Recently, SES Space & Defense’s G RamosCarr stopped by the Government Satellite Report to pull back the curtain on how SES Space & Defense will be delivering MEO and GEO services at the edge for DoD missions, as well as explore the various DoD use cases, applications, and workloads that will benefit from infrastructure at the edge.

Government Satellite Report (GSR): What use cases exist for AWS MDC units in the DoD? Why would the DoD want to deploy these units to Denied, Disrupted, Intermittent, and Limited (DDIL) environments?

G RamosCarr: The DoD operates globally, meaning it has to maintain data sovereignty and comply with specific data classification requirements, both when deployed and at home, just to ensure that data is protected.

With the DoD’s transition from on-prem/hybrid solutions to commercial clouds that are approved for the U.S. government, the Department is going to be more reliant on remote edge computing environments in scenarios where comms aren’t as resilient as they are stateside.

Deploying in any environment where an adversary is present and negatively impacting communications – whether denying or disrupting – is a prime example of why a tool like the AWS MDC is imperative. But, even in situations where bad weather is limiting connectivity, having different architectures like MEO with a GEO fallback, a good PACE plan is critical.

“An AWS MDC unit elevates what you can move out to the edge. The compute devices can now become resident in a forward operating base or in some other kind of deployed scenario. That gives users access to the most important data, housed locally at the edge.” -G RamosCarr

In any mission, you must always be able to operate, and that’s why there is a major need for those tools that are running in the cloud. Having the ability to deploy the most important data or tools at the edge is something the AWS MDC will help achieve at scale for a larger deployment, or a unit with a higher amount of data production.

No matter what scenario they end up in, with an AWS MDC, they’re able to continue operating just like they would be stateside when they were doing training.

GSR: Are there any particular applications or workloads that you think might be driving this need for infrastructure at the edge?

G RamosCarr: Imagery analysis is a perfect example. Also, IoT is another application that drives this need, especially when you need to pull a lot of different metrics on a regular basis. It’s fantastic to be able to import a big pool of data into a data lake in the cloud, which will allow users to leverage the computing resources of full data centers across the U.S..

But in a scenario where you might be offline for an hour, or a couple of days, you’re going to want to still have access to a subset of that full data set. You’ll want to be able to take the most important data and do some processing at the edge, and be able to leverage that intel that you just developed immediately.

GSR: If the DoD is deploying these units to the tactical edge, why would they need low-latency, high throughput satellite connectivity? What benefit or advantage would the DoD gain from connecting AWS MDC units?

G RamosCarr: An AWS MDC unit elevates what you can move out to the edge. The compute devices can now become resident in a forward operating base or in some other kind of deployed scenario. That gives users access to the most important data, housed locally at the edge.

“MEO, as far as cloud operations go, can provide a high throughput and low latency connection very similar to a traditional fiber optic connection. This incredibly high bandwidth, high speed connection can enable those services.” -G RamosCarr

However, an AWS MDC on the battlefield can’t compete against the ability of a data center back in the U.S. to be able to compute or consolidate information and process it. It’s not going to be able to do it on the same level.

This is why the military would want to connect AWS MDC units through high throughput, low latency, fiber-like connectivity. MEO satellite connectivity allows these workloads and systems to operate in a much more efficient manner – with some of the work being done at the edge, and other workloads in the cloud.

MEO, as far as cloud operations go, can provide a high throughput and low latency connection very similar to a traditional fiber optic connection. This incredibly high bandwidth, high speed connection can enable those services.

Before, users would have to use some kind of edge compute because of their higher-latency GEO link, or they would have to reduce the amount of throughput and the amount of data that they were sending back, because of the reduced capability of the GEO link and the latency.

A low latency MEO connection enables a whole new world where practically anything can be transmitted quickly and with minimal latency.

GSR: It was recently announced that SES Space & Defense was chosen by AWS to provide connectivity to the AWS MDC units. Why was SES Space & Defense a good fit for this?

G RamosCarr: We’ve had a lot of great engagements and have a great working partnership with AWS, and we’ve supported them on a number of different opportunities. I think we have a differentiated offering – owning both a GEO and a MEO fleet.

