Solstar demonstrates orbital Wi-Fi relay during NASA proximity test
Solstar Space announced that its Wi-Fi system linked NASA's R5-S10 cubesat with Momentus' Vigoride-7 vehicle during close-proximity operations. The Deke Space Communicator sent more than 2,300 files, including optical, infrared and lidar data, to NASA Johnson through an experimental Iridium relay. Solstar says the demonstration provided operational experience and data that could help train AI for future autonomous missions.
Solstar said its Deke unit, mounted on Momentus’s Vigoride-7, exchanged data with NASA’s R5-S10 cubesat for roughly half an hour. More than 2,300 files—including optical, infrared and lidar readings—reached NASA Johnson via an Iridium test relay. Ground trials had shown the link could span over 200 meters.
The company described the flight as its fourth space outing after more than a decade of development, yielding a customer-facing product. In June, Encore Technologies announced a $1 million investment in Solstar, which the firm called validation as it entered its next phase of expansion.
Faster links between nearby spacecraft could help mission controllers react sooner and may support servicing, manufacturing and lunar operations that depend on continuous contact. Satellite operators, commercial space firms and ground teams are the most directly affected; downstream users of space-based services may see more capable and coordinated missions. The demonstration’s data could also inform AI training for autonomous proximity work, though its broader societal effects will depend on how such links are adopted and safeguarded.