Photo: WiSeSat

WISeSAT.Space has deepened its relationship with the Swiss Armed Forces which will see the two collaborate to launch an enhanced WISeSat satellite later this year. WISeSAT.Space announced the strengthening of the strategic partnership on April 29.

The upgraded WISeSAT.Space satellite will be equipped with SEALSQ semiconductor technology and WISeKey cryptographic keys to secure the new FOSSASAT-2E satellite. This satellite is designed to boost performance in space and communication capabilities with SEALSQ IoT microchips installed in devices.

Building upon the comprehensive survey conducted in 2023 on behalf of armasuisse, the R&D and procurement agency of the Swiss Ministry of Defense, WISeSAT.Space has garnered insights into the capabilities and potential of small satellites for IoT and signals intelligence applications for the Swiss Armed Forces. The mission was to analyze space technologies relating to IoT and secure communications for national security and defense applications, tailored to the Swiss Space Domain’s unique needs.

Key objectives outlined by the Swiss Armed Forces include expanding the “Internet of Battlefield Things” and SIGINT concepts to explore the feasibility of utilizing space segments with low frequencies for electronic reconnaissance purposes. The project also aims to demonstrate recurring narrowband connections between objects via WISeSAT satellites and ground stations to enhance training for Mission Control Center processes and explore potential uses of IoT payloads as hosted payloads on other space segments.

WISeSAT.Space is a subsidiary of WISeKey, a global cybersecurity platform company currently deploying large scale digital identity ecosystems for people and objects. The partnership between WISeKey and the Swiss Armed Forces was signed in 2022 and is part of the private/public cooperation applied to the space sector. The intent of the Swiss Armed Forces to develop space-based capabilities has been published in August 2023 as part of a new strategy for defense.