NASA to validate commercial satellite communications for science missions

NASA plans to validate a variety of commercial communications services for science missions, ranging from near-instant delivery of high-rate science data over optical networks to support for launch operations and exchanges of telemetry, tracking and command information. For over forty years, spaceflight missions in low Earth orbit have relied on NASA’s TDRS constellation to provide near-continuous communications.

Now the agency is working with the U.S. satellite communications industry to expand services used by millions on Earth into capabilities for spaceflight missions. In 2022 the Communications Services Project awarded $278.5 million across six American companies to accelerate development and demonstrations of satellite relay services for customers in low Earth orbit, and has formed additional partnerships using nonreimbursable Space Act Agreements.

Key Topics

Science, Nasa, Spacex, Amazon Leo, Telesat Lightspeed, Low Earth Orbit