TRL11 has received a NASA contract to provide imaging systems for the Space Reactor-1 (SR-1) Freedom mission to Mars.
“It will be the first time a camera we built travels to another planet and captures images of it,” TRL11 CEO Nicolaas Verheem said in a statement.
Freedom isn’t free: The $2B SR-1 mission is expected to launch in late 2028 to Mars as the first fission-powered interplanetary spacecraft. NASA first announced SR-1 at the space agency’s Ignition event in March.
In addition to demoing how nuclear tech can help with interplanetary deep space travel, SR-1 will deliver a trio of SkyFall helicopters to Mars to conduct advance work for future crewed missions to the red planet.
What’s onboard: TRL11 will build space cameras and edge computing systems for SR-1, according to a press release. That hardware will enable NASA to capture, process, and store high-res imagery of the mission—including the moment SkyFall deploys to Mars—and ensure the photos can be sent back to Earth.
NASA is also considering adding more of TRL11’s tech to the mission, according to a press release, including:
- VIPLink comms system;
- VIP1st software to prioritize downloads;
- Commander software to manage spacecraft imaging.
Teamwork makes the dream work: TRL11 isn’t the only company contributing to the Martian mission.
- AeroVironment is co-designing and co-manufacturing the SkyFall helos, in partnership with JPL.
- Firefly Aerospace won a $13M contract to build the landing aeroshell, ensuring that SkyFall doesn’t become a fireball after its long flight.
InnerPlant’s Glowing Soy Demos Hyperspectral Use Case
InnerPlant, which was founded in 2018, has enabled plants to let humans know when they’re under stress.
Exclusive: Exolaunch Books its first Starfall Mission
Exolaunch signed an agreement to support customer payloads on a SpaceX Starfall reentry mission scheduled to launch on a Starship NET 2029.
Viasat and Space42 Commit Up to $1B to Equatys Joint Venture
Space42 and Viasat agreed to formally establish Equatys, a shared satellite-and-ground-infrastructure company for D2D connectivity and advanced mobile satellite services.
Kuva Space Spots Illegal Poppy Farms from Orbit
Kuva Space released data today from a pilot program that demonstrated its ability to monitor illegal crop farming from space.
To the human eye, a soybean field could look perfectly healthy. To a hyperspectral satellite, however, the plants could be emitting a glowing warning signal that they’re in trouble.
Let it glow: InnerPlant, which was founded in 2018, has enabled plants to let humans know when they’re under stress. The company’s first product is genetically engineered soybeans that glow when they’re facing stress—specifically in this case, a fungal infection.
While the fluorescence can be picked up with ground-based sensors, the company is designed to use space assets to spot problems faster, and survey large areas of crops for potential issues.
Keep reading