“I think O3b mPOWER really opens the door for scalability on our side. We’ve been able to show a differentiated capability with 10 beams per satellite. There is also great flexibility that O3b mPOWER is going to bring to the table, and inherent security features that come with that constellation.” -G RamosCarr

Obviously, there’s a value to every satellite connection, especially when you have zero connectivity. But us being able to bring a resiliency plan to them, and it being relatively turnkey for them, has probably been the biggest differentiator. We’re able to ensure that the military has connectivity – whether it be MEO or GEO connectivity options.

Going further, what MEO enables – as far as cloud operations – is so much more advanced that what the military is going to get on other constellations. The speed, capacity, and latency are second to none. We also have the ability to provide an SLA and ensure that dedicated connectivity is up and available, when that isn’t always the case with other services.

GSR: SES’s O3b mPOWER next-generation MEO service will soon be available for the DoD. How can this service benefit the DoD? What new functionality or capabilities will it enable for the military?

G RamosCarr: I think O3b mPOWER really opens the door for scalability on our side. We’ve been able to show a differentiated capability with 10 beams per satellite. There is also great flexibility that O3b mPOWER is going to bring to the table, and inherent security features that come with that constellation.

It’s going to open the aperture as far as being able to more successfully deploy our assets to support our warfighters.

To read more about how SES Space & Defense and AWS will assist the U.S. Department of Defense, click HERE.

The post AWS and SES Partner to Enable Edge Compute and Cloud Access on the Battlefield appeared first on SES Space and Defense.

While the launch of these first two satellites will not immediately result in the SES O3b mPOWER satellite service becoming available to government users, it’s a massive first step in what will be a revolutionary introduction to the commercial satellite industry. And it’s a long time in the making. The SES O3b mPOWER satellite service was first announced in September 2017 and has been anxiously awaited by military and government satellite customers ever since.

With the launch right around the corner, the Government Satellite Report sat down with the CEO of SES Space and Defense, David Fields, to discuss the SES O3b mPOWER service. During our discussion, we asked why the service is considered revolutionary across the satellite industry, why government and military users are excited about its launch, and the technology trends that are making this new service necessary.

Government Satellite Report (GSR): The first O3b mPOWER satellites are tentatively slated to launch later this week. Why is this such an exciting milestone for SES Government Solutions? What about these new satellites is so revolutionary?

David Fields: It’s important to understand that the O3b mPOWER satellite service represents a truly transformational advancement in commercial satellite capability. The O3b mPOWER service is a massive breakthrough in the delivery of satellite capacity from non-geostationary orbit (NGSO).

Being positioned in MEO enables the O3b mPOWER satellites to deliver incredible capacity at extremely low latency. This higher throughput and lower latency are ideal for many of the advanced IT solutions and capabilities that are being implemented across the U.S. government and military today.

Our government and military customers need lower latency and higher throughput. They need a more simple and more flexible ground infrastructure that is more customizable and easier to secure. They need the ability to leverage sovereign gateways. O3b mPOWER delivers all of these things to our government and military users.

The service is not a closed system. It enables military and government users to leverage their own gateways. It enables them to bring their own waveforms. It’s compliant with all of their most rigid security requirements.

O3b mPOWER delivers all of these things because it was built with the needs of our government and military users in mind. It wasn’t designed to be a consumer solution that is also available to the government. SES built O3b mPOWER from the bottom up to meet government and military requirements.

GSR: If you were a government or military organization, why would O3b mPOWER be important for you? What trends are we seeing in the government that make the launch of O3b mPOWER an important development?

David Fields: That’s a great question, and it really comes down to data. Just look at the military – in particular. The amount of sensor data, the amount of video, and the amount of data – in general – that is being aggregated in theater and that needs to be transmitted back to senior military decision-makers is enormous now.

The amount of data that is being generated is staggering. And for that data to be useful for the military, it needs to be made available, analyzed for actionable insights, and shared in real time. That’s what will enable the military to make better, more data-driven decisions.

“We’re very excited to see these first satellites launched and get into orbit…There will be several additional launches after this initial launch. However, these first satellites that we’re launching will enable us to validate the service and capabilities.” – David Fields

The applications that the government and military leverage at the tactical edge will only continue to expand to fill the amount of bandwidth that these organizations can afford to buy. Our goal with O3b mPOWER is to deliver a cost-effective satellite service that delivers high-throughput, low-latency bandwidth when they need it, and where they need it.

