NSL unveils new Black Box
An Indiana-based company called NearSpace Launch, which is known for using robots to assemble ThinSats, has developed a new Black Box that enables autonomous tracking and data relay for satellites. According to Matthew Voss, the company's chief operating officer, satellite operators need to stay connected to their satellites in order to receive crucial health and safety data, even over remote areas like the polar regions or the ocean.
The demand for Black Boxes is growing, particularly with the help of launch aggregators that allow multiple cubesats and microsatellites to travel together as secondary payloads on rocket rideshare missions. However, once in orbit, it can be challenging to distinguish individual satellites that were deployed from the same launch vehicle, especially if their onboard batteries or radios fail. Various organizations, including universities, NASA, the Defense Department, and private companies, have already purchased and flown more than 180 NSL EyeStar radios, which use the Globalstar and Iridium communications constellations to transmit data between satellites and the ground.
NearSpace Launch's new Black Box is designed to enhance the capabilities of the EyeStar radio by incorporating GPS tracking and sensors that monitor the health and safety of satellites. The Black Box is available in four sizes, is self-powered, and transmits data through Iridium Next satellites. According to NSL's chief operating officer, Matthew Voss, the Black Box is compact enough to be attached to an ESPA ring or even to cubesats for universities. With the support of the U.S. Air Force Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program, NSL has developed software that converts the GPS data collected by the Black Box into ephemeris and two-line element data. The Black Box then transmits the location data to the 18th Space Defense Squadron of the U.S. Space Command. NSL plans to launch the new Black Box with GPS and sensors in June as part of the Train-Rapid on Orbit Payload F2 mission. Under Space Force SBIR contracts, NSL is also integrating the Black Box with deorbit technology and space weather sensors.
In 2022, NearSpace Launch (NSL) demonstrated the capabilities of its EyeStar radio by successfully transmitting data through Globalstar and Iridium satellites. NSL achieved this by launching the Globalstar Experiment and Risk Reduction Satellite on a Virgin Galactic LauncherOne in January, followed by NSL's S4 Crossover on the Astra Rocket 3 in March. NSL's Train Rapid On Orbit Payload 3 was then launched into orbit by a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket in May, with the S4 Crossover and TROOP-3 radios successfully transmitting data through Iridium satellites. According to NSL's chief operating officer, Matthew Voss, the company was able to prove that the radios could still function even when a satellite is tumbling, and that critical data can still be transmitted. To keep up with the increasing demand for satellites and components, NSL moved into a new facility located in Upland, Indiana, in 2022.
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