TAMPA, Fla. — Skynopy, a French ground station startup, said Sept. 24 it has won a European Space Agency contract to help commercialize adaptive modulation technology that it claims can double satellite data download rates.
A Skynopy spokesperson said the contract includes 75,000 euros ($89,000) in funding to integrate its software with three satellite operators, which will be selected through a competitive process next month.
The work will focus on Variable Coding and Modulation (VCM) and Adaptive Coding and Modulation (ACM), which enable satellites to adjust their signal strength and efficiency to changing conditions, rather than relying on a single fixed transmission mode.
While VCM and ACM are widespread in satellite and terrestrial telecom networks, Skynopy says they remain underused in Earth observation because of the cost and complexity of integrating them into ground systems, as well as the lack of an end-to-end solution to manage adaptive links.
“Today, most of the modern satellites are equipped with radios that support these dynamic modulations,” said Skynopy cofounder and chief technology officer Antonin Hirsch.
“This enables them to adjust signal throughput to the varying signal strength during a contact to maximize efficiency, leaving efficiency on the table instead of [making full use of] bandwidth.”
The contract is part of ESA’s Programme for Userbase Enhancement (PUSH), which aims to support companies advancing space-related products and services.
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Jason Rainbow writes about satellite telecom, finance and commercial markets for SpaceNews. He has spent more than a decade covering the global space industry as a business journalist. Previously, he was Group Editor-in-Chief for Finance Information Group,…
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