Kongsberg Satellite Services (KSAT) has secured a launch services contract with SpaceX to deploy the first satellites of its “Hyper” constellation, which aims to connect directly with relay networks instead of having to rely on ground stations.

Tromsø, Norway-based KSAT is a multi-mission ground station operator serving polar and mid-latitude orbital inclinations that operates gateways globally, comprising more than 300 antennas at over 40 stations.

“Securing this first launch brings Hyper one step closer to space, and one step closer to delivering even lower latencies for our customers,” said Edvard Foss, general manager for Hyper at KSAT, in a statement. “This strengthens our commitment to building a world-leading in-orbit relay capability.”

The company’s Hyper project was announced in August, promising to bring the function of the ground segment to orbit, speeding up latencies. The constellation can also downlink to specific locations to serve sovereignty requirements, touting its utility for time-sensitive strategic surveillance and situational awareness applications.

Hyper intends to bypass the need for satellites to be within range of an earthside ground station to downlink data, which limits its availability. This augments, not replaces, KSAT’s existing satellite infrastructure.

Using Hyper’s orbital layer, satellites can get satellite throughput without such delays, granting agility to mission-critical applications like disaster response, maritime surveillance, or security mapping, which demand real-time information.

“Hyper will reduce the latency for EO data to a minimum and ensure data becomes actionable, significantly increasing its value for the satellite owner and the end user,” said Arnulf Kjeldsen, executive vice president of strategy and technology, in August.

Hyper will integrate with KSAT’s ground-station-as-a-service offerings, KSATlite and KSATmax, selling the downlink capability to smallsat and constellation operators.

The company has been working on Hyper for several years, mentioning the project in its 2023 annual report.

Today, many low Earth orbit satellites use optical intersatellite links to move information forward or backward along their constellation to facilitate downlink to specific sites, or make use of a medium Earth orbit or geostationary Earth orbit intermediary.

The issue has long been targeted by the US Space Development Agency (SDA)’s Transport Layer project, first announced in August 2020, which has begun launching its tranche 1 and 2 satellites this summer, with an intent to have all 300 in orbit by 2027.

The need for data sovereignty and security, as well as the longstanding operational and funding commitments to projects like the transport layer, may preclude America from using its own relay infrastructure, though, as the function becomes standard, a commercial alternative could become a must-have for global governments.