ThinKom’s New Nexus ESA for aircraft. Photo by ThinKom

California-based satellite ground-systems technology company ThinKom unveiled a new multi-orbit electronically steered antenna (ESA) for aircraft on Monday. Named the ThinAir Nexus, the new ESA is designed for ease of installation and compatibility with multiple GEO, MEO, and LEO constellation systems, packaged in a smaller form factor that the company claims will rival other single-orbit ESA systems.

Nexus is based on ThinKom’s patented low-power VICTS open network architecture technology, which now boasts of 65 million hours of on-wing operating experience. VICTS supports existing GEO and NGSO constellations, including SES Open Orbits, Hughes JUPITER In-Flight, Telesat Lightspeed, and multiple sovereign networks. The new Nexus ESA comes can be combined with a modem that can be integrated on the antenna outside the fuselage to minimize interior impact, or a multi-modem “MODMAN” as interior equipment to boost constellation compatibility and network redundancy.

ThinKom Chief Commercial Officer Jeff Sare said that Nexus was designed to give airlines more options, allowing them more freedom to customize their network depending on needs, and flexibility to add new networks with a simple modem swap to support future needs.

“Airlines demand and deserve flexibility and reliability as they invest in inflight internet solutions,” explains Jeff Sare, ThinKom’s chief commercial officer. “Our new ThinAir Nexus solution delivers the most efficient and reliable multi-orbit, multi-constellation antenna to ever fly, now space-optimized for a smaller installation footprint.”