AstroForge™

Originally posted @ AstroForge.com — It has been an exciting year for AstroForge! We came together on the promise to push boundaries, and 2023 has pushed that bar even higher with the successful launch and ongoing operations of our first mission of Brokkr-1, completion of our in-house designed, built and fully qualified imagers for mission 2, and a successful hot fire test of our deep space flight spacecraft. We expect 2024 to be as full of challenges - and opportunities - as 2023. Here's where we are, and what's next. Mission 1 Update The Brokkr-1 refinery demonstration mission successfully launched on April 15, 2023, with the goal of validating AstroForge's full-system engineering team, flight-testing critical subsystems in preparation for deep space, and, finally, extracting platinum from an asteroid simulant. Of course, no project as ambitious as asteroid mining is without its challenges and lessons learned. After nominal separation from the launch vehicle, it proved difficult to quickly identify our satellite amongst the 50+ satellites deployed on the same launch from a single ground station. Over the next few weeks, through our own network and introductions made by our investor and advisory board, we rapidly connected with space companies who had ground assets to help in identifying our satellite. We achieved our first positive signal on May 5, 2023! Telemetry verified the vehicle was in a healthy state. Closing the command link to deploy the solar arrays would take longer. Our spacecraft was designed to actively control the attitude (orientation) of our vehicle such that the deployed arrays would point at the Sun to maximize power for our refinery, and our command and telemetry antenna, located on the opposite side, would point at Earth. During final integration and testing with OrbAstro, we identified that the magnetic field generated by our refinery system prevented the satellite’s ability to actively orient the satellite. We decided to proceed forward as-is, fully understanding the risk that our satellite would now be passively stabilized in a wobble, eventually settling in an orientation where we lose communication. The alternative was to redesign the refinery and delay the mission at least nine months to the next available launch date and forfeit the launch cost. With an impeded ability for orientation control due to the payload’s magnetic field, the high gain patch antennas used for telemetry and command meant we had a lower chance of alignment between onboard antennas and ground station. To mitigate the lower communication link margin, OrbAstro burned the midnight oil with us to incorporate an extra omnidirectional antenna so we could at least downlink the health status of the satellite. Unfortunately, due to time constraints, the addition of an omnidirectional uplink antenna was not possible. It was high-risk but even with the decreased communication link margin due to the wobble, we could still complete the demonstration as long as the panels were deployed. However, our analysis and planning did not account for how long it would take to identify our satellite. After identifying the satellite, over the next couple months we received numerous nominal health packets which was a great sign, deploying the solar panels was proving difficult.  To accelerate things, we needed more ground station passes. So in July 2023, we decided to contract, license, and commission another ground station. This process can take up to a full year; we did it in three months. In that time, we also brought the mission operations in-house, with the AstroForge team taking on the primary operator roles. On September 2, 2023, the solar arrays were successfully deployed. And on November 8, 2023, satellite commissioning and checkouts were completed, and we moved into the initial refinery baseline functional testing and demonstration. Now it’s a race against time to complete the refinery checkouts and demonstrations before the satellite stabilizes and we lose the ability to command completely. We estimate that to be in another three months. In summary, the TL;DR: Separation - COMPLETED Initial contact - COMPLETED Command solar panels to deploy - COMPLETED Satellite commissioning and checkouts - COMPLETED Refinery baseline - IN PROGRESS Refinery demo start - TODO Refinery demo complete - TODO Demo missions like Brokkr-1 are like the months of practice leading up to a big game. In our case, Brokkr-1 was the practice and the big game is our upcoming deep space mission. Throughout the Brokkr-1 mission we identified our weak spots both technically and operationally and have taken significant steps in mitigating those for our upcoming mission 2. AstroForge works under the philosophy to test fast and test often. There are risks associated with this approach but there is also tremendous value in getting real flight experience and heritage for the