Space startup Apolink has successfully made first contact with its first demonstration relay satellite, which was launched into low Earth orbit (LEO) 7 July 2026 year during SpaceX's Transporter mission. This achievement paves the way for testing a unique intersatellite communication technology.
Basic details of the mission
Mission apparatus: CubeSat 3U technology demonstrator called IPoS-TDsM (or LinkONE/IPoS), the radio frequency subsystem for which the GomSpace company developed.
The purpose of the demonstration: Checking the ability to receive S-band telemetry from other operating satellites in real time, використовуючи експериментальну ліцензію Федеральної комісії зі зв’язку США (FCC).
Головний партнер: The main partner satellite for these tests is the Singapore company NuSpace with its NuLink-1 and NuLink-2 communication devices.
Satellites in low orbits often face the problem of "dead zones", when they cannot transmit important data to Earth due to the lack of ground stations in the flight path. The Apolink satellite network is designed to solve this problem:
Backward compatibility: Operators do not need to install new or special equipment on their satellites – the Apolink system can receive signals from transmitters already in orbit and relay them to Earth.
Reducing delays: Provides continuous transmission of telemetry and control commands without long waits for overflight over a ground station.
Fields of application: Оперативна координація під час ліквідації наслідків стихійних лих, швидке збирання воєнної розвідки та моніторинг лісових пожеж.
Компанія Apolink, founded by 19-year-old entrepreneur Onkar Batra with the support of Y Combinator, plans to launch a second demo mission with two satellites in June 2027 year. Deployment of a full-fledged commercial group with 32 взаємопов’язаних оптичними лінками супутників очікується до 2029 year.
Source: https://spacenews.com