Kymeta-the company delivering on the promise of global, mobile connectivity-announced that its Government Solutions division has been awarded two grants via the NASA SBIR (Small Business Innovation Research) program to develop very small, space-based, very low size, weight and power (SWaP) flat panel Ka-band terminals for CubeSats and other Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites.
"These grants will allow Kymeta Government Solutions (KGS) to supply NASA with our proprietary metamaterials-based low SWaP flat panel solutions for satellite-to-satellite and satellite-to-ground/ground-to-satellite communications, starting with CubeSats, which are about the size of a loaf of bread," said David Kervin, General Manager and Vice President of Kymeta Government Solutions.
Organizations receiving SBIR grants are required to develop solutions with practical significance that have both commercial and non-commercial applications. They also must provide the potential to fulfill NASA needs. "Kymeta's Government Solutions CubeSat antenna has the potential to completely change LEO satellite communications," said Kervin.
"The NASA SBIR Projects program grants we have received are yet a further testament to Kymeta innovation capabilities."
Kymeta's announcement comes days after the grand finale of the Cassini Mission, noted for its ground-breaking discoveries using 20th century technology. "The Cassini Mission launched in October 1997 with the best technology of the time," said Kervin.
"Kymeta Government Solutions is leveraging the new standard for space and satellite communications. These NASA grants will further our ability to develop solutions to hard problems for government, military and commercial applications, wherever that technology may travel."
What's Kymeta
to connecting billions of people to high-speed mobile access? Antennas. And Kymeta offers the world's only commercially-viable electronically-scanning satellite antennas and terminals.
Kymeta antennas and terminals deliver high-throughput communications for land, sea, and air, making mobile connectivity as available as a view of the sky. Plus, the world's largest satellite operator, Intelsat, has joined forces with Kymeta to deliver KALO global access services that combine with Kymeta antennas and terminals to provide revolutionary mobile connectivity.
Without Kymeta mTenna technology, connecting and staying connected to all those new satellites while on the move will be difficult, if not impossible.
Small satellite promises big discoveries at NASA
Small satellites provide a cheap, responsive alternative to larger, more expensive satellites. As demand grows, engineers must adapt these "nanosatellites" to provide greater data returns. NASA, in collaboration with educational partners, targets 2021 for the launch of an innovative CubeSat that addresses these challenges.
CubeSats consist of standardized cubed units, or U's, typically up … read more
