US performs first-ever space-to-Earth Bluetooth connection

Imagine you’re listening to your favorite song, and you want to share it with the experts at the International Space Station. 

You turn on Bluetooth and select an astronaut’s speaker. After a few seconds, you establish a connection, letting the space experts jam to your tunes. 

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Thanks to Hubble Network, that might be possible soon. The Washington-based tech firm established the first-ever Bluetooth connection from space to our planet.

How did they establish the Bluetooth connection?

The official Hubble Network website shared more information about its Bluetooth breakthrough. 

On March 4, 2024, the SpaceX Transporter-10 ride-sharing mission launched Hubble’s two satellites. 

The satellites established a Bluetooth connection to Earth from over 370 miles or 600 km away. Believe it or not, Hubble Network only achieved this feat with a software upgrade.

The update enabled off-the-shelf Bluetooth chips to communicate over long distances using low power. Also, the Hubble satellite’s phased array antenna received low-power signals from the Earth. 

TechCrunch said the company overcame Doppler-related issues and frequency mismatches. These are common in data exchanges between objects traveling at high speed.

Hubble Network claims its breakthrough provides Bluetooth global coverage with “20 times less battery drain and 50 times lower operating costs.”

Despite achieving the Bluetooth connection from space, Hubble Network wants to use its innovation on Earth:

“Traditional networks often fall short. They struggle with coverage in remote areas, they drain too much power, and they cost too much to operate effectively on a global scale.” 

“Hubble’s breakthrough addresses these issues head-on. By enabling any off-the-shelf Bluetooth device with a mere software update to connect to their satellite network without cellular reception, they’re paving the way for a revolution in the Internet of Things (IoT).”

The Internet of Things involves linking devices worldwide to each other, boosting their effectiveness significantly. 

The company says cheaper and better Bluetooth might allow farmers to use the latest agricultural technologies without spending too much money.

Hubble Network co-founder Ben Wild stated, “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.”