A beam-hopping satellite launched into space by OneWeb could be a game-changer for broadband coverage.
Nicknamed 鈥楯oeySat鈥� – after a baby kangaroo – for its ability to beam-hop, the satellite will help improve broadband internet connectivity from space by adapting rapidly to changing demand from users, supporting OneWeb鈥檚 next generation satellite constellation in low Earth orbit.
Its technology will be able to switch the satellite capacity between different places on Earth up to 1,000 times per second, enabling it to provide services from managing real time surges in commercial demand, to providing broadband on planes, and responding to emergencies and natural disasters.
Taking off alongside 15 other OneWeb satellites from the Vandenberg launch pad in California on 20th May, JoeySat was developed with 拢52 million funding from the UK Space Agency awarded to UK satellite technology firms through the European Space Agency鈥檚 Sunrise Programme.
鈥淥neWeb鈥檚 JoeySat will be a game-changer for satellite communications, offering the chance to improve people鈥檚 lives through reliable connectivity, whether that means better broadband services in remote places, or the ability to respond more effectively to emergency situations,鈥� said UK Space Agency CEO Dr Paul Bate.
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The signal strength can also be rapidly deployed to 5G mini hubs connected to OneWeb communication network, to help meet wider service demands.
OneWeb, which employs around 400 people in the UK, received approximately 拢5m of the UK Space Agency鈥檚 investment, while SatixFy received 拢25m to build the digital beam-hopping and beam-steering payload 鈥� the 鈥榖rains鈥� of the satellite.
Massimiliano Ladovaz, CTO at OneWeb, said: 鈥淭he JoeySat reflects the spirit of innovation and collaboration in space and promises to enable OneWeb to continue enhancing the performance and capabilities of our high-speed, low-latency satellite network to areas in need.鈥�
JoeySat
Charlie Bloomfield, CEO of SatixFy Space Systems, said: 鈥淪atixFy鈥檚 JoeySat payload is truly remarkable, with in-house developed ASICs, reconfigurable software, regenerative processing and digital beamforming and hopping capabilities.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a testament to our team鈥檚 skill and commitment to excellence that we were able to design, develop, and fully qualify this complete payload in just 15 months.鈥