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Latvia’s First Ever Satellite Venta-1 To Be Launched Via An ISRO PSLV C34 Has Been Delayed…

In a published story from The Baltic Times, the launch of Latvia’s first satellite Venta-1 into orbit that had been planned for this month is now delayed, said Aigars Krauze, a researcher at Ventspils University College and a coordinator of the Venta-1 project.

The plan was for Venta-1 to be placed into orbit by the PSLV C34 launch vehicle of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), along with 21 satellites from other countries—this launch would have been the highest number of satellites ever launched by the ISRO in a single mission.

However, the plan to launch the record-high number of satellites also incurred increased safety risks. Therefore, a decision was made that Latvia’s Venta-1 and Italy’s Max Valier will not be launched by PSLV C34, which is to take off on June 20. Instead, those two satellites will be launched during one of the next flights of the launch vehicle.

Krauze said both satellites were developed by students and their launch had been arranged by the same German partners with the plan being to hook the two satellites to one another and to then launch them together. The Latvian and Italian satellites would separate only when in space. However, analysis by the Indian partners suggested that this arrangement would increase the risks of collision and, as a result, the launch of Venta-1 and Max Valier is now delayed.

After lengthy preparations, Ventspils University College and Bremen University of Applied Sciences in late 2015 signed an agreement on launching Latvian smallsat Venta-1 into orbit.

Venta-1 will circle the Earth in an orbit crossing Latvian territory, which will allow command signals to be sent and data to be received when the satellite is above the country. Communications with Venta-1 will be handled from a command centre situated at a Ventspils University College building in the northwestern Latvian city of Ventspils. The satellite was developed by Ventspils University College in co-operation with Ventspils High Technology Park and Bremen University of Applied Sciences.

baltictimes.com/

Satisfy Your Appetites For Smallsat Knowledge
Attend The SmallSat Symposium—Silicon Valley 2017

Tuesday, February 7th — Wednesday, February 8th
Computer History Museum, Mountain View, California
 
As with any event, one of the major draws in regard to the time commitment necessary for attendance will most assuredly revolve around the expertise that will be offered to those who participate… there can be little question that the subject matter experts who will be presenting at the SmallSat Symposium—Silicon Valley in 2017 will blend their expertise with the unparalleled networking opportunities with one's smallsat, SATCOM and MILSATCOM peers.
 

The Computer History Museum in Mountain View, California.
This incomparable event will be held at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, California, a perfect location for the technology-rich environs of the smallsat worlds. Listed below are the sessions already planned for the SmallSat Symposium. For information regarding the various workshops, please select this direct link. To learn more about the individual speakers who have already committed to the SmallSat Symposium—Silicon Valley 2016, access this direct link.
 
Day 1  — Tuesday February 7th, 2017
7:00  a.m.
Registration Opens
Breakfast Snacks
 
8:15  a.m.
Keynote Speaker
TBD
 
8:45 a.m.
The State of the Small Satellite Industry
Today's small satellite industry demands sound business and financial practices.  How do we best cultivate dependable practices? Panelists explore the various types of small satellites (Nano, Pico, Cube, Etc.), their leading applications, as well as trending uses in each subset.  How do we define the small satellite marketplace and what is its size? How much new growth can come from small satellites and which segments and markets represent the greatest opportunities?   What “traditional” types of capacity and services are changed by the growth in small satellites?  Importantly, how do small satellites affect the satellite market as a whole?
 
Speaker: TBD
 
10:00 a.m.
Networking & Refreshment Break
 
10:30 a.m.
Financing Small Satellite Operations
Investment in small satellite ventures originates from a variety of avenues including angel investors, venture funds, private equity firms, corporations, commercial banks and public markets. How do the varying demands of each of these financiers affect small satellite operations and planning? What are their expected returns and financing terms? What are the most important criteria investors look for in choosing ventures to fund? How much of a role does private equity activity and debt financing play in funding SmallSat operations and what effect does this have on management behavior? Panelists will discuss how different types of investors perceive the small satellite industry.
 
Speaker: Chris Lewicki, President and Chief Engineer, Planetary Resources
Speaker: TBD
 
11:30 a.m.
Launch Provider Roundtable – Efficiency, Risk & Trends
Launching any satellite is inherently a risky and expensive business. Multiple new launch options are being created that offer opportunity to minimize risk and reduce costs.   Executives from commercial launch service providers will share their views on current market trends and on their strategies to deliver the most adapted solutions for the launch of small satellites.  How will new innovations, launch availability, changes in satellite designs and durability in small satellite design alter the future of the launch sector?  What is the impact of re-usable engines on future launch costs? Which propellants, engines, components and new technologies are the launch sector investing in? What are the game changers? Panelists will discuss strategies for funding launch operations and the time it takes to book a flight.
 
Speaker: Dr. George Sowers, VP of Advanced Programs, United Launch Alliance – ULA
Speaker: TBD
 
12:30 p.m.
Lunch
 
2:00 p.m.
Ground Systems Economics  Architecture
As hundreds of new small satellites are launched ground systems must keep pace to track and communicate with them. What will be the increasing demands for these systems, as well as new autonomous onboard TT&C developments mean for the ground system market? What are the most important criteria in selecting ground system architecture for small satellites? What current and recent trends might change market dynamics in the future?
 
Speaker: Tom Perrone, Senior VP for Strategy and Sustainable Business, SSC
 
3:15 p.m.
Pricing and Marketing SmallSat Services
Disruptive innovations create new markets. Business development executives will present their views on market opportunities and where to sell the multitude of products that have resulted from the SmallSat revolution? The collision of finance and technology has produced both turbulent markets and spectacular innovations. Who has bought, who will buy, and what will they pay? More importantly, how should products be priced to maximize revenue?
 
