Skyloom and Space Compass (a joint venture between NTT and SKY Perfect JSAT) announced that the companies finalised their partnership, including the launch of SkyCompass-1, their first geostationary-based (GEO) optical data relay node over Asia-Pacific by Q4 2024. The team’s cutting-edge communication and networking systems will serve the rapidly growing Earth-Observation (EO) market for real-time, high-capacity, direct-to-cloud data transfer. SkyCompass-1 represents the first step in their partnership and the companies look forward to expanding their GEO constellation to provide additional capacity and globalcoverage over the next few years. The companies’ teams have already been engaged by potential customers and expect to begin selling capacity in the first half of 2023.
Currently, EO operators are managing increasing demands for more remote sensing data on orbit and facing large bottlenecks in transporting this data in a timely fashion, limiting the value and impact of the products they are creating. The existing approaches to on-orbit remote sensing data transportation rely on radio frequency (RF) technology, which limits data transfer throughput and information assurance. The Skyloom-Space Compass partnership enables cost- effective data transportation for an ever-growing constellation of EO satellites in low-earth-orbit (LEO). Their end-to-end optical relay service allows EO operators to focus on their core missions while deploying optical communications to get their data back to the cloud within seconds versus minutes or hours.
“This SkyCompass-1 project is a first step for Space Compass to create the Space Integrated Computing Network, and one of the biggest milestones to date. Thanks to Skyloom’s state-of- the-art technologies and our shareholders’, NTT and SKY Perfect JSAT, extensive support, we are confident our team will be a market leader in the space-based optical network age,” said Koichiro Matsufuji, Co-CEO, Space Compass.
“The Skyloom team is dedicated to our mission of building the orbital infrastructure for wireless internet, and through our partnership with the Space Compass team, we’re getting closer to making that vision a reality,” said Marcos Franceschini, Co-founder & CEO, Skyloom Global. “Our customers understand the tremendous value in optical communications and the competitive advantages it provides for the EO market. They’re ready to take advantage of high- performance data transport and will harness Skyloom’s innovation and Space Compass’s experience to further their missions.”
“With this partnership between Space Compass and Skyloom, we have no doubt that our high- quality and cost-effective services are attracting EO operators worldwide,” said Shigehiro Hori, Co-CEO, Space Compass. “We are excited to expand our optical network in space through collaboration between the US and Japanese companies.”
Skyloom’s Optical Communication Terminals (OCTs) —a fundamental component in the SkyCompass telecommunications infrastructure — will begin rolling off Skyloom’s new production line in Broomfield, CO in Q2 2023. By outfitting customer satellites in LEO with these OCTs, the partners enable high throughput, low latency, more secure data transport from space back down to Earth. The Space Compass – Skyloom team are finalizing the details of their commercial offerings based on initial customer feedback and anticipate the full capacity of SkyCompass-1 to be reserved prior to launch.
