faq

Solstar is revolutionizing the way we communicate in space by bringing commercial WiFi to payloads and people in space for the first time. In essence, we are helping space-based assets like satellites and commercial manned spacecraft better communicate with people and sites on Earth through satellites. The commercial space industry lacks a simple space-to-ground communications solution, and everything has traditionally been government based. So NASA is turning to the commercial industry to provide solutions. Solstar's solution is a high-speed, reliable, and easy to use space communications platform leveraging existing billion-dollar commercial satellite communications networks. We have proven our technology on three spaceflights in partnership with NASA, sending the first commercial Tweet from space; a huge milestone in commercial space history (our Schmitt Space Communicator is now at the Smithsonian's Air & Space Museum!).  All we have to do now is scale to meet the needs of our customers in this rapidly developing industry.

Solstar was created to meet this new need in space communications. More commercial payloads are flying in space today than ever before.  They lack effective communications in flight and in space to the ground.  We are providing that.  We are bringing commercial access for the Internet Of Things to spaceflight. Solstar is the culmination of a 30-year professional career.  CEO M. Brian Barnett started and built companies in the commercial satellite communications market for 21 years. He started his first satellite communications company in 1999 (Satwest). The company was one of the first to specialize in providing internet communications for commercial and government aircraft, including NATO and Fortune 500 companies.  This led to developing the technology to provide communications to people and things in space. Solstar Space Company was founded in 2017 to meet a new market developing for this service. And we've already had major success.  People who are flying experiments in space are excited about using our service.  There is particular interest in our WiFi and Bluetooth from the younger generation of payloaders who represent the part of our customer base that will drive our revenues.  We are also in a good position to ride the growth of space tourism.  Commercial rocket companies have announced publicly they plan to fly the first people into space very soon, as soon as this year.  Solstar is very well positioned to service that market.

As more and more people and things are flown into outer space, astronauts need to be able to communicate to Earth in a modern and convenient manner using smartphones and computers. Likewise, as more people on Earth fly more things like experiments, small satellites, and machines into space, they need a way to monitor their space-based assets real-time from their handheld devices. Space makes the spaceflight communications experience as seamless and secure as possible.

The commercial space industry is growing, and while other companies are focusing on building spacecraft, we identified a gap in the market for secure space communications. We want to satisfy our customer's needs by providing them with reliable connections to people and their valuable assets in space from take off to landing.

With NASA getting out of the satellite communications business as their TDRSS satellites are retired. NASA has announced they will not build any more government satellites and are looking to the private sector to provide communications going forward. This is very similar to how they contracted with commercial rocket companies to replace the Space Shuttle. NASA is now turning to acquire commercial satellite communications services from companies like Solstar. We already have customers and successful test flights in hand.  There is an immediate and growing need for our services. More commercial payloads are flying in space today than ever before and even more are scheduled to fly.  Nearly all of them need our service. Government payloads use government communications assets.  Commercial assets need their own networks to meet IOT demand, cyber security, IP concerns, data rates, and more.  Solstar is a lot more accessible for commercial customers on the ground and we’re at an economical price for the first time ever. We're first to market.  We also believe individuals going to space will want to communicate back to people on Earth in real time. We know there are more and more commercial uses of the international space station and they want to be able to communicate back to earth as well as other commercial assets that are going to be in space. Suborbital flights need communications in flight too.  Developing those markets and letting them know there is an alternative to existing communication means, which are fairly restrictive and limited, is going to be an important part of this whole sales and marketing activity.

NASA's TDRS communications satellites are aging and are being retired. Therefore, NASA is in the process of transitioning to use commercial satellite services. Solstar is in the prime position to provide these services to NASA and University, International, and commercial customers. Solstar Space Company is meeting a market need. It’s true rocket science at the cutting edge of the new frontier.  

We’re at the very beginning of a rapid growth in the commercial space industry. The commercial space industry today generates over $300 billion in annual revenues, and it is continuing to grow with this new segment of the industry. Our technology can be used here and in the larger industry itself.  We are still exploring the implications. Companies like Solstar will succeed even during a pandemic because space development and exploration are good for all humankind. The pandemic is showing that science-based solutions are imperative to solving societal problems that cross borders, and are key to assuring our planet is sustainable. During pandemics, we need leaders to pull us through challenging times and bring us to better things on the other side. Solstar is one of those leading companies.

We have an experienced team. There are many areas of what we are doing that requires a specific batch of experience.  Our management team covers all those bases. We set really important and challenging milestones, and we achieve those.  We know what needs to be done and can do it. Then we have young people that are coming on board. We're getting interest from young people who want to be a part of building the business. Now we just need the resources.