- Electro Optic Systems’ (EOS) SpaceLink subsidiary scores funding to demonstrate its end-to-end relay service
- The service is designed to provide secure, high-capacity communications between spacecraft and the ground
- SpaceLink was selected by the Centre for the Advancement of Science in Space from a competitive call out for tech capable of use in “low earth orbit”
- An agreement and schedule are expected in the coming months, with the demo planned for 2024
- Electro Optic shares are sitting steady at $4.12 each at 1:36 pm AEST
Electro Optic Systems’ (EOS) subsidiary, SpaceLink, has been selected for a funded demonstration of its end-to-end relay service.
SpaceLink was chosen by the Centre for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS), which manages the International Space Station’s National Laboratory in the United States.
The selection took place through a competitive call out to companies and research teams for proposals of technologies capable of being utilised in “low earth orbit”.
EOS said the relay service offered by its subsidiary provided secure, continuous, high-capacity communications between spacecraft and the ground.
This technology is reportedly designed to pick up where NASA’s tracking and data relay satellite system leaves off, leveraging modern technology advances.
Accordingly, the demonstration will aim to validate the use of a 10-gigabit-per-second optical terminal for real-time voice, video and data exchange between International Space Station (ISS) crew, on-board systems, experiments and terrestrial users.
The test will allow the company to advance its proposal for a potential flight project to the orbiting research and technology development outpost sponsored by the ISS national lab.
SpaceLink’s CEO David Bettinger said the demonstration was the first step towards providing the company’s capabilities for the advancement of space science and the emerging space economy.
“Funding from CASIS marks an important milestone in SpaceLink’s roadmap to providing massive bandwidth for organisations that need real-time connectivity between space and the ground,” he said.
EOS Communications Systems CEO Glen Tindall reiterated the company’s work with CASIS was a major achievement for SpaceLink and the future of the satellite communications market.
“It is also a landmark agreement for EOS as Australia’s largest space company and supports our vision for optical communications to serve our major customers in both the US and Australia,” Mr Tindall said.
A fully executed agreement and program schedule, including milestone deliverables, are expected to be completed in the coming months.
The demonstration is anticipated in 2024.
Electro Optic shares were sitting steady at $4.12 each at 1:36 pm AEST.