News

CUSTOMER SPOTLIGHT : C3S’ WREN-1

Monitoring Climate and Drought Impact on Crops 

Ambitious Hungarian space company C3S LLC has designed and developed an innovative smallsat called the Water Resources in Efficient Networks (WREN-1). While small in physical stature, the 6U satellite’s mission is quite large: to serve as the first member of a constellation that will provide a prompt decision support system for climate adaptation, drought prevention, and yield forecasting.

The satellite features a high-performance camera system that captures multiple pictures of the planet, whereas the ground system incorporates a network of sensors. Both the images taken by WREN-1 and the local data provided by the sensors are fed to mathematical models based on geographical information and artificial intelligence to facilitate the purpose of the mission.

“SEOPS’ expertise, flexibility, and prompt service have played a pivotal role in the success of our satellite launch initiatives.” – Gyula Horváth, CEO at C3S

“WREN-1 is an on-orbit demonstration spacecraft designed to provide data from taking hyperspectral images, processing those images onboard, and then downlinking that data to compare it with sensors on the ground,” said Gergő Kiss, Chief Quality Officer at C3S LLC. “If the data matches, it will be extremely insightful for scientists, first in Hungary and hopefully with governments around the world. They’ll be able to assess the impact of climate change on crops, monitor drought, and use this data for more accurate forecasting.”

One Launch Goes Away, Another Surfaces (Quickly)

The 6U smallsat launched into space aboard the SpaceX Transporter-11 mission in August 2024. And while the launch was executed perfectly, the year leading up to it was anything but smooth for C3S. 

Months before the targeted launch date, C3S learned its original launch services provider could no longer fulfill the contract. The launch deal collapsed and they found themselves with a spacecraft over 10,000 kilometers away in California with no launch contract or integration team to ensure it was manifested on the Falcon 9. “Missing this summer launch window would have big implications for our mission,” said Kiss. “The later the launch slipped into fall or even winter, the fewer opportunities we’d have to take pictures from space due to weather changes, jeopardizing the mission’s core objectives.”

The C3S team quickly evaluated alternative launch options and began the process of securing a new contract, forming a partnership with France’s RIDE! to facilitate the effort. This collaboration allowed them to move forward effectively and ensure the continuity of the project.

“At RIDE!, our mission is to provide smallsat operators with the most reliable, convenient, and affordable access to space,” said Valentin Benoit, CEO at RIDE! “As a global leader in launch brokerage and end-to-end mission management, we streamline the process through our platform and exclusive partnerships with 35+ launch providers, including SEOPS. Whether it’s for a single cubesat or an entire constellation, our expertise helps clients save time, reduce costs, and meet all regulatory requirements.”

SEOPS has Entered the (Launch) Chat

RIDE! arranged to find C3S’s access in short notice onto Transporter-11 via SEOPS. “This underscores how our shared values of flexibility and customer dedication drive our success. It’s a perfect example of the long-term, impactful collaboration we’re building with SEOPS,” added Benoit.

Having years of experience facilitating SpaceX missions, the SEOPS team immediately stepped in to accommodate the WREN-1 spacecraft on its existing Transporter-11 manifest.

Gyula Horváth, CEO at C3S, commented, “The SEOPS team demonstrated remarkable flexibility and professionalism, especially considering the unusual circumstances and timing requirements for our mission. They were steadfast in their support, adapting seamlessly to meet our evolving needs. We’re thankful for their unwavering commitment to ensure WREN-1 gets on orbit on schedule.”

“What sets SEOPS apart is their deep launch experience,” added Kiss. “Their team knows what to do – from handling the technical aspects of deployment to the ever-critical regulatory issues like export control. Their calm demeanor and ability to guide us through the process step-by-step gave us the confidence we needed.”

Next up for C3S are two missions slated to launch on an upcoming Transporter mission, both of which are supported by SEOPS. One mission involves a 12U commercial satellite which will carry a telescope for scientific purposes. The second involves two individual 3U cubesats fastened together with a separation mechanism. Once on orbit, they’ll uncouple, fly independently, and test communications between spacecraft as well as run collision avoidance and deorbiting procedures.

Horváth added, “SEOPS’ expertise, flexibility, and prompt service have played a pivotal role in the success of our satellite launch initiatives.” 

SEOPS IS OPENING NEW FRONTIERS

At SEOPS, we’re opening a new frontier to expand responsive space access and we’re excited to bring our customers along on the journey. For nearly a decade, we have been quietly working with U.S. government and commercial clients and now we’re setting our sights on the burgeoning frontier of the European Space sector. Our debut at the upcoming SpaceTech Expo in Bremen, Germany marks a pivotal moment as we aim to showcase SEOPS’ capabilities and track record to a wider audience.

