Ground Stations — The backbone for commercial space operations
Ground Stations are often referred to as the “brains of the entire satellite network.” But what are they really, and why are they so important?
Ground Stations are facilities that provide real-time communication with satellites. They track the altitude and movement of satellites and monitor information about their critical systems and health. In case there is a system failure with the satellite, the ground station will work towards identifying and isolating the cause of the error.
Especially for Lower Earth satellites, which operate at very high orbital speeds, ground stations can only communicate with them for a few minutes during each pass when the satellite is above the station’s plane. Hence, their design and location are critical to ensure proper communication with the satellite. While designing these ground stations, it’s essential to consider aspects such as gains in signals, high antenna efficiency, performance variations resulting from local climate & weather, and illumination variations.
With the continued commercialization of the space economy, the demand for ground stations has only increased. As more companies and organizations look at space to provide their services, they may not be able to afford to set up dedicated ground stations, which has led to the rise of Ground Stations as a Service or GSaaS.
Instead of building out their own ground stations, startups can now simply rent what they require on the ground. GSaaS is an end-to-end solution for the ground segment, which will help satellite operators focus on the mission and deployment of assets. In recent years, companies such as Microsoft and Amazon have launched their own GSaaS offerings for space customers.
GSaaS is now poised for double-digit growth, expected to generate global revenues of $138B by 2029, according to market projections by Northern Sky Research.
