Europe must learn from Ukraine's drone-driven innovation model
Europe risks falling behind in modern warfare unless it learns from Ukraine's rapid, drone-driven innovation model.
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Hello, and welcome to this week’s edition of The View from Space.
🇺🇦 Fresh from a visit to Ukraine, Dr Robert Brüll, CEO and founder of advanced materials company FibreCoat, argued in EuroNews that Europe risks falling behind its adversaries if it fails to learn from its ally’s drone-driven approach to defence innovation:
‘Against a much larger, more experienced, highly industrialised Russian military, one with more active personnel, aircraft, ships, tanks, artillery, and armored fighting units, the Ukrainians had little to draw on but their ingenuity, fuelled financially by the West.
Thanks in large part to drones, they put a stop to an invasion that was supposed to take days, and continue to fight tooth and nail for the defence of their homeland and Europe. Four years on, they are the unquestioned world leaders in the creation and development of UAVs, and the rest of Europe should be learning from their example. …
Europe might not have the sense of urgency that exists in Ukraine. But it has vast reservoirs of human talent, world-class research institutions, some of the largest economies in the world, and – more and more – the recognition that it must stand on its own two feet and cease to rely so heavily on its friends in the United States. And yet we are not putting all of these advantages to use by learning humbly from the experience of the Ukrainians and developing a defence infrastructure capable of withstanding or deterring anyone who might do us harm.’
📣 In SpaceNews, Sonder co-founder and Director Harry Readhead argues that the proliferation of satellites in space necessitates a change both in the management and and coordination of spacecraft and in communications:
‘Consider this: satellites now move around one another every day. Starlink satellites alone carried out an eye-watering 300,000 avoidance manoeuvres last year, according to one report filed with the U.S. Federal Communications Commission; and if all satellites were to cease undertaking such maneuvers, we could expect to see a serious collision in about 3.8 days. Moreover, the effects of any crash would likely not be restricted to the spacecraft involved: according to the much-discussed Kessler effect (or, if you prefer, the equally assonant ‘ablation cascade’,) a collision could scatter debris which could then strike other spacecraft, creating more debris, which could then strike other spacecraft, and so on until, in the gloomiest possible course of events, parts of orbit would become unusable and we would be trapped on Earth.
…
The answer to the problem posed by the proliferation of satellites in orbit is not to stop sending them there. Even if that were possible, it would be both impractical and self-defeating. Space, as it is often said, is the backbone of the world economy. It underpins financial transactions, logistics, communication, defence. It is critical infrastructure. But it is precisely because of this — because space is the backbone of the world economy — that the stakes are so high, and it is why we must make the system tougher. Practically, that means improving traffic coordination, gathering and sharing better data on the positions of satellites and putting in place shared rules for maneuvers and close approaches. Engineers are already doing their bit, developing thrusters and systems that allow spacecraft to move, and move autonomously.
But the other side of this has to do with communication. We cannot rule out a collision taking place in space. Given this, satellite operators and their partners — the companies developing cameras, sensors or propulsion systems, among others — must, first, loudly make the case for space and, secondly, explain how they handle risk. But they would also be wise to prepare for the mild outrage of those who do not quite grasp what they do or why it matters, and tend to notice space only when things go wrong: for with the maturation of space, and its evolution from a field of spectacle and speculation to one of services, networks and — as Orbion’s Brad King has rather beautifully put it — “unglamorous competence” — comes a change in how we have to talk about it. Put simply, crisis communications has become key.’'
💰 Neil Rae, UK Space Lead for KPMG, made the case that Britain could become a ‘global space financial centre’:
‘With world‑leading financial services, deep capital markets and strong regulatory foundations, the UK is uniquely placed to become the world’s space finance centre — a hub where capital meets innovation, companies scale and list, and global investors deploy capital with confidence.
Realising this vision, however, will require coordinated action across government, investors and the wider financial ecosystem, alongside new approaches to regulation, risk and capital tailored specifically to the needs of the space economy.
By addressing current structural gaps and aligning capabilities across the ecosystem, the UK can play a defining role in shaping how the global space economy is financed, scaled and sustained.’