Much like the pioneers who ventured into the American frontier with unwavering determination and rugged perseverance, the SEOPS team approaches the new frontier of space with the same bold vision and unrelenting drive. We embrace, and frankly thrive, on the challenges of expanding space access with resilience and adaptability, ensuring that each of our customer missions reflects our commitment to success.

Here are three guiding principles that define SEOPS as we deliver solutions for our customers: 

# 1 Relentless Drive for Our Customers

While many companies claim they are dedicated to their customers, true commitment is rare. At SEOPS, we forge long-term relationships with our clients, demonstrating a work ethic and “get it done” attitude reminiscent of our pioneering predecessors. Our relentless pursuit of mission success is evident in every project we undertake, as we continuously push the boundaries of space access.

# 2 Adapt to Succeed

In the realm of rideshare and integration systems, many launch service providers are focused on selling their own hardware or deployers because it makes their jobs easier. SEOPS takes a different approach. We remain agnostic about launch vehicles and hardware, prioritizing our customers’ goals over our own convenience. We have experience working with many different launch vehicles and deployment systems (and have developed our own as well). So whether you need a specific launch vehicle or deployment system, we are committed to finding the best solution for your mission.

# 3 Simple Solutions, Sophisticated Results

Our solutions are straightforward and effective. We avoid over-engineering and focus on delivering simple, results-driven solutions. Whether customers require a custom deployer, an OTV for a unique orbital drop-off, or standard integration service, our team has decades of experience and has overseen the successful deployment of more than 400 spacecraft. For nearly a decade, SEOPS has been a trusted partner to the U.S. government and commercial customers, providing reliable rideshare and integration services – and we’re just getting started.

SEOPS is ready to serve the space community as it ventures beyond LEO, to GEO and cislunar destinations. With a legacy of success and past performance, we’re ready to share our story and prove our value to a wider audience. 

We’re looking forward to seeing many of you in Bremen and continuing to share our story. We’re excited to embark on this new journey with you.

Chad Brinkley

cbrinkley@seops.space

Who is Ready for Transporter-11?

We’re excited to support five spacecraft and a hosted payload on SpaceX’s upcoming Transporter-11 Rideshare mission, which is targeted to lift off on a Falcon 9 from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California this summer.
On this mission, we’re supporting the mission management and integration of five government and commercial payloads from three countries – the United States, Italy and Hungary.

In addition, we’re flying our patented ‘soft-ride’ deployment system, Ghost Trap, for the first time. READ MORE about how it reduces vibrations and decreases the stress load, creating a more protected and secure environment, without the need for additional adapters or isolators. We also share how it got its nefarious-sounding name – if you can’t guess.

It’s been a busy integration process, but we couldn’t be more excited to see these organizations get their spacecraft on orbit!

a closer look at the payloads on Transporter-11:

NASA’s Pathfinder Technology Demonstrator-4 (PTD-4) is part of the tech demonstrator series to test new subsystem technologies to increase small spacecraft capabilities. The spacecraft will demonstrate a very high-power, low-volume deployable solar array with an integrated antenna called the Lightweight Integrated Solar Array and anTenna, or LISA-T. PTD-4 is a partnership between NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate’s Small Spacecraft Technology (SST) program (which resides at NASA’s Ames Research Center), NASA’s Launch Services Program, NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, and Terran Orbital Corporation.

NASA’s Pathfinder Technology Demonstrator-R (PTD-R) will demonstrate simultaneous ultraviolet and short-wave infrared optical sensing from space for the first time via two 85-mm aperture monolithic telescopes mounted side-by-side, using a new compact custom electronics module and a novel, lightweight, carbon-composite optical housing and radiator. The PTD-R mission also is part of the PTD series of technology demonstration missions funded and managed by NASA’s SST program and in partnership with NASA’s Launch Services Program, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, and Terran Orbital Corporation.

Train Rapid On-Orbit Payload (TROOP-F2): NearSpace Launch’s TROOP-F2 is a hosted payload program that offers four payloads access to space every six months. It’s designed to provide affordable and rapid turns on research iterations, a consistent opportunity to increase technology readiness level numbers, and a variety of testing pathways. On this mission, TROOP-F2 will beta testing several new cutting-edge technologies.

Matthew Voss, Chief Operation Officer at NearSpace Launch, added, “SEOPS has been a fantastic partner with NearSpace in achieving its goal of launching systems every six months. They are reliable, accommodating, and in every sense a true mission partner.”

