Keysight to provide payload testing solution for first SWISSto12 HummingSat mission

The HummingSat is a small, innovative telecommunications satellite developed in collaboration with the European Space Agency through a public-private-partnership and customers including Intelsat and Viasat.

Launching a telecommunications satellite has no room for error. Once in orbit, each of a satellite's complex systems and payloads must function flawlessly. This means that satellite manufacturers must thoroughly test each part of a satellite during production and assembly to validate the spacecraft´s payload performance before it leaves the launch pad.

Scheduled for launch in 2026, Intelsat 45 will deliver broadcast services for media companies and broadband connectivity for telecom providers through a Ku-band transceiver. The Keysight PTS provides SWISSto12 with a complete integrated set of instrumentation, signal conditioning, and measurement calibration hardware and control software to extensively and robustly test the HummingSat RF payload.

The PTS connects to the HummingSat payload with a modular switch matrix platform that includes switchable CalPod Assembly Modules that provide calibration of the uplink and downlink paths without disconnection. This feature creates a software movable calibration plane that simplifies the production flow by eliminating interruptions that usually accompany periodic calibrations. In addition, the Keysight CodeOne™ software suite interfaces with the SWISSto12 system controllers to provide automated, accurate, and repeatable measurements for all payload test cycles.

The Keysight PTS uses high-quality test instruments and features a modular construction that is flexible and easy to upgrade. The SWISSto12 PTS configuration includes the E8257D PSG Analogue Signal Generator, the M9837A PXIe Vector Network Analyser, and the N9030B PXA Signal Analyser.

Emile de Rijk, Chief Executive Officer and Founder, SWISSto12, said: "As part of our effort to optimise and industrialise our assembly and test efforts on HummingSat, we are pleased to announce the selection of recognised testing leader Keysight Technologies and their Payload Test System to validate that our small GEO payload meets all performance parameters essential for a successful mission."

Greg Patschke, General Manager of Keysight's Aerospace / Defence and Government Solutions Unit, said: "The complexity of satellites, with their nature as a 'system of systems,' makes testing and evaluation a critical aspect of ensuring mission success. Thanks to the Keysight Payload Testing System, SWISSto12 can ensure that the RF payload of the HummingSats they place into geostationary orbit will function as expected for the duration of their missions."