SES Space & Defense to provide always-on LEO Relay Services (LRS) to Starlab via O3b mPOWER, supporting real-time mission awareness

SES Space & Defense, a wholly-owned subsidiary of SES, and Starlab have agreed to collaborate on communication architecture to deliver continuous, resilient, low-latency connectivity services supporting the full lifecycle of Starlab’s commercial space station via its LEO Relay Services .

Starlab, which is developing the commercial space station under NASA’s Commercial Low Earth Orbit Development (CLD) Program, selected SES Space & Defense due to its integrated multi-orbit space and ground architecture.

At the core of LRS is SES’s next-generation MEO constellation, O3b mPOWER. Traditionally, LEO satellites communicating to large ground stations experience data delays due to intermittent coverage. O3b mPOWER, eliminates data delays through a multi-orbit LRS infrastructure by relaying LEO data through MEO to ground networks in near real-time. This enables always-on connectivity for Starlab operators, researchers, and on-orbit crew, ensuring uninterrupted access to data, telemetry, and mission operations that support critical decision-making and mission awareness.

“Human spaceflight and commercial research missions demand government-grade communications with reliability, security, and resilience at commercially affordable price points,” said SES Space & Defense President and CEO David Broadbent. “By integrating our LEO Relay Services into Starlab’s core operations, we’re setting a new benchmark for always-on communications across commercial LEO infrastructure.”

The communication system is the result of a comprehensive engineering collaboration between SES Space & Defense and Starlab. Throughout 2025 and 2026, the teams modeled in-orbit performance, assessed terminal solutions and aligned the relay architecture with Starlab’s mission profile and design requirements.

“Mission success in Low Earth Orbit depends on resilient, always‑available communications infrastructure,” said Brad Henderson, Chief Commercial Officer of Starlab. “Through our collaboration with SES Space & Defense, we are building a robust, secure, and highly resilient communications architecture that ensures continuous connectivity and real‑time mission awareness across all phases of station operations.”

The integrated architecture will provide Starlab customers with a seamless path to scale as additional relay capabilities and next-generation terminals come online. SES Space & Defense’s communication services will be available at Starlab’s launch and expand throughout the station’s operational lifecycle.