Solstar Space Secures Space Force Contract to Research Radiation Hardened WiFi for Spacecraft

Solstar Space Secures Space Force Contract to Research Radiation Hardened WiFi for Spacecraft

Solstar Space, the company making space Wi-Fi available, announces it has been selected by AFWERX for an SBIR Phase I contract in the amount of $74,752 to address pressing challenges for the Department of the Air Force (DAF) to connect spacecraft in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and beyond. 

The contract supports research to support further development of Solstar’s space-rated WiFi Access Points and client WiFi Network Cards. The solutions will be engineered to support Rendezvous, Proximity Operations, and Docking (RPOD) to support In-Space Servicing, Assembly, and Manufacturing (ISAM), scientific and medical experiment data, and other applications.

“While WiFi has been demonstrated aboard the International Space Station using one-off non-radiation-tolerant units, today there isn’t a commercially available space-grade WiFi solution. The usefulness of WiFi in space has been proven via improvised solutions with limited capability and applicability. Solstar’s design will provide full WiFi capabilities and features and supports any WiFi-enabled device or application. As the requirements for WiFi connected capabilities continue to evolve and increase in LEO, cislunar, and lunar surface applications, reliable, secure WiFi solutions will be essential to fulfilling important mission objectives,” says Brian Barnett, CEO, Solstar Space.

Solstar WiFi access points and client cards will meet the requirements of a broad range of space missions including LEO space stations and service spacecraft, lunar gateways, transfer vehicles, landers, and modules, and lunar surface habitats, vehicles, spacesuits, and IoT mesh networks and wireless bridges. The need for space WiFi is virtually unlimited and growing,” continues Barnett.

Solstar WiFi access points and client cards will be engineered to meet the requirements of spaceflight missions for today and the future including:

  • Radiation and temperature tolerance
  • Compatibility with the lunar surface environment
  • High-power radio frequency (RF)
  • Elimination of cable runs
  • Future-proof design for extended operation
  • Software-defined and support for all IEEE 802.11 standards with API-based remote management and updates

Click here to learn more about Solstar's WiFi Access Points.

Publisher: SatNow
Tags:-  SatelliteLEOLaunchGround

GNSS Constellations - A list of all GNSS satellites by constellations

beidou

Satellite NameOrbit Date
BeiDou-3 G4Geostationary Orbit (GEO)17 May, 2023
BeiDou-3 G2Geostationary Orbit (GEO)09 Mar, 2020
Compass-IGSO7Inclined Geosynchronous Orbit (IGSO)09 Feb, 2020
BeiDou-3 M19Medium Earth Orbit (MEO)16 Dec, 2019
BeiDou-3 M20Medium Earth Orbit (MEO)16 Dec, 2019
BeiDou-3 M21Medium Earth Orbit (MEO)23 Nov, 2019
BeiDou-3 M22Medium Earth Orbit (MEO)23 Nov, 2019
BeiDou-3 I3Inclined Geosynchronous Orbit (IGSO)04 Nov, 2019
BeiDou-3 M23Medium Earth Orbit (MEO)22 Sep, 2019
BeiDou-3 M24Medium Earth Orbit (MEO)22 Sep, 2019

galileo

Satellite NameOrbit Date
GSAT0223MEO - Near-Circular05 Dec, 2021
GSAT0224MEO - Near-Circular05 Dec, 2021
GSAT0219MEO - Near-Circular25 Jul, 2018
GSAT0220MEO - Near-Circular25 Jul, 2018
GSAT0221MEO - Near-Circular25 Jul, 2018
GSAT0222MEO - Near-Circular25 Jul, 2018
GSAT0215MEO - Near-Circular12 Dec, 2017
GSAT0216MEO - Near-Circular12 Dec, 2017
GSAT0217MEO - Near-Circular12 Dec, 2017
GSAT0218MEO - Near-Circular12 Dec, 2017

glonass

Satellite NameOrbit Date
Kosmos 2569--07 Aug, 2023
Kosmos 2564--28 Nov, 2022
Kosmos 2559--10 Oct, 2022
Kosmos 2557--07 Jul, 2022
Kosmos 2547--25 Oct, 2020
Kosmos 2545--16 Mar, 2020
Kosmos 2544--11 Dec, 2019
Kosmos 2534--27 May, 2019
Kosmos 2529--03 Nov, 2018
Kosmos 2527--16 Jun, 2018

gps

Satellite NameOrbit Date
Navstar 82Medium Earth Orbit19 Jan, 2023
Navstar 81Medium Earth Orbit17 Jun, 2021
Navstar 78Medium Earth Orbit22 Aug, 2019
Navstar 77Medium Earth Orbit23 Dec, 2018
Navstar 76Medium Earth Orbit05 Feb, 2016
Navstar 75Medium Earth Orbit31 Oct, 2015
Navstar 74Medium Earth Orbit15 Jul, 2015
Navstar 73Medium Earth Orbit25 Mar, 2015
Navstar 72Medium Earth Orbit29 Oct, 2014
Navstar 71Medium Earth Orbit02 Aug, 2014

irnss

Satellite NameOrbit Date
NVS-01Geostationary Orbit (GEO)29 May, 2023
IRNSS-1IInclined Geosynchronous Orbit (IGSO)12 Apr, 2018
IRNSS-1HSub Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (Sub-GTO)31 Aug, 2017
IRNSS-1GGeostationary Orbit (GEO)28 Apr, 2016
IRNSS-1FGeostationary Orbit (GEO)10 Mar, 2016
IRNSS-1EGeosynchronous Orbit (IGSO)20 Jan, 2016
IRNSS-1DInclined Geosynchronous Orbit (IGSO)28 Mar, 2015
IRNSS-1CGeostationary Orbit (GEO)16 Oct, 2014
IRNSS-1BInclined Geosynchronous Orbit (IGSO)04 Apr, 2014
IRNSS-1AInclined Geosynchronous Orbit (IGSO)01 Jul, 2013