• In its largest order in the private space sector, ABB will supply multispectral imaging systems to Canadian data and analytics company EarthDaily Analytics
• Satellites equipped with ABB’s technology will be launched starting in 2023, enabling unprecedented daily global coverage of Earth’s ecosystems
• High-quality imagery enabled by ABB’s technology will provide near real-time information about natural and human-caused change across the planet

ZURICH, Switzerland (ABB PR) — ABB has been awarded a contract worth around $30 million by the Canadian data and analytics company EarthDaily Analytics Corp. (EDA) to develop and manufacture next-generation multispectral imaging systems to be placed on 10 satellites (including an in-orbit spare) that will circle the Earth. The order was booked in the first quarter of 2022.

Led by Founder and CEO Benoît Deper, Aerospacelab is slated to ramp up production of multiple satellite constellations and develop multi-sensor geospatial analytic solutions.

MONT-SAINT-GUIBERT, Belgium — Belgian satellite manufacturer Aerospacelab has accelerated its next stage of growth with a successful raise of €40 million [US $45.4 million]. The Series B round is co-led by Airbus Ventures and XAnge, a leading European investor in early-stage startups. Additional investors in the round include Octave & Miroslaw Klaba, SRIW, Noshaq, BNP Paribas Private Equity, Sambrinvest, and Belaero. Since its inception in 2018, Aerospacelab has raised a total of €60 million [US $68.17 million]. 

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla., February 16, 2022 (CASISS PR) – When Northrop Grumman’s upcoming 17th Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) mission launches to the International Space Station (ISS), it will carry the first-ever private-sector skin health experiment to be done on the orbiting laboratory. This investigation from PCA SKIN, a Colgate-Palmolive brand, will study the effects of microgravity on skin physiology.

Competition Calls on Innovators to Analyze Mass Spectrometry Data from Mars to Detect Conditions for Past Life; Total Prize Purse of $30K

HOUSTON, February 18, 2022 (HeroX PR) — DrivenData, in collaboration with HeroX, have announced their newest crowdsourcing competition on behalf of NASA: Mars Spectrometry, Detect Evidence for Past Habitability. The challenge, which offers a $30,000 prize purse, seeks innovative methods to automatically help analyze and interpret evolved gas analysis-mass spectrometry data related to Mars exploration. This data is from geological samples of scientific interest to better understand the planet’s potential signs of past habitability.

The In-Q-Tel partnership supports technical capability enhancements

SAN FRANCISCO, February 17, 2022 (Orbital Sidekick PR) – Orbital Sidekick (OSK), the leader in commercial space-based hyperspectral monitoring, shares the validation of first light imagery from the company’s recent pathfinder mission and announces a strategic investment with In-Q-Tel (IQT). 

To assess the data quality of its Aurora hyperspectral satellite sensor, which launched on June 30, 2021, OSK performed a comparative study between Aurora and two well-known sensors: Hyperion and PRISMA. The Aurora sensor was designed in the likeness of the Hyperion sensor, a hyperspectral instrument launched as part of Earth Observing-1 in 2000 (decommissioned in 2017). PRISMA, a mission from the Italian Space Agency (launched in 2019) consists of two hyperspectral detectors, which together cover the wavelength ranges of Aurora and Hyperion. 

SYDNEY, Australia, 17 February 2022 (NanoAvionics PR) – The University of New South Wales (UNSW) in Sydney, Australia, has contracted mission integrator NanoAvionics to build a nanosatellite bus for UNSW’s satellite innovation laboratory. As part of the collaboration, NanoAvionics will deliver a 6U nanosatellite bus fully assembled and tested on a functional level, ready for its research and educational purposes. Payload integration for laboratory testing, modifications, and mission operations validation will be carried out by UNSW Sydney.

The intended GNSS (global navigational satellite systems) payload named “Harry v2” will consist of two “KEA” GPS receivers, developed by the Australian Centre for Space Engineering Research at UNSW, to perform remote Earth sensing operations using GPS reflectometry. Able to host multiple experiments, it will take measurements from reflections coming from the Earth while using navigation signals from other GPS satellites. The receivers, designed for both aircraft and CubeSat operations, are capable of recording intermediate frequency (IF) data and delay Doppler maps (DDM) with its associated metadata. The experiment data can be used to infer sea-state, wind speed, water-land boundaries and many other unexplored applications.

BRUSSELS, Belgium, 15 February 2022 (European Commission PR) — Today, the EU is acting on its space ambitions by tabling two initiatives – a proposal for a Regulation on a space-based secure connectivity and a Joint Communication on an EU approach on Space Traffic Management (STM). Space technology is essential for facilitating our daily lives, contributing to a more digital, green and resilient future for our planet. As a major space power, the EU’s Space Programme already provides valuable data and services for a wide array of daily applications from transport, agriculture, and crisis response to the fight against climate change, to name a few.

However, due to new challenges and increased international competition, the EU’s space policy needs to constantly evolve and adapt if we want to continue enjoying freely the benefits that space brings. Today’s initiatives will help safeguard the efficiency and security of our current assets while developing European cutting-edge space technology to the benefit of our citizens and economy.

SWINDON, UK (UK Space Agency PR) — The latest figures from the European Space Agency (ESA) show more than 160 applicants from the UK have made it through to the next round of their astronaut call.

MOSCOW (Roscosmos PR) — The Proton-PM company (part of the integrated structure of NPO Energomash of the Roscosmos State Corporation) was visited on February 10–11, 2022 by a Roscosmos delegation headed by Igor Novikov, Director of the Department for the Implementation of the Program for the Creation of a Super Heavy Space Rocket Complex. During the two-day visit, the parties considered the issues of quality control of the manufacture of the RD-191 rocket engine and its modifications for the Angara launch vehicles, the transfer of their production from the developer enterprise, which is NPO Energomash, to the serial plant – Proton-PM, measures to reduce product cost.

SWINDON, UK (UK Space Agency PR) — Young people have the chance to a share of £50,000 and expert advice for their ideas on how satellites could improve life on Earth, in a competition run by the UK Space Agency.

With Britain’s first satellite launches set to take place this year, the SatelLife Competition is looking for the best new ideas for how to use data collected from space to benefit daily life, from supporting local communities and the NHS, to monitoring the environment and tackling climate change.

The competition is now in its fifth year, with previous winning ideas including drones carrying medical supplies, a pin badge to monitor air pollution and an app to track abandoned shopping trolleys.

MOSCOW (Roscosmos PR) — The Federal Space Program of Russia for 2016–2025 provides for the launch in 2024 of the automatic interplanetary station Luna-26, designed for remote studies of the surface of the Earth’s natural satellite from a circumlunar polar orbit. Among the tasks of the station are mapping the mineralogical composition and mapping the distribution of water ice on the Moon.

Firefly Aerospace majority stakeholder Max Polyakov announced he was selling his shares to company co-founder and CEO Tom Markusic in a bitter message on his Facebook page.

I am giving up for 1 usd consideration all my 58% stake in Firefly to my co-founder and partner Tom. Dear CFIUS, Air Force and 23 agencies of USA who betrayed me and judge me in all your actions for past 15 months . I hope now you are happy . History will judge all of you guys. Max love Ukraine and yes I have Ukrainian passport and I am Founder of Firefly !!! Bye my “bird” and at the end of the days I proud what I done for my Land soul and heritage !!!

CFIUS is the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States. Late last year, the committee required that Polyakov, who is Ukrainian, sell his stake in the company. Bloomberg reported: