The commercial space startup, SpaceRake, Inc., has been awarded approximately $1.8 million in Direct to Phase II SBIR funding from the Space Development Agency (SDA). The two year agreement will provide funding for SpaceRake to develop miniaturized lasercom terminals for networking satellites in space. The SpaceRake terminals are designed to enable a wide variety of satellites to connect to orbital network links like the SDA Transport Layer currently in development, allowing cost effective small satellites and constellations to be increasingly viable for incorporation into future resilient space communication architectures.
Founded by experts from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Google, and leading R&D centers, SpaceRake is advancing miniaturized optical communication solutions for space applications. The company aims to bring the next generation of in-space connectivity to all satellite types by creating lasercom networking technologies for a wide range of space-based and terrestrial applications.
The Phase II SBIR funding will be used to commercialize miniaturized lasercom technology from MIT along with SpaceRake’s own patent-pending designs. “This funding marks a significant milestone for SpaceRake and the future of in-space communication,” said Weston Marlow, President & CEO of SpaceRake, Inc. “Our innovative technology will drive down costs and increase adoption of network access in space, enabling new use cases and more data to reach terrestrial end users. We’re changing how the industry communicates in space.”
SpaceRake is headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts. More information can be found on their website at spacerake.net.
About SpaceRake, Inc.
SpaceRake, Inc. is a commercial space startup that is pushing the boundaries in the field of optical communications for space applications. With a team composed of industry veterans from MIT, Google, and leading R&D centers, SpaceRake is on a mission to revolutionize in-space connectivity for all types of satellites. Leveraging cutting-edge MIT technology and their own proprietary designs, they are paving the way for the next generation of space communication.