LEO is getting crowded, but there’s plenty of real estate available closer to home if you can make it work. California-based Viridian Space is aiming to do just that.
The company is developing air breathing electric propulsion (ABEP) technology to fly future satellites in VLEO, and the US government is lending a hand to get the tech off the ground.
Viridian CEO Slava Spektor told Payload the company signed a five-year cooperative research and development agreement (CRADA) with the US Air Force to co-develop Viridian’s ABEP tech, and to work together on studies leveraging VLEO.
One small step: The CRADA will be run out of the Kirtland Air Force Base in Albuquerque, NM. The US Air Force will provide facilities for Viridian to test the company’s propulsion system. In return, Viridian will share insights into how the tech can be used to create new concepts of operations for the US military.
“That is the goal for CRADA. Basically, it spans anything from development of the technology on the ground, to sharing data that will eventually come from space,” Spektor said.
When Viridian makes it to orbit—the company is targeting an inaugural launch within the next three years—it could be used as a platform to collect data on the atmospheric conditions in VLEO, offering the DoD a better understanding of atmospheric drag at different altitudes, and how space weather events impact satellite life spans.
Viridian’s aim is not just to get around the growing traffic in LEO, but to create a satellite system that is more capable than chemical prop systems flying in higher orbits. An ABEP sat in VLEO has multiple benefits, according to Spektor:
- Viridian’s sats are aiming to stay in orbit for up to 10 years. Because the system is designed to use air as fuel, the sat will be able to maneuver without worrying about burning through onboard fuel reserves.
- Viridian also expects its sats to provide more maneuverability to its customers. The sats are expected to fly at altitudes as low as 150 km, and to dip in and out of the atmosphere to reach multiple orbital altitudes on a single flight.
The duality of sat: While the CRADA creates pathways for the DoD to leverage VLEO in the near future, it also helps Viridian stand up its offering to the commercial sector, which is itching for a platform that can handle low-altitude flights and open up a number of benefits.
- In EO, flying closer to the target being photographed opens the door for higher-resolution imagery.
- In comms, flying lower allows companies to offer better connectivity and higher bandwidth. Viridian expects VLEO sats will work well with D2D capabilities.
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