As space assets continue to change hands from exclusive government ownership to private companies, the satellite industry is seeing a growing need for cybersecurity standardization. This is especially important because the United States military is increasingly reliant on civilian space infrastructure such as launch vehicles, ground stations, and manufacturing factories. It’s unfortunate that cybersecurity is not a top priority for most businesses in any industry, although it should be. Just earlier this year, the U.S. has seen a cyber attack on Colonial Pipeline, forcing a gasoline shut off, and on a water treatment facility, briefly poisoning the water supply in Florida. Satellites are connected to our GPS, communication, and power grid systems, yet there is little guidance on how to protect them from cyber threats.

Is your company at risk?

The first launch of an artificial object into orbit occurred just 64 years ago, in 1957. Since then, an assortment of governance, standardization, and regulation have struggled to provide universally cohesive operational direction for space launches. Unfortunately, the population explosion of CubeSats (nano-satellites made up of cubic modules), miniaturized spacecrafts, and expansive constellations were not envisioned when the aforementioned guidelines and standards reached relative maturity.

How do your spacecraft operators handle critical safety from design to flight?

Whether you’re a startup or well-seasoned space-faring entity, locating and booking a launch with a respective provider is an involved process. Experienced launch providers supply a wide variety of services including management, compliance, integration, engineering, and more depending on what the customer may require. They are equipped to accommodate the extraordinary constraints that journeys to space can encounter. Although, even with a comprehensive Statement of Work (SOW), complexities can arise as the program matures and the global space industry rapidly evolves.

The process begins by contacting the preferred launch provider’s business development team to furnish initial information for desired orbit, departure timing, payload parameters, and any unique spacecraft requirements.

Read more at https://www.lunargistics.com/post/how-to-launch-an-object-in-space

With the cryptocurrency bulls kneeling to the market matadors last week, there is a sobering opportunity to yet again examine the fundamentals driving this expanding fintech industry. From the technological backbone of distributed ledgers to the economics of Bitcoin (BTC), crypto is a catalyst for truly democratized monetary, governance, and data management systems in our emerging interstellar economy.

Why should space companies use crypto? Let’s start with the fees…

With an expected $1.4 trillion revenue generation by 2030, modern space commerce provides abundant opportunities for new startups. Yet, there are still many challenges to overcome by private entrepreneurs seeking to participate in this flourishing market. Sending a payload to space can take years, depending on a variety of complexities (e.g., the pandemic). It entails lengthy, multi-stage processes to receive proper licensing, authorizations, and associated validations for security, quality, and safety.

Here are the key factors to consider.

While the space race began with Nation States controlling everything from aerospace technology to launch rights, the United States quickly realized the value of private market participation. Humanity’s exploration beyond the blue planet expanded with legislation for commercial companies creating what is now often called the New Space Industry. Here are the five foundational Acts that guide entrepreneurs in this exciting sector.

Read about them on our blog.

Why own an entire satellite when you can pay a fraction of the cost and still launch it into orbit? According to Globalcom, the current price tag for launching vehicles, shuttles, satellites, and other equipment, ranges from $10 million to $500 million. Satellites have an additional yearly bandwidth cost of up to $1.5 million without counting repair and maintenance. These prices are the primary reason why government organizations with almost unlimited funds have been at the forefront of space exploration. But the private sector is catching up.

https://www.lunargistics.com/post/crowdfunding-satellites-with-nfts

Space Law governs all space-related activities. Some examples include international treaties, domestic agreements, space exploration, information sharing, safety and labor regulations, the use of new technologies ranging from weapons to launch vehicles, and contracts between space companies to name a few.

The overlap between these categories significantly impacts the day-to-day business of companies just entering the New Space industry. The uncertainty and swift regulatory changes, or oftentimes the lack thereof, make operations and contracting agreements difficult to navigate due to constant compliance updates. This is where Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) provides solutions to a smoother and more integrated process.

Continue reading on our Blog

A new industry offers risk, excitement, and the potential for big rewards. That’s why more than $7.7 billion was invested into the Space Industry in 2020 alone, according to NSR’s Emerging Space Investment Analysis, 3rd Edition report (ESIA3). Bank of America expects the space industry to reach a $1.4 trillion market within a decade. Now, many entrepreneurs are wondering what it takes to succeed in this new era of space exploration.

Dr. Matthew H. Hersch J.D., Associate Professor of History of Science at Harvard, gave a talk at NASA’s “The Rise of Commercial Space: A Symposium to Examine the Meaning(s) and Context(s) of Commercial Space” in March 2021. He highlighted four important lessons for new private companies to take into consideration when entering this sector.

Learn the lessons at https://www.lunargistics.com/post/top-tips-for-new-space-entrepreneurs