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OpTech expanding Loudoun satellite plant

Optimum Technologies, a Sterling space flight hardware designer and manufacturer, plans to expand its Loudoun County satellite manufacturing plant, a project expected to create 40 jobs, Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced Monday.

Known as OpTech, the company will invest $999,000 in the expansion, according to the governor’s office. OpTech was founded in Virginia in 2015 and specializes in aerospace products related to satellite, ground and missions systems engineering and includes the U.S. Department of Defense among its customers. The company also holds civil and commercial contracts.

“OpTech continues to expand due to high growth in the space sector,” Timothy Rumford, OpTech’s executive vice president, said in a statement. “We have seen great demand for our hardware and services and have outgrown our original [satellite manufacturing facility] that was opened in 2022. Our new facility will give us approximately five times the capacity and help continue our growth plans and, in turn, help support our nation’s needs for rapid and low-cost access to space.”

OpTech was founded by CEO Jeffrey Gick and Chief Operating Officer John Hildebrand, who both were employed at Orbital Sciences Corp., while Gick worked previously at Hughes Space & Communications, and Hildebrand was at Lockheed Martin and United Space Alliance earlier in his career.

“Optimum Technologies’ decision to expand its manufacturing facility in Loudoun County demonstrates the trust manufacturers have in Virginia,” Youngkin said. “The company is a key component of the Northern Virginia aerospace industry, and we are gratified to see this investment.”

According to the governor’s office, the Virginia Economic Development Partnership worked with Loudoun County to secure the project, and the Virginia Jobs Investment Program will support recruitment and training of the new employees at no cost to OpTech.

Herndon’s Akima wins $480M Space Force contract

The U.S. Department of Defense has awarded Five Rivers Analytics, a subsidiary of Herndon-based government contractor Akima, an indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity contract worth up to $480 million over 10 years, Akima announced last week.

Based in Colorado, Five Rivers Analytics provides classified IT and mission support services and bills itself as “a small business backed by a global enterprise.” The Satellite Control Network Tracking Station Operations Remote Site and Mission Partner Support (STORMS) contract focuses on operation and maintenance of the U.S. Space Force’s Satellite Control Network, a global network of radio frequency antennas, signal processing and routing communications equipment and computer systems supporting space vehicles. Support services provided by Five Rivers Analytics will include maintenance, cybersecurity measures and system administration.

The Satellite Control Network (SCN) of antennas communicates with and control U.S. government satellites. A 2023 report by the U.S. Government Accountability office described the network as “aging” and “difficult to maintain,” while noting that “demand on the network is increasing as more satellites are launched.”

Following GAO’s recommendation to improve capacity of the SCN, Akima plans to integrate emerging technologies to improve the SCN’s efficiency and resilience. By enhancing SCN capacity, the STORMS contract will “set the stage for significant advancements in satellite control and space defense operations,” according to Akima. 

“Our partnership with the U.S. Space Force underscores our commitment to enhancing the Satellite Control Network’s operational efficiency and resilience,” Duncan Greene, president of Akima’s Mission Systems, Engineering and Technology group, stated in a news release. “By integrating emerging technology and expanding system capabilities, we’re not only bolstering national defense and intelligence but also paving the way for revolutionary advancements in space operations.”

Only two bids were received for this contract.

STORMS is a successor to the Consolidated Air Force Satellite Control Network Modifications and Maintenance Operations contract, or CAMMO. CACI International, a Reston Fortune 1000 contractor, previously won that contract in 2016. Bidding for STORMS was limited to small businesses.

Akima operates as a subsidiary of NANA Regional, a for-profit Alaska Native corporation owned by more than 15,000 Indigenous Iñupiat shareholders who live in or have roots in Northwest Alaska. It has 10,000 employees. 

 

 

Intelsat to be acquired by SES for $3.1B

McLean-based satellite services provider Intelsat announced Tuesday that it has made a deal to be acquired by SES, a Luxembourg-based competitor, for $3.1 billion in cash. 

The deal is expected to close during the second half of 2025, depending on regulatory clearances and other factors, according to a news release. 

