Space Compass orders GEO optical data relay satellite from Swissto12. Photo: Swissto12 and Space Compass

Space Compass ordered the first satellite in their planned Geostationary Orbit (GEO) optical data relay constellation from Swissto12, the companies said in a joint statement on Monday.

Japanese telecommunications firms Sky Perfect JSAT and NTT formed Space Compass in 2022 to construct an integrated space computing network. The optical data relay satellite would be part of a space data center capable of rapidly transmitting data to the ground.

In the statement, Space Compass said it aims to transform Earth Observation from a tracking record into a real-time decision-making tool. A spokesperson for the companies added in a statement made to Via Satellite that it would also enable data backhauling between satellite networks in space.

“By leveraging high speed, high-capacity optical data-relay architecture, we aim to enable faster and smarter decision making through real-time Earth Observation insights,” Space Compass Co-CEO Hiromi Komatsu said. “This first satellite will play a pivotal role in establishing a new space communications infrastructure.”

The spokesperson said the satellite is set to launch in Japanese fiscal year 2028, which ends in March 2029, and will be available for commercial use immediately following launch.

Swissto12 said the contract represents the broad capabilities of HummingSat, its small GEO satellite platform, which now includes optical communication capabilities. However, the company is procuring the optical communication terminals from an outside supplier, the spokesperson said. Assembly, integration, and test of the payload will be conducted in-house.

“We are delighted about this partnership with Space Compass and our shared vision to build multi-orbit, secure space infrastructure that supports some of the world’s most important space missions, such as earth observation,” Swissto12 CEO Emile de Rijk commented. “By hosting optical communications payloads for [Low-Earth Orbit]-GEO data relay, HummingSat once again proves its versatility and its outsize impact in enabling purposeful innovation in space.”

The spokesperson declined to disclose the value of the contract.

The agreement marks the second HummingSat purchase in the Asia-Pacific region after Astrum Mobile ordered a GEO satellite for satellite-to-device connectivity from Swissto12 in March 2025.