Cambium Networks Wi-Fi Delivers Connectivity Aboard the International Space Station

Cambium access points provide in-cabin wireless connectivity for crew operations, science payloads, and personal communications aboard the ISS — after completing NASA’s rigorous space-qualification testing

Cambium Networks, a leading global provider of networking solutions, announced that its enterprise Wi-Fi access points are providing in-cabin wireless connectivity aboard the International Space Station (ISS), supporting crew operations, science payloads, and the everyday connectivity that helps keep astronauts in contact with their families on Earth.

The access points were carried to the ISS aboard a SpaceX Commercial Resupply Services mission for NASA (CRS-30) and installed in the station’s Node 1 (Unity) and Node 2 (Harmony) modules. The Cambium solution provides the wireless backbone for nearly every connected activity inside the station, replacing earlier-generation 802.11n access points with improved performance and capacity and managed using cnMaestro X, Cambium’s centralized network management system.

The network supports up to 12 crew members and dozens of operational, Internet of Things (IoT), and personal devices. Astronauts utilize the technology throughout the day, including the tablets they use as they float through the modules, as well as phones, laptops, robots and other devices.

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Qualified for the Harsh Environment of Space

Before deployment, the access points completed a rigorous qualification and assessment process that began more than two years earlier. Testing included radiation and heavy-ion exposure to confirm the units could meet NASA’s requirements for safe, reliable operation in the space environment.

“There is no more demanding setting for a network than space, and we are proud that Cambium Networks Wi-Fi has delivered connectivity to the ISS crew,” said Morgan Kurk, CEO of Cambium Networks. “The same enterprise-grade technology trusted in schools, hospitals, and businesses around the world has now proven itself more than 250 miles above Earth — a powerful validation of the reliability and quality our customers expect from Cambium.”