Solstar Space (Solstar), the company making persistent on-orbit communications available, announced it was awarded a Phase I STTR contract by the Department of Air Force (DAF) to evaluate the company’s Slayton Space Communicator for high-speed data communications.

Solstar Space is developing a flight-proven modular device for spacecraft integration capable of providing satellite operators near real-time command and control through a 24/7 high bandwidth downlink and uplink data relay known as the Slayton Space Communicator. Solstar has partnered with Dr. Andrei Zagrai, a mechanical engineering professor at the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, for the initiative.

“The U.S. Space Force and DAF manage over 100 satellites that perform critical strategic missions without margin for error. Yet, the constellations are limited by the geographic location of ground stations and the various satellite orbital positions. The limited communications can lead to delayed mission commands to spacecraft or more serious consequences,” says Brian Barnett, CEO, of Solstar Space. “With Slayton Space Communicators installed on spacecraft, immediate and consistent downlink of spacecraft health status and ranging data for situational awareness and real-time asset monitoring,” continues Barnett.

“New Mexico Tech (NMT) is collaborating with Solstar Space to leverage our structural health monitoring (SHM) unit. The SHM is aimed at improving situation awareness and reducing spacecraft operation costs. It has previously been demonstrated for use in damage detection in suborbital and orbital flight tests. We are looking forward to integrating our SHM solution with Solstar’s Slayton Space Communicators to provide proactive monitoring, management, and mission support for the government and commercial spacecraft,” says Dr. Andrei Zagrai, Professor at New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology.

“Slayton enables high bandwidth communications for both uplink and downlink, decreasing the time it takes to download mission data or make adjustments to on-orbit systems,” says Brian Barnett.

“Slayton facilitates 24/7 monitoring, management, and mission instructions with on-orbits payloads through continuous and near real-time assessment of the payload’s performance,” explains Barnett.

Click here to learn about Solstar Space Communicators.