The NewSpace sector has taken the world by storm. It’s a re-birth of an industry that has always fascinated us. However, this time there is a new edge to it, a different mindset, and it’s attracting an array of entrepreneurs, from the familiar tech giant names with billions to bankroll their projects to much smaller start-ups that want to give new concepts a try. From earth observation to space debris removal, off world manufacturing and everything in between, over the last decade space has come alive again. Space companies attempting to solve many of the world’s most pressing challenges from space debris removal to bridging the Digital Divide, are springing up all over the globe. Venture capitalist firms have switched onto space, offering funding for projects that previously would have struggled to find backing.

This new age of space has brought with it an acceleration of projects. These companies don’t want to hang around. They need to prove their concept and make money, and as a result, the time taken from the drawing board to launch has been cut considerably. 

Risk is part of the job

I’ve already mentioned a new mindset. In the past, the space sector has been notoriously risk-averse, to the point of slowing itself down. Lead times on satellite manufacturing were years long. Budgets were pushed to the limit and the technology that eventually made its way to orbit was often outdated quickly, necessitating a new project and the cycle starting all over again.

Take the satellite industry today. Spacecraft development is speeding up, especially in Low Earth Orbit, where NewSpace companies are turning projects around at record speed globally including China, Russia and India. Their spacecraft are no good to them on the ground for years on end. They need to be up in space, operational and making money to get return on investment their investors / backers. The use of software defined payloads is enabling operators to configure their satellites on-orbit, to change their profiles so that they can serve different applications across different regions with steerable beams. This is game changing technology, enabling an industry that previously had to literally design a new satellite to fulfil a certain job description to operating a flexible payload that can remain relevant for its entire lifespan. 

This is coupled with an increasing access to space. Space players were once dependent on a small handful of launch operators to get them where they needed to go. However, today we see the emergence of highly successful players such as SpaceX and RocketLab and many more that are in development that promise cheaper, rapid access to space and rideshares that spread the cost. This means that spacecraft manufacturers can trial technology much more easily and be assured pre-booking and fast approval of their ride into orbit. The net result is more of an appetite to try new things – and take more calculated risks. 

Iterative design

Instead of using a waterfall process, which relies on sequential steps, NewSpace companies tend to employ an iterative design cycle to help them to perfect their product or solution. Iterative design is the process of continuously improving a concept, design or product. The creation of a prototype enables teams to conduct constant tweaking of the product through repeated adjustment cycles. There is an element of improvement gained through every cycle, taking the design team closer to the end goal at every step. 

In the iterative design process, failing is an important part of the process. We’ve all borne witness to the failures of SpaceX rockets for example. The team is able to brush failure off and simply carry on. It is an acknowledged part of the process. 

This cycle is much faster than the waterfall model and promotes efficiency, timeliness, cost-effectiveness and makes it easier to manage risk. 

The component game

Without the component ecosystem, there would be no Newspace sector. Component manufacturers are a key part in the chain of development of these projects whether it’s developing a lunar lander, a launch vehicle or a spacecraft for debris removal – they all rely on components. Component manufacturers have also had to adapt to this new mindset in space technology. 

Commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) components are at the very foundation of NewSpace manufacturing. Companies are striving to keep costs down whilst offering a high level of performance and using components that can withstand the rigors of the space environment. Often the IP of new space companies is that they have learn through testing and analysis of Bill of Materials which components will work and if this is a harsh industrial version then the cost savings are significant, It’s a true balancing act. For new space platforms often the required life cycle is much shorter to prove the overall system level performance and receive the next level funding, or staged design improvements. This once again highlights a shift in mindset. Where space players were once reluctant to use COTS components and brought development in-house to avoid risk, today NewSpace players are focused on managing risk and are turning to COTS in order to ensure cost-effective and fast realisation of their projects. TRL9 COTS products may utlise lower cost component parts which have been extensively TiD / T-VAC tested and so offer faster delivery times whilst maintaining /improving quality assurance. By building a robust portfolio of high quality, space-rated off-the-shelf components, they are enabling agility and flexibility. Critically, they are adopting an assembly-line mentality, where the components they are using in their designs are tightly matched with the manufacturing process, bulk buy and stocking of traceable parts, coupled with booking regular testing slots with the labs ensuring continuous production flows.

Component manufacturers take the strain

By using a COTS approach, a NewSpace team knows that a component has been designed and tested specifically for the space environment. Manufacturers have already made the investment in the R&D, the integration, the clean room and the project management. They have the engineering staff available. They offer quality in production and economies of scale, and many are already flight proven. The products undergo intensive testing for shock, vibration, cooling and radiation and other environmental testing. This may result in a more expensive cost per unit, but the hard work is taken out of it, and traceability can also be provided, if that is required for insurance purposes. In other cases the NewSpace companies are sourcing MIL COTS products non space rated / tested and testing it themselves or making the risk case based on integration within a larger sub assembly. This knowledge of what will work what will not depending upon the application, lifetime requirement, rad levels, temperature range can give option of a much lower cost system product, which they can prove is working by testing themselves.

If a more tailored approach is needed, customised components can be offered, and these fall somewhere in between COTS and in-house developed products. They are essentially COTS, but they are adapted for specific use cases. Here, manufacturers work with the client to understand their requirements and then make changes to the original commercial component. This means that the customer avoids lengthy in-house development and the long lead-times and high costs associated with it. Often this is software specific since many modern electronics has functional flexibility integrated and baked into the core design.

Factors affecting components for NewSpace applications

There are some key questions that must be asked when selecting COTS components for a space programme. 

Firstly, what is the level of reliability that is needed? How long is the mission likely to run for and what kind of pressure will the component be under. If the component needs to last long-term then it will need to meet specific requirements as maintenance is not possible once a spacecraft has left the Earth. 

What weight and dimension factors need to be taken into account? What material is the component manufactured from? These are very important questions that affect the mass of the craft.

Can the component withstand the space environment? The spacecraft and launch vehicle must be able to deal with intense vibration and temperature extremes and then, once the spacecraft has been launched, it must cope with radiation. This all must be considered. 

Does the component require traceability? Traceability is a form of quality control and enables the tracking and tracing of origin, history and destination of the component used. Insurers will often stipulate traceability of components to insure spacecraft. Maybe New Space companies decide they do not require insurance since they will have multiple launch windows planned into their roadmap 

Understanding NewSpace Thinking

As component manufacturers, we need to constantly engage with the NewSpace community and support their iterative design process. Encouraging dialogue and sharing experiences will help us to understand and to learn more about the kind of components we need to design, have in stock and ready to deliver or customise so that we can help them to achieve the fast turnarounds that define this new era of space manufacturing. By working closely with and understanding our customer’s requirements and the fact that every space mission is completely unique, we can ensure that the components we provide meet and exceed every expectation and redefine the importance of COTS or customised COTS components for NewSpace innovation.