Announcing Alan Weinberg as Advisor and Reviewer

Meet Alan Weinberg our specialist advisor in satellite Electrical Power Systems (EPS) and space power electronics.

Alan spent 23 years at the European Space Agency as a Senior Power Electronics Engineer, helping to shape modern spacecraft electrical power system architectures.

He is widely recognised for pioneering contributions including the Sequential Switching Shunt Regulator for solar-array regulation, advances in conductance-control voltage regulation, and the “Weinberg converter,” deployed in eg. the International Space Station and still used in today’s satellite systems.

Later, as a consultant, he led the electrical power system design for two satellite projects: GIOVE-A, a prototype European navigation satellite, and the ESail Satellite, a prototype maritime communications satellite.

Alan has been recognized as a world-leading engineer, and his contributions have been awarded with the IET Mountbatten Medal (2024) for significant impact on space power systems.

What makes you excited about NewOrbit Space?

Satellite technology for Earth observation and communications has undergone a major shift.

The early reliance on large geostationary satellites is being replaced by LEO constellations of smaller spacecraft. The challenge is scale: “Prime” altitudes around 400–600 km are under intense pressure from mega-constellations, and collision-avoidance manoeuvres have increased sevenfold since 2019.

By contrast, VLEO—around 200 km—is virtually empty. It also offers a key advantage: debris cannot remain there for long, as atmospheric drag rapidly forces objects to re-enter the atmosphere and burn up. For these reasons, I see VLEO as the future of satellites.

Reaching and operating there, however, is not a task to be taken lightly—it will demand significant engineering innovation.

What motivated you to take on an advisory role with NewOrbit?

I have been fortunate to always work at the forefront of space technology, and I am excited to join NewOrbit!

NewOrbit is a start-up that is both willing and capable of overcoming VLEO’s demanding technical challenges. That kind of environment will require a flexible and innovative approach, which I so much enjoy.

GIOVE A

ESAIL mounted on Vega’s small satellite dispenser