🛰️ Bloomberg reported on the role of satellite imagery in Iran, and the relationship between commercial space companies and governments:
‘Other companies that use Planet data say they’ve found workarounds but worry about the long-term implications of the restrictions. Samir Madani, co-founder of TankerTrackers.com Inc., a maritime intelligence company that monitors global oil tanker movements using satellite imagery, says it’s “turned to alternatives” but declined to say what they are. Even if Planet restores access to imagery when the war ends—which the company says it expects to do—Madani says the restrictions will push satellite imagery users away from US providers, which will “face more competitors in the coming months and years as a result of government intervention.”
Antoine Halff, co-founder of the energy analytics provider Kayrros SAS, which uses satellite imagery to measure oil storage levels and track cargo movements in the Gulf for commodity traders, says Planet’s restrictions mean his company can’t monitor the same locations as frequently as before. “In the energy markets, timely data has a stabilizing effect,” he says. “It allows traders and operators to spot disruptions early, reroute flows and help rebalance supply. At a time of heightened geopolitical tension, that transparency increases energy security.” Halff says he worries that restricting access to data could destabilize markets.’
🦢 Japanese researchers developed an origami-inspired reflectarray antenna that weighs just 64kg and unfolds once in orbit. The Engineer reports:
‘The membrane is folded using a flasher (often circular) origami pattern. Once in orbit, the antenna deploys using shape-memory booms, expanding to approximately 2.6 times its stowed size, achieving a storage ratio of 265 per cent.
The system incorporates a beam-tilting primary radiator, which reduces signal obstruction caused by the satellite structure. In addition, the reflectarray converts linearly polarised waves into circularly polarised waves suitable for satellite communication.’
‘“Our results show that even ultra-small spacecraft can carry large-aperture, high-performance antennas, greatly enhancing their communication capabilities,” said [chief researcher Associate Professor Takashi] Tomura.’
🦢 Japanese researchers have developed an origami-inspired reflectarray antenna that weighs just 64kg and unfolds once in orbit. The Engineer reports:
‘The membrane is folded using a flasher (often circular) origami pattern. Once in orbit, the antenna deploys using shape-memory booms, expanding to approximately 2.6 times its stowed size, achieving a storage ratio of 265 per cent.
The system incorporates a beam-tilting primary radiator, which reduces signal obstruction caused by the satellite structure. In addition, the reflectarray converts linearly polarised waves into circularly polarised waves suitable for satellite communication.’
‘“Our results show that even ultra-small spacecraft can carry large-aperture, high-performance antennas, greatly enhancing their communication capabilities,” said [chief researcher Associate Professor Takashi] Tomura.’
🪖 Gizmodo reports that the Trump administration is investigating the disappearances and deaths of 11 American scientists, most of whom were associated with federal nuclear or space research programmes:
‘Authorities have maintained that there is no confirmed connection between the 11 scientists, but the fact that they were all involved in highly valued, strategically sensitive fields has drawn concern from federal officials. Those fields include nuclear weapons security and defense systems, NASA space missions and asteroid tracking, fusion energy and plasma physics, advanced aerospace and military technologies, and biomedical research.
“We’re very concerned about this. This is a national security concern. This would suggest that something sinister may be happening,” House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chair James Comer (R-KY) said during a Sunday appearance on Fox News’s Fox & Friends.’
🇨🇳 China has denied that Iran secretly purchased a Chinese satellite then used it to target U.S. bases during the war, Forbes reports:
‘The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs responded to the FT, saying: “Recently, certain forces have been keen to fabricate rumours and maliciously link them to China. China firmly opposes this kind of ill-intentioned conduct.”
On Wednesday, Trump told Fox Business host Maria Bartiromo he asked China not to supply Iran with weapons. “I wrote him a letter asking him not to do that, and he wrote me a letter saying that, essentially, he’s not doing that,” Trump said.
In a later post on Truth Social, Trump insisted Xi would give him a “big, fat, hug” at his next meeting with the Chinese leader for his actions to secure the Strait of Hormuz.’
🌍 Finally, watch this ‘earthset’ video, captured by Artemis II commander Reid Wiseman on his iPhone: