Dublin, Ireland and Toulouse, France, 26 June 2018, O.C.E. Technology (www.ocetechnology.com) today announced that it is to develop a new real-time operating system in collaboration with the European Space Agency (ESA). The €500,000 project is expected to take 18 months to complete.

One of four orbiting hyperspectral satellites using OCE Techniology

The new operating system, which will be developed to flight quality standards, will contain some unique features for the advanced control of satellite subsystems. The new operating system will allow deterministic scheduling of tasks and will use the new 16-bit SPARC REX instruction set to minimise its storage footprint.

The company made the announcement at the Toulouse Space Show, which is taking place this week, where the company is showcasing its products to European buyers.

O.C.E. Technology, headquartered at NovaUCD, the Centre for New Ventures and Entrepreneurs at University College Dublin, develops software for technical applications and supplies radiation-hardened chip-level components targeted primarily at the space and high-reliability sectors.

The company, an Enterprise Ireland high-potential start-up, also supplies a range of satellite subsystems that are used to bring a satellite into a desired orientation in space at a desired spin rate. These subsystems are already well proven on the Chinese space programme.

Barry Kavanagh, CEO, O.C.E. Technology, said, “This project with the European Space Agency will open up a host of new flight software opportunities for the company and together with our best-in-class debug software will be of strong interest to the fast growing small satellite market.”

At the Toulouse Space Show visit O.C.E. Technology and its European Distributor, Dimac RED, to learn more about the company’s latest range of software and hardware products.

O.C.E. Technology (www.ocetechnology.com) today announced an agreement with Shanghai Aerospace Technology Control Institute (SACTI) to supply satellite subsystems into international markets.

The company made the announcement at the NovaUCD innovation awards ceremony, where it won the company achievement of the year.

The agreement with SACTI is in line with China’s new “Silk Road Initiative” put forward by President Xi Jinping. The initiative promotes cooperation between Chinese and international industry and is reported to be the Chinese project of the century with $8 trillion investment planned for its activities.

Liu Fucheng, CEO of SACTI, ratifies the agreement with O.C.E. Technology

The O.C.E. Technology subsystems are derived from those in use in the Chinese space programme and have been operational on Chinese satellites over the past 20 years. The company is currently working with customers in Europe and South Korea to customise these products for the fast growing commercial satellite market.

O.C.E. Technology, headquartered at NovaUCD, the Centre for New Ventures and Entrepreneurs at University College Dublin, develops software for technical applications and supplies radiation-hardened chip-level components targeted primarily at the space and high-reliability sectors.

The company’s new subsystems can be used to bring a satellite into a desired orientation in space and to a desired spin rate. This latest agreement is a logical cooperation as SACTI are already using high-reliability components as a critical part of its subsystems design.

Barry Kavanagh, CEO, O.C.E. Technology, said, “This new agreement with SACTI will enable OCE to offer the latest proven satellite attitude control systems. OCE’s agreements with Chinese space organisations are the first of their kind worldwide.”  He added, “OCE is establishing a growing reputation with Chinese aerospace organisations for initiating international business. This agreement alone represents an estimated €25 million revenue over the next 5 years.”

During the 2018 Paris Space Week visit O.C.E. Technology, an Enterprise Ireland client company, and its European Distributor, Dimac RED, to learn more about the company’s latest range of software and hardware products.

O.C.E. Technology wins the “Company achievement of the year” at the recent awards ceremony at the Belfield Innovation Centre. The competition was stiff from a number of fast growing companies in the biotech sector one of which had raised €60M euro in the past year.

Tom Flanagan, Director of Innovation, with the OCE team at the prize giving ceremony

At 11:00 on June 15, two video micro-satellites (OVS-1A and OVS-1B) were successfully launched on the CZ-4B / Y31 launch vehicle. These satellites are part of the “Zhuhai One” remote sensing micro-satellite constellation. The satellites were designed by Zhuhai Orbita Control Engineering Co., Ltd. and use many of its components. This is China’s first independent operation of a satellite constellation by a private enterprise and will help build a large satellite data industry in Guangdong.

The two initial satellites use Orbita’s mature “micro-nano satellite product system” platform with high integration, light weight and low cost. OVS-1A and OVS-1B are satellites for optical imaging each weighing 55kg, with optical resolution of 1.98m, and two modes of operation; gaze video and strip imaging.

According to Orbita chairman Yan Jun, the “Zhuhai One” remote sensing micro-satellite constellation consists of 34 different satellites, a combination of hyperspectral and radar satellites in different orbits covering the whole world. The satellites have a full range of remote sensing, all-weather, high temporal resolution, and high spatial resolution.” Yan Jun explained that in general low-orbit earth observation need 2 months to cover the earth whereas “Zhuhai One” will do this in 5 days with daily coverage of hot areas.

Orbita Satellite Constellation

The project will be completed in two phases, the first phase of 18 satellites will be launched from 2017 to 2019.  The second phase of 16 satellites will be launched within two years of completion of the first phase. All satellites are using Orbita designed components. The next satellites will be launched by the end of this year, including four hyperspectral satellites.

The first launch of the video satellite is mainly for the ground “satellite data processing centre” to provide video and image data products. In order to increase the capacity to receive data, Orbita will also build six ground stations to receive the data.

Information from this constellation is aimed at satellite data industry, a trillion dollar market. The “Zhuhai One” project will produce satellite data not only for the local government departments and industries in Zhuhai but also through a satellite data platform for the rest of the world to provide data services to hundreds of millions of ordinary people.

According to Yan Jun the next step is the construction of Zhuhai satellite data industry park and satellite data industry incubation centre to help the development of big satellite data industry in Guangdong.

The industrial park includes a satellite operations centre, data processing centre, application demonstration centre and incubation centre. The government plans to introduce and incubate 100 related industries, innovative enterprises, and teams.

Marseille from OVS-1A

Osaka from OVS-1B