Andhra Pradesh-based start-up tests ultra-high-frequency communication tech on ISRO’s POEM-4

PTI, Jan 3, 2025, 4:20 PM IST

New Delhi: Andhra Pradesh-based space start-up N Space Tech on Friday said it has successfully tested an indigenously-developed ultra-high-frequency communication system on its payload SwetchaSat onboard the ISRO’s POEM-4 platform.

The start-up received its first set of data packages sent by SwetchaSat-V0 at the ground station at the ISRO Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC) in Bengaluru at 9:20 pm on January 1.

“This remarkable achievement showcases our capability in ultra-high-frequency (UHF) communication with precision and reliability, cementing our position as a leader in space technology. It also represents a significant step in our endeavour to advance satellite-communication technology,” N Space Tech co-founder Divya Kothamasu told PTI.

Building on this achievement, the start-up is now setting sights on future missions to demonstrate capabilities up to the Ku-band, she said.

The communication, power, computing and sensor modules of the SwetchaSAT payload were designed and developed indigenously at N Space Tech.

“SwetchaSAT, an ultra-high-frequency communication technology demonstrated by N Space Tech on the POEM-4 platform of PSLV C60, paves the way for faster and more reliable communication for many satellite applications,” Sudheer Kumar N, a former director at the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), said.

“The success of SwetchaSAT-V0 marks a critical step forward in our mission to develop and deploy advanced communication technologies,” Kothamasu said.

Founded in 2020, N Space Tech specialises in satellite-communication systems and space solutions.

The ISRO’s PSLV Orbital Experimental Module (POEM-4) platform re-purposes the spent fourth stage of the PSLV rocket into a stable orbital environment for experimental payloads.

The POEM-4 platform has 24 payloads from various ISRO laboratories, private start-up firms and educational institutes.