// ORBITAL LOGISTICS AND PROPULSION TERM
Handover
Handover is the process of transferring control or communication of a spacecraft from one ground station to another as the satellite moves across the Earth.
TECHNICAL DEFINITION
Handover is the seamless transfer of command, telemetry, or tracking responsibility for a spacecraft from one ground station or control center to another, ensuring continuous communication and operational control as the satellite traverses its orbit.
BACKGROUND
The People's Republic of China (PRC) has a developing socialist market economy, incorporating industrial policies and strategic five-year plans. China has the world's second-largest economy by nominal GDP and since 2016 has been the world's largest economy when measured by purchasing power parity (PPP). China accounted for 19% of the global economy in 2025 in PPP terms, and around 17% in nominal terms in 2025. The economy consists of state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and mixed-ownership enterprises, as well as a large domestic private sector which contribute approximately 60% of the GDP, 80% of urban employment and 90% of new jobs.
READ MORE ON WIKIPEDIASYNONYMS & ALIASES
- Relay
- Transfer
- Switchover
- Transition
USAGE NOTE
Global ground station networks are designed to facilitate continuous handover for orbiting assets.
DEVELOPERS
Organizations developing technology related to Handover.
Operates the Starlink satellite internet constellation, which requires sophisticated and rapid handover technology for its thousands of LEO satellites to maintain continuous connectivity. This includes handovers between ground stations, user terminals, and via inter-satellite laser links.
Developing Project Kuiper, a LEO satellite constellation to provide global broadband. The system's architecture inherently depends on advanced, low-latency handover protocols for transferring connections between satellites and its global network of ground stations.
Operates a LEO satellite constellation for global communications. Their system is designed for seamless handover between satellites and ground stations to provide consistent, low-latency connectivity for enterprise and government clients.
A leading provider of ground station services, operating a global network. Their software platforms use advanced scheduling and automation to manage the handover of satellite communication links across their network for numerous clients.
A global communications company that provides satellite services and ground network infrastructure. Their Real-Time Earth (RTE) service offers a global ground station network that requires sophisticated handover management for Earth observation satellites.
Develops ground segment solutions for satellite operations. Their OpenSpace platform enables dynamic, software-defined handover management between antennas and virtual gateways for multi-constellation satellite networks.
A Ground Station as a Service (GSaaS) that integrates satellite communications with Microsoft's cloud services. The platform manages the entire communication lifecycle, including the seamless handover of satellite links to its network of ground stations.
A satellite operator developing the Lightspeed LEO network. The network's design relies heavily on optical inter-satellite links and advanced beam-hopping technology, requiring precise and rapid handover capabilities to deliver enterprise-grade services.