Space Based Communications

For maritime Surveillance to Environmental Montioring

LusoSpace

The maritime community is seeking new possibilities and capacities for digital communications. VDES was developed to meet the increasing need for data communication between maritime users, providing faster data transfer rates with greater integrity than current VHF data link systems. By adding space-based capability to VDES it allows for smarter navigation and communication solutions for the maritime industry.

LusoSpace intends to combine twelve EPIC LINK 8U satellites into a VDES communication constellation, to be launched late 2025. The order follows an initial order for a 3U satellite received earlier in Q4, 2023. AAC Clyde Space will deliver subsystems sets for 11 satellites platforms to LusoSpace. The EPIC 8U variant will be co-designed by AAC Clyde Space and LusoSpace and built in Portugal.

This satellite based capability adds a new dimension to terrestrial VDES, creating a global high-speed ship-to-satellite and satellite-to-ship communication link available for various applications.

We believe that this contract will position LusoSpace in a new exciting sector, VDES maritime communications. Our purpose it to add value in the maritime sector for people, companies and institutions, says LusoSpace CEO, Ivo Vieira.

Since the users are on globally distributed ships and often at times far beyond the horizon, a hybrid solution of a terrestrial and satellite-based transmission scheme addresses the challenge for reaching all users. It can be utilized for maritime surveillance, encrypted communications, fishery, logistics, search and rescue, marine integrated applications, innovative application software development for commercial purposes to environmental monitoring.

The Project is funded by the Portuguese Plano de Recuperação e Resiliência (PRR). The fund’s objective is to catalyse national capacity in space which is also commercially viable. LusoSpace will develop and deploy twelve nanosatellite spacecraft carrying VDES payloads

We are delighted to share our experience and knowledge with LusoSpace in this project which aims to catalyse Portuguese capacity in space with a commercially viable project. Our EPIC range of satellites has unrivalled flight heritage, a robust design, and an attractive price, says AAC Clyde Space CEO Luis Gomes.

Project Updates

LusoSpace celebrated the successful launch of the first satellite, PoSAT-2, Portugal’s first commercial satellite January 14^th 2025. Our VP Commercial Management, Sue Kee, and VP Sales Space Missions, Derek Bennet, attending the celebration event in Lisbon with Ivo Yves Vieira, the CEO of LusoSpace

We’re also supporting the development of their Future Space Tech—With Augmented Reality! Check out this behind-the-scenes look at LusoSpace and the AAC Clyde Space team working together to trial this cutting-edge AR technology right here in our Glasgow cleanroom. Lusospace has been pioneering AR/XR technology for over 15 years, starting with a Head Mounted Display (HMD) concept for astronauts on the ISS back in 2005. Today, their expert engineers are driving Industry 4.0 solutions, bringing next-level innovation to the aerospace sector.

Pretty awesome, right? Stay tuned for more updates!

Other Case Studies

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Seahawk

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Orbital Micro Systems

AAC Clyde Space is working with Orbital Micro Systems to deliver accurate and timely weather information to businesses worldwide and enable faster, informed decision-making in the face of weather-driven emergencies.

Eutelsat

AAC Clyde Space is supporting global satellite operator Eutelsat to construct its own low Earth orbit (LEO) constellation, ELO (Eutelsat LEO for Objects), to deliver global internet of things (IoT) coverage, enabling objects to transmit data irrespective of their location.

NSLComm

NSLComm is using nanosatellites to deliver fast, reliable and affordable communications, even in the most remote places on Earth.

xSPANCION

xSPANCION is transformational. It lays the groundwork to provide space data and services quickly and at low cost to organisations that are eager to harness the benefits of space to tackle on-Earth problems

Ymir-1

Ymir-1, a flight proven AAC Clyde Space EPIC LINK spacecraft serves as an in-orbit VDES demonstrator. Designed and built by AAC Clyde Space it carries a VDES payload, enabling seamless two-way communication between the satellite and ground-based stations for ship-to-ship and ship-to-shore maritime communication everywhere on the globe

ESA Arctic Weather Satellite

ESA’s Arctic Weather Satellite is an initial prototype mission that aims to demonstrate the usefulness of radiometric measurements to improve weather forecasts in the Arctic region and globally. AAC Omnisys has developed and built an innovative scientific weather payload in Gothenburg specifically for this mission, a passive microwave radiometer, which will provide temperature and humidity measurements of the atmospheric layers, this data will be used for Numerical Weather Prediction and Nowcasting.

WYVERN

Our partners at Wyvern Inc, a Canadian Earth observation company, have committed to subscribing to our data service for four years. This custom package is set to deliver high-resolution hyperspectral data from space over an initial four-year period.

NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services

Nova-C is the first lander of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative, which is focused on the exploration and use of natural resources of the moon. AAC Clyde Space’s STARBUCK-MINI PCDUs are being used for this mission.

MIR-SAT-1

AAC Clyde Space delivered Mauritius’ first satellite, a 1U CubeSat (MIR-SAT-1), to the Mauritius Research & Innovation Council (MRIC) in 2021. The satellite was designed in collaboration with MRIC’s Engineers and built in AAC Clyde Space’s Glasgow facilities and was delivered to JAXA to be deployed from the Japanese Experiment Module, KiboCUBE, on the ISS.

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