CesiumAstro Inc.’s first two spacecraft have been successfully integrated as secondary payloads onto the Atlas V rocket which will deliver NASA’s Landsat 9 to orbit this month, marking a key milestone in the collaboration between CesiumAstro and the U.S. Department of Defense’s Defense Innovation Unit (DIU).
CesiumAstro is set to launch Cesium Mission 1 (CM1), a two-satellite on-orbit testbed that allows both commercial and defense customers to run experiments using its Active Electronically Steerable Array (AESA) communications and crosslink communications payloads. Consisting of two 6U CubeSats, this mission will enable Low Earth Orbit (LEO) experimentation from September 2021 through 2026.
CM1 is the first of several planned technology demonstration missions showcasing CesiumAstro’s leading-edge communications payloads.
CesiumAstro is partnering with the DIU to demonstrate a reduced-latency direct downlink to tactical ground terminals as one of several planned commercial and defense experiments.
DIU selected CesiumAstro as one of the latest additions to its distinguished cohort of companies demonstrating excellence and creating rich, inventive solutions in a variety of critical areas from autonomy and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to human systems, cyber, space, and connectivity.
“DIU is cultivating a rich environment for innovation and partnership,” said Shey Sabripour, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of CesiumAstro.
“This collaboration allows CesiumAstro to showcase the benefits of our scalable software-defined AESA technology in support of future Department of Defense missions.”
Multiple experiments are planned on CM1 with partners across both commercial and government sectors. The communications payloads featured on CM1 are available as standard and customizable products for both satellite and airborne missions.
