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Urban Movement Labs Announces Partnership with Overair to Bolster eVTOL Infrastructure in Los Angeles

Overair | May 18, 2022

Urban Movement
Urban Movement Labs announced a new partnership with Overair, an electric vertical takeoff and landing company, to bring urban air mobility to the greater Los Angeles metro area. Overair joins a growing Urban Air Mobility Partnership led by UML. The partnership will focus on community, government, and industry engagement to ensure a collaborative approach to implementing safe, equitable, convenient, and sustainable urban air mobility technology.

Overair will work with UML and the Urban Air Mobility Partnership to explore operational and infrastructure development considerations. Additionally, Overair will help study the noise impacts of eVTOL vehicles and support community engagement efforts to plan workforce and economic development opportunities within the new UAM industry.

Overair aims to position their groundbreaking eVTOL vehicle "Butterfly" as an alternative transportation choice within metropolitan areas. Each Butterfly will carry up to six people (five passengers and a pilot), or 1100 pounds of cargo, and will be able to travel distances of approximately 100 miles and speeds up to 200 mph while being powered by clean all-electric propulsion. Based in Orange County, California, Overair's rapidly growing team plans to initiate commercial operations in 2026.

"Our partnership with Urban Movement Labs is a step forward on our path to future operations. The Los Angeles metro area can benefit greatly from advanced air mobility, given the increased travel times in Southern California on a daily basis. Working together with UML on planning efforts grounded in community engagement, we're on the path to providing reliable, affordable, equitable, and sustainable transportation options to the city of Los Angeles and surrounding areas."

Ben Tigner, CEO, and Co-Founder of Overair

"We are proud to partner with Overair and welcome them to the Urban Air Mobility Partnership. We're excited for opportunities to leverage their current technology to engage and inform the communities of Los Angeles on aspects of future UAM operations," said Sam Morrissey, Executive Director at Urban Movement Labs. "As a local Southern California company, Overair shares with us the values of planning a safe, equitable, and sustainable urban air mobility future, which will allow UML to further advance our mission and the goals of the UAM Partnership."

Overair and UML will begin work immediately to discuss creating infrastructure and progress in the Los Angeles area in conjunction with other companies within the partnership.

About Overair
Overair is positioned to be a global leader in advanced air mobility. Spun out of Karem Aircraft in 2020, the Santa Ana, CA based company announced the design of its vehicle, Butterfly, in 2021. Butterfly is a breakthrough electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft. Butterfly's proprietary technologies, derived from the Overair team's decades of aerospace experience, create critical power reserves using today's commercially available battery cells, which translate into advances in safety and a superior experience for passengers and communities. With eVTOL adoption revolutionizing urban mobility, Butterfly is positioned to set the bar on real-world dependability, with best-in-class payload, noise emissions and weather capability. Overair has operating partnerships with companies such as Hanwha Systems and Bristow Group, and the team completed its full-scale propulsion testing in the first quarter of 2022.

About Urban Movement Labs
Urban Movement Labs is a first-of-its-kind mobility-innovation organization that links government, businesses, and community members to innovative technology solutions to help solve transportation challenges in the City of Los Angeles and beyond. UML is committed to a community-first approach and ensuring that mobility innovations help build safe, equitable, and sustainable cities.

Spotlight

Uh Oh: The Airbus A321XLR's Gamechanging Range Looks Like It Will Be Reduced

The range of the Airbus A321XLR could be reduced up to 200 nautical miles (370 kilometers) following an agreement between Airbus and European regulators on design safeguards needed to achieve certification. Let’s look at the details of this disappointing news in today’s video.


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Aviation Technology

Joby Subsidiary H2FLY Completes World’s First Piloted Flight of Liquid Hydrogen Powered Electric Aircraft