Speaker: TBD
Speaker: TBD
Speaker: TBD
 
4:15 p.m.
Networking & Refreshment Break
 
4:45 p.m.
Cost Savings in Small Satellite Alternatives
How do small satellite alternatives compare to older technologies?  Panelists will discuss foremost applications where cost savings are changing paradigms. The focus will be on different development models, prototypes and early operations including the overall positioning, level of vertical integration and cooperation with other industry stakeholders. Also under discussion will be budgetary considerations unique to the small satellite platform.
 
Speaker: TBD
 
5:45 p.m.
Wine & Hors d'Oeuvres Reception

Day 2  — Wednesday February 8th, 2017

7:00 a.m.
Registration
Breakfast Snacks
 
8:15 a.m.
Keynote Speaker
Professor Sir Martin Sweeting, Founder and Executive Chairman, Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd.
Sir Martin has a BSc in electronics and PhD in radio engineering from the University of Surrey (UK) and is the founder and Executive Chairman of Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd. (SSTL). Following two experimental ‘microsatellites’ built by his research team at the University of Surrey and launched in 1981 & 1984, he pioneered rapid-response, low-cost and highly-capable small satellites utilising modern consumer electronics to ‘change the economics of space’ and has established the UK at the forefront of this new field.
     Sir Martin also chairs the Surrey Space Centre comprising around 100 researchers investigating advanced small satellite concepts and techniques and which acts as the research laboratory for SSTL – an exemplar of real academic-commercial synergy. The SSC collaborated with SSTL on the world’s first ‘smartphone’ nanosatellite, STRaND-1, launched in February 2013 and launched a research nano-satellite for orbital debris mitigation in 2015. Full Bio
 
8:45 a.m.
Small Satellite Constellation Dynamics
As small satellites spread across the skies, questions about constellation management arise. What is involved in designing, implementing and maintaining multiple satellites in a small satellite constellation? How does operating a small satellite constellation differ for a more traditional satellite system? What are the most important applications flying in constellations today and what might they be tomorrow?
 
Speaker: TBD
Speaker: TBD
Speaker: TBD
Speaker: TBD
 
10:00 a.m.
Networking & Refreshment Break
 
10:30 a.m.
Earth Observation
With over 400 Earth observation satellites (50kg+) planned for launch by 2025, and an additional 1000 satellites below 50k flying in constellations, the coming decade of growth in observation satellites is enormous. From agriculture & mining to traffic observation, mapping & weather, small satellites provide an opportunity to observe our planet in considerable detail. High resolution, accurate data provides a range of solutions to meet the immediate needs of emergency responders, defense users and location-based services. In how many ways can Geospatial Data be presented and be useful? Who are the important customers and what are their primary concerns and requirements?
 
Speaker: TBD
 
11:30 a.m.
Securing Capital In New Small Satellite Ventures
What is the optimal way to secure capital for the startup phase of a SmallSat venture? What are the different dynamics of getting funding for a startup SmallSat operator vs a startup manufacturer/launch service provider or data processing company? Explored in this panel are the various ways capital suppliers view revolutionary ideas. Has the complexity of the financial market led to roadblocks for SmallSat operators and manufacturers? How do operators avoid financial pitfalls (funding gaps, etc.)? Beyond the first funding round, how will investors approach adding capital to a maturing venture? What is the past and present performance of the sector and what are the current and expected trends for industry consolidation and M&A transactions?
 
Speaker: TBD
Speaker: TBD
 
12:30 p.m.
Lunch
 
2:00 p.m.
Traditional Large Integrators—What is their Role in the SmallSat Industry?
Threat or opportunity? What are the majors doing independently or with their affiliates to capitalize on the SmallSat market?   Airbus, Boeing, General Dynamics, Hughes, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, SSL and Thales Alenia are known for the scale of the systems they implement. How does each approach the small satellite market, and how does the scale of their organizations affect that approach?
 
Speaker: Airbus – TBD
Speaker: Boeing – TBD
Speaker: General Dynamics – TBD
Speaker: Lockheed Martin Representative – To Be Announced
Speaker: Professor Andrew Kwas, Director Engineering & Technology, Northrop Grumman
Speaker: Mr. Dave Wajsgras, President, Business Unit, Raytheon
 
3:15 p.m.
Next Generation Technology
What new technologies will fly in the next generation of small satellites? What terrestrial equipment will be necessary to support these innovations? Speakers will discuss potential new applications, private sector technologies, space tech incubators, notable advances in design and implementation, advanced materials, 3D printing and robotics. What will be the role of NASA, NOAA, and Research Universities?  What new business models and applications might be enabled by the birth of new technologies?
 
Speaker: Andrew Petro, Program Executive Solar Electric Propulsion Small Spacecraft Technology, NASA Headquarters
Speaker: TBD
Speaker: TBD
 
4:15 p.m.
Networking & Refreshment Break
 
4:45 p.m.
Defense and Government Applications
Defense, Government and NGO sectors require both remote sensing intelligence to detect and classify objects and also connectivity for secure, mission-critical communications. With advancements in small satellite technology, what kinds of improvements could SmallSat bring to existing solutions? What kinds of innovative new solutions might materialize? How do SmallSat operators work with government partners?
 
Speaker: TBD
Speaker: TBD
 
5:15 p.m.
Concluding Remarks
 
The first 100 registrations qualify for a $200 discount on the standard event admission—take advantage of this saving and register today at this direct link…
 
To register, please visit https://www.cvent.com/d/0fqt81/4W