Mitsubishi Electric wholly acquires GSaaS provider Infostellar

Mitsubishi Electric Corporation and Infostellar, a Tokyo-based provider of cloud-based ground station services for satellite operators, have jointly announced that Mitsubishi Electric has acquired all shares of Infostellar, making Infostellar a wholly owned subsidiary. Through their collaboration, the two companies aim to expand ground station services for satellite operators, according to a media release.  

Mitsubishi Electric has expertise in satellites and ground facilities, having participated in related projects in Japan and overseas. For ground facilities, the company has cultivated advanced antenna and satellite control technologies through its development and manufacture of ground stations for communication, satellite tracking and control, and optical and radio telescopes for astronomical observation. 

Infostellar provides ground segment as a service (GSaaS) offerings for orbiting satellites through its proprietary ground station platform, StellarStation. By virtually networking ground stations around the world via the cloud, StellarStation provides satellite operators with diverse satellite contact opportunities through a centralized service.

Mitsubishi Electric and Infostellar aim to accelerate the global expansion of ground station networks and establish a high-quality, reliable space communications infrastructure. The two companies will develop timely space communications infrastructure tailored to the diverse needs of operators of small-satellite constellations, as well as reduce their initial investment and operational burdens, the media release said.

“As the use of outer space diversifies and global demand for satellite-based services increases, Infostellar’s innovative business model for cloud-based ground station services will enable the Mitsubishi Electric Group to strengthen its defense and space systems business,” Masahiko Arai, Mitsubishi Electric’s Executive Officer, Group President, Defense & Space Systems, said.

“We are delighted to take this new step forward by joining the Mitsubishi Electric Group, which has a long history and solid technological capabilities in the space industry,” Naomi Kurahara, Infostellar’s Representative Director and CEO, said. “Integrating our technological capabilities will enable us to accelerate the development of large-scale ground station networks and establish them as an integral part of space infrastructure, contributing to the further development of the space industry.”