TAMPA, Fla. — Palo Alto startup Apolink has picked GomSpace to build the radio frequency subsystem for its first relay cubesat, aiming to show how signals can be received from other low Earth orbit (LEO) spacecraft and forwarded to the ground.
The 3U satellite for IPoS-TDsM, or Interoperability Protocol over Satellite – Technology Demonstration Mission, is slated to launch in the second quarter of 2026 aboard SpaceX’s Transporter-17 rideshare flight.
Larger, follow-on spacecraft would form Apolink’s first-generation constellation of 32 satellites, interconnected with lasers and focusing on telemetry, tracking and command services, according to Onkar Batra, who founded Apolink last year.
He said the Gen-1 system would support downlink speeds of up to 512 kilobits per second at times, and uplink rates of 9.6 kbps, with deployment slated by 2029.
Apolink ultimately aims to develop a more powerful data relay network that would further reduce reliance on ground infrastructure. The constellation would move data through space until it can be delivered to a ground station, cutting latency by eliminating the need for satellites to wait until passing over an approved site to transmit data.
IPoS-TDsM aims to validate a receive-only S-band relay capability with an undisclosed partner, allowing existing satellites to transmit telemetry packets to Apolink’s spacecraft in real time using their current radios and frequencies.
“Real-time relay capabilities that work with existing spacecraft are a game-changer for operators,” said Slava Frayter, CEO of Denmark-headquartered Gomspace’s North America subsidiary.
Large satellite constellations such as SpaceX’s Starlink increasingly rely on their own inter-satellite links to avoid ground infrastructure.
Satellite maker Muon Space recently announced a partnership to offer its customers a way to tap into that network, rather than build relay infrastructure from scratch.
Multiple companies are developing commercial data-relay networks in an emerging market that has already seen some failures amid high technical and financial hurdles.
Apolink recently announced a $4.3 million seed round as it works toward its LEO demonstration.