Kratos Defense & Security Solutions and Spaceflight Networks will jointly provide small satellite ground support products.

The venture will provide satellite owners and operators with access to RT Logic’s small sat ground radio products, and Spaceflight Networks’ global ground stations.

RT Logic small satellite systems business area director Matt Prechtel said: "These new ground radios present a more economical and flexible solution for small satellite missions.

"We are building an infrastructure to meet the communications needs of the burgeoning small satellite sector."

"They are both modular and scalable, supporting single satellites up to large constellations.

"RT Logic’s partnership with Spaceflight will help simplify and assure ground-to-space communication requirements for small satellite operators so they can focus more completely on mission and payload issues."

The company produces communications equipment for satellite ground segment operations, and its ground radios adapt virtual machine (VM) technology to serve low-rate command and control and high-rate mission data downlink requirements.

Launched in July 2014, Spaceflight Networks standardised the ground and spacecraft radios and communications protocols to simplify integration.

Spaceflight Industries CEO Jason Andrews said: "We are building an infrastructure to meet the communications needs of the burgeoning small satellite sector.

"RT Logic’s ground radios will further our mission to improve latency and data throughput compared to what is currently available, minimise operating costs and provide flexibility for small sat operators."