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Universal Space Network Stage: Growth Date of Investment: 1999 Web Site : http://www.uspacenetwork.com
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Universal Space Network, based in Newport Beach, California, was founded in 1996 to outsource certain functions associated with operating orbiting satellites. Satellites, regardless of their purpose, require communications to and from earth. Known as telemetry, tracking, and control (TT ), these functions monitor the health and position of a satellite, control its operations, and periodically upload commands or download data. The company offers its services primarily to low and medium earth orbit ("LEO" and "MEO") satellites that orbit continually over the earth. The company is the first to build an extensive, highly automated ground station network to provide owners and operators of LEO satellites a shared-use infrastructure for cost effective and reliable TT The network first became operational in late 1998. By outsourcing to USN, a satellite owner gains significant ongoing cost efficiencies and avoids the costly and lengthy process of designing, building, and operating its own dedicated, often underutilized, ground station system. USN seeks to exploit its shared infrastructure and first-to-market advantage to rapidly become an industry outsourcing standard. Warburg Pincus provided growth financing in 1999 and participated in a second round of financing in 2001.