team and the vehicle. Our team and partners have already incorporated the learnings from this mission to our upcoming deep space mission including the following: It can take multiple weeks to separate tracking for so many small craft; we've now established protocols with multiple global partners to get fast tracking and communication for future missions and will plan our operations around the adjusted timeline. This involves contracting and coordinating directly with the ground station providers well in advance of the mission as well as end to end compatibility testing. We added an omnidirectional uplink capability to command in essentially any orientation. We brought in primary mission operations and ground systems coordination in-house. This increases our operational cadence while continuing to utilize our mission partners for their system expertise and infrastructure. Instead of only commanding, we added auto sequences allowing us to start critical systems, like solar array deployment, based off spacecraft deployment from the launch vehicle.   Increased onsite presence with our vendors to have a more integrated approach in development, testing, and swift resolution of issues and non-conformances. We’re thankful for all the hard work our team and our partners have put in thus far to get to this point and we’re looking forward to completing the upcoming mission milestones before time runs out. We’re excited for the challenge! Mission 2 - Same Mission, New Name The objective of Mission 2 remains the same: get to deep space, perform a flyby of the asteroid target, and take high resolution images of the surface. It’s important to note that meeting just one of these objectives would be a groundbreaking achievement not just for AstroForge but for commercial space at-large. To capture the significance of this mission’s objectives and values more accurately, we have decided to rename the spacecraft to Odin. Odin, a Norse mythological figure, is known for being a relentless seeker of knowledge and wisdom and a father to other gods in Norse mythology. Like Odin in mythology, the Odin spacecraft will be the first commercial vehicle to venture into deep space - a precursor to all our future deep space vehicles and missions - and will help further our knowledge and understanding of the beyond, and more specifically, our target asteroid. To date, the Odin spacecraft has gone through a successful hot fire test of the propulsion system. Additionally, the in-house designed and built payload imagers that will be used to image the surface of the asteroid have completed qualification testing and are currently getting integrated onto the spacecraft bus along with the rest of the components in preparation for full vehicle checkouts. It will go into environmental testing and arrive back to our facilities before the end of the year where it will undergo extended testing while we await our launch as a lunar rideshare slot in 2024 on the Intuitive Machines IM-2 mission. A Peek Into Next Year Besides our ongoing work on missions 1 and 2, we are actively working on our next revisions to our refinery. So far, these revisions are yielding very promising results, greatly reducing the power necessary to refine material into platinum group metals and addressing the magnetic field issue identified on mission 1. Meanwhile, mission 3 planning, design, and prototypes are being tested and we will release more on that soon. A big thank you to all our investors, partners, advisors, families, and fans for all your continued support and unwavering belief in AstroForge’s vision to provide off-planet resources for the benefit of humanity. We hope your year has been as exciting (and insightful) as ours, and we look forward to the upcoming year when we become the first commercial company to venture into deep space.  ☄️

Originally posted @ AstroForge.com — As we continue to grow and reach new milestones, we're excited to announce our move to a new, state-of-the-art, 64,000-square-foot headquarters in Seal Beach. The facility offers a larger area to house our asteroid mining and refining technology, spacecraft integration, internal manufacturing, and testing systems, along with ample office space for our team to collaborate closely. With these upgrades, we’re thrilled to continue pushing toward our ultimate goals. We view our new headquarters not just as a workplace, but as a launchpad for creativity and technological breakthroughs, tailored to meet the needs of our growing team. In the wake of announcing our third mission, DeepSpace-2, this location affords us advanced opportunities to become the first private mission to land beyond the Earth-Moon system. This facility provides the space needed to work on two deep-space missions concurrently. However, technological advancements alone don’t drive our success. We thrive on teamwork, with our engineers working on-site to deliver unique results. For this reason, we want our workspaces to be centers for collaboration. Our new environment features dedicated innovation labs and welcoming meeting spaces that unite the brightest minds in space mining. As we settle in, we're more committed than ever to our mission. This move represents a significant step forward, not just in terms of physical space, but in our journey to redefine the future of resource acquisition. It has been great to partner with Owen and the Raise team, who did a tremendous job helping us find our new, permanent home. With every discovery and connection, we’re laying the groundwork for a future where the vast elements of space are within our reach.  ☄️

