TEMPO Launch Marks New Chapter in NASA-Intelsat Collaboration
In April 2023, TEMPO (Tropospheric Monitoring of Pollution), a NASA instrument, launched onboard the Intelsat 40e satellite, hosted by Intelsat. This Earth Venture Instrument mission aimed to enhance air quality forecasting with high quality detailed measurements of atmospheric pollution over North America.
Technical Integration Process
While this launch initiated a new mission, it built upon a history of successful collaborations between NASA and commercial space organizations. Intelsat has supported government agencies globally – including the Australian Defence Force (ADF), the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and the United States’ Department of Defense (DoD) – by launching hosted payloads.
Hosted payloads allow government agencies and commercial organizations to buy space on commercial satellites, leveraging the host satellite’s power, commanding, telemetry, thermal control, and pointing capabilities. The commercial space company provides integrated ground infrastructure, launch services, and on-orbit operation solutions for hosted payloads, allowing partner organizations to access space more efficiently and economically.
Timeline and Efficiency
The GEO satellite design process typically begins 12 to 18 months before a hosted payload contract is signed. Once the contract is signed, it typically takes three to four years to build, integrate, and test the satellite before launching it. Hosted payloads are typically delivered approximately a year before launch, to permit the satellite manufacturer to complete testing and final preparation. From conception to launch, this hosted payload timeline is significantly faster and more efficient than the average timeline for government agencies procuring their own, dedicated satellites.
Future Outlook
Hosted payloads foster better industry collaboration and reduce the number of satellites in space, contributing to space sustainability. By sharing space and resources, hosted payloads alleviate concerns about satellite collisions, earth-bound debris, and diminished views of space.
Cost Savings and Expertise
Hosted payloads offer savings and allow agencies to work with experienced experts in satellite design, integration, and launch. Intelsat, for example, has a long history with most major satellite manufacturers and launch service providers, with an emphasis on vendor visibility, schedule credibility, mission assurance, budget discipline, and technical performance. Governments also benefit from the commercial satellite provider’s on-site teams which monitor the progress of satellite and hosted payload design, construction, and integration, ensuring mission success for agencies lacking expertise in these areas.
Diverse Missions and Applications
In addition to the payloads carried by NASA’S research instruments, hosted payloads provide support for diverse and mission critical operations. Intelsat has been at the forefront of the FAA’s WAAS (Wide Area Augmentation System) program, hosting two WAAS payloads on GEO satellites. The ADF’s UHF (Ultra-High Frequency) payload, launched on Intelsat 22 in 2012, enabled expeditious UHF communications for Australian, U.S., and Allied military forces.
Software-Defined Payloads
As the space industry continues to mature, the next step is moving from hardware to software. In the future satellite will have generic processing computers onboard to which software can be uploaded and enabling software-defined payloads to perform various functions without requiring extra mass, power, or cooling.
