With satellite traffic reaching more than 52,000 passes on KSAT‘s KSATlite network in March, the successful, small-aperture ground network is currently handling an unprecedented amount of satellite supports. Although traffic has double in just one year, the network demonstrates a proficiency of 99.7% from scheduling to data delivery
KSATlite is a software-focused, Global Ground Network offering optimized support for smallsats and big constellations. In the span of just one year, from March 2021 to March 2022, traffic on the KSATlite network has almost doubled, seeing the same amount of traffic on the lite network alone, as KSAT’s overall network did this time last year.
Despite this extreme growth, the network is demonstrating a proficiency of 99.7% over the last 100,000 contacts, from scheduling to data delivery.
The main reason for the dramatic growth is that satellite operators are expanding their fleets, moving from one satellite to a constellation of many spacecraft. KSAT is continuously expanding the network to ensure capacity is available. Standardized solutions enable global coverage with the flexibility to keep an eye on the satellite, all the while simultaneously accessing data.
Thirty-three new antennas have built in the last 15 months for KSATlite, spread across 10 ground stations. This means that the capacity for the customers is increased, as the team expects the number of passes will continue to grow in the months ahead.
“I am extremely proud of all work the team has put down to reach this significant milestone. We see that the Lite network is hitting a sweet spot in the marketplace, supporting all kind of customers from extremely low latency constellations to university satellites,” said Kristian Jenssen, director, KSATlite.
“The activity in the commercial smallsat market is evolving in an accelerated way. The market is growing fast and with a small team and scalable and automated solutions we are able to keep up with the traffic, increase the service quality and improve the customer satisfaction. This is an amazing challenge and a very exiting journey,” said Arthur Kvalheim Merlin, Product Manager, KSATlite.
Kongsberg Satellite Services (KSAT) is a leading provider of Ground Network Services and Earth Observation Services, connecting space to Earth. KSAT owns and operates a Ground Station Network of both polar and mid-latitude stations. The four polar ground stations are uniquely located in Tromsø at 69°N, Svalbard Satellite Station (SvalSat) at 78°N Inuvik Station at 68°N and the Antarctic station (TrollSat) at 72°S. The network consist of more than 260 antennas located at 26 sites world-wide and handles 75 000+ passes per month.