Swissto12 to build small optical relay GEO satellite for Space Compass
Space Compass, the Japanese joint venture formed by NTT and Sky Perfect JSAT, has signed a procurement contract with Swiss small‑satellite maker Swissto12 to build the first geostationary orbit optical data relay satellite, advancing plans for commercial optical communications infrastructure. The agreement, formalized in March 2026, commits Swissto12’s compact HummingSat‑derived platform to host high‑capacity optical communications payloads intended to relay data between low Earth orbit assets and ground stations in near real time. The satellite is scheduled for delivery in Japan’s fiscal year 2028, marking a foundational step toward a multi‑orbital optical network for Earth observation and other high‑data‑rate missions.
The spacecraft will operate from geostationary orbit to support Space Compass’s optical data relay service, a capability designed to shorten the latency inherent in traditional radio‑frequency links and enable faster downlink of large Earth observation data sets. Swissto12’s HummingSat platform, already selected by other operators for small GEO missions, will be integrated with externally sourced optical terminals, with assembly and testing conducted in Switzerland. The optical relay satellite’s high‑speed laser communications subsystem is intended to provide substantial bandwidth improvements over RF systems and support backhaul for data flows between spacecraft constellations and terrestrial infrastructures.
The contract reflects growing commercial interest in space‑based data transport solutions that complement existing RF relay networks such as NASA’s Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System and Europe’s EDRS. By introducing a smaller, more agile optical relay asset, Space Compass aims to enhance the responsiveness of Earth observation and multi‑satellite operations, particularly where near‑real‑time insight is valuable for environmental monitoring, disaster response and other data‑intensive applications. Continued development of optical communications capabilities in GEO may influence how satellite networks architect data transport layers and pursue integration across orbits.
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