# This Washing-Machine-Sized Satellite Breaks Government's GEO Optical Monopoly

- slug: this-washing-machine-sized-satellite-breaks-governments-geo-optical-monopoly
- date: 2026-03-23
- category: Space & Aerospace

Swissto12's HummingSat platform is about to do something that has only been done by governments before: optical data relay from a commercial smallsat in geostationary orbit.

The Switzerland-based company announced March 23 that it has signed a contract with Space Compass — the Japanese joint ven...

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