Nano-satellite dream one step closer to reality for SAS
Published 28-JUN-2016 12:20 P.M.
|
2 minute read
Hey! Looks like you have stumbled on the section of our website where we have archived articles from our old business model.
In 2019 the original founding team returned to run Next Investors, we changed our business model to only write about stocks we carefully research and are invested in for the long term.
The below articles were written under our previous business model. We have kept these articles online here for your reference.
Our new mission is to build a high performing ASX micro cap investment portfolio and share our research, analysis and investment strategy with our readers.
Click Here to View Latest Articles
Australian-based nano-satellite manufacturer, Sky and Space Global (ASX:SAS) has signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) with leading commercial spaceflight enabler, Virgin Galactic (VG).
VG was founded by Richard Branson in 2004, for the purpose of integrating the private sector into space exploration, and more precisely, space tourism flights which VG has already started marketing and selling early seats.
Its LauncherOne business unit however, has a rather different purpose to carrying high-net worth private astronauts. Its mission is to facilitate the insertion of satellites into Earth’s orbit from a moving aircraft, thereby reducing launch costs and providing more flexibility in how satellites are used in space.
SAS will use VG’s LauncherOne aircraft in early 2018 to launch its first devices into space, as a prelude to a wider launch of an entire constellation of 200 nano-satellites.
Nano-satellite specimen (to scale).
The purpose of having a network of 200+ nano-satellites is to enable greater communication accessibility including the potential of providing broadband internet worldwide without any cabling. Other, nearer-term uses include increasing the accuracy of GPS devices, providing higher resolution image capture of Earth and improve existing space-missions done by government space exploration programs.
SAS CEO Meir Moalem says the Virgin deal will “enable us to bolster our bandwidth capacity as we launch further nano-satellites into orbit. This agreement is part of our long term strategy of building Sky and Space Global’s nano-satellite communication system infrastructure and service.”
For Virgin Galactic, SAS represents one of hopefully many clients, that will purchase flight time and logistical support from VG. VG hopes to corner both the commercial space-flight market that charges individuals ~US$250,000 for a flight to space, and the private-sector satellite market, who will use VG’s aircraft to launch and install their devices.
Passengers that have already paid the $250,000 fee include Stephen Hawking, Tom Hanks, Ashton Kutcher, Katy Perry, Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, Australia’s Chief Scientist Alan Finkel and Australian science journalist Wilson da Silva.
VG CEO George Whitesides, says VG created LauncherOne “in order to enable innovators and entrepreneurs to launch constellations of small satellites at commercially attractive prices. We are pleased to be working with Sky and Space Global to help launch their nano-satellites into space and to help them change the world for good.”
Virgin Galactic CEO, George Whitesides.
General Information Only
S3 Consortium Pty Ltd (S3, ‘we’, ‘us’, ‘our’) (CAR No. 433913) is a corporate authorised representative of LeMessurier Securities Pty Ltd (AFSL No. 296877). The information contained in this article is general information and is for informational purposes only. Any advice is general advice only. Any advice contained in this article does not constitute personal advice and S3 has not taken into consideration your personal objectives, financial situation or needs. Please seek your own independent professional advice before making any financial investment decision. Those persons acting upon information contained in this article do so entirely at their own risk.
Conflicts of Interest Notice
S3 and its associated entities may hold investments in companies featured in its articles, including through being paid in the securities of the companies we provide commentary on. We disclose the securities held in relation to a particular company that we provide commentary on. Refer to our Disclosure Policy for information on our self-imposed trading blackouts, hold conditions and de-risking (sell conditions) which seek to mitigate against any potential conflicts of interest.
Publication Notice and Disclaimer
The information contained in this article is current as at the publication date. At the time of publishing, the information contained in this article is based on sources which are available in the public domain that we consider to be reliable, and our own analysis of those sources. The views of the author may not reflect the views of the AFSL holder. Any decision by you to purchase securities in the companies featured in this article should be done so after you have sought your own independent professional advice regarding this information and made your own inquiries as to the validity of any information in this article.
Any forward-looking statements contained in this article are not guarantees or predictions of future performance, and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, many of which are beyond our control, and which may cause actual results or performance of companies featured to differ materially from those expressed in the statements contained in this article. S3 cannot and does not give any assurance that the results or performance expressed or implied by any forward-looking statements contained in this article will actually occur and readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements.
This article may include references to our past investing performance. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of our future investing performance.
