INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Spacetech startup NSLComm is gearing up to put its first satellite into orbit, aboard a Russian Soyuz rocket launching this Friday at 1:42
antenna solution created by NSLComm which is the secret ingredient that will unlock a number of different lines of business for the
A communication satellite is basically a dish in space, you want more communication, you need a larger dish
But a larger dish requires a larger satellite, and a larger launcher, so everything becomes more expensive
This is why if you launch a geostationary communication satellite you have to launch it for 20 years, because it has an ROI of more than 10
It weighs tons because it needs to live for 15-20 years, and when you sell the capacity, you pay hundreds of billions per megabit per second
weight for these high-powered communication satellites was actually due to the antennas they need to use to ensure they can achieve a good
These are either large and fixed, requiring a lot of extra launch hardware and protection as they make their way to space (which is not
needed once in orbit), or, for unfolding antennas that existed previously, they require a lot of additional hardware to actually do the
unfolding antenna deployment in space, adding again a bunch of bulk and weight
All of which translates to higher launch costs, the need for longer productive life spans for the satellites and higher costs for
small and much easier to launch, providing about 100 times faster connectivity than the fastest nano-satellites in the same size class today
So when you open a hatch, it jumps out like a jack-in-the-box
We have an antenna that is compacted to a volume that is so small, that it fits less than 1U [around the space of one rack in a multi-rack
server configuration, or about 1.75 inches tall] for a 60 centimeter [about two feet] diameter dish
And the antenna weighs 140 grams
but launching its own network is only one part of its business plan, and there are other ways it intends to generate revenue in the more
Itzhaki explained that, in fact, the startup has four primary ways of doing business, including first offering cost-effective ways for
client already who is using this for an IoT application
customers at minimal cost
the capacity of the network on a subscription basis.To date, NSLComm has raised $16 million, including $12 million from VCs, including
Jerusalem Venture Partners, OurCrowd, Cockpit Innovation and Liberty Technology Venture Capital