GSR: When we talk to people about O3b mPOWER and the benefits that it will deliver, the capacity and low latency are usually the first things they mention. But there is more to O3b mPOWER than that – the satellites will also offer more flexibility. Why would the government care about that?

David Fields: These satellites are some of the most capable ever built. This enables them to deliver incredible flexibility for government users. O3b mPOWER gives government and military users the ability to define and steer beams. This is immensely important since it enables users to place a beam of satellite capacity where they need it and when they need it.

This means that government users are not locked into paying for an established amount of capacity or coverage that they don’t need. If they need capacity for a small group of naval vessels, or a small squad of warfighters, or even a single ISR aircraft, they can put a beam where they need it to meet that requirement.

Also, O3b mPOWER enables asymmetric capability. This means that the outbound and inbound capacity is not fixed. If more inbound capacity is needed, the inbound satellite capacity can be increased. If an ISR mission requires mostly outbound data so that HD video can be transmitted in real-time, that can also be accommodated. Government and military users will have the flexibility to tailor the capacity in either direction to meet their unique mission requirements.

GSR: Security is a major issue for the military today. How can O3b mPOWER protect military networks and data at a time when satellite is more essential, but the space and cyber domains are increasingly threatened?

David Fields: The nature of the O3b mPOWER satellites, themselves, make them more secure and more assured for government and military users. The ability to provision and steer a small beam of connectivity makes O3b mPOWER inherently more assured than wide beam satellite solutions.

The smaller beams that are utilized by O3b mPOWER are harder to locate for adversaries. They’re also harder to deny. As you know, satellite jamming needs to happen from within the beam, so a smaller beam is – by its nature – more difficult to jam for adversaries.

“The service is not a closed system. It enables military and government users to leverage their own gateways. It enables them to bring their own waveforms. It’s compliant with all of their most rigid security requirements.” – David Fields

But, jamming aside, security and assurance come down to the resiliency of the network.

Since the O3b mPOWER satellite service was designed with government and military users in mind, SES has ensured that they can bring their own waveform. This includes protected waveforms. Also, since the service was purpose-built for government and military users, it offers something that many commercial satellites can’t – bandwidth that is always available when and where they need it.

The O3b mPOWER satellite service offers capacity that is committed to government and military users, which ensures that they’re not competing with other authorized users. There won’t be a lack of capacity for government or military users because gamers, or consumers that are streaming entertainment content are dominating the capacity.

GSR: What advanced use cases and capabilities could you envision the government and military leveraging O3b mPOWER for in the immediate future?

David Fields: SES was one of the first companies to build an NGSO commercial capability. We have years of experience operating an NGSO constellation and truly understand the advantages and disadvantages of NGSO commercial satellite services.

O3b mPOWER leverages that experience and expands on our ability to deliver capabilities that government and military users have been asking for. That includes things like mobility and comms on the move for our military users.

“These satellites are some of the most capable ever built. This enables them to deliver incredible flexibility for government users.” – David Fields

Since O3b mPOWER provides smaller, more powerful beams, it can deliver capabilities to smaller antennas for use in ISR, land mobility, and other use cases that require small aperture terminals. These are capabilities that have not been served to date and are in high demand from our government and military users.

GSR: Obviously, when it comes to satellite services and solutions, the launch of a satellite doesn’t mean that the service is immediately available. What needs to happen in space after the satellites are launched? How long will it take for the satellites to come online? When will O3b mPOWER service be available for users?

David Fields: Every journey begins with a single step, and the O3b mPOWER journey begins this week with this launch. The current launch date is tentatively scheduled for December 16, 2022. That launch starts the process.

We’re very excited to see these first satellites launched and get into orbit. But, as with any NGSO satellite service, the satellites do not remain in a fixed point or location in the sky. This means that you need to have the full constellation launched for it to function.

There will be several additional launches after this initial launch. However, these first satellites that we’re launching will enable us to validate the service and capabilities. As the additional satellites are launched, SES will be building out the network and testing functionality to ensure that O3b mPOWER is ready for customers when it comes online.

We anticipate that this revolutionary service will be available for our users in Q3 of 2023.

For additional information about O3b mPOWER, click HERE.

The post Starting the Countdown to O3b mPOWER appeared first on SES Space and Defense.

