Turning shipping routes into satellite ground infrastructure.

TideLink is developing a receive-first shipboard node that catches satellite passes at sea and delivers verified data ashore.

See the system
TideLink
For mission data customers Ocean-area passes, received at sea, verified on board, and delivered ashore as useful data.The system TideLink
For fleet hosts One compact node on a vessel already sailing the route. Host compensation is part of the proposed model.Host a node
StageIn development
ModeReceive-first
RoutesRoute-specific, under evaluation
HostVessel operations come first
Status
01TideLink is developing a receive-first shipboard node for satellite data at sea 02Route-specific receive opportunities under evaluation 03Verified on board, then delivered ashore through the backhaul the vessel already has 04Looking for fleet hosts, mission customers, and RF and maritime integrators
The system Get in touch

Routes and passes

Ships cross the ocean. Satellites pass over it. TideLink is designed for where they meet.

An illustrative model of major shipping lanes and a few satellite orbits. A cyan beam marks a moment when a satellite is within range of a ship on route. Which routes are useful is still under evaluation.

  • Illustrative lane
  • Vessel on route
  • Satellite
  • Contact window

Why a ship

  1. 01_ The pass

    A satellite passes over an ocean route.

    The value of its data depends on when and how a customer receives it.

  2. 02_ The asset

    A ship is already there.

    A commercial vessel is already crossing that water for its own business. On the right route, it could become a receive location.

  3. 03_ The tension

    A contact alone is not enough.

    Mission rights, installation, vessel motion, backhaul, integrity, customer acceptance, and cost all have to work together.

  4. 04_ The role

    TideLink makes the contact useful.

    A proposed shipboard node and shore operations layer would plan the pass, receive authorized data, verify and queue it, and deliver agreed output with an evidence trail.

Ground infrastructure that travels the routes ships already sail.

Fixed ground stations are anchored to land, and many satellite passes happen over open water. TideLink is developing a shipboard node that receives authorized satellite data at sea, verifies and processes it on board, and sends selected outputs ashore through the backhaul the vessel already has.

How it works

The system

Four parts with one job: get useful satellite data from the middle of the ocean to the people who need it.

Simulated renderNot a deployed vessel

Shipboard node

A proposed stabilized receive terminal and rugged edge computer, fitted to a host vessel. The operator keeps authority over installation and safety.

_01
_02

Route-aware scheduling

Contact windows planned against the vessel’s real route and position, so the node listens when a pass is actually overhead.

Illustrative routeGround tracks simplified
Simulated dataChecksum per block

Edge verification

Captured data is checked, processed, and packaged on board before anything uses the link ashore.

_04

Resilient delivery

Selected outputs go ashore through whatever backhaul the vessel has, designed to queue and resume when the link drops.

Simulated linkValues illustrative

Proposed operating sequence

From satellite pass to delivered file.

Design principles
  1. 01_

    Receive :

    Satellite passes, caught at sea.

    During a planned contact window the node tracks an authorized satellite and records its downlink. The node is designed receive-first: it listens, it does not uplink.

  2. 02_

    Verify :

    Checked on board before it moves.

    Every block is checksummed, then processed and packaged on the vessel, so only customer-useful output competes for the link.

  3. 03_

    Deliver :

    Useful data, delivered ashore.

    Outputs travel through available backhaul to the customer, with an evidence record for each pass: scheduled, acquired, verified, delivered.

Design principles

Built around the vessel, the mission, and the evidence.

TideLink is being designed to add a receive capability to a working ship without getting in the way of the ship’s own job.

Mode
Receive-first
RX
Host
Operator keeps control
Data
Verified on board
Delivery
Existing vessel backhaul
Record
Evidence for every pass
Uplink
Possible future path
Not current
01_

Listen first

The proposed node receives authorized satellite data during planned contact windows. Any future transmit capability would need its own technical, safety, spectrum, and legal gates.

02_

Host in control

The vessel operator keeps authority over installation, safety, and crew time. The node is meant to stay out of the way.

03_

Verified before it moves

Data is checked and packaged on board, so only customer-useful output competes for the ship’s link.

04_

Evidence every pass

Each pass is designed to leave a record: scheduled, acquired, verified, delivered, accepted.

Why the ocean

Satellites cross the ocean on every orbit. Most ground stations sit on land. Commercial vessels already cross those waters on published schedules. TideLink is building the equipment and operations to turn those crossings into receive opportunities.

Talk to us

Fleet host, mission customer, or integrator? Let’s talk.

TideLink is looking for a small group of early partners. If you run vessels, buy ocean-area satellite data, or build maritime RF systems, we want to hear from you.

Get in touch contact@tidelink.space
  • Fleet host
  • Mission customer
  • RF / maritime integrator
  • Regulatory counsel