GomSpace to provide RF subsystem for Apolink LEO relay demonstrator

TAMPA, Fla. — Palo Alto startup Apolink has picked GomSpace to build the radio frequency subsystem for its first relay cubesat, aiming to show how signals can be received from other low Earth orbit (LEO) spacecraft and forwarded to the ground.

The 3U satellite for IPoS-TDsM, or Interoperability Protocol over Satellite – Technology Demonstration Mission, is slated to launch in the second quarter of 2026 aboard SpaceX’s Transporter-17 rideshare flight.

Larger, follow-on spacecraft for a planned 32-satellite constellation would expand on the demonstration by supporting more persistent connectivity for satellites in LEO, according to Onkar Batra, who founded Apolink last year. 

The proposed constellation would also incorporate optical links to improve performance, Batra said, adding that the startup plans to share more details later.

Apolink ultimately aims to provide a space-based relay layer before the end of the decade that would be backward-compatible with spacecraft already in LEO, reducing their reliance on ground infrastructure. The constellation would move data through space until it can be delivered to a ground station, cutting latency by eliminating the need for satellites to wait until passing over an approved site to transmit data.

“Real-time relay capabilities that work with existing spacecraft are a game-changer for operators,” said Slava Frayter, CEO of Denmark-headquartered Gomspace’s North America subsidiary.

IPoS-TDsM aims to validate a receive-only S-band relay capability with an undisclosed partner, allowing existing satellites to transmit telemetry packets to Apolink’s spacecraft in real time using their current radios and frequencies. 

Large satellite constellations such as SpaceX’s Starlink increasingly rely on their own inter-satellite links to avoid ground infrastructure.

Satellite maker Muon Space recently announced a partnership to offer its customers a way to tap into that network, rather than build relay infrastructure from scratch.

Multiple companies are developing commercial data-relay networks in an emerging market that has already seen some failures amid high technical and financial hurdles.

Apolink recently announced a $4.3 million seed round as it works toward its LEO demonstration.