Kongsberg Satellite Services (KSAT), a global provider of integrated mission services, and Axelspace Corporation (Axelspace), a leading developer and operator of microsatellites, announced an expanded strategic partnership aimed at accelerating the growth of Axelspace’s AxelGlobe Earth observation business. The partnership will enhance satellite observation frequency, strengthen operational capabilities and deliver faster, more continuous monitoring of changes on the Earth’s surface, providing greater value to customers and stakeholders worldwide.

As Axelspace prepares for the GRUS-3 mission, a Low Earth Orbit (LEO) mission to build the company’s next-generation Earth observation microsatellite constellation, scheduled to launch no earlier than July 2026, the company is also enhancing its ground network to be more robust and scalable. Through an evolving partnership with KSAT, Axelspace continues to leverage KSATlite, KSAT’s fully automated Ground Segment-as-a-Service designed for small satellites and mega-constellations, to enhance communications performance, improve operational responsiveness, and support the growing demands of its satellite constellation missions. 

KSATlite is a rapidly growing ground network, backed by the company’s expanded network of more than 400 antennas across 40+ geographically distributed sites. The signing ceremony was held at the Meiji Kinenkan in Japan. Mr. Fredrik STEEN, Minister-Counsellor , Norwegian Embassy in Tokyo and Mr. Wataru TAKAHAMA (Director, Space Industry Division, Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry (METI), attended the ceremony as witnesses.

“The partnership between Axelspace and KSAT goes back to the early days of small satellite industry developments, and Axelspace has been one of the pioneers in this domain and an early adopter of the KSATlite service. The journey has been truly exciting, and we have built trusted engineering capabilities together for a long time,” said Kenneth Olafsson, Head of KSAT Asia & Representative Director of KSAT Japan. “Axelspace is advancing innovative approaches to Earth observation and satellite deployment, and we are pleased to support their mission with KSAT’s globally distributed network and operational expertise.”

“Partnering with KSAT has been the foundation of our successful deployment of the GRUS constellation and its continuous satellite operations,” said Yuya Nakamura, President and CEO of Axelspace. “This enhanced partnership represents an important step in strengthening Axelspace’s operational infrastructure as we continue expanding our satellite capabilities.”

Currently, both companies are taking the next steps to further enhance ground and data solutions, providing time-critical data and improved latency, reflecting their shared commitment to enabling scalable, sustainable and accessible space infrastructure. By combining Axelspace’s satellite innovation with KSAT’s industry-leading ground segment services, the partnership is expected to support future growth in Earth observation, environmental monitoring, disaster response, maritime applications and other data-driven services.

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Click here to learn more about Axelspace Corporation's AxelGlobe Earth Observation