businesswire | September 14, 2023

H2FLY, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Joby Aviation, today announced the successful completion of the world’s first piloted flight of a liquid hydrogen-powered electric aircraft. H2FLY, acquired by Joby in 2021, continues to lead the industry on the development and testing of hydrogen aviation propulsion systems. The company completed a series of piloted flights with its HY4 demonstrator aircraft, including one that lasted more than three hours, fitted with a hydrogen-electric fuel cell propulsion system and liquid hydrogen that powered it for the entire flight. The flights demonstrate the viability of using cryogenically-stored liquid hydrogen instead of gaseous hydrogen, which enables significantly lower tank weights and volume, leading to longer range. The successful installation and demonstration of flight with liquid hydrogen is believed to increase the range of H2FLY’s HY4 demonstrator aircraft from 466 mi (750 km) to 932 mi (1500 km), marking a critical step towards the long-term decarbonization of mid- to long-range aviation. “H2FLY are pioneers in their field, and we’re proud of them achieving this watershed moment in the use of liquid hydrogen to power aircraft,” said JoeBen Bevirt, Founder and CEO of Joby Aviation. “In the years to come, battery-electric and hydrogen-electric propulsion systems will enable us to build aircraft that are quieter and make mid- to long-range air travel possible with zero emissions. It’s critical we take action now and invest aggressively in these technologies for the health of our planet and future generations to come.” The successful flights are the culmination of Project HEAVEN, a European-government-supported consortium assembled to demonstrate the feasibility of using liquid hydrogen in aircraft. The consortium is led by H2FLY and includes the partners Air Liquide, Pipistrel Vertical Solutions, the German Aerospace Center (DLR), EKPO Fuel Cell Technologies, and Fundación Ayesa. Following this test flight milestone, H2FLY will increasingly focus on its path to commercialization. In June, H2FLY announced the development of its new fuel cell systems, which will be capable of providing their full power range at altitudes high enough to enable commercial hydrogen-electric aircraft, demonstrating real-world commercial aircraft applications. About Joby Joby Aviation, Inc. is a California-based transportation company developing an all-electric, vertical take-off and landing air taxi which it intends to operate as part of a fast, quiet, and convenient service in cities around the world.

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Aviation Technology

Wheels Up Finalizes New Investment with Delta, Certares, Knighthead and Cox

Wheels Up | September 26, 2023

Wheels Up Experience (NYSE: UP) today announced that it has closed the previously announced investment by Delta Air Lines, Certares Management LLC, Knighthead Capital Management LLC and Cox Enterprises. The new investment structure combines the experience of Delta, the No. 1 premium airline, with the travel and tourism focus of Certares and turnaround and restructuring experience of Knighthead. It includes an agreement for a $500 million credit facility to Wheels Up, with funds contributed by Delta and CK Wheels LLC, which is co-managed by affiliates of Certares and Knighthead, and Cox. The announcement follows last week's selection of George Mattson as the company's new CEO. "This investment represents both an important source of capital for Wheels Up to support our strategy for financial stability, future profitability and long-term growth on behalf of our members and customers, as well as a vote of confidence in our path forward from a group of investors with deep experience in the premium travel space," Mattson said. "We look forward to working closely with Delta and our other investors to deliver best-in-class operating performance and an exceptional customer experience which, as we deepen our commercial partnership, will also enable us to provide a one-of-a-kind seamless connection between private and premium commercial travel." "Wheels Up is an integral part of Delta's portfolio of premium partners, and this deep relationship offers a significant opportunity to deliver compelling benefits to our customers that are unique in the travel space," said Dan Janki, Wheels Up Chairman and Delta's Chief Financial Officer. "This investment and new leadership puts Wheels Up on a strong path to future success." The credit facility is comprised of a $350 million term loan funded at closing from Delta, CK Wheels LLC and Cox and a $100 million revolving credit facility from Delta. The terms of the credit agreement permit a new lender to provide a $50 million term loan after the closing date, as approved by Delta, Certares, Knighthead and Cox, and it is anticipated this additional funding will close in the near term. In connection with the closing of the credit facility, the lenders will initially receive newly issued Wheels Up common stock representing 80% of the company's outstanding equity as of the closing of the credit facility, on a fully diluted basis. After approval by Wheels Up's stockholders of an amendment to its certificate of incorporation, the company will issue to the lenders additional new shares such that the lenders will own 95% of the company's outstanding equity as of the closing of the credit facility, on a fully diluted basis. Wheels Up also announced a new structure for its Board of Directors. Under the new structure, Delta Air Lines will appoint four directors, Certares and Knighthead each will appoint two directors, and Cox will appoint one director. In addition, one company executive will join the Board and two independent directors are expected to remain from the previous Board. The parties were assisted in the transaction by a number of strategic advisors, including: Davis Polk, Jefferies LLC, Kirkland & Ellis and PJT Partners. About Wheels Up Wheels Up is a leading provider of on-demand private aviation in the U.S. and one of the largest private aviation companies in the world. Wheels Up offers a complete global aviation solution with a large, modern, and diverse fleet, backed by an uncompromising commitment to safety and service. Customers can access membership programs, charter, aircraft management services and whole aircraft sales, as well as unique commercial travel benefits through a strategic partnership with Delta Air Lines. Wheels Up also offers freight, safety and security solutions and managed services to individuals, industry, government, and civil organizations. Wheels Up is guided by the mission to connect private flyers to aircraft, and one another, through an open platform that seamlessly enables life's most important experiences. Powered by a global private aviation marketplace connecting its base of approximately 12,000 members and customers to a network of approximately 1,500 safety-vetted and verified private aircraft, Wheels Up is widening the aperture of private travel for millions of consumers globally. With the Wheels Up mobile app and website, members and customers have the digital convenience to search, book and fly.

