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SSTL confirms launch of CARBONITE-2 and Telesat LEO Phase 1 satellite

Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd (SSTL) has confirmed the successful launch of CARBONITE-2, an Earth Observation technology demonstration mission owned and operated by SSTL and of the Telesat LEO Phase 1 communications satellite, an important milestone in Telesat’s plans to deploy a global low earth orbit (LEO) constellation that will revolutionise broadband communications services around the world.

Above: CARBONITE-2 flight-ready at SSTL.
SSTL / Beaucroft Photograpy

These two small SSTL satellites were launched into a 505km sun-synchronous orbit on board the PSLV launch vehicle from the Satash Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, India on 12 January 2018 at UTC/GMT 03:59.

Following separation from the launch vehicle, SSTL is pleased to confirm that successful contact was made with both satellites and all initial system checks for both spacecraft are nominal.

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Sir Martin Sweeting, Executive Chairman of SSTL, said “This launch marks the start of two new pioneering missions: a technology demonstration for CARBONITE-2 and the initial deployment of Telesat’s global LEO constellation with their Phase 1 LEO satellite.  I am particularly pleased that SSTL’s space technology expertise will be advancing NewSpace applications in both high throughput broadband and low cost video-from-orbit.  I would like to congratulate Telesat, and also thank the Indian Space Research Organisation for another successful launch.” 

CARBONITE-2 is a technology demonstration mission that will demonstrate a low cost video-from-orbit solution using Commercial-Off-The-Shelf (COTS) technologies.  The 100kg spacecraft flies a COTS telescope and HD video, both of which have been adapted for a space environment and integrated into a custom built framework.  The imaging system is designed to deliver 1m resolution images and colour HD video clips with a swath width of 5km. 

Under a contract announced in November 2017, SSTL will supply British company Earth-i with CARBONITE-2 data for proving tasking, downlinking and image processing in preparation for a constellation of five CARBONITE series satellites. 

CARBONITE-2 is the second technology demonstration satellite in the series to be launched by SSTL; the first, CARBONITE-1, was launched in 2015 and achieved full mission success by demonstrating the concept of a low-cost COTS video-from-orbit solution.  The CARBONITE-2 satellite flies enhanced avionics to provide increased data storage, faster data downlink, improved pointing accuracy, and a full colour HD video camera.    

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SSTL’s CARBONITE series of spacecraft have been specifically designed for large constellations.  The simplified, rapid-build platform design incorporates SSTL’s flight-proven avionics and a large payload accommodation area to fly a variety of Earth observation sensors. 

The Telesat LEO Phase 1 satellite, which will allow Telesat to test key performance parameters of its next generation global LEO constellation, has a mass of 168kg and was manufactured by SSTL in the UK. SSTL’s spacecraft operators will complete commissioning and orbit-raising manoeuvres for the satellite from SSTL’s Spacecraft Operations Centre in Guildford.  Once the Telesat LEO Phase 1 satellite has reached its final planned orbit, command will be handed over to Telesat for in-orbit operation using the Ka band payload from Telesat’s ground station at Allan Park in Canada. 


 

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