3 Companies Join Forces to Expand Commercial Lunar Comms Opportunities

SSTL, GES and Astrobotic executives at the 2018 National Space Symposium. Photo: SSTL.

Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd (SSTL), Goonhilly Earth Station (GES) and Astrobotic have announced an agreement to collaborate on delivering a roadmap of innovations that support organizations carrying out operations on and around the Moon. The agreement formalizes a long-term close working relationship between the three organizations with the aim of deploying in-space communication relay services.

Astrobotic will begin delivering a regular manifest of uncrewed payload flights to the Moon starting in 2020. According to the company, many of the companies, governments, universities, and other non-profit organizations operating payloads on its Peregrine Lander will need sophisticated communication relay services to reach until-now prohibitive destinations on the Moon, including the far side. SSTL plans to service those needs with new data relay services. Goonhilly Earth Station will receive SSTL’s data relay and transmit data back to payload customers on Earth.

“The complementary capabilities of Astrobotic, Goonhilly and SSTL allow us to provide a complete mission package that supports and enables a diversity of lunar endeavors, both for commerce and public sector initiatives,” said Anita Bernie, director of exploration missions at SSTL.