Science & Space
NASA Selects Three Companies to Develop Compatible Ka-Band Relay Concepts
NASA selected three companies to develop Ka-band space relay concepts compatible with current missions and existing spacecraft.
What happened
NASA selected three companies on Wednesday to develop Ka-band space relay capability concepts. The concepts must work with current space missions and preserve service continuity for existing spacecraft without requiring onboard system modifications. NASA said the work will target end-to-end solutions spanning space, ground, launch, operations and integration.
Why it matters
Existing spacecraft can retain relay services without onboard modifications, while NASA seeks integrated solutions covering the full communications chain.
Source: NASA