SpaceX has reportedly launched the first low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellite to operate on 5G cellular standards.
The relatively small 22-pound (10-kilogram) orbital data relay, known as “The GroundBreaker,” is designated Sateliot_0 and is designed to communicate with cell towers on the ground and fill gaps in data networks around the world. It was the first of a fleet of more than 250 spacecraft designed in . .
A Falcon 9 rocket launched the satellite April 15 from SpaceX’s launch facility at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California. Barcelona-based Sateliot, which backs The GroundBreaker and Sateliot_X constellation network operators, sees this technology as an opportunity to enable global access to the Internet of Things (IoT).
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“For the first time in history, terrestrial cellular communications are seamlessly merging with satellite connectivity, and Satelliot is leading this revolution,” Satelliot said in a statement. The company hopes to close the 85 percent gap in mobile connectivity across the planet, and envisions applications for multiple public and private markets, including road, rail, air and sea transport, with “hundreds of “This could affect the efficiency of the system.” industrial. ”
Sateliot wants to expand the possibilities of connected devices by connecting IoT to a tight network between cellular relays on the ground and in orbit. “Users can seamlessly switch from terrestrial to non-terrestrial 5G networks without having to purchase additional hardware such as antennas or modems. Also, thanks to standard roaming, users can seamlessly switch from terrestrial to non-terrestrial 5G networks without having to purchase additional hardware such as antennas or modems. You can continue to use your mobile phone carrier, which facilitates large-scale deployment of the Internet of Things around the world,” the company said in a release.
Sateliot_0 is the company’s first satellite, but as the constellation expands, each spacecraft will orbit the Earth every 90 minutes, providing coverage of an area three times the size of Texas.
With its first satellite in operation, Satelliot already has sales of more than $1.3 billion.
Satelliot has not announced the launch date or launch vehicle for its next satellite heading into orbit, but a hint may be found on the company’s website’s “Next Missions” page. It includes the caption “Stay tuned” and an image of SpaceX. The Falcon Heavy launch is in the background.
The number of these mega-constellations planned or in development continues to grow. Apart from SpaceX’s famous Starlink broadband satellites, the European Union and China are developing their own constellations of satellites. Even online retail and web services giant Amazon plans to launch its own project, known as Project Kuiper, starting in 2024.
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