By Nathan Vifflin
Dec 15 (Reuters) – STMicroelectronics has shipped more than 5 billion radio-frequency antenna chips to Elon Musk’s SpaceX for the Starlink satellite network, and chips delivered under the partnership in the next two years could double that number, a senior executive at the chipmaker told Reuters.
WHY IT’S IMPORTANT
Ten years after Musk met with the CEO of one of Europe’s largest chipmakers, Jean-Marc Chery, STMicroelectronics is disclosing the scale of their fast-growing space contract that has become a driver for its specialised chip business.
KEY QUOTES
“The past 10 years of user terminals in terms of volume could actually double over the next two years,” Remi El-Ouazzane, president of STMicro’s microcontrollers and digital integrated circuits division, said in the interview without giving specific targets.
“I expect many lower-orbit satellite players to leverage the technology,” El-Ouazzane said about the BiCMOS-based antenna chips used in Starlink user terminals.
CONTEXT
The space industry is shifting from government-led projects to a fast-growing commercial market, driven by companies like SpaceX, Eutelsat’s OneWeb and Amazon’s planned Leo network.
This boom is creating demand for specialised chips that can handle high data rates and survive harsh conditions in space.
BY THE NUMBERS
STMicro has delivered more than 5 billion radio-frequency “front-end modules” or antenna elements to SpaceX since their collaboration began around 2015.
Starlink operates in more than 150 markets and has around 8 million users, according to its website.
WHAT’S NEXT
STMicro will supply the upcoming inter-satellite laser links for SpaceX platforms and is working with European players such as Thales and Eutelsat on projects including the European Union’s planned Iris 2 satellite constellation.
(Reporting by Nathan Vifflin in Gdansk, editing by Milla Nissi-Prussak)