KONGSBERG contributing to broadband connection for the International Space Station

KONGSBERG equipment is to enable broadband transmission for the International Space Station (ISS) – significantly improving communication between the ESA astronauts manning the station and earth.

– This is a great benefit for the personnel onboard, and KONGSBERG is proud to deliver technology to the project, says Ingelin Drøpping, Executive Vice President of KONGSBERG’s Space & Surveillance division.

February 14th the ESA Columbus Ka-Band Terminal (COLKa) started its journey to the International Space Station (ISS) orbiting earth. Here, the terminal will be installed on the European Columbus module, a science laboratory which is part of the ISS. It will then enable continuous signal transmission to the ground via the European Data Relay Satellite (EDRS) system.

– This will enable the European astronauts and scientists to exchange important information with ground stations in real time. They will benefit from higher bandwidth communications, faster delivery of scientific data and high definition video imagery, thanks to this terminal, says Ingelin Drøpping, Executive Vice President of KONGSBERG’s Space & Surveillance division.

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The terminal is to be delivered to the International Space Station as part of the Northrop Grumman's thirteenth contracted commercial resupply services mission. Northrop Grumman launched their Cygnus spacecraft aboard an Antares rocket from Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia, supplying will ISS with several tons of cargo.

International teamwork

KONGSBERG has been part of the team developing the terminal, through its Space & Surveillance division’s environment in Horten, Norway. The project has been headed by MDA Space and Robotics Limited, the UK division of MDA, the world leading Canadian space equipment manufacturer.

– Our Space Electronics team in Horten, formerly known as Norspace, has developed, manufactured and delivered frequency converters. They are critical parts of the COLKa Ka band Inter-Satellite Link (ISL) terminal provided by MDA. The terminal itself offers the astronauts greater capacity and availability of broadband connection, as it is capable of speeds of up to 400mbps downlink and 50mbps uplink, says Ellen Tuset, Vice President Division Space in KONGSBERG.

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COLKa has been designed and integrated by MDA in the UK with both internal investment and funding provided by the UK Space Agency though the ESA Human Spaceflight program. Both KONGSBERG and Antwerp Space have supported the project with significant investments in the development of key subsystems.

The ISS in short

  • The International Space Station (ISS) is a space station (habitable artificial satellite) in low Earth orbit.
  • The ISS programme is a joint project between five participating space agencies: NASA (United States), Roscosmos (Russia), JAXA (Japan), ESA (Europe), and CSA (Canada.
  • The ownership and use of the space station are established by intergovernmental treaties and agreements.

The project in short

  • The ESA Columbus Ka-Band Terminal (COLKa) is developed by MDA Space and Robotics Limited.
  • MDA is the world leading Canadian space equipment manufacturer.
  • KONGSBERG has delivered frequency converters to the terminal, key subsystems.
  • Sent up to ISS on the Northrop Grumman's thirteenth contracted commercial resupply services mission. They will launch their Cygnus spacecraft aboard an Antares rocket from Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia, will deliver several tons of cargo to the International Space Station.
  • The terminal will be mounted on the external surface of the ISS Columbus Module. This will require a spacewalk.
  • The European Data Relay Satellite (EDRS) an ESA project within the ARTES-7 (Advanced Research in Telecommunications Systems) program.
  • Geostationary data relay satellites are placed in geostationary orbit to relay information to and from non-geostationary satellites, other vehicles and fixed Earth stations that otherwise are not able to permanently transmit/receive data.

For more information, contact:

Jan Erik Hoff, Group Vice President Investor Relations, Kongsberg Gruppen ASA, Tel: +47 991 11 916.
Ronny Lie, Chief Communications Officer, Kongsberg Gruppen ASA, Tel: +47 916 10 798.

Anne Cecilie Lund-Andersen, Corporate Manager Communications & Public Affairs, Kongsberg Gruppen ASA, +47 996 21 213

This information must be disclosed pursuant to section 5-12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act.

KONGSBERG (OSE-ticker: KOG) is an international, knowledge-based group that supplies high-tech systems and solutions to customers in the merchant navy and oil & gas, defence and aerospace industries. KONGSBERG has almost 11,000 employees in 40 countries. Follow us on Twitter: @kongsbergasa.