SFL Missions Inc. Included on Team Awarded Moon Mapping Study Contract by European Space Agency (ESA)
TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--SFL Missions Inc. is a member of the team led by NUVIEW GmbH that has been contracted by the European Space Agency (ESA) to conduct a Pre-Phase A study, within a new scheme for Small Exploration Missions, for the Moonraker lunar mapping mission. The Moonraker satellite will carry a laser scanner to create a detailed elevation map of the Moon's surface.
The Moonraker mission will consist of a single orbiter operating in a low-altitude polar orbit around the Moon. The orbiter will host a Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) payload to capture highly accurate elevation points of the terrain. These points will be used to generate 3D elevation models that will be relied upon to assess and select future landing sites.
Moonraker's LiDAR data will also serve a broader scientific purpose, including scanning permanently shadowed regions for water ice and providing valuable insights into the Moon's geological and interior composition. The Moonraker LiDAR will operator in two modes – one for broad-area scanning of the Moon's polar regions and the other for high-resolution surveys of specific areas of interest.
'As part of the Pre-Phase A contract led by NUVIEW, SFL Missions is supporting the mission concept by contributing to transit trajectory analysis, orbit design, and satellite platform conceptual design for Moonraker,' said Jesse Eyer, NUVIEW Space Missions Architect. 'We're proud to collaborate on advancing this visionary lunar LiDAR initiative.'
The mission analysis evaluates possible launch options and trajectories for efficiently entering into lunar orbit, and it studies how the operational orbit parameters impact the spacecraft design and payload data collection. The system design focuses on payload accommodation, spacecraft layout, and sizing of the various subsystem components. In particular, the propulsion system is sized with the appropriate amount of fuel to complete the transit phase and then maintain the operational orbit while counteracting perturbations caused by the Moon's irregular gravity field. Detailed mission and system requirements are also developed to guide future design phases for the project.
NUVIEW GmbH of Berlin, Germany, serves as prime contractor for the Pre-Phase A study team, which includes several members in addition to SFL Missions. NUVIEW GmbH is a wholly owned subsidiary of NUVIEW Inc. which is developing the world's first commercial space-based LiDAR constellation for 3D mapping of the Earth.
About SFL Missions Inc. (https://sflmissions.com)
SFL Missions Inc. generates bigger returns from smaller, lower cost satellites. Small satellites built by SFL Missions consistently push the performance envelope and disrupt the traditional cost paradigm. We build quality small satellites at low cost that work the first time and enable NewSpace companies to mass produce through our Flex Production program. Satellites are built with advanced power systems, stringent attitude control and high-volume data capacity that are striking relative to the budget. We arrange launches globally and maintain a mission control center accessing ground stations worldwide. The pioneering and barrier-breaking work of SFL Missions is a key enabler to tomorrow's cost-aggressive satellites and constellations.
Follow SFL Missions Inc.
Twitter X @SFLMissions
Instagram at sfl.missions
About NUVIEW
NUVIEW is a pioneering geospatial technology company headquartered in Orlando, Florida, building the world's first commercial LiDAR satellite constellation. Our mission: to deliver a continuously updated 3D map of the Earth's land surface from space. As the first mover in space-based LiDAR, we're combining cutting-edge satellite, sensor, and software innovations to unlock unprecedented global insights.
