SAN JOSE, Calif., March 22, 2019 /PRNewswire/
-- Vector, the space access company, today announced
its GalacticSky division, which has been in stealth mode since
2016. Led by veterans from VMWare and Citrix, as well as satellite
innovators, GalacticSky has achieved a major milestone on its path
to launch its first GalacticSky software-defined satellite, GSky-1.
GSky-1 successfully completed integration at the University of Southern California's Space
Engineering Research Center (SERC) at the Information Sciences
Institute (ISI) and will validate GalacticSky's mission
to enable innovators to easily and effectively deploy space
application technology in space.
Developed in its Silicon Valley office, and utilizing Vector's
patented software-defined satellite technology, developers will no
longer be required to build and pay for their own satellites.
Instead, they can create an application and host it on an existing
satellite or across an ad-hoc constellation made up of satellites
all within the GalacticSky ecosystem. GalacticSky will provide
future digital innovators the autonomy to develop and test
applications in space.
"GalacticSky was created with the goal to bring the promise of
space-based technologies to a much larger pool of entrepreneurs who
don't need to be space experts to build and deploy their ideas,"
said Shaun Coleman, co-founder,
chief sales and marketing officer at Vector & SVP/GM
GalacticSky. "By creating a space-grade cloud computing platform in
space, GalacticSky ultimately fulfils Vector's mission of extending
access to space and the team at USC is
a great partner to support us in our endeavor."
Led by Professor David Barnhart,
former DARPA program manager, USC
astronautical engineering research professor and director of
SERC, the primary mission of this microsatellite is to serve
as an on-orbit testbed for GalacticSky and three advanced
technology payloads. Following its launch, the satellite will
be controlled remotely by Vector and monitored by the SERC research
team from a ground antenna at the USC
campus and from SERC in Marina del
Rey. The primary mission is scheduled to be completed within
90 days once launched, but the satellite will continue to operate
and provide system performance data for several years.
"Joining forces with Vector on the GalacticSky satellite mission
was an overall great experience for the USC Space Engineering Research Center team," said
USC Research Professor David Barnhart, Director of the Space
Engineering Research Center (SERC) at USC's Information Sciences Institute (ISI).
"Working with industry experts in this environment allows direct
transition from theory to practice, within budget and schedule
constraints not typically included in normal schedules."
GSky-1 hosts the following advanced technology payloads for NASA
and the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) that will provide
independent data to characterize the harsh environment and
operational performance of GalacticSky:
- CrossTrac Precision Timing Board (PTB) - Combines the
short-term precision of an atomic clock with the long-term
stability of a GPS receiver to provide users with a programmable
precision time reference. The test data from PTB ground and flight
demonstrations have been purchased by NASA.
- Cateni Processor/Sensor Flight Board (PSFB) - Integrates
advanced command and data processing components with ethernet
interfaces for IP based communications between the vehicle and
payloads, two Teledyne radiation dosimeters (one shielded by VSRS
and the other exposed to space), and integrated GPS with the
groundbreaking MEMs integrated 6-axis MotionTracking device that
combines a 3-axis gyroscope, 3-axis accelerometer, and a Digital
Motion Processor.
- TUI Versatile Structural Radiation Shielding (VSRS) - VSRS is a
novel, 3D-printed radiation shielding technology developed by
Tethers Unlimited under Air Force Small Business Innovation
Research (SBIR) funding to provide a lightweight, customizable, and
cost-effective solution to enable commercial off the shelf (COTS)
electronics to operate reliably in the space radiation
environment.
"There is no substitute for operating in space and to that end
our challenge was to get GalacticSky on orbit as soon as possible.
Working with USC's SERC team at ISI was
a natural fit since they had a mission proven satellite in need of
a payload, and GalacticSky needed a satellite to integrate with,"
said Dr. Darren Garber, president of
Vector Government Systems. "The integrated Vector and SERC team
successfully delivered GSky-1 on time and on budget within six
months. Now GalacticSky is ready to meet our users' needs, and with
SERC, we're able to move as fast as our customers."
Through GalacticSky, Vector is adding a smart cloud-based layer
to microsatellites, creating a truly software-defined-satellite,
allowing satellites to dynamically change their missions on orbit
as well as provide innovators a cost-effective way to deploy
technology in space without the need to build a satellite.
GalacticSky utilizes modern datacenter computing in space and a
virtualization hypervisor powered by Citrix® to maximize
memory, on-board processing, and network bandwidth. With these
features, data can now undergo significant processing and analysis
in space thus providing key information to users, saving time,
bandwidth, and money. To learn more about Vector's GalacticSky
platform, please visit: https://www.vector-launch.com
About Vector
Vector is connecting commercial
organizations, governments, and space innovators with an anywhere,
anytime launch service and space-grade cloud-computing platform,
GalacticSky. With the goal of extending access to space and
transforming the space economy, Vector's unique remote launch
technology disrupts the current status quo of launch frequency from
fewer than 20 launches per year to hundreds. GalacticSky further
transforms the space segment from its current hardware centric
state to a simpler software development proposition with
software-defined satellites. Utilizing virtualization software,
Vector will have the ability to extend satellite capabilities by
processing and computing data in space. Vector is proud to design,
build and launch its vehicles and enabling platforms in
the United States of America. For
more information, please
visit http://www.vector-launch.com
About USC Viterbi Space
Engineering
USC Viterbi has
a strong legacy of innovation in space engineering
and exploration. USC Viterbi
School of Engineering is one of a very small group of top
schools with distinct astronautical degree programs. To
date, school researchers have created innovations in spacecraft
propulsion, space science, space environment, space communications,
satellites and materials. Astronaut Neil
Armstrong was a USC Viterbi
alumnus, and the school has a dedicated Space Engineering
Research Center at the USC
Information Sciences Institute co-managed with Viterbi's
Department of Astronautical Engineering. The school maintains
strong connections with pioneering space organizations and alumni
who design and build rockets and space launchers, communications
and direct broadcasting satellites, navigational systems, crewed
space vehicles and planetary probes.
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SOURCE Vector