AWS in Orbit: Scaling Space Safety and Agility with Astroscale
Podcast: T-Minus Space Daily
Host: Maria Varmazes
Guests: Andrew Fiola (Commercial Director, Astroscale UK) and Allegra Maturingas (Senior Account Executive, AWS)
Release Date: March 31, 2025
Introduction
In this episode of AWS in Orbit, host Maria Varmazes delves into the critical collaboration between Astroscale, a leader in in-orbit servicing, and Amazon Web Services (AWS). The discussion centers on how cloud computing, space technologies, and generative AI intersect to enhance space safety and operational agility. The conversation highlights the increasing complexity of satellite operations in low Earth orbit (LEO) and the necessity for robust data communication and safety measures.
Astroscale's Mission and Achievements
Andrew Fiola provides an insightful overview of Astroscale UK's mission to establish a sustainable space economy. He emphasizes the importance of in-orbit servicing for ensuring the safety, security, and profitability of space operations.
"Ultimately what we're trying to do here is make in orbit servicing routine in the future."
— Andrew Fiola [02:09]
Astroscale UK has pioneered several groundbreaking missions aimed at debris removal and satellite servicing:
- ELSA D (End of Life Services by Astroscale - Demo): Successfully demonstrated the first private commercial capability to capture and remove space debris using a magnetic capture system. This mission marked a significant milestone in space debris management.
"We actually brought that debris with us into orbit and pushed it away from the spacecraft from the servicer vehicle and then we're able to go and collect and capture it using our magnetic capture system, which is the first time that's ever been done."
— Andrew Fiola [04:26]
-
Address J Mission: Involves closely inspecting a Japanese rocket body with plans to deorbit it in future missions, showcasing Astroscale's commitment to international collaboration in space debris mitigation.
-
Upcoming missions include the ELSA spacecraft targeting the removal of OneWeb satellites, marking the first instance of two commercial organizations collaborating on docking, rendezvous, and removal operations.
Space Situational Awareness and Operational Complexity
Andrew delves into the complexities of Space Situational Awareness (SSA) and its significance in modern space operations. He explains how Astroscale's agile and maneuverable spacecraft contribute uniquely to SSA by providing high-fidelity data through onboard sensors.
"Our spacecraft are designed to move from one area to another area and do multiple servicings. And because of that and because of the sensors that we have on board, we can provide a very special piece of that puzzle to provide that sort of much better fidelity of space situational awareness as part of the bigger whole."
— Andrew Fiola [06:30]
The dynamic nature of Astroscale's operations, contrasted with traditional fixed constellation satellites, necessitates advanced ground communication infrastructure to handle unpredictable data transmission patterns and ensure mission security.
"So when they are pointing at the ground, we need to make sure that we can get data down and data up reliably and quickly."
— Andrew Fiola [09:02]
Collaboration with AWS: Enhancing Mission Capabilities
Allegra Maturingas discusses AWS's role in supporting Astroscale's missions through advanced cloud services tailored for the aerospace and satellite sector.
"AWS stood up this industry business vertical four years ago with the sole intent of enabling customer missions in space, aerospace and defense in the satellite domain."
— Allegra Maturingas [03:47]
Key areas of collaboration include:
Ground Segment Standardization
Allegra explains the initiative to standardize Astroscale's ground segment operations, transitioning from bespoke systems to more streamlined, scalable solutions. This standardization aims to reduce manual management, enhance efficiency, and support the scaling of Astroscale's operations.
"We're trying to eliminate or at least mitigate manual management of these bespoke systems and create a standardized path moving forward so Astroscale's workforce can scale and your resources can scale as well from an efficiency standpoint."
— Allegra Maturingas [12:32]
Data Processing and Analytics
AWS facilitates the handling of vast amounts of satellite data, enabling real-time analytics and anomaly detection. This capability is crucial for optimizing mission planning and ensuring the reliability of operations.
"We're able to do data processing and analytics and just analyzing large volumes of their satellite and spacecraft data to be able to predict future anomalies or optimize mission planning."
— Allegra Maturingas [15:05]
Mission Control Integration
The integration of AWS's cloud infrastructure with Astroscale's mission control systems ensures smoother data flow, reduced latency, and enhanced mission security. This synergy supports the complex rendezvous and proximity operations (RPO) that Astroscale's spacecraft perform.
"A smoother data integration between ground segment and the mission control applications we're hoping will really help Astroscale scale for the mission launch in 2026."
— Allegra Maturingas [12:50]
Challenges and Solutions in the Partnership
The partnership between Astroscale and AWS is not without its challenges. Andrew Fiola acknowledges the initial hurdles faced while integrating novel technologies and emphasizes the importance of open and transparent collaboration to navigate these complexities.
"The relationship and the work that we've done between Astroscale and AWS, there have been hiccups along the way, but that's because we're doing something really novel and special and ultimately need to get it to routine."
— Andrew Fiola [16:34]
Key challenges include:
-
Operational Reliability: Ensuring consistent and reliable data transmission amidst the dynamic movements of Astroscale's spacecraft.
-
Scalability: Transitioning from ad hoc operations to standardized, scalable processes to support multiple missions efficiently.
-
Cost-Effectiveness: Utilizing AWS's scalable cloud infrastructure to manage costs while enhancing operational capabilities.
Both parties are committed to addressing these challenges through continuous innovation and mutual support, fostering a collaborative environment that accelerates the commercialization of in-orbit servicing.
Future Outlook and Goals
Looking ahead, Andrew Fiola expresses optimism about the potential for AWS to further enhance Astroscale's capabilities, particularly in managing ground segment operations more efficiently. He envisions a future where standardized cloud solutions enable Astroscale to offer reliable and economical services to a broader market, including constellation operators, defense entities, and institutional clients.
"We need to help mitigate the risk of there being collisions in space debris creations. But we all have to do it in a profitable and repeatable way."
— Andrew Fiola [15:10]
Allegra Maturingas adds that AWS aims to deepen its partnership by continually understanding and supporting Astroscale's evolving needs, fostering a synergistic relationship that drives innovation in space services.
"It creates, I would say, like a bilateral relationship and like a flywheel, really, of us understanding what point, what threshold that Astroscale needs to get at to make the services as competitive and marketable as possible."
— Allegra Maturingas [19:06]
Together, Astroscale and AWS are poised to play pivotal roles in making in-orbit servicing a routine and economically viable aspect of space operations, paving the way for a sustainable and secure space environment.
Conclusion
The episode concludes with a reflection on the collaborative efforts between Astroscale and AWS, highlighting the mutual benefits and the promising advancements on the horizon for space safety and operational agility. Host Maria Varmazes thanks the guests for their contributions and invites listeners to explore more resources and future episodes.
"We're on the cusp of great things here and starting to get into a position. We have a lot of work to do still. But, you know, I see how we're going to make these kinds of services routine in the not too distant future."
— Andrew Fiola [20:04]
Additional Resources:
For more information on this episode and other episodes in the AWS In Orbit series, visit space.n2k.com.
Credits:
Produced by Alice Carruth and powered by AWS. Produced by Lara Barber, Associate Producer Liz Stokes, Mixed by Elliott Peltzman and Trey Hester with original music by Elliott Peltzman. Executive Producer Jennifer Ibin. Publisher Peter Kilby.