Oroginally posted @ AstroForge.com — AstroForge is working hard to reach deep space, and we’re excited to spotlight the trailblazers and visionaries who are actively involved in driving our mission. We’re thrilled to welcome three exceptional advisors to our team, each bringing a wealth of expertise from the aerospace industry. Meet Dr. Lindy Elkins-Tanton, Justin Chandler, and Kim Crider— brilliant minds who will help make us the foremost company to mine an asteroid. Dr. Lindy Elkins-Tanton is a leading expert in metal asteroids with nearly 150 peer-reviewed publications delving into her groundbreaking research. A distinguished figurehead in the field of space exploration, she is currently on the front line of exploring the metallic asteroid (16) Psyche as the Principal Investigator for NASA’s Psyche mission. Justin Chandler is Vice President of Government Relations and Strategic Partnerships at ThinkOrbital and is well-versed in building organizational partnerships. He served as a Colonel and Deputy Division Chief & Space Legislative Liaison for the US Department of the Air Force, Director of the Strategic Initiatives Group of the US Space Force, and a Space Operations Engineer at SpaceX. Kimberly Crider is an acclaimed aerospace visionary and mission architect. She has held key roles at leading aerospace organizations, including serving as CTIO of the US Space Force and a Major General and Chief Data Officer of the US Air Force. She is also a founding partner of Elara Nova: The Space Consultancy which strategically aids businesses and government agencies as they traverse space.  ☄️

Originally posted @ AstroForge.com — Same name, new vehicle, new standard for space exploration In our last update, we celebrated the launch of our first mission, Brokkr-1, and highlighted key capabilities and learnings the company was targeting on our way to in-house design and integration of our vehicles. For Brokkr-1, we couldn't have gotten off the ground without the partnership of key third parties that added the necessary hands and expertise to get that vehicle flying in record time; great work all! Now it's been a huge few months for AstroForge, and there's a lot to report. Here’s where we are: Mission 1 - Farewell Brokkr-1 As a reminder, we launched Brokkr-1 to space in April 2023 to demonstrate our refinery technology operating in space. We expected to lose communication with Brokkr-1 this spring, and we made our last contact on May 16, 2024 14:52 UTC. We received downlink telemetry packets but remained unable to close the command uplink necessary to activate the refinery payload. So while we could reasonably monitor overall vehicle health, we were not able to check out the demo refinery on this flight. The final status of the mission objectives are below: Separation - COMPLETED Initial Contact - COMPLETED Deploy Solar Arrays - COMPLETED Satellite Commissioning and Checkouts - COMPLETED Refinery Baseline Checkouts - INCOMPLETE Refinery Demonstration - NOT COMPLETED This mission has been invaluable to AstroForge, identifying weaknesses to resolve for our upcoming Mission 2 and providing our team with the experience of a flight campaign from concept design to on-orbit operations and all the steps in between to build, qualify, and certify a vehicle for space. Congratulations to all involved and everyone who stepped in with a helping hand, and to our partners, investors, family, and friends. We’re thankful to have had your support through it all. Brokkr-1 signing off. Truly, Ad Astra Per Aspera. Mission 2 - Same Odin Name, New Odin Vehicle Our second mission will send our vehicle, Odin, to deep space to gather images of our target asteroid. This will be the first-ever deep space mission by a commercial company and the first to collect images of an M-type asteroid. The Odin vehicle failed vibration testing on March 12, 2024; the first natural frequency of the vehicle was significantly lower than expected and well below the SpaceX requirements to be certified to launch. We traced the root cause to a manufacturing defect in the baseplate, a large part of the structure made by one of our third-party vendors. The baseplate, where the propulsion tanks and thrusters