In addition, TROOP-F2 carries a hosted payload for Celestis, a memorial and space burial services provider, whose Harmony Flight includes a symbolic portion of the cremated remains or DNA of 62 flight participants as it orbits the Earth – eventually reentering the Earth’s atmosphere as a shooting star, burning up entirely.

Iperdrone: Funded by the Italian Space Agency and developed by an entirely Italian consortium composed by Centro Italiano Ricerche Aerospaziali (Prime Contractor), Tyvak International (spacecraft developer and integrator) and Kayser Italia(Ground and Safety), the Iperdrone spacecraft will demonstrate proximity operations for space assets, visual inspection, and a controlled re-entry in a pre-defined corridor. This will be done through critical technologies developed in the frame of the project such as navigation cameras and cold gas propulsion systems.

Water Resources in Efficient Networks (WREN-1): From Hungarian space company CS3 LLC, the WREN-1 mission is a real-time decision support system for climate adaptation, drought prevention, and yield forecasting. The satellite features a high-performance camera system that captures multiple pictures of the planet, whereas the ground system incorporates a network of sensors. Both the images taken by WREN-1 and the local data provided by the sensors are fed to mathematical models based on geographical information and artificial intelligence to facilitate the purpose of the mission.

SEOPS was able to accommodate the WREN-1 spacecraft on its manifest, via a partnership with France’s RIDE!, when C3S was forced to change their original launch plans. Gyula Horváth, CEO at C3S LLC, commented, ” SEOPS’ expertise, flexibility, and prompt service have played a pivotal role in the success of our satellite launch initiatives. As we look forward to the next phase of our mission, we remain confident in SEOPS’s capabilities and look forward to continued collaboration!” 

If you would like the power of partnering with SEOPS on your next mission, let us know!
Contact us at info@seopsllc.com

Who You Gonna Call? SEOPS!

As the most experienced rideshare and launch services provider, SEOPS is constantly iterating and innovating to create rapid and responsive hardware solutions for both our U.S. government and commercial clients.

Our latest innovation is our patented deployment system, Ghost Trap.

Ghost Trap improves upon Slingshot, one of our legacy deployment systems that has been in operation on the ISS, deploying multiple payloads. The deployer was originally created to slide into a small narrow hatch on the Cygnus resupply capsule for the ISS, but we’re happy to bring the benefit of this proven design to the wider market. The narrow configuration required the opening to be on the longer side, similar to a breadbox. However, it ended up having a greater benefit in producing stellar vibe test results.

Ghost Trap brings the payload closer to the launch vehicle interface instead of attaching on the farthest outer surfaces of a bus, offering the “smoothest ride” for the most sensitive payloads, such as those containing sensitive optical sensors or delicate solar arrays. This new approach lessens the stress load and reduces vibrations, creating a more protected and secure environment, without the need for additional adapters or isolators. This makes it a preferred solution for our launch vehicle providers, while making integration easier and faster for our clients.

Just one of the things that makes Ghost Trap special is the configuration of the propellant and the payload. Most other solutions on the market continue to put propellant in the “sweet spot” in the middle of the bus, and relegate payloads to the extreme outside, subject to the harshest environments. This system is the product of an engineering team with more than 80 years combined experience that has successfully deployed more than 400 spacecraft to their intended orbits.

We see many more uses for Ghost Trap, especially as the United States has plans to return to the Moon. There is a wave of lunar missions planned, and many will require a smooth ride and a gentle deployment system. Space Domain Awareness (SDA) beyond LEO and GEO requires a foundation built upon lunar rideshare missions, and SEOPS is ready to help build this infrastructure with solutions such as Ghost Trap. We stand ready to deliver the sensitive payloads that can secure cislunar space for our national interests.

Fun Fact: Ghost Trap was so named due to its resemblance to a certain key piece of hardware from the film “Ghostbusters.”

If you’d like to learn more about Ghost Trap or how you could use it on your next mission, let us know! Contact us at info@seops.com

SEOPS Partners with RIDE! Space to Offer Reliable Mission Management Services

We are excited to announce that we have signed an agreement with RIDE! to help more smallsat operators – especially those outside of the United States – quickly and reliably procure launch capacity and secure experienced integration and mission support to get their spacecraft safely on orbit.

Already Delivering Results

Weeks after inking the partnership, a leading smallsat provider in Hungary, C3S , needed help when their original launch plans fell through. Using the RIDE! Launch-on-Demand platform to find reliable launch services that best met their pressing needs, Houston-based SEOPS emerged as the top choice to launch the WREN satellite.

SEOPS was able to accommodate this last-minute 6U spacecraft to its manifest during the upcoming Transporter-11 Rideshare mission with SpaceX, which is targeted to launch this summer.

