This launch established a Bluetooth connection from space. This is what it means

While you are still having difficulty pairing AirPods with your phone, a startup is creating Bluetooth connections from space.

On May 2, the Hubble Network announced that two of its satellites had successfully made Bluetooth connections to Earth, covering a distance of more than 370 miles. The startup first launched the satellites on March 4, as part of SpaceX’s Transporter-10 mission for private customers from California’s Vandenberg Space Force Base. Hubble confirmed the satellites received signals sent from the 3.5mm Bluetooth chip last week.

Hubble achieved the breakthrough by upgrading conventional, off-the-shelf Bluetooth devices with its software, then allowing the devices to connect to Hubble’s satellite network without using a cellular connection. . The startup aims to create “a global satellite network that any Bluetooth-enabled device can connect to.” website.

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The key to Hubble’s success appears to be its use of Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE). While Bluetooth Classic supports higher data transfer rates, ideal for persistent connections like audio streaming, it therefore requires more power, meaning it’s harder to maintain the network at scale.

BLE has lower data rates but that also means it uses less power. Plus, it has longer range transmission capabilities. However, few predicted that the range could reach 370 miles.

“We overruled thousands of skeptics,” said Alex Haro, co-founder and CEO of Hubble Network. blog posts connection notification. “By demonstrating that we can send signals directly from a Bluetooth chip and receive them in space up to 600 kilometers away, we have opened up a new field of possibilities.”

So why the connection to space?

Typically, Bluetooth is used to connect nearby devices. BLE now supports wireless connectivity between all types of consumer technology devices, including fitness trackers, smart home sensorsand gaming consoles. It is also increasingly used for location and connectivity services device network go through it together net.

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Most networks, especially when it comes to the Internet of Things (IoT), are expensive, unreliable in remote areas, and require a lot of power. According to the blog post, establishing Bluetooth connections with satellites could mean accelerating IoT connectivity on a global scale, with 20 times less battery drain and 50 times lower operating costs. time.

“Our innovative approach allows existing Bluetooth-enabled devices to be retrofitted to transmit data to the Hubble Network without any hardware modifications, ushering in a new era of connectivity” , Hubble co-founder and CTO Ben Wild explains in Hubble Notification. “With almost 5 billion As Bluetooth devices are sold every year, the impact of this new connection could be huge.”

The startup’s mission is to “build the world’s first truly global, cost-effective and battery-efficient network,” the blog post continues. Because of BLE’s lower data transmission speeds, it’s unclear how important Hubble’s global network will be or what future communications it can handle.

However, soon this technology will have real-world applications, mainly in industry. According to Hubble’s website, current use cases for the technology include logistics and container tracking, wildfire monitoring and energy grids, agricultural technology, smart buildings and human safety. elderly. Companies can mark their goods with weathered BLE chip stickers and track them en route using Hubble’s satellites; Farmers can link sensors across hundreds of remote acres without having to build expensive infrastructure.

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The blog post explains: “Hubble Network is already working with pilot customers in sectors such as consumer devices, construction, infrastructure, supply chain, logistics, oil and gas, and defense to explore these opportunities.”

Based on TechCrunch, Hubble plans to launch a third satellite this summer, followed by a fourth in February 2025, both via SpaceX, to form a “beta constellation.” The startup will put a total of 36 satellites into orbit by the end of 2025 or early 2026 to form its first “production constellation,” allowing connection to Hubble satellites for about two-three hours a day from everywhere in the world.”