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Air Transport

Capella Federal Awarded Contract for Proliferated Low Earth Orbit Satellite-Based Services by U.S. Space Systems Command

PRnewswire | August 22, 2023

Capella Federal, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Capella Space, has announced an award for the Proliferated Low Earth Orbit Satellite-Based Services (PLEO) contract through U.S. Space Systems Command (SSC). With this award, Capella will be able to partner more quickly with SSC and the U.S. Space Force to broaden access to global 24/7, all-weather imagery for key missions. This award makes Capella one of the first commercial earth observation companies to work with a new government commercial satellite services procurement model intended to leverage advanced, commercial technologies to boost U.S. resilience in space. The period of performance spans five years from July 2023 to July 2028, with an additional five-year option. "As the first American company to own and operate a commercial SAR constellation, we are excited to expand our collaboration with the U.S. government," said Payam Banazadeh, CEO and founder of Capella Space. "Through this award, we will be able to provide more timely, high-resolution SAR data to support U.S. Space Force missions through our rapidly growing constellation." The contract was awarded by the U.S. Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) through the Commercial Satellite Communications Office (CSCO), a central marketplace for SATCOM services operated by Space Systems Command (SSC), a field command of the U.S. Space Force. About Capella Space Capella Space is an American space tech company with data and satellite solutions for government and commercial use. A pioneer in the Earth observation industry, Capella is the first U.S. company with a constellation of Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellites, delivering the highest quality and resolution SAR imagery available today. Capella provides easy access to frequent and timely information affecting dozens of industries worldwide, including defense and intelligence, supply chain, insurance, maritime and others. Its market-leading SAR satellites are matched with unparalleled data infrastructure to quickly deliver reliable global insights to sharpen our understanding of the changing world – improving decisions about commerce, conservation, and security on Earth. Headquartered in San Francisco, California with additional locations in Denver, Colorado and Washington, D.C., Capella's satellites are operated, designed, and manufactured in the USA. About Capella Federal Capella Federal is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Capella Space that supports U.S. government and defense agency customers by providing expanded access to Capella's Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) imagery with increased security and continued on-demand reliability. Capella Federal tailors the delivery of SAR imagery specifically to meet the heightened security and facility clearance needs of its U.S. government, defense, and intelligence customers at scale. With Capella's technology, government agencies can gather data and images of Earth in any weather, any time of day or night. This increased specialized access allows them to continue to have eyes on the ground, informing mission-critical decisions around national security and enabling greater global transparency.

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Air Transport

SpeQtral Announces Kongsberg Nano-Avionics and Mbryonics as Key Partners for SpeQtral-1 Mission

