COMMStellation is a network of 78 microsatellites with an additional six microsatellites to be used as spares. The constellation will be situated in a low Earth orbit and the satellites will travel on 6 orbital planes separated by 30 degrees of longitude. Each plane will contain 14 satellites which include one spare. The constellation is designed to provide backhaul capacity across the globe and help connect the non-Web-wired regions of the earth by 2015.[1][2][3] The COMMStellation network will link ISPs and telecommunications companies to the global fibre infrastructure.[4]
COMMStellation will be situated at 1,000 km from the surface of the Earth and will be connected to the Internet trunk via 20 ground stations located across the globe. Each of the microsatellites will have a data-transfer capacity of 12 gigabits per second.[5][6][7][8]
COMMStellation is scheduled to launch into its 1,000 km orbit via 6 rockets in 2015[9]
The Microsatellites for COMMStellation will be manufactured by Microsat Systems Canada, Inc., a small spacecraft systems manufacturer.[10]
COMMStellation will provide 100% global coverage reaching areas of the world where equatorial orbiting constellations are ineffective, providing access to bandwidth to the entire population of the Earth.[11] COMMStellation is able to provide 100% global coverage by deploying the appropriate number of satellites into space.[12] Two major factors enable the business case to deploy so many microsatellites. Due to the low Earth orbit, the microsatellites can use commercial-grade parts that are not affected by temperature and radiation which impact satellites that orbit the earth above 5,000 km. At 14 microsatellites per rocket, the entire constellation can be launched into space by using only six launchers.[13][14]
COMMStellation was founded and is currently owned and operated by David R. Cooper, President and Chief Executive Officer.[15]