Kongsberg NanoAvionics (NanoAvionics), a smallsat mission integrator and bus manufacturer, has received an order for three further satellites from 5G telecoms operator OQ Technology.
As part of the agreement, OQ Technology will provide the 5G payload, which is based on standard 3GPP Rel. 17 technology – the cell tower stack developed in-house by OQ – and will take care of launch, satellite operations, spectrum licensing, service, and market access. With the recent traction of direct-to-device cellular communication through satellite, OQ Technology is a pioneer in direct cellular IoT to satellite connectivity.
The three 6U nanosatellites, Tiger-4, Tiger-7 and Tiger-8, will be built at NanoAvionics’s new MAIT (manufacturing, assembly, integration, and testing) facility in Vilnius, Lithuania. The facility was set up to meet the demands for serial satellite production for constellations and larger satellites by commercial, civil, and governmental organizations.
The nanosatellites will be equipped with a propulsion system for constellation deployment, formation flying, and deorbiting after the end of their lifecycle.
Omar Qaise, founder and CEO of OQ Technology said, “These three nanosatellites will allow us to grow our constellation, expand our global coverage, and enter new markets.”
