SKY Perfect JSAT (SJC), one of Asia’s largest satellite communication companies headquartered in Japan, will host an antenna owned by NewSpace company Spire Global at its ground station in Japan.
The agreement marks SJC’s attempt to propel its new Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite business, a strategy that moves beyond its traditional geostationary orbit satellite business.
SJC’s new LEO business will offer customers ground station facilities, allowing them to host their own antenna on SJC’s premises. Alternatively, customers can use SJC’s antennae, which is what Spire has chosen to do.
The partnership is Spire’s first in Japan, although the company has been in Asia since 2014, when it set up shop in Singapore. Spire is also known for its partnership with India, being the first US-based CubeSat company to launch in India in 2015. All eight of the CubeSats launched this year were placed into orbit by ISRO’s PSLV-XL, in a record-breaking event that saw 104 satellites being deployed in a single launch.
