Vijay Singh
Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], September 1: CubeSanchar has successfully completed the flight phase of VyomLink-1, its High-Altitude Balloon technology demonstration mission, marking an important milestone in the development of affordable data-relay communication systems for emerging aerospace and remote-connectivity applications.
Designed and developed as a compact near-space communication payload, VyomLink-1 successfully demonstrated its core store-and-forward data-relay capability up to approximately 10 km altitude and a slant range of approximately 16 km.
During the successfully demonstrated relay phase, the system received 20 out of 20 expected relay packets, achieving 100% packet reception with zero recorded packet loss.
The mission was executed by the CubeSanchar team comprising Mahir Chahwala, Krishnendra Singh, Pawan Kumar and Sai Prasad Dhodhi, who contributed across payload development, electronics, software, testing, integration, communication systems and mission operations.
Communication Sustained Beyond 32.8 km
While acknowledgements for newly transmitted store commands were no longer received beyond approximately 10 km altitude, the payload itself continued functioning and transmitting health beacons throughout the ascent.
VyomLink-1 maintained communication from an altitude exceeding 32.8 km, with signals successfully received over a slant range of approximately 68 km.
This demonstrated the ability of CubeSanchar’s compact communication architecture to continue transmitting from near-space altitudes, even after the primary store-and-forward experiment encountered an anomaly.
The cause of the post-10 km store-and-forward interruption remains under investigation and will be analysed after payload recovery using the recovered hardware and onboard data.
Tested Beyond Its Qualified Environment
The flight also provided an important environmental validation.
Prior to launch, VyomLink-1 had been qualified under temperatures ranging from approximately -15°C to -24°C. During the actual flight, the payload continued operating while passing through atmospheric conditions estimated to be between approximately -60°C and -80°C.
The result provides valuable real-world evidence of the robustness of the payload architecture under significantly harsher conditions than those reproduced during ground testing.
Three Key Outcomes from VyomLink-1
The mission has established three significant technology-demonstration outcomes:
- Successful store-and-forward data relay up to approximately 10 km altitude and 16 km slant range
- Continued payload communication beyond 32.8 km altitude and approximately 68 km slant range
- Successful payload operation in environmental conditions substantially more demanding than its pre-flight qualification envelope
“The payload went higher, farther and into harsher conditions than it had ever experienced before — and continued talking back to Earth.”
CubeSanchar is now awaiting recovery of VyomLink-1. The recovered payload and onboard records will be analysed to determine whether the store-and-forward anomaly was associated with the receiving link, payload electronics, software, onboard storage or another flight-related factor.
The findings will directly contribute to the development of the next generation of CubeSanchar’s communication architecture.
Building Affordable Data-Relay Infrastructure
VyomLink-1 represents CubeSanchar’s transition from laboratory and ground-based testing toward the real-world validation of its vision for low-cost data-relay communication infrastructure.
The company aims to develop compact communication systems and associated ground infrastructure that can support future applications across aerospace, high-altitude platforms, drones, remote systems and other data-intensive operations where conventional connectivity may be limited or unavailable.
CubeSanchar extends its sincere appreciation to STAR Labs Surat for its support in the development of the VyomLink-1 payload, access to development and testing facilities, and continued assistance throughout the mission-preparation campaign.
About CubeSanchar: CubeSanchar is developing affordable data-relay communication technologies designed to enable reliable connectivity between airborne, space-based and ground systems. Through compact communication payloads, ground infrastructure and software-driven mission systems, CubeSanchar is working toward making advanced data-relay capabilities more accessible for emerging aerospace and technology applications.