During the modernization and digital transformation sessions at AUSA 2022, attendees learned that the U.S. Army has begun to adopt cutting-edge technologies to be able to maintain both deterrent and warfighting advantages over its adversaries. Autonomous technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), are top of mind for the Army, especially as it pertains to protecting its assets in space.

The U.S. Department of Defense’s (DoD) interests in space do not end with the U.S. Space Force and Air Force. All military branches have a deep reliance on space, as most of the military connectivity, communications, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance activities likely pass through the DoD’s space architecture at one point in time.

This is particularly true for the Army. For warfighters in off-grid environments, connectivity provided by satellite communications (SATCOM) can sometimes be their only line of communication to mission leaders and decision-makers at central command. Army leadership relies on SATCOM to make intel-based decisions and then transmit those orders to the warfighter in theatre. Without SATCOM, warfighters can be left in the dark, putting their mission and lives at risk, and senior decision-makers would lack the real-time intelligence they need to make data-driven decisions.

Army automation through AI/ML
U.S. near-peer competitors are fully aware of how critical SATCOM services are to the U.S. Army and look to undermine and degrade them by any means necessary. From jamming to kinetic attacks – which adversaries like China and Russia have proven to be capable of – the Army must protect its satellites and other space assets from these types of threats by developing and employing new technologies that are capable of defending against such attacks.

And it seems that the Army has found that cutting-edge defensive solution in AI/ML. Thankfully, these solutions couldn’t have come at a more opportune time, as U.S. adversaries are now explicitly calling for the attacks of American commercial satellites. In recent news coming out of Russia, senior foreign ministry officials at the Kremlin have stated that U.S. commercial satellites and their “quasi-civilian infrastructure may be a legitimate target for a retaliatory strike.”

As the threat to Army assets in space moves from theoretical to looming reality, the DoD has kicked its vision for a resilient space architecture into high-gear, with military leadership looking to AI/ML for automated threat detection and defense of American space assets.

One area of particular interest to the Army is having the ability to switch frequencies and signals across satellites and orbits. If a satellite were about to be jammed, degraded, or destroyed, the Army can now begin deploying AI/ML software that can detect an attack before it occurs and transfer service over from the soon-to-be compromised satellite to another protected and available asset within the space architecture. 

Through advancements in AI/ML automation, detection and response of potential interference or targeting occurs much faster than it would with manually monitoring. If a space asset has indeed been compromised, AI/ML enables satellite frequencies to automatically roll over to another satellite in the same orbit, or even a different orbit, denying any enemy attempts to interrupt service. This new technology is invaluable as Army decision-makers cannot afford to have congested or degraded communications, especially when critical missions and lives on the ground are at stake.

O3b mPOWER and smart tech
For commercial satellite companies like SES Space and Defense, these AI/ML advancements will complement the natively smart capabilities that have been installed on their newer satellites. The company’s highly anticipated Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) constellation – O3b mPOWER – will be inherently hardened against such adversarial attacks and will have automated detection and response capabilities already baked into the assets.

To take it a step further, SES has also successfully tested O3b mPOWER’s multi-orbit capability set, which is a critical component for AI/ML technology to operate seamlessly. In September of 2021, SES and Hughes successfully utilized the Hughes Resource Management System to seamlessly switch signals across SES satellites in MEO and Geostationary orbit (GEO).

According to Jim Hooper, SES Space and Defense’s Senior Vice President for Space Initiatives, the successfully multi-orbit tests illustrated, “…the power of next-generation satellite services and technologies to provide mission-critical, assured communications to the government and military, at a time when connectivity is increasingly essential.”

Increasingly autonomous COMSATCOM software that leverages AI/ML, combined with the smart technology that has already been built into commercial satellite constellations, like O3b mPOWER, can provide the U.S. Army with a more resilient space architecture. As a result, the Army will be fully prepared to thwart adversarial attacks and continue to deliver seamless and interrupted connectivity, communications, intel, and other mission-critical services to warfighters on the ground.

To learn more about how Hughes and SES successfully switched signals between GEO, MEO, and LEO satellites, click HERE.

The post How AI/ML is the key to protecting the U.S. Army’s space assets appeared first on SES Space and Defense.

