Australia-listed Sky and Space Global has successfully integrated its Three Diamonds nano-satellites into the launch pod of Innovative Space Logistics in the Netherlands.
The satellites will now be transported from Innovative Space Logistics to the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) launch site ahead of the upcoming launch scheduled for late May.
Meir Moalem, chief executive and founder of Sky and Space Global, says the nano-sats are set to “disrupt the telco space by enabling the provision of cheaper voice, data and instant messaging services to areas in South and Central America, and Africa and Asia”.
Airliners and shipping companies in the coverage area will also be serviced.
{loadposition peter}Moalem says Sky and Space Global plans to launch up to 200 nano-satellites from mid-2018 using the LauncherOne orbital launch vehicle with Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic, and says the satellites will provide affordable mobile coverage. to the four billion people currently without coverage.
It is planned to launch a constellation of 200 nano-satellites by 2020, providing full coverage of the equatorial areas of South America, Central Africa, and Southeast Asia.
The nano-satellites will be controlled by a proprietary network management software platform enabling the constellation to automatically manage, monitor, and control its motions in orbit.
And Moalem says the technology will allow telecom operators and connectivity service providers to deliver affordable narrow-band services to remote locations and will deliver more affordable connectivity and data services for people and businesses in the regions of the coverage area.