satsearch

We have another great testimonial from a happy satsearch user to share. Davide Roscani, Systems Engineer at Lunar Outpost, has been using our space industry supply chain platform to help build out the company's technology roadmap and mission program. Davide kindly shared the following insights about this work: --- "My feedback regarding satsearch is absolutely positive." "I find it to be extremely intuitive, even for first-time users." "The categories are well-organized, and the platform is always well-maintained." "I also appreciate the regular updates on the latest missions and products." --- A huge thank you to Davide for his comments, and for being a valued and active user of our supply chain and procurement solutions. Lunar Outpost has some really ambitious plans for the future of lunar exploration and commerce, and the space industry in general, and we're happy to support the next step in their development. Ad astra!

Satellite batteries are available from several suppliers around the world, with a variety of flight-proven options for different form factors and power system requirements. But if you assess systems from even just a handful of manufacturers, you'll quickly see that information is shared quite differently from one company to the next. To help you speed up this process, here are some areas where you might see satellite battery datasheets describing the same property in different ways: 🔋 Nominal values - important characteristics such as capacity or operational lifetime may be quoted as 'rated' or 'nominal' values - ensure that you check what the testing or operational conditions were when these figures are recorded. This should include the temperature and amount of discharge relative to total capacity, e.g. C/5. 🪫 Battery capacity - in datasheets you may see battery capacity shared as ampere-hours (Ah) or watt-hours (Wh or Whr) - ensure you compare apples to apples when looking at this figure. 🛠️ Mission customization options - although a battery is a fairly standard system, there are several aspects that suppliers usually tailor for different missions, such as connectors, harnesses, shielding, and cabling options, as well as the number and arrangement of the cells. Ensure that you understand what options are available as well as what configuration you are assessing in the datasheet. ⚡ Discharge rate - this may be given as a maximum value or a recommended value, so you'll need to check which the datasheet is referring to. The discharge rate may also be given in amperes (A) or as fraction of the nominal capacity in a certain time. 🛰️ Cycle life during a mission - battery cycle lives can be shared in several ways, but the values given should ideally cover storage, AIT periods, and in-orbit operations, along with details on operating temperature ranges, and orbits in each of those phases. These are just some of the areas where we see similar concepts being shared in different ways in marketing and communication. Hope this helps a little in your next search for a satellite battery!

I'm very pleased to share a lovely testimonial that we received from a satsearch user this week. Mohamed Mahmoud Harhash is R&D Space Systems Engineer at Do-Launch - a space sustainability company based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Do-Launch is developing a new generation of de-orbiting systems for satellites and is supported by the Saudi Arabian Communications, Space & Technology Commission (CST). Mohamed is one of the engineers at Do-Launch who has been relying on the satsearch supply chain platform to assess options on the global market - and shared the following about his experience: --- I’ve found satsearch to be a really valuable resource for exploring space products and services. The open access to datasheets, CAD models, and procurement options makes it a fantastic tool for streamlining research and supplier interactions. --- We'd like to thank Mohamed, and the Do-Launch team, for their kind words, and use of the satsearch platform, and wish them all the best in the next phase of development. Ad astra!

The complementary assessment scale to TRL for CubeSat and smallsat thrusters. With so many thruster providers and systems available on the market, it is very important for engineers to be able to properly assess their heritage during mission planning. To begin your search for a propulsion unit for your next CubeSat or small satellite, we've collated detailed technical information from dozens of satsearch Trusted Suppliers here in this open resource: https://lnkd.in/gsAbs3U7 (featuring thrusters by IENAI SPACE AAC Clyde Space ECAPS Liftero RAFAEL SPACE Bradford Space ENPULSION and Pale Blue). As you review the options on the market, keep in mind how best to assess the readiness of each of them. To help, this year's NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration State-of-the-Art of Small Spacecraft Technology report argues that the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) framework alone isn't adequate for determining thruster readiness because: (a) it requires in-depth knowledge of the hardware (that can difficult to acquire from outside the supplier's business), and (b) it doesn't take enough account of end-user applications - e.g. a TRL CubeSat thruster operating in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) may be untested, and therefore at a lower TRL, for geo-synchronous orbit (GEO). The authors propose a complementary method for assessing thruster heritage names Progress Toward Mission Infusion (PMI) - consisting of 4 categories described below, along with estimates of the equivalent TRL value: 📃 Concept (C) - feasibility study phase, possibly including notional designs (TRL 1-3). 🛠️ In-Development (D) - prototype or fully developed system phase, but for hardware for which no specific mission has yet been publicly announced. Such thrusters therefore have not been fully qualified or integrated ready for use in orbit (TRL 4-5). 🛰️ Engineering-to-Flight (E) - thrusters that do have a publicly announced mission or flight opportunity. Such systems are therefore undergoing (or have completed) mission-specific qualification and calibration ready fopr flight (TRL 5-6). 🚀 Flight-Demonstrated (F) - thrusters that have been part of a genuine mission, or another form of robust and successful technology demonstration. Such missions have been publicly announced and described, and took place in a specific target environment and on an appropriate platform (TRL 7-9). In practice both the TRL and PMI scales can be used to determine the potential suitability of an in-space propulsion solution to meet your mission goals. They may involve a few extra steps in the trade study or sourcing conversation (something we can help you with!) but the reduction in risk and increase in performance will be worth it. Ad astra!