PRnewswire | August 21, 2023

SpeQtral, a leading quantum communication technology company, is thrilled to unveil the collaboration with Kongsberg NanoAvionics (NanoAvionics) and Mbryonics for the upcoming SpeQtral-1 mission. NanoAvionics has been chosen as the satellite platform provider, while Mbryonics will take on the crucial role of the satellite optical terminal provider. NanoAvionics, a prominent player in the new-space industry, has been chosen as CubeSat satellite platform provider for the mission. With their consistent track record of building and successfully launching satellite missions, NanoAvionics brings invaluable expertise and an impressive portfolio of accomplishments. Mbryonics has been selected to develop the optical terminal that transmits the QKD photons from the SpeQtral quantum hardware to optical ground stations. Mbryonics demonstrates remarkable potential with their ever growing capabilities in space photonics. Their past contract win from Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) showcases their abilities and commitment to pushing boundaries. The SpeQtral-1 mission will be SpeQtral's second quantum key distribution (QKD) satellite. The mission follows the SpeQtre technology demonstrator mission, itself built on technologies demonstrated on the 2019 SpooQy-1 CubeSat. Leveraging the technical expertise of NanoAvionics and Mbryonics' state-of-the-art optical terminal hardware, SpeQtral-1 will serve as a pathfinder commercial demonstrator, defining future QKD services. It is also slated to be used alongside SpeQtre as the space segment for the ESA INT-UQKD programme, which will explore international use cases for QKD. This endeavour showcases the ability of industry leaders to join forces across continents, transcending geographical boundaries, and fostering an environment of global cooperation. Rob Bedington, CTO of SpeQtral, expressed his enthusiasm for the partnerships: "We are thrilled that NanoAvionics and Mbryonics have taken up the challenge of collaborating on this groundbreaking, state-of-the-art mission. Making a laser comms mission is no easy feat, and integrating QKD takes the challenge to a whole new level! Our partners' expertise and capabilities tesselate perfectly with our own and our vision of Quantum-safe keys delivered by CubeSats; we look forward to building the future of global secure connectivity together." Co-Founder and CEO, Lum Chune Yang, conveyed his anticipation for the SpeQtral-1 mission: "The SpeQtral-1 mission offers promising business prospects, enabling SpeQtral-delivered QKD services and serving as a reference for future QKD satellite products. The Quantum-Optical Terminal, a joint effort of SpeQtral and Mbryonics, presents a compact QKD and laser communications transmitter product ready for integration into satellites of all sizes. This will pave the way for organisations or sovereign nations with quantum security requirements to incorporate this cutting edge product into their bespoke satellite missions." The mission has made steady progress with key milestones already achieved. The Optical Terminal & Quantum Payload Preliminary Design Reviews (PDR) were completed in 2022. SpeQtral-1's payload and mission CDR were also completed earlier this year. The team is moving ahead with EM tests and integration to conduct spacecraft level functional tests. "We at NanoAvionics are proud to be part of the SpeQtral-1 mission alongside SpeQtral and Mbryonics," said Vytenis J. Buzas, CEO of NanoAvionics. "This collaboration signifies a critical step into the quantum era, promising revolutionary enhancements to secure communications. Leveraging our experience in swiftly delivering in-orbit demonstration missions with our modular smallsat platforms, we're prepared to navigate the future of quantum communications. Our partnership transcends borders, echoing the power of global cooperation in pioneering technological advancements." "We are deeply honoured that SpeQtral has chosen Mbryonics as their optical communications technology partner for this groundbreaking SpeQtral-1 mission," said John Mackey, CEO at Mbryonics. "This project represents a significant step towards building a more secure world, and we are excited to contribute our expertise and advanced solutions to make it a reality. With a shared vision of pushing the boundaries of quantum communication, Mbryonics, NanoAvionics and SpeQtral have embarked on a remarkable journey to revolutionize secure communication channels through quantum key distribution (QKD). SpeQtral's trust in our expertise and technology is a testament to the relentless pursuit of innovation and excellence that drives both our organizations. Our team of dedicated engineers and experts have poured their passion and knowledge into developing a cutting-edge solution that promises to set new benchmarks in secure and unbreakable communication." SpeQtral remains committed to driving advancements in the quantum communication industry through strategic collaborations. By leveraging the expertise and strengths of their partners, SpeQtral continues to pioneer the development of secure and scalable quantum solutions that will shape the future of secure communication. About SpeQtral: SpeQtral is a pioneer in quantum communications, with a vision to build and deploy global quantum networks. SpeQtral develops quantum-secure products and services designed to protect sovereign and enterprise telecommunication networks against classical, as well as future quantum based cyber-attacks. Combining both terrestrial and space-based solutions, SpeQtral aims to secure the world's networks against the threats posed by the imminent quantum revolution and drive innovation in quantum communications that will serve as the building blocks for the future quantum internet.

