SpaceWorks Enterprises

SpaceWorks Enterprises is a company offering aerospace engineering concept designs, market research, technical software, graphics and 3D modeling, and hardware products for the space and aerospace industries that is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, and was founded in 2000 by Dr. John R. Olds.

Hardware solutions offered by SpaceWorks Enterprises include a rocket-boosted vehicle for hypersonics research called X-60A, docking and latching connectors for an in-space assembly called FuseBlox, a family of satellite data loggers for the internet of things (IoT) infrastructure called Agriblinkr, and a re-entry data recorder called Red-Data2. Software solutions being offered by SpaceWorks Enterprises include QuickShot, a space trajectory platform, and Redtop, a software platform for designing liquid rocket engines.

SpaceWorks specializes in modular satellite design and collaborates with U.S. government agencies to develop a modular spacecraft platform for operation in geosynchronous orbit. SpaceWorks has been developing hardware solutions for platform modules and architectures, and assisting organizations in the evaluation of the impact of modular spacecraft technologies.

FuseBlox are all-in-one spacecraft docking and connection devices for use on nano-, micro-, and small satellites. FuseBlox facilitates both soft and hard capture with near-zero momentum transfer and provides electrical power and data connectivity.

These devices are designed to fit a variety of applications. FuseBlox is 10 cm in length, 20 cm in depth, 10 cm in width, and have a mass of 3.2 kg or less.

SpaceWorks' AgriBlinkR is an outdoor IoT data logger and transmitter designed for agriculture applications. This satellite-enabled device provides farmers with one-stop global coverage and eliminates dead spots associated with cellular solutions. AgriBlinkR's features include:

• Compatibility with up to three analog soil moisture sensors (external)

• Ambient temperature sensors

• Ambient humidity sensors

• Global location via onboard GPS

AgriBlinkR's applications include:

• Large acreage row crops (corn, soybeans, etc)

• Fruit and vegetable operations

• Vineyards

• Large and small gardens

AquaBlinkR is an IoT sensor intended for maritime applications utilizing low earth orbit communication data links within the Iridium Constellation. The AquaBlinkR can characterize the water in the field by capturing data such as GPS, sampling depth, temperature, salinity, and pressure from onboard sensors. The cost of AquaBlinkR is approximately $500 per unit in large volume orders.

The device incorporates a power-saving sleep mode to conserve battery power and maximize device longevity. The default configuration for AquaBlinkR is to transmit sensor data twice a day with a total battery life span of 8.5 months, resulting in over 6100 total transmissions, however, data sampling and transmission intervals are customizable. AquaBlinkR's features include:

• Compatibility with Iridium and Iridium-NEXT constellations

• Water/air temperature sensors

• GPS

• Low SWaP

AquaBlinkR's applications include:

• Maritime awareness

• Weather forecasting

• Environmental health monitoring

• Water resource management

Blink Astro, a subsidiary of SpaceWorks, aims to create a satellite constellation named BlinkSat to serve the (IoT)/Machine-to-Machine (M2M) market in a variety of sectors, including precision agriculture, transportation, energy, environmental monitoring, and defense.

On August 6, 2018, Blink Astro announced that the shipment of its custom radio receiver payload was to be integrated into NanoAvionics’ M6P 6U spacecraft platform. Previously Blink had announced it had signed a contract with NanoAvionics to launch its initial technology demonstration payload for creating a global IoT connectivity satellite constellation.

The primary objective of this mission was to demonstrate the reliability and quality of Blink’s end-to-end device connectivity solution. Tests conducted during the approximately 6-month long technology demonstration mission were to include reception and coverage of Blink’s IoT ground terminals, large point-to-point network architecture antenna performance, and overall signal quality assessment.