Greenerwave and Safran Passenger Innovations to collaborate on Ka-band IFC antenna. Photo: Greenerwave

Greenerwave and Safran Passenger Innovations will co-develop a Ka-band aero terminal under a new strategic partnership announced Tuesday during the Paris Air Show. 

The in-flight connectivity (IFC) terminal will be designed to be compatible with current Ka-band satellites and future Ka-band constellations. Greenerwave, a deeptech startup based in France, currently offers a multi-orbit Ku-band terminal and this marks an expansion into Ka-band. 

The companies said this collaboration brings together SPI’s expertise in onboard connectivity and entertainment with Greenerwave’s technological work in reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (RIS) and passive electromagnetic wave control. 

The terminal will be compatible with all modems and Ka-band constellations. The terminal will be integrated within Safran Passenger Innovations’ connectivity architecture and the companies said airlines will be able to choose their preferred operator. 

Two upcoming non-geostationary orbit (NGSO) constellations — both Amazon Kuiper and Telesat Lightspeed — are Ka-band constellations.

“To meet the needs of our dynamic IFEC industry, an aero terminal must be adaptable to various constellations and challenging environments. SPI considers Greenerwave’s technology to meet these demands, and we are eager to develop this terminal for our customers.” – Matt Smith, CEO of Safran Passenger Innovations.

Greenerwave CEO and co-founder Geoffroy Lerosey said the company’s technology with fully passive electronic wave control, will result in a terminal that is “fully agnostic, energy-efficient, compact, and cost-effective,” and could contribute to standardization of satellite connectivity across the aviation industry.

Greenerwave is also working with Intelsat, which has invested in the company, in multi-orbit satcom solutions for commercial aviation, government, and mobility applications.