Infostellar Inc., a Ground Segment as a Service (GSaaS) provider, is going to support Panasonic Group’s CURTIS satellite by providing multiple ground stations through the company’s StellarStation platform.
Infostellar provided a ground station in Gifu, Japan, owned by Kawasaki Heavy Industries (KHI); a ground station in Azerbaijan owned by Azercosmos; and ground stations in South Africa and Bahrain owned by another partner ground station facility, for the CURTIS satellite mission. Using StellarStation the ground station setup for these four different ground stations was completed in just a few months, enabling CURTIS a rapid technology demonstration.
CURTIS was launched from the International Space Station (ISS) in April of 2024, and this technical demo satellite consists mainly of the following three mission payloads:
(1）Demonstrate the operation of the satellite itself, designed as an easy-to-assemble satellite
(2）Conduct technical demonstrations of Panasonic Group products in space. Panasonic will demonstrate components using components and modules that are already in use on the ground, and verify the possibility of converting them for space usage.
(3）Demonstrate circuit formation technology using a thermal management unit composed of technology that downsizes the basic bus section of the satellite and expands the volume of the mission section, as well as graphite material technology with excellent heat dissipation properties. This is done by using high-density circuit design and mounting technologies developed in mobile terminals and product groups that require compactness and light weight.
It is common for such technology demonstrations to use a single ground station. This is because setting up a ground station is a complex and time-consuming task, and it is not efficient to use multiple ground stations operated by different owners for a technology demonstration. However, StellarStation provides a network of third-party ground stations around the world and enables the setup of multiple ground stations in a short period of time. In addition, the use of multiple ground stations increases opportunities for communication with satellites in the S-band, which is common for satellite operations, and allows for large observational data to be downloaded over multiple separate contacts, leading to a quick and effective implementation of the technical demonstration.
In addition to providing ground stations through StellarStation, Infostellar also supported Panasonic in their ITU international frequency coordination and the acquisition of radio licenses for the satellite and overseas ground stations. The Kinki Bureau of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) issued the radio station license on July 22, 2024, and Infostellar was able to provide comprehensive support as a GSaaS (Ground Segment as a Service) provider.
Infostellar will continue to support CURTIS operations by providing a network of ground stations through StellarStation.
Naomi Kurahara, CEO of Infostellar, said, “Infostellar is very pleased to support Panasonic Group’s satellite “CURTIS” by providing multiple ground stations through StellarStation and supporting the acquisition of radio station licenses. Our mission is “We connect Earth and Space to empower the future.” And we aim to be the most effective enabler of space business by providing the best access to satellite, as our vision. We hope to contribute to the success of satellite operators’ missions by providing a comprehensive range of services related to the ground segment. Through the access of technical data obtained from the Panasonic Group’s demonstration, we hope that this will lead to the future development of the space industry.
About Infostellar
Infostellar is a satellite ‘Ground Segment as a Service’ (GSaaS) provider. Infostellar provides flexible and scalable ground station services enabled by our cloud platform, StellarStation, which virtualizes ground station networks. Infostellar also provides support for the ground segment operations necessary for satellite operations, such as radio license acquisition and frequency coordination operations. By lowering the barriers to entry in the ground segment, Infostellar empowers new space businesses to build better missions and improve the quality of their service. Founded in 2016, Infostellar is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan and has offices in the UK and the U.S.About StellarStation
StellarStation is Infostellar’s unique cloud-based platform that provides Satellite Operators with easy access to an expansive and ever-growing network of ground stations around the world. Whether your satellite mission is a global, space-based communications network of high performing satellites; a constellation of Earth Observation satellites or a single, cubesat-based experiment, StellarStation provides services that scale to meet a variety of service needs. Access your satellite data from anywhere in the world. Your data appears where you need it, when you need it and in the most cost-effective manner. Communicate with your orbiting satellites for command and control frequently and efficiently.