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Elve Achieves Spaceflight Qualification for Millimeter-Wave Amplifiers
21 Aug
Summary
- Elve qualified a family of 100-watt millimeter-wave amplifiers for spaceflight.
- The technology will be proven on an operational spacecraft within a year.
- Amplifiers aim to reduce costs and enable high-data-rate satellite connectivity.
California-based Elve has achieved a significant milestone by qualifying its 100-watt millimeter-wave Traveling Wave Tube Amplifier (TWTWA) platform for spaceflight conditions. This qualification, supported by U.S. Space Force Small Business Innovation Research funding, encompasses an entire family of 100-watt products.
Elve plans to showcase its technology on an operational spacecraft within the next year, moving beyond demonstrator missions. CEO Diana Gamzina emphasized the critical role of these high-power amplifiers in enabling high-data-rate connectivity for satellite constellations and improving data transmission from imaging satellites.
Founded in 2020 with the goal of redesigning millimeter-wave amplifiers and reducing their cost, Elve raised $15 million in 2024. The company's amplifiers are now positioned to be cost-effective, offering advantages over alternative solid-state power amplifiers and making mmWave power more accessible for modern space architectures.
