Georgia Spaceport Setback

Camden County’s plan to build a spaceport has suffered a potentially fatal blow as the Georgia Supreme Court ruled that citizen initiated referendum rejecting the plan was constitutional. The Associated Press reports:

Exotrail Press Release

TOULOUSE, France — Exotrail signed a contract with the Defence Innovation Agency (AID), an organisation which is part of the French Ministry of Defence. The contract is to provide the French Space Command (CDE) with a customised and enhanced version of ExoOPS™ – Mission Design, Exotrail’s Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) product dedicated to simulation and mission analysis.

The customised product will be known as ExoOPS™ – Défense and will provide the capability to easily simulate and characterise complex satellite manoeuvres. It will combine the state-of-the-art software solution ExoOPS™ – Mission Design, with additional functionality and insight from Exotrail’s expertise in propulsion. This will allow CDE operators to have a more comprehensive understanding of the space environment which they operate in.

TOULOUSE, France (Exotrail PR) — In February 2022, following a competitive tender process, CNES selected Exotrail to complete a research and technology study to optimise the operations of mega constellations. The study will focus on mid and low earth orbit where thousands of satellites are soon expected to be operational and propelled by electric propulsion. It will determine the best operational procedures to implement in mega constellation’s flight dynamic system including station keeping and collision avoidance – two critical operations.

The European consortium led by UNSEENLABS and EUROCONSULT has won a concept study for the European Commission aiming to leverage disruptive ideas for an innovative European broadband constellation.

PARIS WASHINGTON D.C., MONTREAL, YOKOHAMA, SYDNEY, December 9^th 2021 (New Symphonie PR) – New Symphonie, the recently established consortium of 22 European companies, has won the European Commission call for tenders entitled “New Space solutions for long-term availability of reliable, secure, cost-effective space-based connectivity”.

Selected for its exceptional innovation and familiarity with leading-edge technologies, the consortium led by UNSEENLABS and EUROCONSULT will be awarded a six month study contract for a total amount of 1.4m euros. Through the study, the consortium members will investigate and recommend to the European Commission the most optimal infrastructure for secure connectivity markets. The study aims at defining the secure connectivity requirements that could be addressed by a European multi-orbit satellite system to be conceptually designed with innovative technologies for an attractive business plan.  

MASSY, France (Exotrail PR) — Exotrail signed a contract with Luxembourg-based satellite manufacturer OHB Luxspace for a co-engineering phase aiming the further integration of ExoMG™ – cluster², a configuration of Exotrail’s high thrust and flexible electric propulsion product family, into the Triton-X Heavy platform.

LUXEMBOURG (ESA PR) — ESA has signed two contracts with Exotrail under which the company will build and deliver engineering, qualification, and flight models of its ExoMG™ – nano  and ExoMG™ – micro electric propulsion systems. These contracts will allow Exotrail to develop new features on both products ready to be demonstrated in space.

PARIS (Exotrail PR) — Exotrail has signed a contract with the French Space Agency, CNES (Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales), for a development project concerning the clusterisation of several Hall Effect Thrusters.

This Research & Technology (R&T) contract will allow Exotrail to demonstrate its capability to use several thrusters together in order to reach higher thrust and power for larger satellites’ needs.

PARIS, July 16, 2020 (Exotrail PR) — Exotrail has raised 11 million euros ($13 million) to become a leader in on-orbit transportation for small satellites.

This Series A round was led by two European Venture Capital firms, Karista (through Paris Region Venture Fund) and Innovacom. IXO Private Equity, NCI-Waterstart, Turenne Capital and returning investors 360 Capital, Irdi Soridec Gestion and Bpifrance also invested.

PARIS (CNES PR) — On Wednesday, 24 June, research laboratories, start-ups, PMEs and other firms presented their work contributing to the launch systems of the future to a top-level audience. In all, €750,000 worth of CNES contracts were awarded to the laureates, which each received €50,000 or €100,000 to develop their solutions.

At its Innovation Day on 7 February in Toulouse, CNES announced a Launchers R&D Challenge under its Connect by CNES initiative, in partnership with ArianeGroup and ESA, designed to ease access to funding for launch systems.

PARIS (Exotrail PR) — Exotrail, a French company dedicated to providing innovative on-orbit transportation solutions for the small satellite market have announced today that they have signed a contract with AAC Clyde Space, Europe’s leading nanosatellite solutions specialist.

Exotrail will equip them with cutting-edge propulsion solutions for their customer, the global satellite telecommunications leader Eutelsat, for its ELO 3 and ELO 4 spacecrafts.The French company will provide propulsion systems for the two 6U CubeSats which will be manufactured and delivered to orbit by AAC Clyde Space.