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Arctic Satellite Broadband Mission

Access in the high North

The pioneering ASBM programme brings reliable satellite broadband to one of the most remote regions in the world - the Arctic.

Before the Arctic Satellite Broadband Mission (ASBM), no satellites were capable of providing continuous broadband access in the Arctic. The Earth’s curvature made it challenging to maintain continuous satellite coverage in this region. However, Space Norway has achieved a ground-breaking mission with the ASBM project, delivering broadband services via high elliptical orbit.

The ASBM 1 and ASBM 2 satellites host payloads from the Norwegian Armed Forces, the U.S. Space Force, and the commercial satellite operator Viasat.

Photo: Simen Rudi, Norwegian Defence Materiel Agency.

 

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Activity outside Andenes, and Andøya during NEMO Trials 2016. Foto Simen Rudi, Forsvarsmateriell

Fundamental for Norway’s infrastructure

For the Norwegian Armed Forces, ensuring broadband access in the Arctic under national control is crucial. As the owner of Space Norway, the Norwegian government has set a clear objective for the company:

“Space Norway is a wholly state-owned company that manages and develops safety-critical and cost-effective space-related infrastructure to meet important Norwegian societal needs.” (source)

Space Norway oversees both the implementation and operation of the ASBM programme and satellite system.

Historic collaboration with U.S. Space Force

Never before has the United States military flown a national security payload on a non-American satellite. The ASBM hosts the U.S. Space Force’s EPS-R payload, a significant achievement for Space Norway, given the USA’s status as one of Norway’s key allies.

This payload provides the U.S. military with broadband access across the entire Arctic, including enhanced communication solutions for U.S. military ships.

Commercial solution

Viasat, formerly Inmarsat, has the largest payload onboard the ASBM. The payload delivers high-speed internet across the Arctic above 65°N latitude to Viasat’s clients in both maritime and aeronautical sectors.

With ASBM coverage, Viasat is now able to extend its geostationary Viasat GX global network to offer commercial broadband services in the previously unreachable Arctic region.

A payload for radiation monitoring

A Norwegian-developed payload, created by IDEAS and onboard one of the ASBM satellites, has the mission of measuring radiation levels, specifically electron and proton fluxes, along the orbit.

This valuable data will support the European Commission in their development of the new Galileo communication satellites.

ASBM antenna in Bardufoss. Photo: Arne Jørgen Mæland, Space Norway

Excellence in high orbit

Traditionally, satellite communications have relied on geostationary satellites (GEO), orbiting the Earth over the equator and providing communication coverage to vast areas of the Earth’s surface. However, in areas north of approximately the 75th parallel, geostationary satellites are too low on the horizon for securing effective and reliable connectivity. Therefore, relying on GEO satellites to deliver stable coverage in the Arctic has posed challenges for broadband connectivity providers.

While internet access via small satellites is also possible today, challenges remain in achieving continuous coverage and sufficient data capacity in northern regions.

Unlike geostationary (GEO) satellites, the ASBM satellites orbit the Earth in a highly elliptical orbit (HEO) ensuring continuous coverage over the northern areas. Their highest orbit altitude is 43,500 km when over the northern hemisphere and their lowest orbit altitude is 8,100 km when over the southern hemisphere.

ASBM satellites specifications:

 

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ASBM satellite illustration