Inmarsat’s I-4 satellite. Photo: Inmarsat

Inmarsat has tapped Rocket Lab to develop and manufacture an L-band radio for NASA’s Communications Services Project (CSP). Rocket Lab announced the deal for its Frontier-L radio on Nov. 3, terms of the deal were not disclosed. 

The NASA CSP will develop data relay communications to replace the aging Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS) constellation, which provides information relay services to the International Space Station, Hubble Space Telescope, and other missions. NASA awarded Inmarsat Government, SES, SpaceX, and others demonstration contracts in April. Inmarsat Government was awarded $28.6 million for a proposed commercial radio frequency (RF) Geostationary Orbit (GEO) L-band relay network for low-rate satcom services.

Rocket Lab’s Frontier-L radio is a transmitter that will support Inmarsat Government’s demonstrations of a variety of TT&C applications on the Elera L-band network, including launch and early operations phase (LEOP), ubiquitous command and control, real-time tasking, and contingency operations for satellites in LEO orbits. The Frontier-L radio will join Rocket Labs line of radios including S-band and X-band. 

“Rocket Lab’s Frontier-L radio will leverage InCommand on the Elera network as an important new capability for ubiquitous command and control to enhance the operation of Low-Earth Orbit spacecraft. This will enable new communications services for industry and government alike,” commented Steve Gizinski, president of Inmarsat Government.