Biz Briefs: Embedded Ventures Launches $100M Fund, Voyager Space Raises $80M, Ovzon Switches to Falcon 9 & More (Image Credit: Payload)
Also news about Airbus, Synspective, Insight Terra and Xplore
Embedded Ventures $100 Million Fund
Los Angeles-based Embedded Ventures has launched a $100 million fund to provide venture capital to commercial and national security companies, with a particular focus on the space sector.
Jordan Noone and Jenna Bryant are Embedded Ventures general partners. Noone is a co-founder of Relativity Space, which is building a 3D printed launch vehicle.
Voyager Space Raises $80.2 Million
Voyager Space has raised $80.2 million in new investment to continue development of the private Starlab space station.
The company’s filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) does not identify the funders. TechCrunch reports that they included NewSpace Capital, Midway Venture Partners, Industrious Ventures and Seraphim Space.
Starlab is a partnership of Voyager Space, Nanoracks, Lockheed Martin and Airbus. NASA awarded $160 million to Nanoracks to support development of Starlab. NASA also awarded $130 million to Blue Origin and $125.6 million to Northrop Grumman to develop their own space stations.
Ovzon Switches Launch to Falcon 9
Ovzon AB has shifted the launch of the company’s first satellite from an Arianespace Ariane 6 to a SpaceX Falcon 9 due to production delays by spacecraft manufacturer Maxar Technologies.
“Due to the delays in the production of the Ovzon 3 satellite, the company has been engaged with the current launch provider Arianespace to find a new launch opportunity, which Arianespace ultimately could not accommodate,” the company said in a press release. “Accordingly, Ovzon has finalized an agreement with SpaceX to ensure flexibility and the most optimal timing to launch the satellite when it is ready for liftoff. Ovzon 3 will be launched by a flight-proven Falcon 9 rocket later this year from Cape Canaveral, Florida.”
The launch of the Ovzon 3 communications satellite is now targeted between July and September 2023.
Airbus to Provide UHF Communications to Belgian Military
Airbus will provide tactical satellite communications services to the Belgian Ministry of Defence for a 15-year period. The Armed Forces will utilize channels of Airbus’ Ultra High Frequency military communications hosted payload on board a commercial telecommunications satellite manufactured by Airbus.
“With this new UHF payload, Airbus will be able to offer a new UHF communications service, scheduled for launch in 2024, to the armed forces, particularly those of European countries and NATO allies” said Eric Even, head of Marketing and Sales, Connected Intelligence, at Airbus Defence and Space.
Synspective, Insight Terra to Provide Monitoring for Mining Industry
Tokyo-based Synspective and Insight Terra of London are teaming up to provide space-enabled data and monitoring solution for the mining industry. The service will combine data from Synspective’s synthetic aperture radar satellites with ground sensors to monitor mining facilities.
Insight Terra is a London based start-up that provides cloud-based environmental and infrastructure risk management platform and solutions.
Xplore Receives NOAA Remote Sensing License
Xplore has received a remote sensing license for the company’s XCRAFT satellite from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The multi-sensor spacecraft is scheduled for launch later this year.
Xplore will offer hyperspectral imaging data, high-resolution video, and unique ultraviolet data products for Earth observation, space domain awareness and astronomy applications. Advanced data products will be offered by fusing data from a diverse set of imagers. The hyperspectral imagery will be offered at 2-meter and 5-meter resolution over dozens of contiguous bands.