“Our number one priority is taking care of customers’ launch needs, whether that is capacity procurement, mission design, full integration services, hardware systems or orbital vehicles,” said Chad Brinkley, CEO of SEOPS. “RIDE! Space was instrumental in surfacing the time-sensitive situation C3S was in and we couldn’t be more pleased to have them onboard our next mission. Our years of experience supporting our customers on SpaceX’s Transporter Rideshare missions are unparalleled – especially when there is a need to accommodate a last-minute payload. We’re looking forward to working with RIDE! going forward to help more customers like C3S execute their launch plans.”

The C3S WREN (Water Resources in Efficient Networks) mission is a real-time decision support system for climate adaptation, drought prevention, and yield forecasting. The satellite features a high-performance imaging system and incorporates a unique camera system to capture multiple pictures of the planet.

“We are grateful for the invaluable partnership we’ve cultivated with SEOPS,” said Gyula Horváth, CEO at C3S LLC. “Their expertise, flexibility, and prompt service have played a pivotal role in the success of our satellite launch initiatives. We are thankful for their unwavering commitment and dedication to ensuring our satellite reaches its intended orbit.”

SEOPS Sends Customers to Orbit on SpaceX Transporter-10

SpaceX launched a big batch of satellites for a variety of private customers today. The company’s Transporter-10 mission lifted off right on time at 5:05 p.m. ET (2205 GMT) on Monday (March 4) from Space Launch Complex 4E (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.

This is just the latest complex mission managed by our experienced team at SEOPS. We’ve been helping customers get to orbit for more than since 2018, and we know how to set our customers up for mission success. There is a lot of behind the scenes work to get each customers’ payloads integrated and ready for launch, and we pride ourselves on a customer-centric approach. It’s not just the integration to the launch vehicle, but we also can help customers with spacecraft design, licensing, provide cleanroom support (to include the brick and mortar), to include providing multiple flight proven deployer products that we designed and built.

“There is no one-size-fits-all approach to smallsat launches,” says Mike Johnson of SEOPS. “We have to be able to assess each payload and each customer separately, and do whatever it takes to make sure they get where they need to be.” From experienced fliers who are just launching the latest smallsat in a constellation, to working with university students launching for the first time, our team’s years of experience with the SpaceX integration and launch processes have helped us become a trusted, and valued leader in rideshare launches.

We’re always impressed by the important missions of our customers, and are happy to facilitate them. Here is a summary of the payloads and missions that were launched on Transporter-10 by SEOPS:

PYXIS: Axelspace Corporation’s PYXIS is the first demonstration satellite of AxelLiner, the one-stop microsatellite service. PYXIS will be demonstrating multiple components and sensors for Axelspace. PYXIS is also equipped with a deorbit device called D-SAIL, the Deployable Deorbit Mechanism for microsatellites. Developed as a countermeasure to the growing problem of space debris, this mechanism facilitates the rapid descent of satellites into the atmosphere upon mission completion, leveraging thin atmospheric resistance in orbit.

LaCE payloads: Two 6U payloads for the Navy, the LaCE (Laser Crosslink Experiment) spacecraft will demonstrate a low SWAP optical communications crosslink in LEO (Low Earth Orbit) These were developed by the US Navy’s Naval Information Warfare Command (NIWC) Pacific and sponsored by the Missile Defense Agency (MDA).

Scout-1: Quantum Space’s Scout-1, on their inaugural Sentry Mission, is the foundational node in their commercial mesh network known as QuantumNet. Scout-1 will be conducting on-orbit space situational awareness data collection while maturing on-orbit processing algorithms and refining their AI/ML technologies.

Tiger 7 and 8: OQ’s latest smallsats will join their counterparts in providing global NTN connectivity for machines and the internet of things (IoT). These satellites will complete their Batch-1 satellite constellation, comprised of 10 satellites. Both satellites are 6U sized nanosatellites carrying “cell tower” NB-IoT payloads. OQ has been on a fast track to complete Batch-1 to continue to provide global narrowband IoT coverage to many clients and applications. OQ is a front runner globally in offering Low Earth Orbit satellite narrowband communication for machines and the internet of things.

M3 (Multi-Mode Mission): This satellite designed by the students at Missouri S&T (Science and Technology) was developed as part of NASA’s Undergraduate Student Instrument Project and supported by NASA CSLI program. The cubesat M3 will test an experimental thruster in space. This project showcases the talent, dedication, and ingenuity of the Missouri S and T students and faculty.

Congratulations to all our customers on this successful mission! We’re already hard at work on the next one, ensuring the next round of customer payloads get to space so they can continue their important work.

