Containerized satellite ground station wins Space Systems Command competition
NewsMay 06, 2026
HAWTHORNE, California. ThinKom Solutions won the Space Systems Command’s “Fight Tonight” competition for its Containerized Digital Array transportable satellite communications ground station, the company announced in a statement.
The “Fight Tonight” competition funds military and civilian projects intended to improve U.S. Space Force capabilities and address communications and operational challenges in contested environments, the statement reads. This year’s competition involved Space Systems Command and SpaceWERX using Tactical Funding Increase funding to support technology transition into U.S. Space Force or Department of the Air Force programs, the company says.
ThinKom says its Containerized Digital Array is designed to replace dish-based ground entry points with a mobile ground node for decentralized communications. The system integrates phased-array antenna modules inside a rugged shipping container, which the company says is intended to simplify transport and reduce site-preparation requirements.
The software-defined system is designed to support multi-beam, multi-orbit, multi-band, and multi-network operations across low Earth orbit, medium Earth orbit, geostationary orbit, and highly elliptical orbit satellite networks, according to the statement.
The system is currently available in C, Ku, K, Ka, and Q bands, with L/S, X, extended Ka, and V bands under development, ThinKom says.
