Swiss company SWISSto12 has entrusted the German consortium HPS/LSS with manufacturing a large 5-meter deployable reflector for its NEASTAR-1 geostationary mission. This component, which will operate in L-band, will be mounted on the HummingSat platform. The goal is to broadcast multimedia content directly to devices from a single GEO orbit, bypassing the need for satellite constellations in low Earth orbit.
A 5-meter dish that folds for space travel 🛰️
The reflector, designed to deploy once in orbit, will allow the HummingSat platform to concentrate the L-band signal to reach ground terminals without the need for a network of multiple satellites. The choice of a German consortium specialized in deployable structures responds to the need to balance weight, precision, and resistance in the space environment. SWISSto12 thus aims to offer direct coverage from the 36,000-kilometer altitude of geostationary orbit.
Why use 50 satellites when one big one does the job 💡
While other companies launch swarms of satellites in LEO and compete to see who has the most populous constellation, SWISSto12 arrives with a single satellite and a 5-meter reflector. It's like instead of distributing the service among a hundred riders on bicycles, you decided to send a single truck with a giant antenna. Less orbital traffic, less frequency paperwork, and fewer parts that could fail. Sometimes, simple is still effective.