Redwire Selected As
Solar Array Supplier for PlanetiQ Constellation
Spacecraft
March 9, 2021
Redwire, a new leader in
mission critical space solutions and high
reliability components for the next generation
space economy, has been selected by PlanetiQ, a
commercial weather satellite constellation
operator, to supply solar arrays for their HD
GPS-RO weather satellites. The contract will
include delivery of a 130-watt solar array for
PlanetiQ’s spacecraft. The agreement marks
PlanetiQ’s third flight contract for Redwire’s
solar arrays. Previously, Redwire’s subsidiary
Roccor delivered two sets of solar arrays to
PlanetiQ, dating back to 2018.
“We are proud to partner
with PlanetiQ as a trusted solar array provider
to enable their important mission to improve
weather forecasting and climate monitoring,”
said Al Tadros, Chief Growth Officer and
Executive Vice President of Space Infrastructure
for Redwire. “Our cost-effective solar array
solutions are enabling greater power generation
for small satellites that is driving new
innovation.”
“We are very pleased to
continue to work with Redwire as one of our
primary spacecraft component supplier base,”
said Chris McCormick, Chairman of PlanetiQ.
“Their space-based expertise on deployable
structures and solar arrays has been invaluable
to our mission.”
In June 2021, PlanetiQ
launches their next GNSS Navigation and
Occultation Measurement Satellite (GNOMES) on
the Transporter 2 launch out of Cape Canaveral.
The satellite is designed to provide radio
occultation data to improve weather forecasting
and climate research and to help monitor space
weather. The company is building additional
satellites to launch in the next two years as it
builds out a full constellation of 20 low Earth
orbit satellites that will gather near
real-time, high-quality weather, climate and
space weather data.