KSAT ground station and communications network expansion

Kongsberg Satellite Services (KSAT) is expanding its ground station infrastructure and service capabilities through both physical construction and strategic partnerships.

In terms of infrastructure, KSAT is developing the ‘KSAT Lunar’ network, the first commercial lunar communications network. Construction is underway for a third ground station near Yuma, Arizona, which will feature a 20-meter antenna. This site joins existing or nearing-completion systems in Western Australia and Spain to provide continuous coverage for robotic and human lunar missions, meeting NASA’s Lunar Exploration Ground Sites specifications.

Simultaneously, KSAT has partnered with Xoople to support the deployment of a satellite constellation. Through this collaboration, Xoople will utilize ‘KSATlite’, an automated Ground Segment-as-a-Service, to manage the downlink of Earth observation data. The partnership aims to enhance technical capabilities, including adding new ground station sites and increasing operational automation for faster data delivery to the cloud.