are mounted, consists of a foam core sandwiched between carbon composite panels. The foam core was cracked in multiple places, leading to the off-nominal response seen in the vibration test. Vibration testing is strenuous on a spacecraft but safe by design when the design performs as expected; that's the point of the test. But when a vibration test goes off-nominal as ours did, all subsystems are potentially compromised and must be re-evaluated. With our newfound learnings from Mission 1, the AstroForge team performed a deep review of each system, rigorously comparing the as-built components to their design schematics and validation procedures. In that review, we identified damage to the propellant lines, harnessing that failed to meet NASA build standards, and discrepancies between schematics and the as-built avionics that dropped the performance margin in the communications system below our flight requirements. This spacecraft could not fly. There are times when a company has to make extremely difficult decisions. Decisions that will test the resolve and strength of the team. Decisions that could ultimately make or break the company. On April 2, 2024, the AstroForge team unanimously decided to accelerate the in-house design of our own vehicle, planned for Mission 3, to use right now. Up to that point, we had only been designing and building our own payload; all other parts of the Mission 2 spacecraft were designed and integrated by a third party. And at that point, there were only seven months left to launch. Seven months to design and build a bus from scratch, produce mission-specific avionics systems, find and procure long-lead components (typically longer than seven months by itself), pass rigorous full-system flight testing, work with our supplier Dawn to fix the propulsion system, and get licensed and certified with Range Safety, SpaceX, and the FCC. AstroForge prides itself on how quickly we can move. Our first mission from company inception to launch was 460 days. That was a toaster-sized Cubesat. This is a grossly larger 100kg mostly-custom vehicle, and we need to do it 50% faster, just 212 days. We're fast, but this was insane. It was also the right decision. AstroForge is an exciting place to work, where best-of-the-best engineers sink deep into solving world-class problems. We've assembled insane levels of talent, thoughtfulness, experience, technical savvy, and resolve to make insane-seeming tasks viable. It's the right time to bet on ourselves. It’s been a little over 3 months since we made our in-house-designed pivot; here’s where we are and what we still need to do: Define requirements and design the vehicle - COMPLETE Design and manufacture primary structure - COMPLETE Structural and thermal analysis of the vehicle - COMPLETE Procure available components (solar arrays, reaction wheels, RF system) - COMPLETE Design and fabricate mission-specific avionics (power distribution, flight computer, imager payload, onboard cameras, IO board) - COMPLETE Repair and requalify propulsion system, in partnership with Dawn Aerospace - COMPLETE FCC License Application - COMPLETE End to end testing with 1 of 4 ground station sites - COMPLETE Design, build, test, and qualify solar array deployment mechanism - COMPLETE Design, implement, and test mission operations software - COMPLETE Design, implement, and test core GNC algorithms - COMPLETE Design, implement, and test subset of flight software systems and drivers - COMPLETE Design, implement, and test backend infrastructure - COMPLETE Design, implement, and test data analysis tools - COMPLETE Design, build, and test flight harnesses - COMPLETE Design, build, and integrate thermal systems - COMPLETE Integrate and test the full Odin vehicle - COMPLETE   Vibration testing - IN PROGRESS Design, implement, and test representative Flatsat for HITL testing - IN PROGRESS Mission design and trajectory optimization - IN PROGRESS Acceptance test mission-specific avionics - IN PROGRESS Complete flight software system and drivers - IN PROGRESS Complete GNC software and testing - IN PROGRESS Complete simulation environment in support of HITL testing - IN PROGRESS End to end testing with all ground station sites - IN PROGRESS TVAC testing - TODO HITL testing - TODO Mission operations rehearsals - TODO Ship to launch site - TODO Launch integration - TODO Launch - TODO This list is long and exhaustive, and intentionally so, not only to highlight the monumental task at hand but to showcase the AstroForge team. We're on track, but we can't shy away from the fact that any new team building a new vehicle is a lot of risk. It's the right risk at the right time. And everything we learn on Mission 2 sets us up for an even better Mission 3. Introducing the new Odin vehicle. Same name, new vehicle, setting a new standard in aerospace to deliver the first commercial deep space vehicle in record time. LFG!  ☄️