SWISSto12

SWISSto12 makes satellite communications hardware. Its products use 3D printing at their core. The company says its solutions cover any payload, any platform and any orbit. It describes itself as a manufacturer of complex payload and active antenna systems.

The HummingLink line includes advanced payloads and RF products for low Earth, medium Earth and geostationary orbits. The site says these are high performance and high availability solutions. Active phased array antennas support on-the-move satellite communications. Ground terminals and RF products for harsh environments are also listed.

HummingSat is a small geostationary satellite. The site calls it the first commercial geostationary small satellite. It is built on a compact and cost effective platform. The site says it suits commercial operators and governments that want a sovereign satellite communications capability.

The company says it moves from design to delivery quickly. Its payloads are customised on a modular architecture. The site says that combining 3D printing with electronics and software gives more design freedom and higher performance.

The site says the company has more than 1,000 products in space. A separate product page says it has more than 2,000 3D printed RF products in orbit. The RF products cover L to Q-V bands. Antennas and feeds are monolithic units with lightweight designs, and the site lists C to V band heritage.

SWISSto12 was founded in 2011 by a physicist who worked with 3D printing at a Swiss university. The site says it first won contracts with ESA in 2015. It says its first RF products flew in space in 2019. Intelsat has ordered one HummingSat and Inmarsat has ordered three, according to the timeline.

The company says its team is based in Switzerland, California, Washington DC, Denmark and Spain. The site lists partner comments from Viasat and Inmarsat. It also names Thales, Lockheed Martin and Space Compass as partners. The first HummingSat launch is planned for 2027 on Ariane 6.

Services

• HummingLink payloads
• Active phased array antennas
• HummingSat small geostationary satellite
• RF products for harsh environments
• Ground terminals for on-the-move satcom
• Material measurement (MCK)
• Antennas and feeds
• Filters and waveguides
• Subsystems for aircraft and ships
• Custom payload design