Boeing Co. is investing in a Denver-based firm behind a network of optical ground stations capable of high-speed, secure communications with spacecraft as President Trump accelerates American exploration and development beyond the planet.
The Chicago-based aerospace and defense company didn’t disclose the size of its investment in BridgeSat Inc., whose Earth-based stations enable secure transmissions between satellites, other space vehicles and high-altitude aircrafts.
“This partnership will help us continue to lead the digital transition in satellites with technology that provides next-generation capabilities for our customers,” said Brian Schettler, managing director of Boeing HorizonX Ventures, which invests in startup aerospace companies with expertise in areas such as hypersonic propulsion, Internet of things connectivity, and augmented reality systems. “Enabling BridgeSat to scale their operations accelerates secure, reliable satellite communications around the world.”
Last month, Boeing agreed to buy Millennium Space Systems, which builds high-performance satellites weighing from 50 to 6,000 kilograms for national security clients, for an undisclosed price as military contractors take advantage of a boom from the White House’s interest in space exploration and defense. The president has proposed missions to the moon and Mars as well as developing a Space Force.
Since Trump took office in January 2017, his administration has “taken decisive action to strengthen American power in space,” Vice President Mike Pence said in an August speech at the Pentagon. The defense budget the president signed earlier this year includes $1 billion for space programs, and the administration is asking Congress to allocate another $8 billion for such efforts over the next five years.
BridgeSat, formed three years ago, recently struck a deal with NASA to develop a commercialized free-space optical communication system that could support the agency’s future missions, the companies said in a statement.
Boeing’s investment “will help us meet the need for secure delivery of big data from low earth orbit and geostationary satellites at faster speeds, and a lower cost than traditional radio frequency solutions,” Barry Matsumori, chief executive officer of BridgeSat, said in the statement. The deal gives BridgeSat access to Boeing experts, testing labs and other resources.
