🛰 RSCC and STC Successfully Test Inter-Satellite Data Transmission

During the experiment, the companies managed to establish direct data transmission between spacecraft operating in fundamentally different orbits without involving intermediate ground stations.

The technological trial utilized the CSTP-2.11 small satellite, operating in Low Earth Orbit (LEO, up to 1,500 km), and a heavy-class Express-series telecommunications satellite positioned in Geostationary Earth Orbit (GEO, approximately 36,000 km). The LEO spacecraft successfully transmitted a data packet to the Express satellite, which subsequently acted as a relay to downlink the information to Earth.

The communication session was conducted in the high-frequency Ka-band, achieving a data transfer rate of approximately 0.5 Mbps. Connection stability was maintained via specialized, compact on-board equipment engineered to comply with the stringent size, weight, and power (SWaP) constraints inherent to small satellites.

Alexey Volin, Director General of RSCC, emphasized the strategic importance of the project, noting that establishing end-to-end communication channels between multi-orbital constellations eliminates the need to deploy costly terrestrial infrastructure worldwide.

The success of these trials demonstrates that small satellites can effectively leverage the resources of heavy geostationary spacecraft for rapid data delivery. This technological synergy unlocks new capabilities for commercial and governmental LEO constellations, allowing for the radical optimization of global space data flows and a significant reduction in latency when transmitting data to end-user ground terminals.