ST. LOUIS — Hyperspectral analytics company HySpecIQ and optical communications specialist BridgeComm announced an agreement to integrate BridgeComm high-speed optical downlinks with HySpecIQ satellites destined for low Earth orbit.
“We are eager to extend our satellite constellation program and hyperspectral imagery capabilities with BridgeComm’s integration,” Bill Sullivan, HySpecIQ executive chairman and founder, said in a statement. “By leveraging BridgeComm’s extensive work in free-space optical technology, we will provide secure data transmissions with high bandwidth that will aid governmental and commercial decision makers to take decisive action.”
The agreement, announced Oct. 4, “is an extension of a long-standing relationship with HySpecIQ, further exhibiting BridgeComm’s fast and secure, enterprise-grade broadband services for satellite constellations,” BridgeComm CEO Barry Matsumori said in a statement. “The blending of our technologies and systems will provide invaluable data with impressive speeds as more LEO constellations are launched.”
The agreement follows the recent news that venture capitalist Peter Thiel would help fund Herndon, Virginia-based HySpecIQ’s planned constellation of 12 hyperspectral imagery satellites. Bloomberg reported that Thiel’s investment of more than $20 million would cover the cost of manufacturing HySpecIQ’s first two satellites and their launch in 2023.
Denver-based BridgeComm plans to establish a global network of optical communications ground stations and an optical communications constellation in low Earth orbit.