Antwerp Space triples the download capacity of the International Space Station

Antwerp/Virginia, 15 February 2020 – Today the Antwerp Space modem will be launched on an Antares rocket of Northrop Grumman from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. The spacecraft is loaded with crew supplies and hardware for the International Space Station (ISS).

The advanced ARGO modem, developed by Antwerp Space, uses a high-performing encoding technology for the very first time in Europe. This modem will enable faster communication from the ISS to Earth via the new European Data Relay Satellite System (EDRS). The innovative Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA)-based design allows an in-flight reconfiguration of the modem and gives a higher flexibility for different communication demands. The modem has been integrated within the MDA Corporation Ka-band Data Relay terminal that will be mounted on the ESA Columbus module of the ISS in April.

For Antwerp Space the launch and operation of the ARGO Modem marks an additional success as a manufacturer of leading edge satellite communication equipment. “We look forward to applying this new modem technology on a global scale in the future, addressing the institutional and commercial market”, said Koen Puimège, Managing Director of Antwerp Space.

About Antwerp Space:

Antwerp Space, a member of the OHB Group and belonging to OHB’s Space Systems Business Unit, develops systems and equipment for European space programs and commercial space applications worldwide. Antwerp Space provides expertise and system solutions for broadband access systems via satellites, navigation- and radar solutions and products for scientific, exploration and telecommunication missions.