Commercial Space Station Communication Link Selected

A critical communications radio for the Axiom Space commercial space station will be supplied by L3Harris Technologies. The S-band radio will mirror the functionality that exists on the International Space Station (ISS) for NASA’s Common Communications for Visiting Vehicles.

“Our tremendous record of flawless communication transmissions in the harshest environments is a testament of the dedication to our customers and their mission and makes the C/TT 520 the perfect choice for Axiom Station.”

Kristin Houston, president, Electro Optical, L3Harris.

The L3Harris C/TT 520 S-band radio will serve as the common data link between Axiom’s space station called Axiom Station as well as its docking vehicles, enabling audio, video and telemetry data at varying data rates and communications ranges. L3Harris’ radios have performed this role on the ISS for visiting vehicles during all phases of rendezvous, docking and mated operations since 2018.

“Our tremendous record of flawless communication transmissions in the harshest environments is a testament of the dedication to our customers and their mission and makes the C/TT 520 the perfect choice for Axiom Station,” said Kristin Houston, president, Electro Optical, L3Harris.

The Axiom commercial space station is currently being constructed, with its first section expected to launch in late 2024 ahead of the ISS decommissioning in 2031. Following the completion of preliminary and critical design reviews in collaboration with NASA last fall, Axiom's partners at Thales Alenia Space began welding and machining activities for the primary structures of Axiom Station's first module. The first pieces of fabricated flight hardware are now coming together. In early 2023, the assembled module will be shipped to Houston where final assembly and integration will be completed in preparation for a late 2024 launch of the first section of the next-generation platform for breakthrough innovation in low-Earth orbit.

Numerous NASA programs have relied on L3Harris’ expertise and technology – from early spacecraft through the Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, Space Shuttle, ISS and previous Mars missions. L3Harris has supported deep space exploration with work on the Hubble Space Telescope, and now the James Webb and Nancy Grace Roman space telescopes. In addition, the company supports space-based weather forecasting on U.S. and international satellites and has navigation technology on every U.S. GPS satellite.

(Image provided with L3 Harris Technologies news release)