Intelsat CEO David Wajsgras will stay on at Intelsat until the close of the transaction “He does not plan to remain with the combined company,” Clay McConnell, a spokesperson for Intelsat, said in an email. 

The combined SES will be headquartered in Luxembourg, but will have a “significant presence” in the U.S., according to the release. In March, SES held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for their new U.S. technology and operations hub facility in Prince William County. 

Intelsat and SES previously discussed a merger, but talks fell apart in June 2023.

Once the companies combine, SES will offer a fleet of more than 100 Geostationary Earth Orbit (GEO) and 26 Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) satellites. Previously, SES had boasted a global fleet of more than 70 GEO and MEO satellites. 

The additional satellites will allow SES to provide enhanced coverage, greater network resiliency and improved service delivery, according to the release. 

Wajsgras joined Intelsat as CEO in April 2022 soon after the satellite operator’s emergence from Chapter 11 bankruptcy and financial restructuring.

In March, Intelsat announced it had committed to secure low-Earth orbit service for six years for $250 million from Paris-based Eutelsat Group’s OneWeb low-Earth orbit (LEO) constellation service, with an option for another $250 million.

“Over the past two years, the Intelsat team has executed a remarkable strategic reset,” Wajsgras said in a statement. “We have reversed a 10-year negative trend to return to growth, established a new and game-changing technology roadmap and focused on productivity and execution to deliver competitive capabilities.”

 

McLean’s Iridium closes on Satelles deal

McLean-based Iridium Communications, a global satellite communications company, has completed its previously announced acquisition of Satelles, a Reston-based provider of satellite-based time and location services that assist GPS and global navigation satellite systems (GNSS), the company announced Tuesday.

Iridium first announced the acquisition in March. The positioning, navigation and timing service previously known as STL from Satelles will now be called Iridium Satellite Time and Location. According to Iridium, the service protects GPS and other GNSS-reliant systems’ time-synchronized applications from spoofing, when hackers trick a GPS receiver into calculating a false position, and jamming, when hackers interfere with GPS satellite signals, making them ineffective.

Using small hardware that doesn’t require outdoor antennas, Iridium STL can help protect critical infrastructure, data centers, 5G base stations and applications across the aviation, maritime, land mobile and Internet of Things sectors. The service works indoors and continues to work during regional GNSS system outages, according to a news release.

Previously, Iridium disclosed that the company had an ownership stake of 20% in Satelles through three earlier investments, and that it would pay about $115 million for the other 80%. This purchase was Iridium’s first acquisition.

“We’re ready to step on the gas and expand the availability of Iridium STL to markets around the world,” Matt Desch, the company’s CEO, said in a statement. “With our experienced partner ecosystem and global footprint, this needed capability can quickly help make the critical services we all rely on every day more efficient, reliable and secure.”

Iridium, which assumed all rights to the Satelles patent portfolio, expects STL to generate over $100 million in service revenue annually by 2030 and additional revenue from equipment and engineering, according to the company.

In 2023, Iridium reported a total revenue of $790.7 million, up 10% from 2022, and net income of $15.4 million, an improvement from $8.7 million in 2022.

Intelsat strikes $250M deal with Eutelsat Group

McLean-based satellite services provider Intelsat has committed to secure low-Earth orbit service for six years for $250 million from Paris-based Eutelsat Group’s OneWeb low-Earth orbit (LEO) constellation service, with an option for another $250 million, Intelsat announced Tuesday.

“We’ve been partnering with Eutelsat for quite some time now, leveraging its OneWeb LEO constellation to offer a multi-orbit solution, primarily in commercial aviation,” Intelsat CEO Dave Wajsgras said in a statement. In 2020, Intelsat purchased in-flight broadband connectivity provider Gogo Inc.’s commercial aviation business for $400 million, serving a customer base of more than 3,000 commercial aircraft.

Intelsat will provide direct design and functionality input to Eutelsat as it develops its Next Generation OneWeb constellation, according to the the company, “to help ensure that the new constellation will have the capabilities to meet real-world customer needs going forward.”   

The partnership between Intelsat and Eutelsat, Eutelsat Group CEO Eva Berneke said in a statement, “showcases the necessity in today’s world for major satellite operators to have the ability to offer multi-orbit solutions to their customers.”

