The Space Flight Laboratory today announced that they will build a technology demonstrator microsatellite for the Norwegian Space Agency that will include payloads from France, Italy, the Netherlands and Norway.
The NorSat Technology Demonstrator (NorSat-TD) microsatellite will use SFL’s DEFIANT platform. Other customers who use the DEFIANT platform included HawkEye 360 who use their DEFIANT based formation-flying satellites for what they call a new “class of radio frequency (RF) data and analytics, a radio frequency (RF) data and analytics.”
Also using the platform is the Canada’s Department of National Defense for the yet to fly Project Grey Jay, a formation flying constellation of three spacecraft that will support an Arctic surveillance technology demonstration.
SFL has already developed seven microsatellites for Norway, NorSat-1 and NorSat-2 which launched in 2017 and they yet to launch NorSat-3. The three NorSat microsatellite all used the smaller NEMO platform. SFL earlier developed three maritime AISSat (Automatic Identification System) nanosatellites.
Dr. Robert E. Zee, SFL’s Director said “the Norwegian Coastal Administration relies on NorSat-1 and -2 to accurately track large commercial vessels in its territorial waters and beyond. NorSat-TD will fly technology that is planned to augment the ship tracking capability of Norway with a miniaturized AIS-receiver and aims to expand the technology available for future missions, including micropropulsion, precise point positioning and laser-based communications.”
NorSat-TD will include the following payloads;
- Fifth Generation AIS Receiver – An advanced version of the Automatic Identification System (AIS) receivers developed by Kongsberg Seatex of Trondheim, Norway, as primary instruments for the first three NorSats, this miniaturized device with CubeSat form factor will receive AIS signals broadcast by large commercial maritime vessels. AIS enables the locations and status of ships to be tracked and monitored. The new NorSat-TD receiver will also be used to test the Internet of Things in the Arctic, according to NOSA.
- Small Communication Active Terminal (SmallCAT) – Developed by TNO, the Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research, this instrument is also intended to support the Norwegian Defence Research Establishment’s experiments with laser communications between the satellite their ground station, a potential gamechanger in the data volume that is possible from microsatellites in orbit.
- VHF Data Exchange System (VDES) – From Space Norway, an advanced communication system that first flew on NorSat-2 has been improved to enable higher bandwidth, more reliable two-way communications among and between satellites, ships, and land. Working together, NorSat-2 and NorSat-TD will provide greater communication capacity for ships in Norwegian waters, according to NOSA.
- Onboard Laser Reflector – A miniaturized laser reflector developed by the Italian INRI SCF research laboratory will be used to track NorSat-TD with ground-based lasers in Norway, France, and Italy.
- Satellite Collision Avoidance – Space Star, a space-based GPS instrument developed by Fugro will be tested as a highly accurate means of determining a satellite’s position in orbit for improved situational awareness.
- Iodine-Fueled Electric Propulsion – ThrustMe, a French startup, has developed a new thruster designed to change a satellite’s orbit, which will be tested on NorSat-TD. One potential future use of the thruster will be to move a spent satellite to a lower orbit, so it burns up in the Earth’s atmosphere rather than leaving behind space debris.
Tyler Jones the NorSat-TD Project Manager said, “NOSA is glad to be working with SFL on this demanding project. The flexibility of SFL and their micro-satellite platforms have met the varied and demanding challenges of this multi-mission technology demonstrator. We feel that this mission is again pushing the envelope for what we are able accomplish with these fast-paced low footprint projects.”
NorSat-TD is expected to launch in 2022.