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Aviation Technology

Joby Subsidiary H2FLY Completes World’s First Piloted Flight of Liquid Hydrogen Powered Electric Aircraft

businesswire | September 14, 2023

H2FLY, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Joby Aviation, today announced the successful completion of the world’s first piloted flight of a liquid hydrogen-powered electric aircraft. H2FLY, acquired by Joby in 2021, continues to lead the industry on the development and testing of hydrogen aviation propulsion systems. The company completed a series of piloted flights with its HY4 demonstrator aircraft, including one that lasted more than three hours, fitted with a hydrogen-electric fuel cell propulsion system and liquid hydrogen that powered it for the entire flight. The flights demonstrate the viability of using cryogenically-stored liquid hydrogen instead of gaseous hydrogen, which enables significantly lower tank weights and volume, leading to longer range. The successful installation and demonstration of flight with liquid hydrogen is believed to increase the range of H2FLY’s HY4 demonstrator aircraft from 466 mi (750 km) to 932 mi (1500 km), marking a critical step towards the long-term decarbonization of mid- to long-range aviation. “H2FLY are pioneers in their field, and we’re proud of them achieving this watershed moment in the use of liquid hydrogen to power aircraft,” said JoeBen Bevirt, Founder and CEO of Joby Aviation. “In the years to come, battery-electric and hydrogen-electric propulsion systems will enable us to build aircraft that are quieter and make mid- to long-range air travel possible with zero emissions. It’s critical we take action now and invest aggressively in these technologies for the health of our planet and future generations to come.” The successful flights are the culmination of Project HEAVEN, a European-government-supported consortium assembled to demonstrate the feasibility of using liquid hydrogen in aircraft. The consortium is led by H2FLY and includes the partners Air Liquide, Pipistrel Vertical Solutions, the German Aerospace Center (DLR), EKPO Fuel Cell Technologies, and Fundación Ayesa. Following this test flight milestone, H2FLY will increasingly focus on its path to commercialization. In June, H2FLY announced the development of its new fuel cell systems, which will be capable of providing their full power range at altitudes high enough to enable commercial hydrogen-electric aircraft, demonstrating real-world commercial aircraft applications. About Joby Joby Aviation, Inc. is a California-based transportation company developing an all-electric, vertical take-off and landing air taxi which it intends to operate as part of a fast, quiet, and convenient service in cities around the world.

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Aviation Technology

Wheels Up Finalizes New Investment with Delta, Certares, Knighthead and Cox

Wheels Up | September 26, 2023

Wheels Up Experience (NYSE: UP) today announced that it has closed the previously announced investment by Delta Air Lines, Certares Management LLC, Knighthead Capital Management LLC and Cox Enterprises. The new investment structure combines the experience of Delta, the No. 1 premium airline, with the travel and tourism focus of Certares and turnaround and restructuring experience of Knighthead. It includes an agreement for a $500 million credit facility to Wheels Up, with funds contributed by Delta and CK Wheels LLC, which is co-managed by affiliates of Certares and Knighthead, and Cox. The announcement follows last week's selection of George Mattson as the company's new CEO. "This investment represents both an important source of capital for Wheels Up to support our strategy for financial stability, future profitability and long-term growth on behalf of our members and customers, as well as a vote of confidence in our path forward from a group of investors with deep experience in the premium travel space," Mattson said. "We look forward to working closely with Delta and our other investors to deliver best-in-class operating performance and an exceptional customer experience which, as we deepen our commercial partnership, will also enable us to provide a one-of-a-kind seamless connection between private and premium commercial travel." "Wheels Up is an integral part of Delta's portfolio of premium partners, and this deep relationship offers a significant opportunity to deliver compelling benefits to our customers that are unique in the travel space," said Dan Janki, Wheels Up Chairman and Delta's Chief Financial Officer. "This investment and new leadership puts Wheels Up on a strong path to future success." The credit facility is comprised of a $350 million term loan funded at closing from Delta, CK Wheels LLC and Cox and a $100 million revolving credit facility from Delta. The terms of the credit agreement permit a new lender to provide a $50 million term loan after the closing date, as approved by Delta, Certares, Knighthead and Cox, and it is anticipated this additional funding will close in the near term. In connection with the closing of the credit facility, the lenders will initially receive newly issued Wheels Up common stock representing 80% of the company's outstanding equity as of the closing of the credit facility, on a fully diluted basis. After approval by Wheels Up's stockholders of an amendment to its certificate of incorporation, the company will issue to the lenders additional new shares such that the lenders will own 95% of the company's outstanding equity as of the closing of the credit facility, on a fully diluted basis. Wheels Up also announced a new structure for its Board of Directors. Under the new structure, Delta Air Lines will appoint four directors, Certares and Knighthead each will appoint two directors, and Cox will appoint one director. In addition, one company executive will join the Board and two independent directors are expected to remain from the previous Board. The parties were assisted in the transaction by a number of strategic advisors, including: Davis Polk, Jefferies LLC, Kirkland & Ellis and PJT Partners. About Wheels Up Wheels Up is a leading provider of on-demand private aviation in the U.S. and one of the largest private aviation companies in the world. Wheels Up offers a complete global aviation solution with a large, modern, and diverse fleet, backed by an uncompromising commitment to safety and service. Customers can access membership programs, charter, aircraft management services and whole aircraft sales, as well as unique commercial travel benefits through a strategic partnership with Delta Air Lines. Wheels Up also offers freight, safety and security solutions and managed services to individuals, industry, government, and civil organizations. Wheels Up is guided by the mission to connect private flyers to aircraft, and one another, through an open platform that seamlessly enables life's most important experiences. Powered by a global private aviation marketplace connecting its base of approximately 12,000 members and customers to a network of approximately 1,500 safety-vetted and verified private aircraft, Wheels Up is widening the aperture of private travel for millions of consumers globally. With the Wheels Up mobile app and website, members and customers have the digital convenience to search, book and fly.