Founded in 1964, Intelsat provides satellite-based communications to government, nongovernmental organizations and commercial customers. Last year, merger talks between Intelsat and Luxembourg-based competitor SES S.A. were called off. The merger was anticipated to have created a $10 billion global business. The McLean-based satellite operator emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy and financial restructuring in early 2022.

Charlottesville’s Astraea acquired by Fla. satellite company

Astraea, a Charlottesville-based geospatial analytics firm, has been acquired by Nuview, a Florida-based company developing a satellite imaging constellation, the companies announced Tuesday.

Financial terms of the deal were not available.

Founded as a for-profit benefit corporation in 2016, Astraea applies data science and artificial intelligence to analyze imaging and sensor data gathered from Earth-observing satellites.

“This acquisition of Astraea will allow Nuview to diversify and strengthen its position across multiple markets, leveraging its expanding client base and expertise,” according to a news release from the companies announcing the acquisition.

Founded in 2022, Orlando, Florida-based Nuview is developing a constellation of satellites planned for launch in 2025 that will use lidar technology to scan and map large areas of Earth terrain from space, creating 3D imaging. The acquisition of Astraea will add advanced geospatial image analysis to Nuview’s capabilities. The startup was named to Time magazine’s list of the best inventions of 2023 for its planned lidar satellite constellation. Nuview’s clients include the U.S. Department of Defense and commercial interests.

“Nuview’s lidar technology will provide centimeter-scale accuracy in geospatial intelligence and mapping that is pivotal for defense, climate initiatives, telecommunications, agriculture, energy and national mapping initiatives,” according to the news release.

Astraea CEO and co-founder Daniel Bailey said, “Nuview shares Astraea’s passion for finding solutions to some of the world’s toughest problems through Earth observation and data analytics. With only an estimated 5% of the world mapped with the accuracy that only lidar technology can bring, Nuview’s groundbreaking space-based lidar, coupled with Astraea’s platform infrastructure, is poised to offer unprecedented AI solutions and indispensable data vital for advancing global climate initiatives and sustainable development.”

When the war between Ukraine and Russia began, Astraea spearheaded an effort to provide free satellite imagery that could be used to assist Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense, as well as civilians and humanitarian organizations. In July 2022, Astraea closed an oversubscribed $6.5 million Series A round led by Aligned Climate Capital and Carbon Drawdown Collective with participation from CAV Angels, Tyndall Investment Partners and the University of Virginia Licensing & Ventures Group Seed Fund.

HawkEye 360 promotes COO to president

HawkEye 360’s chief operating officer has been promoted to president, the Herndon-based satellite analytics company announced Tuesday.

Rob Rainhart joined HawkEye 360 as vice president of engineering in 2016, a few months after the company’s 2015 founding, and has served as its chief operating officer since 2019. His new role as president is effective immediately.

“It is an honor to be appointed president of HawkEye 360, where I have borne witness to year-over-year growth and incredible innovations in our technology and service offerings,” Rainhart said in a statement. “I am humbled to serve alongside HawkEye 360’s talented, mission-focused team, who remain dedicated to making the world a safer place through advanced [radio frequency] analytics — whether on land, sea or sky.”

Before joining HawkEye 360, Rainhart worked with RT Logic, first as principal engineer and then as director of technology and innovation, according to his LinkedIn profile. Prior to that, he was a design engineer at Harris before its merger with L3 Technologies to form L3Harris Technologies.

He has a master’s degree in systems engineering from Pennsylvania State University and a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Colorado State University.

“It has been a great privilege to work closely with Rob each day and watch him take on an increasingly expanding set of responsibilities with much success,” HawkEye 360 CEO John Serafini said in a statement. “So much of HawkEye 360’s growth and development over these years is directly due to his leadership, commitment and care for this great company.”

HawkEye 360 operates a constellation of 21 satellites that detect, characterize and geolocate radio frequency signals. The company plans to have 20 clusters with three satellites each, for a total of 60 satellites, in 2025. In January, three of the company’s satellites were launched into orbit during Rocket Lab’s first launch from U.S. soil at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Accomack County.

