[Infostellar Co., Ltd.] Infostellar was selected for NEDO’s 2023 “Deep Tech Startup Support Fund/International Joint Research and Development”
*Infostellar Co., Ltd.*
Press release: August 14, 2024
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Infostellar selected for NEDO’s 2023 “Deep Tech Startup Support Fund/International Joint Research and Development”
*Jointly develops commercial optical communications terrestrial segment services with UK company for future satellite missions* * Ground Segment as a for orbiting satellites
Infostellar Co., Ltd. (Representative Director: Naomi Kurahara, Headquarters: Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo; hereinafter referred to as “Infostellar”), a British company Archangel, is a service (GSaaS) provider.
Regarding joint research and development with Lightworks (hereinafter referred to as Archangel Lightworks), National Research and
Development Agency
The project was selected for the 2023 “Deep Tech Startup Support Fund/International Collaborative Research and Development” project, which is publicly solicited by the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO).
At the same time, Archangel Lightworks is working with UK innovation support agency Innovate
It was selected as a project publicly solicited by the UK. The selected research theme is “Research and development of commercial optical communications ground segment services for future satellite missions.” Through this research and development, Infostellar aims to develop and commercialize new optical communication technology that will realize higher-performance ground station services. *
As satellites become more multi-functional and satellite observation images become more accurate, the need for faster satellite
communications is increasing. Additionally, concerns about the depletion of frequency resources are growing due to the rapid increase in the number of satellite launches. Under these circumstances, expectations for optical communications as a future communication method are increasing, and companies are beginning to appear that are carrying out demonstration experiments by installing optical communication equipment on satellites, and developing and operating optical communication satellite services. On the other hand, the development of optical communication technology onboard satellites and the development of optical communication ground station technology on the ground are different things, and there are very few companies or organizations that carry out both in one company or organization.
The research and development of this optical communications
terrestrial segment service was selected as a public offering project.
Infostellar is a Ground Station as a Service called StellarStation (GSaaS) platform is developed and operated. Currently, this platform is dedicated to RF ground stations. Archangel
Lightworks is conducting research and development of an optical communications ground station (OGS) called TERRA-M.
By installing the TERRA-M optical communications ground station on the StellarStation platform, we will develop the world’s first optical communications ground station service that can be provided to satellite operators. In order to realize optical communication ground station services, we will advance the development of optical communication ground stations, as well as ground station scheduling and failover management (which are key to the use of optical communication ground stations) (in case optical communication is not established due to bad weather, etc.) It is necessary to implement advanced operational functions such as switching the standby system and avoiding the risk of communication failure. Infostella and Archangel
Lightworks will work together on this research and development with the aim of commercializing the world’s first optical communications ground station service.
* ■Comment from Archangel Lightworks CEO Richard Johanson*
Archangel
Lightworks is pleased to collaborate with Infostellar to bring optical capabilities to the GSaaS market using Infostellar’s StellarStation platform and TERRA-M optical ground station. A consistent,
high-capacity link between space and the ground is a key missing piece in today’s data infrastructure. Solving this problem together with Infostellar will open up a range of new use cases for Earth
observation and communications.
■Comment from Naomi Kurahara, CEO of Infostellar
I am very happy that “Research and development of commercial optical communications ground segment services for future satellite missions” has been selected as a NEDO project.
Our mission is “We connect Earth and Space to empower the future” and “Be the most
effective enabler of space business by providing the best access to With the vision of “Satellite”, we aim to be a company that provides the most efficient means of communication with satellites.
Archangel
By jointly developing optical communications ground station services with Lightworks, we hope to address the need for faster satellite communications and the issue of depletion of frequency resources, and contribute to the success of satellite operators’ missions. . * ■About Archangel Lightworks*
Archangel
Lightworks is building deployable communications systems that connect networks in space and networks on the ground. Current data
infrastructure is insecure, inadequate, and vulnerable. Better connecting non-terrestrial and terrestrial networks provides durability, capacity, and performance, but a high-capacity, secure link between space and ground is needed. Archangel
Lightworks uses wireless laser communication technology to enable and improve global connectivity. Archangel founded in 2017
Lightworks is headquartered in Oxford, UK, with offices in the UK and US. For more information, please visit https://www.archangel.works/. * ■About TERRA-M*
Archangel
Lightworks’ TERRA-M is a compact optical ground station (OGS) with autonomous, multi-mission capabilities. TERRA-M brings deployable, durable connectivity where you need it, providing a flexible data infrastructure that helps solve the planet’s most critical problems, from economic inclusion to climate change. TERRA-M is the most convenient way for cloud providers, network operators, and government agencies to instantly deploy secure, high-volume connectivity to and from space.
* ■About Infostellar*
Infostellar provides GSaaS (Ground Segment as a
Service) provider. We provide ground station networks with excellent flexibility and scalability through StellarStation, a cloud platform that virtualizes ground station networks. We also provide ground segment support necessary for satellite operations, such as obtaining radio station licenses and frequency adjustment services. By reducing the difficulty of building terrestrial segments, we support mission development and service improvement for companies working on new businesses that utilize satellites. Infostella is
The company was headquartered in Tokyo, Japan in 2016 and currently has offices in the UK and the US.
For more information, please visit https://www.infostellar.net/jp. * ■About StellarStation*
StellarStation is a highly flexible and scalable cloud-based ground station platform. Satellite operators can set up once and access ground stations around the world. On the other hand, ground station owners can generate revenue by renting out ground station downtime to other satellite operators.
For more information, please visit https://www.stellarstation.com/.