Swissto12, Astrum Mobile hit satellite preliminary design milestone

Swissto12 describes itself as currently one of the fastest-growing aerospace companies and a leading manufacturer of advanced satellite systems and radio frequency products, and in its latest move, the company says it has made a key step forward, reaching preliminary design review (PDR) in the development of the Neastar-1 geostationary satellite, which it is undertaking with Astrum Mobile, Asia Pacific’s only satellite-to-device (S2D) company.

Neastar-1 is being developed on Swissto12’s HummingSat platform, a new class of geostationary small satellites – generally defined as defined as satellites weighing less than 500kg – up to five times more compact than traditional counterparts. 

Roughly the size of an industrial washing machine and weighing approximately 1,000kg, Swissto12 claims HummingSat as being “significantly” smaller and more cost-efficient than conventional geostationary satellites. In addition, Swissto12 believes its form factor can support cost-effective production and ride-share launch opportunities with its proprietary, space-qualified additive manufacturing technology and advanced RF systems further enhancing payload performance, streamlining production and reducing both manufacturing time and cost.

HummingSat is seen as offering new economics for the geostationary satellite market, being around five times smaller than traditional satellites, about the size of a washing machine, unlocking faster builds, lower costs and ride-share launches. It’s also said to offer a telecoms-grade service backbone that plugs directly into the 3GPP non-terrestrial networks (NTN) standard, designed for mass-market adoption.

The craft was developed in collaboration with the European Space Agency through its public-private-partnership programme. The company’s radio frequency (RF) products are said to benefit from unique and patented 3D-printing technologies and associated radio frequency product designs that deliver lightweight, compact, high-performing and “competitive” RF functionality.

For its part, Astrum Mobile says it’s pioneering the next generation of S2D services, offering “seamless, ubiquitous” coverage with efficiency and affordability for the public. In collaboration with its 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) 5G NTN ecosystem partners, Astrum’s geosynchronous satellite is designed to deliver media, emergency alerts, internet of things (IoT) connectivity and datacasting services across the Asia-Pacific region.

Purpose-built for Astrum Mobile, Neastar-1 is set to deliver a number of services directly to standard mobile phones and handheld devices across the Asia-Pacific region. Specifically, the S2D service will use the 3GPP non-terrestrial networks standard to deliver rich media, datacasting, IoT connectivity, mass notification and emergency alert services throughout Asia Pacific.

Neastar-1’s high-power L-band payload is engineered to withstand severe weather-related radio frequency fade, enabling Astrum Mobile to offer enhanced service level assurances and maintain uninterrupted service during natural disasters such as typhoons, floods and earthquakes – all accessible via standard smartphones and smart devices.

“We’re pleased with the progress of our HummingSat spacecraft for Astrum Mobile’s Neastar-1 mission,” said Emile de Rijk, CEO and founder of Swissto12.

“Reaching PDR within just a few months highlights the strength of our standardised HummingSat product line, which delivers competitive performance and rapid turnaround. We’re proud to support Astrum Mobile with a compact, high-performance satellite-to-device platform designed to better connect and protect its end users.”