Telecommunications 2023: MATTHEW J. DESCH

Iridium launched five spare satellites in May, completing its plans to upgrade the resilience of its constellation of communication satellites. It now has 66 operational crosslinked satellites and 14 spares.

Iridium’s mobile voice and data satellite communications network is used in ships, planes and land vehicles and for Internet of Things systems.

For fiscal year 2022, Iridium reported net income of $8.7 million on total revenue of $721 million, an improvement from 2021, when the company reported a net loss of $9.3 million. Iridium had nearly two million subscribers in 2022’s fourth quarter, a 16% year-over-year increase.

Desch has been CEO of the company since 2009 and was CEO of its predecessor, Iridium Holdings, from 2006 to 2009. Prior to that, he was CEO of Telcordia Technologies, which was acquired by Ericsson. He has served on the President’s National Security Telecommunications Advisory Committee since 2011 and on the Unisys board since 2019. In January, he was named to Executive Mosaic’s Wash100 list for the ninth year in a row.

He is a graduate of Ohio State University and has an MBA from the University of Chicago.

Telecommunications 2023: DAVID C. WAJSGRAS

Wajsgras took over as CEO of Intelsat in April 2022 soon after the McLean-based satellite operator’s emergence from Chapter 11 bankruptcy and financial restructuring. A little more than a year later, in June 2023, news surfaced that merger talks between Intelsat and its Luxembourg-based competitor SES had been called off. Last year, Intelsat deployed emergency communications support in Ukraine, as well as in Florida in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian.

A University of Maryland alumnus, Wajsgras earned his MBA from American University and spent 14 years at Raytheon (now RTX) prior to joining Intelsat. He serves on the boards of Parsons and Martin Marietta Materials.

In January, Wajsgras was named to Executive Mosaic’s Wash100 list for the seventh time. In May, he won the 2023 WashingtonExec Chief Officer Award for CEO in the category of private companies with annual revenue greater than $1 billion.

Satellite internet improves mobile health care

The Health Wagon got its start in 1980 when Sister Bernadette Kenny, a nurse practitioner, began dispensing free, much-needed health care to people in rural Appalachia from her Volkswagen Beetle.  

“She was thinking outside the box,” says Health Wagon President and CEO Teresa Tyson.

Kenny served as inspiration, Tyson says, when the health care provider’s leaders decided to switch to satellite internet service through SpaceX’s Starlink. The Elon Musk-owned service brings the web to hard-to-reach places via its constellation of low-Earth-orbiting satellites. For two years of service and hardware, Starlink internet will cost the Health Wagon $18,050, which has been covered through donations, Tyson says. 

The Health Wagon operates multiple mobile clinics that regularly visit 13 sites in Buchanan, Dickenson, Lee, Russell, Scott and Wise counties. The nonprofit also operates two stationary medical clinics, in Wise and Clintwood, and a dental clinic in Wise.

Previously, the mobile clinic’s health care workers relied on cellular hotspots that weren’t always reliable. “It’s just not ideal, especially if there’s more than two people using it,” says Bo Cash, IT system administrator for the Health Wagon. 

Three of the mobile clinic’s stops — all in Dickenson County — lacked cell service. That meant patients at those stops couldn’t access telehealth visits with specialists, and Health Wagon workers were “out there kind of blind without being able to look at electronic health records” to view patient medical histories and prescriptions, Tyson says. 

That is changing with Starlink, which also allows Health Wagon workers to use tools like a retina camera that can send images to UVA Health in real time. “Now, we can take that camera out on the road with us and do these retinal screenings for eye disease,” Tyson says.

In addition to extending internet access, Cash and Tyson feel confident Starlink will offer faster and more dependable service than the cellular hotspots. “It’s going to [produce] improved patient outcomes and that translates into improved health care and saved lives,” says Tyson. 

Dr. Joseph Aloi, Wake Forest Baptist Health’s section chief for endocrinology and metabolism, has volunteered with the Health Wagon for about two decades. With satellite internet, he’s hopeful the staff will have an easier time sending him patient data and that patients will have smoother telehealth visits.

“It’ll just minimize hiccups,” he says.  

Virginia Business Associate Editor Katherine Schulte contributed to this story.