PARIS (Arianespac PR) — SES has selected Arianespace for its fifth launch of four O3b satellites joining the O3b Medium Earth Orbit fleet. The mission on a Soyuz rocket will be conducted from the Guiana Space Center in Kourou, French Guiana, in 2019.
Bryce Space and Technology has produced a new report, Start-up Space: Update on Investment in Commercial Space Ventures.
Below is the executive summary. You can also download the full report.
Executive Summary
The Start-Up Space series examines space investment in the 21st century and analyzes investment trends, focusing on investors in new companies that have acquired private financing. Space is continuing to attract increased attention in Silicon Valley and in investment communities world-wide. Space ventures now appeal to investors because new, lower-cost systems are envisioned to follow the path terrestrial tech has profitably traveled: dropping system costs and massively increasing user bases for new products, especially new data products. Large valuations and exits are demonstrating the potential for high returns.
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SpaceX has filed a new application with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for approval to launch a constellation of 7,518 satellites to provide communications in the little used V band.
The system is in addition to another constellations of 4,425 satellites (plus orbital spares) SpaceX proposed in November that would operate in the Ku and Ka bands. In total, the two constellations would have 11,943 spacecraft plus spares.
“When combined into a single, coordinated system, these ‘LEO’ and ‘VLEO’ constellations will enable SpaceX to provide robust broadband services on a full and continuous global basis,” SpaceX said in its application.
Competitor OneWeb has submitted a new application that would add an additional 2,000 satellites capable of operating in the V-band to its planned constellation of 720 satellites.
While SpaceX has received most of the attention for its plan to launch more than 4,000 broadband satellite network, the constellation makes up just over half the number of spacecraft that companies have proposed placing in non-geosynchronous satellite orbit (NGSO).
Companies have filed applications with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to launch 8,731 NGSO communications satellites. While most of the constellations would provide broadband and communications services, others would collect Earth observation data.
According to the International Telecommunications Union, NGSO spacecraft “occupy a range of orbital positions (LEO satellites are located between 700km-1,500km from the Earth, MEO satellites are located at 10,000km from the Earth), and do not maintain a stationary position, but instead move in relation to the Earth’s surface.”
SpaceX leads the pack with 4,425 spacecraft, followed by Boeing with 2,956 and WorldVu (aka, OneWeb) with 720. Boeing has a second application before the FCC for a constellation with 60 satellites.
The table below provides a summary of the applications filed with the FCC.
| NGSO APPLICATIONS BEFORE FCC | |||||
| COMPANY | LOCATION | NO. OF SATELLITES | BANDS | SERVICES | |
| SpaceX | Hawthorne, CA | 4,425 | Ka, Ku | Global broadband | |
| Boeing | Seattle, WA | 2,956 | V | Advanced communications, Internet-based services | |
| WorldVu (OneWeb) | Arlington, VA | 720 | Ku | Global broadband | |
| Kepler Communications | Toronto, ONT | 140 | Ku | Machine-to-machine communications (Internet of Things) | |
| Telesat Canada | Ottawa, ONT | 117 | Ka | Wide band and narrow band communications services | |
| Theia Holdings A, Inc. | Philadelphia, PA | 112 | Ka | Integrated Earth observation and communications network | |
| Spire Global | San Francisco, CA | 100 | Ka | Maritime monitoring, meteorological monitoring, and earth imaging services | |
| LeoSat MA | Pompano Beach, FL | 80 | Ka | Broadband services | |
| Boeing | Seattle, WA | 60 | Ka | Very high speed connectivity for end-user earth stations | |
| O3b | Washington, DC | 60 | Ka | Broadband services | |
| ViaSat | Carlsbad, CA | 24 | Ka, V | Broadband services | |
| Karousel LLC | Alexandria, VA | 12 | Ka | Communications | |
| Audacy Communications | Walnut, CA | 3 | K, V | Data relay constellation providing satellite operators with seamless access to NGSO satellites | |
| Space Norway AS | Oslo, Norway | 2 | Ka, Ku | Arctic broadband | |
Excerpts From
2015 Small Satellite Market Observations
Full Presentation
Developed by:
Ms. Elizabeth Buchen
Director, Engineering Economics Group
SpaceWorks Enterprises, Inc. (SEI)
Atlanta, GA
2014
SpaceWorks’ 2014 Projection estimated between 140 and 143 nano/microsatellites across all sectors would launch globally in 2014; 158 nano/microsatellites were actually launched. This represented an increase of nearly 72% compared to 2013.
2015+
In 2014, 107 commercial nano/microsatellites (1-50 kg) launched and thousands of commercial small satellites (101-500 kg) are planned for launch over the next fifteen years. Recent multi-million and multi-billion dollar investments in various ventures confirm the commercial sector’s continued interest in the nano/microsatellite and small satellite industries.
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