The latest addition to the world of satellite technology has been launched into space. The JoeySat, named after a baby kangaroo, is an advanced broadband satellite that will showcase next-generation 5G connectivity by providing high-speed internet services to thousands of people travelling by air, sea or land. The beam-hopping satellite was launched into low Earth orbit on 20 May on board a Space X Falcon 9 from Vandenberg in California. Developed under the Sunrise Partnership Project between the European Space Agency (ESA) and telecommunications operator OneWeb with support from the UK Space Agency, JoeySat will demonstrate key technologies for OneWeb’s next generation constellation. Its advanced digital regenerative payload was built by Satixfy in the UK and the payload environmental tests were completed in the UK. The JoeySat’s fully digital and state-of-the-art payload was built using off-the-shelf components and a lean management style in less than a year after the contract was signed between ESA and OneWeb.
