Viasat Inc. (NASDAQ: VSAT) has selected Loft Orbital (Loft) as a partner for its Real-Time Space Relay (RTSR) service — this demo is part of Viasat’s work in support of a $53 million award under NASA’s Communications Services Project, which evaluates commercial satellite communications services and technologies to support NASA near-Earth communications requirements as it sunsets the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS) system.
The Viasat RTSR service is designed to offer low data latency, enabling continuous connectivity with the low Earth orbit spacecraft requiring near real-time data transfer of time-sensitive mission and telemetry, tracking and command (TT&C) data. As proliferated LEO (p-LEO) constellations continue to emerge, this scalable service will leverage Viasat’s high-throughput geostationary orbit network and tap into its growing ground station network to deliver persistent coverage around the globe.
Viasat’s newly developed space qualified Ka-band space terminal will be integrated on a Loft spacecraft along with multiple commercial payloads. This demonstration mission will show that Viasat’s space-based relay communication services can support NASA and other commercial, scientific and defense missions with high-throughput, on-demand connectivity for downlinking critical mission data, as well as in-orbit spacecraft and payload software capability upgrades.
The mission, which is anticipated to launch in Fall 2025, will also show how the Viasat RTSR service enhances Loft Orbital’s space infrastructure offering with a new real-time connectivity resource available for Loft virtual missions, enabling novel capabilities for customers.
The Communications Services Project is managed by NASA’s Glenn Research center in Cleveland, Ohio, under the direction of NASA’s Space Communications and Navigation (SCaN) program.
“Viasat is excited to partner with Loft Orbital to showcase our progress under NASA’s Communications Services Project and to highlight the first commercial use of Viasat’s Real-Time Space Relay service. This intersatellite link capability will provide significant value to Loft’s commercial mission, both during and after the demonstration period,” said Michael Maughan, Vice President of Space and Mission Systems, Viasat Government Systems. “The combination of multi-orbit space-relay service through Viasat’s high-capacity network and access to our global ground network will offer NASA and other government customers, as well as commercial providers, greater flexibility in downlinking data to the ground via whichever path is most timely or cost-effective.”
“Loft is proud to partner with Viasat on NASA’s Communications Services Project to provide the infrastructure for this important capability,” said Pierre-Damien Vaujour, CEO of Loft Orbital. “The addition of Viasat’s relay service to our space infrastructure will let our virtual mission customers deploying AI applications have continuous real-time access to their mission for time-critical applications.”