Astroscale Totsuka Ground Station in Japan. Credit: © AstroscalePte.Ltd.

Singapore-based Astroscale has established a ground station for sending and receiving satellite signals in Totsuka, Yokohama, Japan.

The ground station will primarily be used to support Astroscale’s space debris removal demonstration satellite End-of-Life Service by ASTROSCALE-demonstration (ELSA-d), which is expected to be launched next year.

The station will also support future Astroscale missions and help various low-Earth orbiting satellites to transmit and receive S-band and X-band frequencies.

It is equipped with a hexapod antenna designed to control orientation with six jacks.

The antenna is also capable of eliminating angle limitations and curbing the operation of conventional, two-axis controlled system antennas.

“The successful development of Astroscale’s ground station can be attributed to the experience and extensive knowledge of its expert technical team.”

Astroscale said in a statement: “Astroscale’s technical team which includes experts in communications, machine control and networks, successfully led the construction of the hexapod antenna, which will enable stable communications with satellites travelling in low-Earth orbit at speeds of approximately 28,000km per hour.

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“The successful development of Astroscale’s ground station can be attributed to the experience and extensive knowledge of its expert technical team and to its ability to cooperate and deepen relations globally.”

In November last year, Astroscale signed a memorandum of understanding with the UK’s Surrey Satellite Technology (SSTL) to explore opportunities in the fields of innovative on-orbit technologies and missions designed to protect the orbital environment.

Under the arrangement, SSTL will initially provide a ‘target’ satellite and avionics for the ELSA-d mission.

Astroscale is also expected to make further investment in the UK, where the company opened an office and mission control centre last year.