NUVIEW's integrated data platform empowers users to access and analyze high-resolution elevation models and imagery, including optical, SAR, hyperspectral, and thermal, across a wide range of applications, from climate science and infrastructure planning to agriculture, forestry, and national security. Backed by a team with deep technical expertise and a track record of commercial success, NUVIEW is shaping the future of Earth observation.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Aurora and On the Road Garage team up to train autonomous vehicle technicians
Aurora has partnered with On the Road Garage, a transportation workforce development provider to launch an apprenticeship and upskilling initiative to prepare workers for the new demands required by autonomous vehicles. Aurora advises the program and includes autonomous and electric vehicle repair, ADAS calibration, advanced vehicle technologies, and AV terminal operations. This program is about more than just jobs—it's about building equitable access to the future of mobility,' said Roy Villareal, vice president at On the Road Garage in the release. 'Through this collaboration with Aurora, we are creating a national model for inclusive workforce development in emerging transportation technologies.' The program called 'OTR Advanced Vehicle Technology—Powered by Aurora' combines hands-on training paired with pathways to gain industry credentials, a major pathway for vehicle technicians who use these credentials to get better roles or more pay. For autonomous vehicle providers, half the battle is getting the truck on the road while an additional and under-reported challenge goes into maintenance. Compared to a traditional tractor driven by a driver, autonomous trucks require technicians who can troubleshoot and repair the complex LiDAR and radar arrays besides the extra redundant systems that AV trucks require, like braking, power and steering systems. The fleet technician space remains in a shortage, with an aging workforce paired with broader demographic changes forcing maintenance providers to get creative with filling roles. An added challenge comes from the labor pipeline, where smaller shops are competing with larger OEM dealers for labor. Trevor Milton, recently pardoned founder of Nikola, is actively fighting a subpoena from creditors of his bankrupt electric trucking company as they attempt to recover nearly $100 million he allegedly owes the firm. The official committee of unsecured creditors issued the subpoena to Milton's legal team on April 1, seeking information about his financial affairs. The committee alleges Milton has failed to pay the substantial sum awarded to Nikola following a 2023 arbitration case related to his criminal conviction. 'Milton has yet to pay a cent,' the creditor committee stated in a recent filing. Before its bankruptcy declaration in February, Nikola had sued Milton in federal court in Arizona, accusing him of 'fraudulently transferring away tens of millions of dollars of his assets in order to hinder, delay, and defraud [Nikola] in [its] attempts to collect upon the Arbitration Award.' The dispute has persisted for approximately two months, with Milton's legal team arguing that materials sought by creditors are protected under a protective order in the Arizona case. Meanwhile, Nikola's assets have been largely liquidated through the bankruptcy process. Lucid Motors has acquired the leases on Nikola's Arizona factory and headquarters, hiring around 300 former employees. An auction company purchased the company's remaining hydrogen-powered trucks. The arbitration award represents one of the largest remaining assets in Nikola's bankruptcy estate. The company had initially planned to use this award to settle an ongoing class action shareholder lawsuit related to misleading claims made during its public offering process. Complicating matters further, Milton received a surprise presidential pardon from President Trump while appealing his four-year prison sentence. Shortly thereafter, Nikola's lawyers accused Milton of attempting to derail the bankruptcy proceedings. Milton has since commissioned a documentary that premiered on June 10, which he claims will reveal the 'true story about how the so called 'justice system' nearly destroyed an innocent man.' The post Aurora and On the Road Garage team up to train autonomous vehicle technicians appeared first on FreightWaves. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Yahoo
Dubai Metro introduces AI-driven robotic inspection system
Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), in partnership with Keolis MHI and Future Maintenance Technologies (FMT), has launched an advanced AI-driven robotic inspection system known as the Automated Rail Infrastructure Inspection System (ARIIS) for Dubai Metro. This system represents an advancement in operational maintenance for Dubai Metro, supporting Dubai's ambition to lead in AI and sustainable infrastructure. The ARIIS platform is equipped with LiDAR sensors, lasers, and 3D cameras, enabling autonomous inspection of rail tracks and critical infrastructure without disrupting metro services. This initiative highlights Dubai Metro's dedication to improving safety, efficiency, and reliability by integrating smart technologies into its operations and aligns with the city's Smart City objectives. RTA Rail Agency CEO Abdul Mohsin Kalbat said: 'Dubai is proud to lead in smart solutions to improve reliability and efficiency of Dubai Metro. The introduction of ARIIS represents another significant leap in our journey to maintain our Metro as one of the most advanced and safest public transportation networks globally.' The real-time data analytics from ARIIS will enable precise, informed maintenance actions, enhancing resource management efficiency by 40% and minimising unnecessary interventions, according to the company. Keolis MHI managing director David Franks said: 'ARIIS is a milestone achievement, significantly transforming our maintenance operations by improving safety, efficiency, and data-driven decision-making. It's a game-changer for rail infrastructure management in Dubai.' Implementation of ARIIS is expected to enhance safety by reducing manual inspections by up to 70%, and improving assessment of infrastructure condition by 40%. Additionally, operational efficiency will improve as automation is set to decrease inspection times by approximately 75%, allowing for more frequent checks without affecting service and improving system reliability. For instance, ARIIS can reduce the previous 2,400 man-hours to just 700 man-hours. Furthermore, the system's advanced diagnostics support predictive maintenance strategies, which could extend the lifespan of infrastructure and reduce lifecycle maintenance costs by up to 25%. FMT CEO Loic Ayoul said: 'The RTA and Keolis MHI are truly forward-thinking companies that are leveraging advanced robotics and AI technologies, with ARIIS delivering substantial improvements in railway infrastructure performance, safety, and sustainability for Dubai Metro.' "Dubai Metro introduces AI-driven robotic inspection system" was originally created and published by Railway Technology, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site.
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Yahoo
How Waymo got the edge on the competition and Tesla's robotaxi (so far)
'We are being super paranoid about safety." That's what Tesla CEO Elon Musk said after revealing the company's robotaxi test would start on June 22, later than expected, adding that the date could 'shift' beyond that. Meanwhile, betting site Polymarket lists only a 30% chance that Tesla (TSLA) launches the service before July, highlighting Musk's rosy predictions on self-driving that have been constantly pushed back. While Tesla is on the verge of starting a new chapter for the company, Alphabet's (GOOG) Waymo has been quietly racking up mile after mile, trip after trip, providing actual paid robotaxi rides to customers in San Francisco, Phoenix, Los Angeles, and Austin — where Tesla's test will begin. At stake is a huge opportunity for companies like Waymo, Tesla, and others. Goldman analyst Mark Delaney estimates the market for traditional ride-hailing in the US is worth approximately $58 billion currently, but could be worth more than $330 billion by 2030, with robotaxi-type services pushing the industry forward and reducing costs by — among other factors —not requiring a human driver. Waymo has an early lead, and it seems a big one. Rivals like Argo AI and GM-backed Cruise are gone, leaving only smaller players like Zoox (backed by Amazon), China's Pony AI (PONY), and WeRide (WRD), and of course Tesla. Waymo (before it was even called that) started off as an in-house startup as part of Google's X initiative way back in 2009. After some testing and securing of permits, the project officially became Waymo in 2016, and it started testing its Pacifica hybrid vans kitted out with cameras, LIDAR laser sensors, and radar. In 2018 Waymo and Jaguar paired up, using the British automaker's I-Pace EV for its testing; these are the vehicles most users are accustomed to seeing. Waymo's combination of vision, radar, and LIDAR, which the company calls its 'multimodal' approach, has the company claiming it has the best and safest robotaxi solution. Since 2020, anyone in a service area can download the Waymo app and hail a fully autonomous car. Waymo says it has the most robotaxi miles driven and that the company performs around 250,000 trips a week. A Waymo spokesperson said that the company has not yet seen a vision-only system that can achieve the levels of safety its current system has achieved, asserting that multiple sensors with overlapping fields of view are the best solution. Experts tend to agree. 'Waymo is undoubtedly the leader in autonomous driving technology, with their self-driving software (SDS) being widely regarded as best in class,' said University of San Francisco engineering professor William Riggs, an expert in autonomous technology. 