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A recent milestone reached by a satellite communications provider has brought the icy expanses of the Arctic one step closer to high-speed broadband.
Changing weather patterns have forced a new focus on the Arctic and American companies like satellite communications provider Viasat, based in California, have been answering the call.
Viasat, which recently completed thermal vacuum testing on a satellite at Northrop Grumman’s facility in Virginia, said the Arctic has rapidly growing connectivity needs to serve governments, shipping companies, commercial airlines, and scientists.
The company announced the milestone Nov. 21 on their website and said the satellite will be part of the Arctic Satellite Broadband Mission being led by Heosat, a subsidiary of Space Norway.
“The investment we’ve made in our network is creating the flexibility, coverage, and interoperability to meaningfully connect the world wherever and whenever our customers need it – even if they happen to be standing on the North Pole,” said Viasat Head of Space Systems Mark Dickinson.
In their announcement, Viasac said the mission would represent the first time satellites will be successfully deployed in highly elliptical orbits. The two satellites, named ASBM-1 and ASBM-2, will host Viasat’s GX-10a and GX-10b Ka-band payloads, extending Viasat’s high-speed network across the Arctic region, the company’s announcement stated.
Kjell-Ove Skare, a program director for Space Norway, said the mission is closing in on making broadband in the Arctic a real capability.
“We have seen an unprecedented collaborative effort with Viasat, the U.S. Space Force, our Norwegian Armed Forces and with Northrop Grumman, and are all looking forward to providing the first dedicated broadband services to users in the real Arctic,” he said.
Along with commercial broadband payloads, the satellites will additionally host payloads for the Norwegian Armed Forces and the U.S. Space Force, Viasat’s announcement stated.
With the thermal vacuum testing phase completed, Viasat’s announcement said ASBM-1 and ASBM-2 will now undergo their final phase of testing.
Viasat’s announcement said the recent test is timely. In October 2023, the United Kingdom’s environmental audit committee called for a greater political focus on the Arctic and further research into the potential for environmental and economic impacts of changing weather patterns, Viasat’s announcement said.
Once testing is complete, Viasat’s announcement said the satellites will be transferred to Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, where they’ll be launched together on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket in mid-2024.
