Skyward Visions: uncovering geostationary satellites — Interview with Emile de Rijk, Founder and CEO of SWISSto12

02.08.2023 14:00, Rita Longobardi

During the summer months, we ask people who inspire the Swiss startup ecosystem to share their insights with the Venturelab community. In this captivating episode of "Skybound Visions", Venturelab has invited Emile de Rijk, CEO and founder of SWISSto12, a pioneer of next-generation Radio Frequency payload technologies for deployment in a brand new class of small, low-cost geostationary satellites. Join us as we delve into Emile's mission to revolutionize satellite communications by making it more affordable, efficient, and adaptable to various customer needs and applications.

Hello, Emile! Thank you for joining us today. Can you provide an overview of SWISSto12's mission and main challenges?
Radio Frequency communications have defined the modern era, but demand is outgrowing capacity. For Radio Frequency communications to serve our needs today and in the future, satellite infrastructure must evolve and scale. SWISSto12’s innovative 3D printing technology for Radio Frequency systems (communications antennas, receivers, and transmitters) can build and address an entirely new category of small, low-cost geostationary telecommunication satellites. SWISSto12’s first-of-its-kind Geo SmallSat, HummingSat, is roughly the size of a dishwasher, compared to traditional fixed-location satellites which have a similar mass to a truck. HummingSat makes it cheaper and easier for governments, agencies, and telecom service providers around the world to access satellite connectivity. By 2027, there will be 4 HummingSats in geostationary orbit, and by 2030, we aim to have enough to provide ubiquitous global coverage, so our customers can better connect and protect people worldwide.

How does SWISSto12's partnership with Inmarsat enhance the capabilities and reach of the GEO SmallSat HummingSat?
The HummingSats we are building for Inmarsat’s I-8 service require a high-performance and robust payload to support Inmarsat’s emergency search and rescue services. 1.6m seafarers and over 200 airlines depend on Inmarsat’s safety services via a worldwide network that leverages a particular part of the frequency spectrum called L-Band. These HummingSats will also carry a navigation payload to enable space-based augmentation meaning GPS systems can detect precise locations down to a range of ten centimeters.


SWISSto12's partnership with Inmarsat

What specific next-generation Radio Frequency payload technologies does SWISSto12 incorporate into the HummingSat?
The key to HummingSat’s performance is SWISSto12’s proprietary 3D-printed payload technology including antennas, receivers, and transmitters. These components allow us to build on a smaller, lighter scale, which means that we can rideshare on existing satellite launches which massively reduces the cost of deployment. Separate from HummingSat, we supply these components and subsystems to satellite manufacturers, and there are over 1,000 SWISSto12 products already in service in orbit. HummingSat also leverages conventional satellite components. We innovate on the payload, but if you observe the rest of the satellite platform, it harnesses a lot of proven subsystems that have gained a heritage with large satellite manufacturers.

Could you elaborate on the design inspiration behind the HummingSat and how it influenced the development process?
HummingSat is the first GEO SmallSat. We named it after the small, light, and agile Hummingbird. When approaching development, saving weight, and reducing the size without sacrificing performance or security was key. Our 3D-printing technology means we can architect very efficient and dense payloads, delivering more performance with a smaller asset that’s cheaper to manufacture and launch than conventional GEO satellites. Secondly, we have discovered innovative approaches to onboard computing, structure, and propulsion. This means we can offer incredibly good value connectivity in smaller investment increments for satellite operators or governments.



How does the HummingSat address the growing demand for small, low-cost geostationary satellites in the satellite mobile communications industry?
HummingSat offers high-quality geostationary satellite services at a significantly low cost. It is small, lightweight, and affordable to build and launch. This allows satellite operators to provide customized regional or gap-filling services economically. HummingSat is a cost-effective replacement for legacy geostationary satellites and offers secure connectivity options for governments. It outperforms traditional satellites while maintaining a competitive price, making it an appealing investment. Additionally, HummingSat adapts its multiple channels and payload to meet the specific needs of telecom operators, ensuring optimal performance for each mission profile and business case.

Can you discuss any unique features or capabilities of the HummingSat that set it apart from other small geostationary satellites?
We differentiate ourselves from competitors in building satellites and selling them to operators who own and operate them. We believe we serve the market best by working with satellite telecommunication operators and governments as customers – rather than competing with them.

What are the potential applications and use cases for the HummingSat in satellite mobile communications?
HummingSat will enable broadband, broadcast, 5G, secure communications, search and rescue communications, Internet of Things, and data-driven AI. These are all applications where the potential is limited by the capacity, coverage, and cost of connectivity. SWISSto12 can engineer the payload and how each satellite functions according to each customer's needs and the bandwidths their services rely on.

How does SWISSto12 envision the future of small geostationary satellites?
We still have a lot to do in geostationary communications. Our priority is to deliver the satellites we've been entrusted with by our customers. There are a lot of markets we can address beyond geostationary. There's certainly the possibility to reuse this technology and deploy connectivity around the moon. That's a frontier that is a bit more distant but has the potential to be an exciting new application arena for the future.

Can you provide some insights into the ongoing and future developments or advancements in SWISSto12's Radio Frequency payload technologies?
By building superior payloads that boost the throughputs and the payload capability that the satellite delivers, we improve the service and the value that it can deliver, giving them the same value for money, but in smaller integer investments. The focus on future payloads is to implement performance improvements and enhance the flexibility of such payloads to adapt over time in orbit to the evolving business cases of customers.


SWISSto12 Team