Data transfer speed through Skif-D has reached 6.5 megabits per second
The press service of Roscosmos announced the completion of flight tests of the experimental communications spacecraft Skif-D for the federal project Sphere. This project involves the creation of orbital constellations of communications and Earth remote sensing devices. It is expected that Sphere will provide satellite Internet access services, and not only in Russia.
On the demonstrator satellite created by the Information Satellite Systems company named after Academician M.F. Reshetnev, Russian equipment received flight qualification, and spacecraft control and Internet access technologies were tested. The maximum data transfer speed through Skif-D that was achieved during communication sessions was 6.5 megabits per second.
The Skif-D satellite was launched into orbit on October 22, 2022; we wrote that in November last year the check of service systems was completed and interaction with ground control systems was adjusted and tests started. The satellite solved the problem of protecting the orbital frequency resource of the Skif satellite communication system. According to the rules of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), radio frequency applications must be confirmed again in October 2024 – signals from Skif-D will be received and transmitted to the ITU.