Swissto12 has struck a key new partnership deal in Germany which could bring exciting new media broadcast capabilities to Geostationary (GEO) satellites. It will work with German high-performance space subsystem providers HPS/LSS. The Munich-based consortium that will provide a large deployable reflector subsystem (LDRS) for the NEASTAR-1 mission, built on the HummingSat platform. This will enable what it claims is the world’s first direct-to-device media broadcasting capabilities from GEO. SWISSto12 announced the partnership, May 5.
The contract for the NEASTAR-1-LDRS is co-funded by ESA, with core funding from the German Space Agency within the German Aerospace Center (DLR) and further contributions from additional ESA Member States.
Swissto12 said it is positioning its small GEO satellite and multi-orbit payload technologies as a fit for the German Federal Government’s Space Strategy, particularly for secure communications.
“Collaboration with HPS/LSS was fast and effective from the first day. We value their culture of precision engineering, deep-tech innovation, and commitment to excellence along with a drive for fast and efficient execution. They have demonstrated a strong technical heritage and proven track record in building LDRS, notably for ESA missions, underscoring the progress of ESA and DLR’s vision to develop resilient, sovereign space capabilities,” Emile de Rijk, CEO and founder of Swissto12, said in a statement.
