Hubble Network became the world's first company to establish a Bluetooth connection directly with a satellite. The startup launched its first two satellites into orbit as part of the SpaceX Transporter-10 mission in March. The company confirmed that it received signals from built-in 3.5-millimeter Bluetooth chips from a distance of more than 600 kilometers.
Hubble Network claims that its technology can be used in various markets, including logistics, livestock tracking, smart collars for pets, GPS watches for children, car devices, construction sites, and soil temperature monitoring. The company initially plans to collaborate with industries that require network coverage at least once a day, such as for remote asset monitoring for the oil and gas industry. As the number of satellites increases, the company will focus on sectors that may require more frequent updates and even continuous coverage, such as soil monitoring or fall detection for elderly people.
After the service is launched, customers will simply need to integrate additional code into the chipset of their device to activate the connection to the Hubble network.
The company has also patented a phased array antenna that can be deployed by small satellites. The antennas work almost like a magnifying glass, enabling the Bluetooth chip to exchange data with the Hubble satellite.
Hubble Network plans to launch a third satellite as part of the SpaceX Transporter-11 mission this summer, and a fourth one as part of Transporter-13. These four satellites will constitute a "beta-constellation." While pilot project clients can already start integration, the startup plans to launch the next 32 satellites simultaneously in the fourth quarter of 2025 or early 2026. These 36 satellites will form the first operational constellation, providing connectivity with the Hubble Network satellite for approximately 2-3 hours per day from any point on Earth.
Source: techcrunch
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