SES Space & Defense to provide always-on LEO Relay Services (LRS) to Starlab via O3b mPOWER, supporting real-time mission awareness.

SES Space & Defence, a wholly owned subsidiary of SES, has signed an agreement with Starlab to develop a communications architecture that will provide continuous, resilient and low-latency connectivity for the commercial space station throughout its operational lifecycle.

Starlab, which is developing its commercial space station under NASA’s Commercial Low Earth Orbit Development (CLD) Programme, selected SES Space & Defence for its integrated multi-orbit space and ground communications architecture, designed to support mission-critical operations from launch through long-term service.

The partnership will utilise SES Space & Defense’s Low Earth Orbit Relay Services (LRS), powered by the company’s next-generation O3b mPOWER medium Earth orbit (MEO) constellation. The system is designed to overcome the intermittent connectivity typically experienced by low Earth orbit (LEO) spacecraft by relaying data through MEO satellites to ground networks in near real time.

According to the companies, the multi-orbit relay infrastructure will provide uninterrupted connectivity for Starlab operators, researchers and crew members, enabling continuous access to mission data, telemetry and operational systems required for real-time decision-making and mission awareness.

David Broadbent, President and Chief Executive Officer of SES Space & Defense, said: “Human spaceflight and commercial research missions demand government-grade communications with reliability, security, and resilience at commercially affordable price points. By integrating our LEO Relay Services into Starlab’s core operations, we’re setting a new benchmark for always-on communications across commercial LEO infrastructure.”

The communications system is the result of a joint engineering programme carried out by SES Space & Defense and Starlab throughout 2025 and 2026. The collaboration included modelling in-orbit performance, evaluating communications terminals and aligning the relay architecture with the space station’s operational and design requirements.

Brad Henderson, Chief Commercial Officer of Starlab, added: “Mission success in Low Earth Orbit depends on resilient, always‑available communications infrastructure. Through our collaboration with SES Space & Defense, we are building a robust, secure, and highly resilient communications architecture that ensures continuous connectivity and real‑time mission awareness across all phases of station operations.”

The companies said the integrated architecture has been designed to scale as additional relay capabilities and next-generation communication terminals become available. SES Space & Defense’s connectivity services are expected to be operational from Starlab’s launch and will continue to expand throughout the commercial space station’s lifecycle.