Warpspace has completed the PDR (Preliminary Design Review) of their first satellite — WarpHub Intersat — developed for inter-satellite optical communication services, and have now confirmed that the satellite’s design is feasible, with a launch now scheduled for 2025.
The PDR is generally regarded as the “first step” in the satellite development process to check whether the satellite’s basic design meets the requirements for manufacturing and operation. In the case of private satellite development, the PDR is also an essential examination of business feasibility as the satellite is designed with a variety of customer needs and profitability in mind.
With the number of satellites orbiting the Earth estimated to rise to 40,000 to 50,000 by 2030, there is concern that the increasing number of satellites will deplete the radio frequency (RF) bandwidth. In addition, it is concerning that the development of sensor devices will make high-capacity communications highly increasing overall demands for alternative communications to radio waves.
To solve these problems, Warpspace aims to deploy WarpHub InterSat, a near, real-time, communication network service using laser light for satellites orbiting in LEO. The company is planning to realize this service’s deployment with three relay satellites in MEO as the first generation.
As the number of satellites continues to increase, competition for customers is expected to intensify. In this context, Warpspace has repeatedly held dialogues with various operators to evaluate whether WarpHub InterSat is optimally designed to solve customers’ problems and whether it can be used for business purposes, with the results reflected in the satellite’s design.
For example, a higher orbit increases the visibility time to the ground station, but it also increases the distance to the customer’s satellite, which increases the size and power requirements of the optical communication terminal. After identifying the customer and understanding its orbit, Warpspace decided to use a satellite at an altitude of 2,000 km, which is relatively lower among Medium Earth Orbits. The design was adjusted accordingly.
The following elements were generally required to complete the PDR…
(1) Optimal service to meet customer requirements for higher capacity, lower latency, and smaller terminals.
(2) Selection of appropriate equipment and trajectories to provide to customers
(3) Optimization of supply chain and manufacturing costs to maintain competitiveness and stability.
The project was conducted by a team led by experienced members with knowledge and development experience in space development and optical communications, such as Takashi Hamazaki, a former JAXA director who has led Japanese space development for many years, a past participant in a Japanese optical communications demonstration project, and an engineer with development experience at the European Space Agency (ESA). These experts’ perspectives confirmed that the basic design requirements were met and that the business feasibility of the project was assured, allowing Warpspace to move forward to the next development phase.
Warpspace will continue its development efforts with the highest priority on promptly providing optimal services to customers and market needs in the exponential growth of civil space development. Specifically, we will continue to develop for Critical Design Review (CDR) to advance more detailed design, system verification, and final manufacturing preparation.
“The PDR, which experts with solid development experience rigorously conducted, confirmed that the project is feasible not only from the standpoint of technical probability but also from the standpoint of profitability. As optical communications are increasingly in demand worldwide as a form of security, the significance of the service must continue to be widely communicated from various angles. We will continue to do our utmost to ensure the prompt realization of services best suited to the market’s needs.” — Hiromitsu Azuma, CEO, Warpspace
“By the time the PDR was completed, we had pursued the optimum orbit design and selection of communication terminals that would fit the market conditions and customer needs. With limited resources, developing a system that can constantly, quickly, and flexibly reflect fast market trends is not easy, but that is one of our strengths. We will continue to work on the development of CDR while maintaining our agile attitude of considering the possibilities and seeking the optimal design.” — Akihiro Nagata, CTO, Warpspace”