Rocket Lab partners with KSAT to optimize ground station services

This service will provide seamless and reliable communications to early adopters.

Rocket Lab has partnered with Kongsberg Satellite Services (KSAT), a spacecraft and launch vehicle communications services provider, to develop a new global ground station service for its operations and customers that will enable efficient and reliable communications for future Neutron launches, increasingly ambitious Electron launches, and in-orbit operations, spacecraft deorbit and return-to-Earth missions using Rocket Lab spacecraft.

As Rocket Lab prepares for the first Neutron launch, Varda’s planned return-to-Earth missions, and the company’s backlog of more than 40 satellites, Rocket Lab has worked closely with KSAT to jointly develop a new satellite communications service to meet the critical needs of these future missions. As the sole provider of ground station services for Rocket Lab, KSAT’s network has been scaled to support both Rocket Lab’s launch and spacecraft operations and the needs of the space industry to ensure optimal performance, minimal latency, and reliable support throughout the mission lifecycle.

The enhanced satellite communications service now available to KSAT and Rocket Lab customers includes antenna tracking capabilities for complex mission designs over a global ground station network of more than 200 antennas, real-time telemetry, tracking and control (TT&C), enhanced monitoring, control and data acquisition capabilities in S-band, X-band and Ka-band with support for key IRIG-106 modulation codes, automatic ground station planning for satellite overflights, and other enhanced features and benefits.

Richard French, Vice President, Business Development & Strategy, Space Systems, Rocket Lab, said, “This enhanced satellite communications service for Electron and Neutron launches and for our various spacecraft streamlines our customers’ missions and simplifies their access to space. Satellite operators can outsource their satellite operations and communications to us, allowing them to focus on their current mission rather than having to build and operate their own ground station infrastructure. We are pleased to be able to provide our customers with a reliable, scalable service through our ongoing partnership with KSAT.”

Arthur Merlin, Director of Ground Network Products at KSAT, added, “The partnership with Rocket Lab is an example of our commitment to advance ground network technology through strategic collaboration. This partnership leverages the strengths of both organizations and ensures seamless and reliable communications for our customers worldwide. We look forward to working closely with Rocket Lab, a leader in innovative launch solutions, to expand our service offerings and advance the development of space communications.”

In addition, Rocket Lab offers technical and regulatory services as part of its optimized end-to-end mission solution for customers, including radio licensing assistance, frequency coordination to manage unwanted interference and process navigation through the most complex regulatory environments, as well as a range of technical support services.