and failure, especially in mission-critical industries such as defense and space.

Application Briefs

Manned Systems

Jupiter Moons Explorer

On April 14, 2023 the JUpiter ICy moons Explorer (JUICE) spacecraft achieved successful lift-off from an Ariane 5 rocket en route to Jupiter.

Briefs

Communications

Automated Atmospheric Correction of Nanosatellites Using Coincident Ocean Color Radiometer Data

Researchers present a machine-learning-based method for utilizing traditional ocean-viewing satellites to perform automated atmospheric correction of nanosatellite data.

Articles

Sensors/Data Acquisition

Honda to Reveal Autonomous Work Vehicle at CONEXPO

Honda will be revealing the prototype of its third-generation electric Autonomous Work Vehicle (AWV) at CONEXPO 2023 in Las Vegas. Accord to the company’s press release, Honda aims to...

Articles

Communications

Solving Military Satellite, Radar and 5G Communications Challenges with GaN-on-SiC MMIC Power Amplifiers

Systems need to meet higher gain targets but not if it comes with any increases in cost and complexity, or size and weight.

News

Unmanned Systems

Autonomous Transit Bus Nears Its First Year of Operation

Since May 2022, Michigan State University students, faculty and staff have been able to ride within campus boundaries on an autonomous electric bus, one of the largest automated-driving...

Articles

Motion Control

The Distributed Extreme Environment Drive System (DEEDS)

DEEDS is made up of a highly capable avionic motion control system that is integrated with a modular mechanical drive system.

Briefs

Aerospace

GPS Radio Occultation and Ultraviolet Photometry-Colocated (GROUP-C) Early Orbit Testing Results

After routine flight, capture, and installation, GROUP-C underwent Early Orbit Testing to verify its performance prior to science operations.

Application Briefs

Aerospace

Full-Scale Micro-launcher Rocket

Micro-launchers such as Orbex Prime give satellite manufacturers a dedicated launch service, in contrast to larger, ‘rideshare’ launchers, where small satellites are often a secondary payload, and frequently face significant delays.

Articles

Photonics/Optics

Positioning to Centimeter Level Improves Ag Productivity

Precision navigation, which is essential to autonomous machines, is knowing a moving vehicle’s absolute and relative position in 3D space accurately, reliably and repeatably. The...

Application Briefs

Propulsion

Electric Satellite Thruster

IVO Ltd.Bismark, ND+1 701-390-9567https://ivolimited.us/ IVO Ltd., a company that specializes in capacitive based technologies, recently unveiled the IVO Quantum Drive, the first pure electric thruster for satellites...

Application Briefs

Manufacturing & Prototyping

To the Moon and Beyond with Additive Manufacturing

Aerojet Rocketdyne uses metal 3D printing technology from Velo3D to make a critical flight component lighter, smaller, and much less expensive.

Articles

RF & Microwave Electronics

Designing, Developing and Deploying CubeSats

Learn all about the miniature satellites orbiting the Earth.

Articles

Propulsion

Solar-Powered Satellite Hardware in Orbit

The Photovoltaic Radio-frequency Antenna Module is the first orbital experiment designed to convert sunlight for microwave power transmission for solar power satellites.

Articles

RF & Microwave Electronics

Satellite Paves the Way for Improved Storm Tracking

Microwave radiometers on current satellites are about the size of a washing machine. On TROPICS’ small satellites, the radiometers are about the size of a coffee mug.

Briefs

Aerospace

Impact of Satellite Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance on Modern Naval Operations

Army research is determining if afloat availability of satellite ISR has fundamentally changed naval operations.

Application Briefs

Communications

Satellite Antennas

ThinKom Solutions, Inc., has been selected to supply phased-array satellite terminals for "communications on-the-move."

Articles

Test & Measurement

Space-Qualified Crystal Oscillators

Learn the performance parameters that must be considered when choosing the optimum quartz crystal oscillator for a space application.

Application Briefs

RF & Microwave Electronics

Satellite Ground Control Interface

Abaco Systems will support the Space Force’s Protected Tactical Satellite (PTS) Communication Program (SATCOM).