SEOPS Awarded the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) Professional Services Schedule

SEOPS, a company specializing in launch and deployment systems that include spacecraft Mission Integration and Operations (MI&O), has been awarded the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) Professional Services Schedule. As an awardee, SEOPS is able to provide specialized services to federal agencies at a pre-negotiated fixed rate for assurred access to space.

In line with commercial launch services, SEOPS provides a catalog of turnkey services within the GSA Schedule for CubeSat and MicroSat deployments in Low-Earth Orbit on rideshare opportunities. Other services being provided to federal agencies through our services menu include microgravity research and hosted payloads.

Experienced in over 300 satellite deployments as a collective management team, SEOPS offers services to a number of federal agencies including the U.S Air Force, DARPA, and NASA. With the variety of mission applications, these services are provided through a fleet of deployment systems including the Slingshot, Equalizer, Octobucket and Rifle platforms. Backed by a 100% success rate of deployments and a regular cadence to space, these services cater to a variety of commercial and federal customers.

Due to the thorough vetting process for the consideration of this contract, SEOPS is considered a trusted launch service provider. “We are pleased to add this to our Multiple contract Vehicles. SEOPS Space is proud of our successful past performance that we have achieved since company inception” says COO, Chad Brinkley. This achievement required negotiations resulting in an efficient procurement process to facilitate affordable, reliable, and cost-effective access to space.

Adding GSA to the SEOPS fleet of contracting vehicles, federal agencies can look for our services through the GSA Advantage!® website / eBuy, the online Request for Quotation (RFQ) tool. More information can be found at gsaadvantage.gov, by searching for SEOPS’s GSA Contract number: 47QRAA22D0040

NASA selects a dozen companies for smallsat launch services

NASA awarded contracts Jan. 26 to a dozen companies, ranging from industry stalwarts to startups yet to launch their first rocket, to provide low-cost launches of agency smallsats.

NASA said it selected the companies for its Venture-Class Acquisition of Dedicated and Rideshare (VADR) program, which will provide launches of cubesats and other smallsats, particularly those with a higher risk tolerance. Those payloads will be launched either on dedicated missions or as rideshare payloads on other launches.

VADR is intended to build upon the agency’s earlier Venture-Class Launch Services (VCLS) demonstration efforts, which awarded contracts for single launches to several companies to support development of new small launch vehicles. Rocket Lab and Virgin Orbit carried out VCLS launches under contracts awarded in 2015. Astra Space, Firefly Aerospace and Relativity Space won VCLS Demo 2 contracts in 2020 for missions launching this year.

Bradley Smith, director of launch services at NASA Headquarters, noted in a statement that the winners include “a broad range of established and emerging launch providers and launch service aggregators and brokers,” companies that arrange launches on other companies’ vehicles. “With this new tool in our toolbox, these tremendously flexible contracts will meet a wide variety of NASA science and technology needs.”

Of the 12 companies, six have conducted at least one successful orbital launch: Astra, Northrop Grumman, Rocket Lab, SpaceX, United Launch Alliance and Virgin Orbit. Four companies are developing vehicles for first launches in the next few years: ABL Space Systems, Blue Origin, Phantom Space and Relativity.

Two others are launch brokers. Spaceflight arranges launches on a wide range of vehicles, including many of the other VADR awardees. L2 Solutions, also known as OmniTeq, provides rideshare services through a subsidiary, SEOPS Space Systems.

Notably absent from the winners is Firefly, which made its first orbital launch attempt of its Alpha rocket in September and had planned to launch its VCLS mission later this year. Firefly paused preparations for its next launch in December at the request of the federal government while the company’s largest shareholder, Noosphere Venture Partners, divests it stake at the request of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States. A company spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment on whether Firefly bid on the VADR program.

Astra, another VCLS awardee, is preparing to carry out that mission from Cape Canaveral, Florida, soon. The company performed a static-fire test of its Rocket 3.3 from Space Launch Complex 46 there Jan. 22, after which it said it would announce a launch date for the mission once it received a launch license from the Federal Aviation Administration.

Astra also won a contract from NASA in February 2021 for three launches of its Rocket 3 vehicle to deploy a small constellation of Earth science satellites called TROPICS. Rocket Lab won a NASA contract in 2020 for the launch of a lunar smallsat, CAPSTONE.

NASA established VADR to streamline the procurement of such launches. Companies that won VADR contracts are not guaranteed any launches but instead must compete for individual task orders issued by the agency, similar to the structure for its Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program. The contracts are indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity awards, with a maximum value across all the contracts of $300 million over five years.