'They have been around the longest, had patient capital, and have the most miles on the road proving that self-driving tech works.' Riggs believes Waymo's software strategy combined with its diversified sensor suite, along with its manufacturer partnerships such as Chrysler, Hyundai, Zeekr, and Toyota, allowed Waymo to maintain a strong presence in the market and adapt to different vehicle platforms. Autonomous expert Katie Driggs-Campbell of the University of Illinois' Grainger College of Engineering agrees. 'Initially, I believe their strength came from the computer vision/learning and compute expertise from Google,' Driggs-Campbell said, noting that Waymo has now 'blended real-world experience, recorded data, and simulation [generated] data to form a reliable system.' Waymo also touts its safety record, as well as how open it's been with data. 'We have an incredibly rigorous safety framework in place, and our safety record speaks for itself,' Waymo's spokesperson said, adding that the company has been voluntarily sharing safety performance data with the public, which goes beyond regulatory requirements. Waymo's approach could not be more different from Tesla's, and that has contributed to the dominant lead it sees currently. Tesla did not immediately respond to Yahoo Finance when seeking comment. But per Musk biographer Walter Isaacson, Musk was enamored with Tesla's vision-only, neural network-powered self-driving system when it was presented to him. He deemed it superior to Tesla's prior system, which ran on millions of lines of code using a rules-based system fed by data coming from radar and LIDAR sensors. Tesla's current FSD (full self-driving) and robotaxi software use only a vision-based system powered by a neural network 'brain' that is constantly training itself using videos collected by millions of Tesla vehicles. (And as opposed to Waymo, Tesla has reportedly asked the city of Austin to block release of safety records related to its robotaxi launch.) While Waymo holds a big early lead, what could stop the pioneer from growing more could be its operations and manufacturing ability. Riggs believes building vehicles at scale remains a significant hurdle for Waymo. 'Currently, they operate between 700 and 1,000 vehicles in their major markets and are producing roughly 1,500 vehicles annually. This relatively modest production volume could become a bottleneck for scaling their operations further,' he said. The other challenge for startups like Waymo in general versus Tesla is that their costs per vehicle are higher. Waymo's self-driving tech and sensors reportedly cost $100,000 plus the cost of the vehicle itself (for example, the Jaguar I-Pace retails for $73,875 in the US). While some of those costs have come down, scaling to new cities and providing enough vehicles to take on Uber, for example, will require more than the 1,500 vehicles currently produced a year. Tesla, meanwhile, has the ability to produce 2 million or more EVs a year, which include the hardware necessary for its FSD and robotaxi software. Tesla also has millions of vehicles on the road that could be converted for robotaxi use, though that would require the company's Hardware 4 autopilot software, which only started rolling out in early 2023. 'AI runs off of data. Waymo is trying to close that data gap with more sensors per vehicle; Tesla is looking to win with more vehicles with targeted data specific to their vision-only approach,' said Ken Johnston, vice president of data and analytics at tech consulting firm Envorso and former exec at Ford and Microsoft. 'Companies like BYD and Tesla also cannot be ruled out, as they continue to innovate and expand their capabilities in this space,' Riggs added. Xiaomi is also testing autonomous driving in China, but the company has suffered from safety issues in early trials. Johnson is bullish on Tesla's robotaxi offering, but the company faces a big challenge in surviving its safety test. Uber's self-driving unit and GM's Cruise could not overcome high-profile accidents. Testing the service without any accidents in a semi-urban environment is not easy. And unlike Waymo, Tesla is under federal investigation for its autonomous software. It also still needs to provide NHTSA with answers to how it plans to roll out its robotaxi program. Meanwhile, Waymo is plugging along, adding more cities to its list of current operations, with Atlanta, Miami, and Washington, D.C., coming online in 2026. Being backed by Alphabet helps too, giving Waymo capital runway for growth, investment, and long-term community outreach. Waymo's technological lead and strong backing from Alphabet clearly have the service in pole position. But this race is far from over. Pras Subramanian is the lead auto reporter for Yahoo Finance. You can follow him on X and on Instagram. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
