Deke Space Communicator
Solstar Space
Narrowband bi-directional IoT relay for CubeSats, SmallSats, and launch vehicles — size of a deck of cards, connecting any internet-enabled Earth device to space assets.
Technical specifications
- Communication type
- Narrowband, bi-directional
- Form factor
- ~deck of cards
- Network
- Commercial satellite constellation
- Security
- End-to-end encryption + authentication
- SWaP
- Low (optimised for CubeSats)
- Integration
- Pre-launch into spacecraft
- Award
- MSUA New Space Mobile Innovation of the Year
- Upcoming flight
- Momentus Vigoride-7 / SpaceX Transporter-16 (2026)
About
The Deke Space Communicator (named after NASA Mercury astronaut Donald ‘Deke’ Slayton) is Solstar’s persistent, two-way narrowband communications device for space assets. Approximately the size of a deck of cards, it integrates pre-launch into CubeSats, SmallSats, space stations, and launch vehicles, connecting any internet-enabled device on Earth to on-orbit assets for IoT monitoring, health telemetry, remote command-and-control, and on-orbit payload management.
Deke leverages commercial satellite constellations with end-to-end encryption and authentication. It won the MSUA New Space Mobile Innovation of the Year award and in 2026 will fly aboard Momentus’ Vigoride-7 OTV on SpaceX Transporter-16 — adding to Solstar’s flight heritage that began with the 2018 New Shepard and UP Aerospace demonstrations.
Documentation
No public datasheet yet — request the datasheet / ICD from the supplier.