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Air Transport

Capella Federal Awarded Contract for Proliferated Low Earth Orbit Satellite-Based Services by U.S. Space Systems Command

PRnewswire | August 22, 2023

Capella Federal, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Capella Space, has announced an award for the Proliferated Low Earth Orbit Satellite-Based Services (PLEO) contract through U.S. Space Systems Command (SSC). With this award, Capella will be able to partner more quickly with SSC and the U.S. Space Force to broaden access to global 24/7, all-weather imagery for key missions. This award makes Capella one of the first commercial earth observation companies to work with a new government commercial satellite services procurement model intended to leverage advanced, commercial technologies to boost U.S. resilience in space. The period of performance spans five years from July 2023 to July 2028, with an additional five-year option. "As the first American company to own and operate a commercial SAR constellation, we are excited to expand our collaboration with the U.S. government," said Payam Banazadeh, CEO and founder of Capella Space. "Through this award, we will be able to provide more timely, high-resolution SAR data to support U.S. Space Force missions through our rapidly growing constellation." The contract was awarded by the U.S. Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) through the Commercial Satellite Communications Office (CSCO), a central marketplace for SATCOM services operated by Space Systems Command (SSC), a field command of the U.S. Space Force. About Capella Space Capella Space is an American space tech company with data and satellite solutions for government and commercial use. A pioneer in the Earth observation industry, Capella is the first U.S. company with a constellation of Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellites, delivering the highest quality and resolution SAR imagery available today. Capella provides easy access to frequent and timely information affecting dozens of industries worldwide, including defense and intelligence, supply chain, insurance, maritime and others. Its market-leading SAR satellites are matched with unparalleled data infrastructure to quickly deliver reliable global insights to sharpen our understanding of the changing world – improving decisions about commerce, conservation, and security on Earth. Headquartered in San Francisco, California with additional locations in Denver, Colorado and Washington, D.C., Capella's satellites are operated, designed, and manufactured in the USA. About Capella Federal Capella Federal is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Capella Space that supports U.S. government and defense agency customers by providing expanded access to Capella's Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) imagery with increased security and continued on-demand reliability. Capella Federal tailors the delivery of SAR imagery specifically to meet the heightened security and facility clearance needs of its U.S. government, defense, and intelligence customers at scale. With Capella's technology, government agencies can gather data and images of Earth in any weather, any time of day or night. This increased specialized access allows them to continue to have eyes on the ground, informing mission-critical decisions around national security and enabling greater global transparency.

Read More

Air Transport

SpeQtral Announces Kongsberg Nano-Avionics and Mbryonics as Key Partners for SpeQtral-1 Mission

