Cobham Satcom

Cobham Satcom is a Copenhagen, Denmark-headquartered satellite communications antenna and terminal manufacturer founded in 1972, specializing in mission-critical satellite communication solutions for maritime, airborne, land mobile, and new space ground system applications — operating as one of the world's leading manufacturers of mechanically stabilized satellite tracking antennas for mobile platforms.

Cobham Satcom's flagship product line for maritime applications is the SAILOR series of vessel-mounted VSAT (Very Small Aperture Terminal) antenna systems — motorized stabilized antenna platforms that maintain pointing lock on a geostationary satellite despite ship roll, pitch, and yaw up to the sea state limits of the mechanical stabilization system. The SAILOR 900 and SAILOR 4300 series use electrically driven stabilization mechanisms (gyroscopes, servo motors, accelerometers) to actively compensate for ship motion and maintain the narrow beam required for Ku-band and Ka-band satellite communication, delivering broadband internet to crew and vessel management systems. Multi-orbit systems supporting both GEO and LEO satellite constellations (including Starlink Maritime) represent the next generation of Cobham Satcom's maritime product roadmap.

For the new space ground segment market, Cobham Satcom develops compact tracking antenna systems for LEO satellite TT&C (telemetry, tracking, and command) operations — antennas that automatically track LEO satellites across their approximately 10-minute overhead passes, maintaining communication for command uplink, telemetry downlink, and data reception. As LEO satellite deployments grew from dozens to thousands of satellites per year, the demand for reliable, cost-effective LEO tracking stations proliferated, and Cobham Satcom's TT&C antenna systems have served commercial and government satellite operators requiring ground infrastructure.

Cobham Satcom also manufactures satphone handsets and ground equipment for Iridium satellite service, compact man-pack BGAN (Broadband Global Area Network) terminals for humanitarian operations and remote site connectivity, and airborne satellite communication antennas for aircraft.

The Cobham Satcom brand has navigated multiple ownership changes: originally part of the UK's Cobham plc conglomerate, it was sold to Polaris Capital in 2019 and later acquired by Orbit Communication parent structures as the maritime satellite antenna market consolidated.