Turning the tide to address the immediate global need to augment space sustainability & security
Montreal January 8th, 2024 – NorthStar Earth & Space Inc. (“NorthStar”), a first-in-class leader in the delivery of space-based commercial Space Situational Awareness (SSA) services to enhance space sustainability and security, today announces the launch window of the first four of its SSA satellites with Rocket Lab from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand for the “Four Of A Kind” mission no earlier than 18th January between 06:15-07:00 UTC.
The launch is the result of intense collaboration between NorthStar and its space industry leading partners that includes global provider of space-based data, analytics and space services Spire Global, launch service provider Rocket Lab and mission integration and deployment specialists Exolaunch.
NorthStar’s commercial, space-based SSA service will provide “always on” continuous monitoring of resident space objects (RSO’s) in near-Earth LEO, MEO, and GEO. NorthStar’s unique services will include manoeuvre detection, conjunction warning, and anomaly detection at a higher level of speed and precision than previously available from conventional systems. The company’s planned flight of 12 satellites by 2026 will increase coverage to greater than 60% of the near-Earth orbital sky at any given time and up to 100%, when used in collaboration with other sensors.
“NorthStar has patiently invested in the realization of an unprecedented turnkey SSA service designed to outperform the challenges of space congestion and security in space that are mounting exponentially every day,” emphasized Stewart Bain CEO and Founder of NorthStar. “This has been years in the making and NorthStar has benefited greatly from our ability to adapt with our partners at Spire, Rocket Lab, & Exolaunch and lessons learned with exposure to numerous Sprint Advanced Concept Training (SACT) exercises sponsored by the US Departments of Defence and Commerce, as well as frequent collaboration with a wide range of government and commercial partners in the US and Europe including Thales Alenia Space and Telespazio of the Space Alliance.”
The upcoming launch of NorthStar’s space situational awareness constellation symbolizes both a technological achievement and a reflection of how collaboration can have a significant impact on the sustainability of space,” said Peter Platzer, Spire Global CEO. “Through our Space as a Service model, we are proud to enable companies like NorthStar to bring to market solutions that address our biggest challenges on Earth and advance our understanding of space.”
Rocket Lab founder and CEO, Peter Beck, says: “Accurate space object detection and collision avoidance requires SSA satellites in exact locations, and that kind of precise orbital deployment for small satellites is made possible by our Electron rocket. We’re delighted to help make NorthStar’s space-monitoring mission a reality with our dedicated launch service on Electron.”
NorthStar views the launch of its first dedicated SSA satellites as part of a movement towards an era of space safety, sustainability, and security, radically changing our interaction with space. Stewart Bain has a clear vision and commitment: “NorthStar is proud to be at the forefront of this transformative movement, working with our partners in the space community to set a new standard for responsible and innovative operations that will serve to ensure for all the benefits of the space economy and a sustainable space environment.”
About NorthStar:
NorthStar Earth & Space was founded in 2015 by Telesystem, based in Montreal, and KinetX, a specialized engineering firm located in Arizona. It has 70 employees, including 50 in Canada. NorthStar is the first commercial service to monitor near-Earth orbits from space.
NorthStar’s precise information services identify and anticipate the position of space objects to enhance spaceflight safety. With headquarters in Montreal, Canada, a European headquarters in Luxembourg, and a dedicated US operation in McLean, Virginia, NorthStar addresses the ever-growing threat of space collisions as a major contribution to empower humanity to preserve our planet.
For more information about NorthStar, visit northstar-data.com.
For media inquiries, please contact ignacio.cires@northstar-data.com
About Spire Global, Inc.
Spire (NYSE: SPIR) is a global provider of space-based data, analytics and space services, offering unique datasets and powerful insights about Earth so that organizations can make decisions with confidence in a rapidly changing world. Spire builds, owns, and operates a fully deployed satellite constellation that observes the Earth in real time using radio frequency technology. The data acquired by Spire’s satellites provides global weather intelligence, ship and plane movements, and spoofing and jamming detection to better predict how their patterns impact economies, global security, business operations and the environment. Spire also offers Space as a Service solutions that empower customers to leverage its established infrastructure to put their business in space. Spire has nine offices across the U.S., Canada, UK, Luxembourg, Germany and Singapore. To learn more, visit spire.com.