PRnewswire | August 21, 2023

SpeQtral, a leading quantum communication technology company, is thrilled to unveil the collaboration with Kongsberg NanoAvionics (NanoAvionics) and Mbryonics for the upcoming SpeQtral-1 mission. NanoAvionics has been chosen as the satellite platform provider, while Mbryonics will take on the crucial role of the satellite optical terminal provider. NanoAvionics, a prominent player in the new-space industry, has been chosen as CubeSat satellite platform provider for the mission. With their consistent track record of building and successfully launching satellite missions, NanoAvionics brings invaluable expertise and an impressive portfolio of accomplishments. Mbryonics has been selected to develop the optical terminal that transmits the QKD photons from the SpeQtral quantum hardware to optical ground stations. Mbryonics demonstrates remarkable potential with their ever growing capabilities in space photonics. Their past contract win from Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) showcases their abilities and commitment to pushing boundaries. The SpeQtral-1 mission will be SpeQtral's second quantum key distribution (QKD) satellite. The mission follows the SpeQtre technology demonstrator mission, itself built on technologies demonstrated on the 2019 SpooQy-1 CubeSat. Leveraging the technical expertise of NanoAvionics and Mbryonics' state-of-the-art optical terminal hardware, SpeQtral-1 will serve as a pathfinder commercial demonstrator, defining future QKD services. It is also slated to be used alongside SpeQtre as the space segment for the ESA INT-UQKD programme, which will explore international use cases for QKD. This endeavour showcases the ability of industry leaders to join forces across continents, transcending geographical boundaries, and fostering an environment of global cooperation. Rob Bedington, CTO of SpeQtral, expressed his enthusiasm for the partnerships: "We are thrilled that NanoAvionics and Mbryonics have taken up the challenge of collaborating on this groundbreaking, state-of-the-art mission. Making a laser comms mission is no easy feat, and integrating QKD takes the challenge to a whole new level! Our partners' expertise and capabilities tesselate perfectly with our own and our vision of Quantum-safe keys delivered by CubeSats; we look forward to building the future of global secure connectivity together." Co-Founder and CEO, Lum Chune Yang, conveyed his anticipation for the SpeQtral-1 mission: "The SpeQtral-1 mission offers promising business prospects, enabling SpeQtral-delivered QKD services and serving as a reference for future QKD satellite products. The Quantum-Optical Terminal, a joint effort of SpeQtral and Mbryonics, presents a compact QKD and laser communications transmitter product ready for integration into satellites of all sizes. This will pave the way for organisations or sovereign nations with quantum security requirements to incorporate this cutting edge product into their bespoke satellite missions." The mission has made steady progress with key milestones already achieved. The Optical Terminal & Quantum Payload Preliminary Design Reviews (PDR) were completed in 2022. SpeQtral-1's payload and mission CDR were also completed earlier this year. The team is moving ahead with EM tests and integration to conduct spacecraft level functional tests. "We at NanoAvionics are proud to be part of the SpeQtral-1 mission alongside SpeQtral and Mbryonics," said Vytenis J. Buzas, CEO of NanoAvionics. "This collaboration signifies a critical step into the quantum era, promising revolutionary enhancements to secure communications. Leveraging our experience in swiftly delivering in-orbit demonstration missions with our modular smallsat platforms, we're prepared to navigate the future of quantum communications. Our partnership transcends borders, echoing the power of global cooperation in pioneering technological advancements." "We are deeply honoured that SpeQtral has chosen Mbryonics as their optical communications technology partner for this groundbreaking SpeQtral-1 mission," said John Mackey, CEO at Mbryonics. "This project represents a significant step towards building a more secure world, and we are excited to contribute our expertise and advanced solutions to make it a reality. With a shared vision of pushing the boundaries of quantum communication, Mbryonics, NanoAvionics and SpeQtral have embarked on a remarkable journey to revolutionize secure communication channels through quantum key distribution (QKD). SpeQtral's trust in our expertise and technology is a testament to the relentless pursuit of innovation and excellence that drives both our organizations. Our team of dedicated engineers and experts have poured their passion and knowledge into developing a cutting-edge solution that promises to set new benchmarks in secure and unbreakable communication." SpeQtral remains committed to driving advancements in the quantum communication industry through strategic collaborations. By leveraging the expertise and strengths of their partners, SpeQtral continues to pioneer the development of secure and scalable quantum solutions that will shape the future of secure communication. About SpeQtral: SpeQtral is a pioneer in quantum communications, with a vision to build and deploy global quantum networks. SpeQtral develops quantum-secure products and services designed to protect sovereign and enterprise telecommunication networks against classical, as well as future quantum based cyber-attacks. Combining both terrestrial and space-based solutions, SpeQtral aims to secure the world's networks against the threats posed by the imminent quantum revolution and drive innovation in quantum communications that will serve as the building blocks for the future quantum internet.

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Spotlight

Uh Oh: The Airbus A321XLR's Gamechanging Range Looks Like It Will Be Reduced

The range of the Airbus A321XLR could be reduced up to 200 nautical miles (370 kilometers) following an agreement between Airbus and European regulators on design safeguards needed to achieve certification. Let’s look at the details of this disappointing news in today’s video.

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