As far as I understand it all of telecommunication satellite constellation work the same way, that is "autonomously". There is simply no other way than to have each satellites link with each other because it wouldn't work otherwise. I believe that what SAS is selling is not an IP at all because every other satellite constellations including that of irridium, inmarsat, etc already doing it. So in my view what SAS selling in that video that Hunterr shared is nothing more than what a satellite constellation is meant to do. As for the IP of the nanosatellites themselves, if I remember correctly, one the poster here already outlined how gommspace retains all the IP for them.
Now, when we are talking about ground station, in my view SAS mandatorily requires ground infrastructure and spectrums that only big telcos can provide because we are talking billions of dollars. They are the same telcos that SAS would need to have commercial offtake agreements with. In my view we are not talking just one telcos either, we are talking multiple of them all over the globe depending on who owns what and where. In my understanding this is because all servers are on the ground and in order for SAS to have connections to those servers it must have that agreement. Ultimately, I think, what determines whether or not SAS would have that agreement is whether or not impiverished communities are deemed profitable enough to provide services to by those telcos. At present I believe the answer is absolutely no. One can argue differently but that would be nothing more but speculation. Without having agreements with telcos then I believe that the constellation would not be connected to the internet nor would it be to the PSTN. So no calls, no internet, etc. As far as company claims is concerned, personally, they worth nothing after a plethora of failures to realize what they claim. As to what they were I think they have been discussed.
Now, from SAS announcements they have proclaimed that they have raised 35 million so far. And from the video of Meir that Hunterr showed, from what I personally understood having watched it, SAS plans to launch in batches of 20-25 satellites at 500 Km LEO and have 200 by 2020 (So I presume over 2 years?). This detracts from what the Sep 2018 presentation told us of 15-30 nanosatellites at 700-750 Km LEO over 4 years commencing in 2019. So which is correct?
If that 500 Km LEO is, presumably, for 3Ds then, I think, it is safe to assume that SAS has not yet tested the pearls, different product, for the LEO at 700-750 Km. So I believe that then not only their commercial viability untested but also their functional capacity. It would, I think, then should not come as a surprise if something could fail and thus cause delay and therefore cost blow out.
For my next point, I assume from what I know that SAS is going to launch through virgin orbit. The same virgin that still in its testing period withiut having a single rocket launch. So then my view is that SAS has its manufacturing done by a loss making spec stock, launch through service still in testing phase and MoUs with, what I believe, random spec companies. Lots of speculative there....
As for launch of 200 pearls and operational by 2020 then my personal view is that certain things need to happen:
1. Virgin orbit testing completed (I believe that is unlikely)
2. Funds of 100 pearls per year, so by my personal calculation ~90 million/year.
3. Test the pearls and assume luck would have it thay everything functions
4. Build the ground network...
5. Scramble for commercial offtake contracts with multiple telcos all over the globe.
6. Other things...
It does not matter if launched in batches....SAS is running against time here whether they like it or not. The operational life of each pearl is, by their own presentation, only 5-7 years before needing replacements.
So I believe then in the next CR they need at least around 90 million/year over 2 years or around 70 million/year over 4 years. If they only get enough for 20 pearls then I believe it would be safe to assume that another CR is coming very closely. Like it or not I think those 2 amounts I have calculated is realistic.
So would SAS get 90 million in the next CR?
Or would be it be only somewhere around 15 million like last time? In which case, my view is, who would be crazy enough to participate in it knowing there would be massive risk of more CR and then another and then another and then another....each I believe would destroy holder sentiment more and more...
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