Sidus Space, Inc., a Space-as-a-Service company focused on mission-critical hardware manufacturing combined with commercial satellite design, manufacture, launch, and data collection, has secured US regulatory approval to provide global data services from its upcoming LizzieSat-1 mission through a Tier 1 license granted by the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
“Securing the NOAA Tier 1 license, which has the fewest conditions under a streamlined regulatory regime that came into effect in 2020, is an important milestone toward our readiness to launch,” stated Carol Craig, CEO of Sidus Space. “We look forward to sharing additional milestone achievements as we continue to execute our planned development and preparations for our LizzieSat constellation.”
LizzieSat-1, the maiden flight of the planned LizzieSat satellite constellation, is expected to launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9 in 2023 from Cape Canaveral, Florida into a mid-inclination Low Earth Orbit. This orbit, matched with LizzieSat’s precise attitude control capabilities, will allow for collection of thousands of Earth images daily during LizzieSat-1’s multi-year mission. LizzieSat-1 high-priority images will utilize “compute-on-the-edge” technology to process imagery onboard before downlink, maximizing operational efficiencies. Data from the mission will be supplied to clients and consumers focused on maritime shipping industry activities, climate change, and other commercially relevant interests.
Sidus signed a multi-launch agreement with SpaceX for five LizzieSat rideshare missions beginning in 2023. These five satellite missions support previously announced customers as well as potential future customers as Sidus continues to layer new missions into its pipeline.
Sidus Space previously received NOAA approval for Earth imagery mounted on its External Flight Test Platform (EFTP). EFTP is an on-orbit external experimental facility which was designed, manufactured, and assembled in-house at the Company’s facilities in Cape Canaveral. EFTP is designed to mount externally to the International Space Station (ISS) and promote electronics testing to raise Technology Readiness Levels (TRL) at a low cost and a reduced time frame. EFTP was successfully launched in November 2019 aboard the Northrop Grumman Cygnus (NG-12) mission. After nine months of in-space testing, EFTP was returned inside the ISS and transported back to Earth aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft during the CRS-21 mission.