HAWTHORNE, Calif. — ThinKom Solutions Inc. and Systems Delta 88, an operational unit of the U.S. Space Force’s Space Systems Command (SSC), have completed a live demonstration of the Ground Entry Combined K/Ka-band Operation (GECKO) system at ThinKom’s integration facilities.
Announced on Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2026, the exercise validated coherent digital beamforming, simultaneous multi-orbit satellite tracking, and rapid tactical deployment from a containerized mobile shelter.
Tactical Concealment and Distributed Gateway Resilience
Engineered to replace vulnerable, large-aperture parabolic dishes, the GECKO system integrates satellite communications (SATCOM) ground infrastructure into a standard 20-foot ISO shipping container. The transportable platform provides a discreet ground entry point capable of operating in contested forward locations where permanent infrastructure is unavailable.
The architecture also mitigates localized atmospheric attenuation through geographic site diversity. Mission operators can split uplink and downlink requirements across multiple distributed systems, bypassing weather-related signal degradation while providing tactical forces with phase-continuous, resilient data links across orbital constellations.
Phased-Array Architecture and Coherent Beamforming Specifications
GECKO integrates ThinKom’s low-profile Variable Inclination Continuous Transverse Stub (VICTS) phased-array modules with an advanced digital Beam Forming Device (BFD). The demonstrated configuration features three K-band receive arrays operating between 17.7 and 21.2 GHz and one Ka-band transmit array operating from 27.5 to 31.0 GHz.
During the demonstration, the system coherently combined three receive antennas, increasing the signal-to-noise ratio to 2.5 times the level of a single array. The BFD then utilized the antennas as three independent beams to simultaneously track one medium Earth orbit (MEO) satellite and maintain locks on two discrete geostationary Earth orbit (GEO) platforms.
Global Backup Gateway Milestone and SBIR Framework
“Working with SSC on the GECKO project is another opportunity to put secure, reliable communications where they’re needed most,” said Bill Milroy, Chief Technology Officer and Co-Founder at ThinKom. “Our goal is to give warfighters communications capabilities that can be deployed quickly, remain concealed, and keep them connected in dangerous and contested environments.”
Developed under a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program in partnership with the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) and SpaceWERX under SYD 88/S9, the demonstration marks a key operational milestone for the Space Force’s Global Backup Gateway (GoBaG) initiative.
