Virgin Galactic has been selected by Australian telco Sky and Space Global to launch up to 200 nano-communications satellites from 2018 to cover equatorial Asia, South and Central America and Africa.
skyandspaceglobalThe two companies have signed a letter of intent, as part of what they hope will become a long-term partnership, said Sky and Space Global’s CEO Meir Moalem.
Virgin Galactic’s LauncherOne commercial launch vehicle, which launches from a Boeing 747, is said to be in “advanced testing” at the company's California-based manufacturing and design facility.
“It is expected to not only deliver substantial cost savings, due to LauncherOne’s ability to carry multiple nano-satellites simultaneously, but will enable us to bolster our bandwidth capacity as we launch further nano-satellites into orbit. This agreement is part of our long-term strategy of building Sky and Space Global's nano-satellite communication system infrastructure and service.”
“Sky and Space Global and its nano-satellite technology represent the innovative future of nano-satellite bandwidth communications,” said George Whitesides, CEO, Virgin Galactic.
“We have created LauncherOne in order to enable innovators and entrepreneurs to launch constellations of small satellites at commercially attractive process.”
Sky and Space Global aims to build a wholesale narrowband low-cost voice and data network through the provision of satellite services that will be sold to communications service providers, shipping companies and airliners in equatorial Asia, South and Central America and Africa.
It will create a pilot through the launch of its first three nano-satellites in the second quarter of 2017, via India’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle. The Three Diamonds, as the pilot is known as, are being constructed by European satellite maker GomSpace.
“The Three Diamonds are the first commercial nano-satellites project that is managed and controlled according to strict European Space Agency standards for small satellites, which gives a high level of quality assurance,” said Moalem.
The nano-satellites weight between one and ten kilos, and measure just 10cm x 10 cm x 30 cm, and cost around 80% less than conventional satellites.
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