AAC Clyde Space, together with its AOS consortium partners Saab TransponderTech and ORBCOMM, announces that the mission objectives for the YMIR-1 satellite have been successfully achieved. The mission has now proven that ships can both send and receive data via satellite anywhere on the globe, marking a major step towards safer and more efficient maritime operations. AAC Clyde Space continues to operate YMIR-1 in space, delivering AIS data while the satellite also demonstrates space-based VDES technology for use in future international programmes.
Between August 2024 and February 2025, YMIR-1 successfully demonstrated bi-directional VDES communication in orbit, using both uplink and downlink channels. A highlight came in February 2025, when the satellite broadcast an S-124 Navigational Warning from orbit to vessels including the Stena Germanica, as well as to Saab's ground facility in Linköping, Sweden. Further tests have since confirmed that the system can deliver such safety messages with robust performance in real time.
"YMIR-1 is a landmark achievement for the future of maritime operations worldwide. It proves that space-based VDES is real, it works, and it can scale. We're proud to have designed and built this satellite in Sweden, demonstrating the power of innovation when public ambition meets engineering excellence," says Luis Gomes, CEO of AAC Clyde Space.
"The transition to VDES represents more than just compliance; it's an opportunity to shape a more connected, safer, and smarter maritime domain - powered by TransponderTech's world-class VDES payload, delivering unmatched performance for both VDES and AIS," says Johanna Gustafsson, CEO of Saab TransponderTech.
"The success of YMIR-1 is more than a technological milestone - it's a real-world game changer. By enabling secure, global VDES connectivity, we're unlocking faster emergency response, more efficient vessel routing, and smarter logistics across oceans. ORBCOMM is proud to support this mission and help shape a future where every ship, no matter how remote, stays connected and informed in real time," says Greg Flessate, SVP & GM, AIS & Maritime Data Services, ORBCOMM.
With the mission objectives validated, YMIR-1 positions space-based VDES as a pioneering capability, ready to support future international programmes. In 2028, VDES will be included in the International Maritime Organization's SOLAS Convention, marking an important step in its recognition as a core element of future global shipping.
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