We're solving Humanity’s biggest challenges from Space

Omarichet - /o‧ma‧ritʃɛt/

Omarichet is a word used by the Nandi People for a time-honored orbit-like stable used to house cattle at the center of the homestead. This word has a contextual symbolic meaning of innovation through interdependence.

The Nandi are a Nilotic tribe living in East Africa.

Orbit-like stables at the center of homesteads are commonplace among most African communities.

The name envisions our goal to launch a number of Satellites in Low and Medium Earth Orbits to provide on-demand services, particularly in satellite communications and Navigation, Positioning and Timing. The territorial focus is African continent owing to the technological gaps, these services will provide entrepreneurs, researchers, governments & companies the opportunity to use space technology as a tool to solve humanity’s and Africa’s biggest challenges namely –

1. Food Security

2. Affordable Housing

3. Manufacturing

4. Affordable Healthcare

which is among Kenya’s current administration’s “big 4 agenda”.

IntroductionWhat is a Nanosatellite ?

Nanosatellites are loosely defined as any satellite weighing less than 10 kilograms. A satellite the size of a shoebox but packing the punch of a large conventional satellite.

Space-based data communication network is not something new as back in the 1990s there were several large space-based satellite network providers. But these providers used bigger satellites which entailed high costs of deployment and operation.

The dimensions of a Nanosatellite are defined in terms of 10cm x 10cm x 10cm in size and approximately 1 kg each called a ‘U’.

We're Engineering the Future of Commercial SpaceThe need for Space-Based IoT Communication Platform

Internet of Things (IoT) is changing the way the world operates as it moves towards data driven technologies.

With IOT headed to be a Trillion-Dollar revenue generation venture, there are a multitude of terrestrial wireless communications technologies such as Sigfox, GSM, GPRS, 3G, LTE, WIFI, WiMAX, LoRa etc enabling IOT connectivity.

However, none of these networks can cover a whole country or continent and the networks are getting congested and stressed with the multiplication of IoT devices.

The solution to overcome the need for greater data communication is in space infrastructure. Space-based data communication network have greater impact on humanity by delivering the required additional data communication to every part of the world.

Satelite to IOT devicesConcept of operations

The satellites in the equatorial orbit are in the same orbital plane. They broadcast data to multiple ground stations in different locations through broad or spot beams. The satellite transmitter provides enough transmission power to Earth surface.

The receiver utilises multiple channels to receive data from multiple IoT devices. The satellites have the capability to store and forward messages to enable IoT data to be transmitted to the ground stations.

An advance mode enables Inter Satellite Link (ISL) communications to allow IoT data to be passed on to each satellite.However, the satellites must be within line of sight and at the right distance

The IoT devices directly send messages to the satellite and detects the satellite coming. To save power, the IoT device should be able to implement a sleep mode. The ground stations act as a gateway to the end-user as they enable the IoT messages to be forwarded to the end-user.

How is Omarichet unique?

Whole constellation’s redundancy rather than single satellite redundancy

SPACE IS AWESOMEMission 2020 - Education Outreach

As part of Omarichet mission objectives, we will run educational training programmes .

Education Sat is functional nanosatellite designed for teaching spacecraft systems engineering in the classroom and laboratory.

Education Sat is based on Arduino compatible platform. Students can get an hands-on experience with programming, radio communication, sensor read and data processing. Education Sat also has an Electrical Power System with solar panels and other traditional satellite subsystems:

Structural, Electrical Power (EPS),
Data Handling (DH)
Communications (Comm)
Attitude Determination
Control (ADCS), and Thermal subsystems.

Understanding Space is the next big thing,
We have to bring the satellites into the classrooms. Meshack Kinyua - CEO Omarichet

Mission DesignMission 2021 - Design and Launch of Omarichet-1 Nanosatelite

The mission design of Omarichet involves running different components with various functionalities to support our mission objectives, here are some of the components including the payload design.

PAYLOAD PLATFORM

Small in size but massive in valueDeploying Omarichet on missions is like fitting an elephant in the Apollo lunar module, and it fits.The platform offers infinite possibilities in a small space.
Payload DesignThe Platform is a fully integrated nanosatellite capable of supporting up to 0.5 litres (450 grams) of scientific and commercial payload.

ELECTRICAL POWER SYSTEM

Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) 96 % MPPT and output converter efficiency.
Battery Management System (BMS)on-board Lithium-Ion batteries with integrated Battery Management System (BMS) which help to prolong mission lifetime and ensure appropriate operating conditions.

ON-BOARD COMPUTER

ArchitectureHigh-performance and low power ARM Cortex™ M7 32-bit core MCU, operating at a frequency of up to 400 MHz.
Functionalities M7-core MCU performs OBC and ADCS functions. External flash and F-RAM memories provide reliable storage for telemetry and user data.

UHF ANTENNA

ArchitectureHalf-duplex architecture with a high-performance low power consumption transceiver which is controlled by a dedicated Cortex – M4 MCU.
UHFProgrammable in 430 to 440 MHz range, excellent sensitivity of -120 dBm at 9600 baud rate and the transmitter supports high throughput data communication in narrowband channels with GDSK, FSK (including G3RUH), MSK and OOK modulations.

SOLAR ARRAYS

FeaturesThese solar cells reach up to 29.5 % efficiency and have an integrated by-pass diode to protect in series connected solar cell string from shadowing effects.
Performance 36.85 mW/cm2 power generation capacity in LEO (AM0) Operational temperature: -40 °C to +85 °C

ConstellationProviding high-definition data that changes the world

A set of satellites distributed over a space to achieve a common mission objective is called constellation.

The development of an Omarichet constellation to provide 365/24/7 coverage for countries near the Equator will be much less complex with only less than two dozens .

The orbit at or close to Equator is extremely advantageous to countries straddling the Equator, whereby the footprint of the satellites will always cover the Equator and provide frequent revisits.

IntroducingMission 2023 - Commercial Constellation Launch

Capital and Operational Expenditures

Many existing constellations or geostationary satellites are already available to provide the data communication services, however, these require an extensive infrastructure on the ground for data transmission and most of them are expensive in terms of capital and operational expenditures.

These two parameters are the cause for existing services not being applicable for IoT application

Low cost and Low power

Equatorial orbit constellation as a communication platform for IoT will provide continuous coverage for the countries near the Equator.

At a low cost and low power, requiring smaller sized transmitters on the ground and provide sufficient data rate for the application of IoT devices which will communicate directly to the constellation of CubeSats in space to transfer the data in real time.

Telemetry & Telecommand

The ground station two functions: telemetry and telecommand of the satellite operations and the data handling of the space IoT data.

The terminal is equivalent to a very small device that is able to be placed on strategic devices for applications such as environmental monitoring, oil pipeline monitoring, smart grid, mobile tracking and control of water sources.

The IoT terminal is small but able to communicate with the satellites. The satellites, ground stations, and terminals all have an antenna, transmitter, receiver, and control equipment that enable them communicate with each other.