Before joining the Air Force, Mr. Calvelli’s three-decade career includes experience in national security, space acquisitions and operations, and leadership at the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), where he served for eight years as the Principal Deputy Director. During the forum, Mr. Calvelli sat down with Gen. Kevin P. Chilton (Ret.) to discuss his top priorities for space acquisition and the role the commercial sector will play in the military’s space operations moving forward.

Calvelli’s Five Priorities

To Mr. Calvelli, there is no higher priority than space. “Space is just an amazing enabler for the country,” he said. “It supports the nation’s economy. It supports our military. It supports all the services in the department.” With great enthusiasm, he said that being appointed assistant secretary is “an amazing opportunity,” and that he looks forward to fulfilling his commitment to help set the direction for space acquisitions.

As he begins his journey at the Air Force, expect Mr. Calvelli to draw upon his time at the NRO for inspiration in his new role. “My hope is to bring my experience from the NRO to the department, and to really help them out where I can in terms of space acquisition,” he said.

One part of Mr. Calvelli’s past experience that he will carry over to SAF/SQ includes five priorities that he devised during his time at NRO: speed, resiliency, architecture integration with other domains, project management discipline, and space and ground systems integration.

“It’s really important that space is always available to the nation, no matter what the environment is.” -Assistant Secretary Frank Calvelli

First, Mr. Calvelli emphasized the importance of advancing speed in space acquisitions. “And why is that important?” he asked rhetorically. “It’s going to allow us to modernize our service and allow us to stay technologically ahead of our adversaries. And if necessary, it’s going to allow us to deter, defend, or defeat any adversary.” According to Mr. Calvelli, in order to maintain that technological advantage, there has to be a real sense of urgency to get new capabilities into the hands of warfighters faster.

He also highlighted that the U.S. needs to bolster its space architectures by making them more resilient, a similar sentiment shared by Gen. John Raymond, Lt. Gen. B. Chance Saltzman, and Rep. Jim Cooper (D-TN) at recent Spacepower Forums.

Mr. Calvelli explained that a resilient space architecture is critical, because the military depends on space in both times of peace and conflict. “It’s really important that space is always available to the nation, no matter what the environment is,” he said.

Integrating space architectures into other warfighting domains is another priority that Mr. Calvelli plans to focus on in his new position. He explained that since space is a critical enabler of other domain capabilities, it is vital that the military has the ability to integrate space with land, air and sea, which will give all warfighters an advantage over adversarial threats.

“I also think that if commercial has a capability…you’re not going to get any faster than taking advantage of what you could just buy off the shelf as opposed to develop.” -Assistant Secretary Frank Calvelli

According to Mr. Calvelli, one piece of experience from the NRO that he plans on implementing at SAF/SQ is fostering a department culture that runs on project management discipline. “I think there’s no better way to actually get some speed than actually delivering on your commitments and actually execute your programs on cost and schedule,” he explained. “My fourth priority is to really drive project management discipline across the service.”

Mr. Calvelli went on to say that the department seems “to have a disconnect with space and ground systems.” For his fifth priority as assistant secretary, he wants to ensure that space and ground systems come together as an integrated system, “so that when we launch the systems, we can take full advantage of them.”

Executing Priorities by Leveraging Industry

When asked how Mr. Calvelli viewed the commercial sector’s role in delivering space capabilities to the U.S. Department of Defense, he responded by saying that industry can play a pivotal role in advancing the speed of acquisition.

“I think it’s an exciting time for the country, an exciting opportunity for anybody who’s involved with space programs, whether you’re in the Intelligence Community, the DoD, at NASA, or commercial,” said Mr. Calvelli. “I also think that if commercial has a capability…you’re not going to get any faster than taking advantage of what you could just buy off the shelf as opposed to develop.”

And indeed, the commercial space industry is currently booming with new technologies, capabilities, and solutions that could execute the promise of Mr. Calvelli’s SAF/SQ speed of acquisition priority, but it can also meet his other priorities, such as space architecture resiliency and ground/space system integration.

This is evident with SES’ newest geostationary (GEO) Ka-band satellite, SES-17, which recently became fully operational with readied capabilities to support multi-orbit resiliency for military space architectures. The technologies inherent in SES-17 can enable the military to seamlessly roll communications between MILSATCOM and COMSATCOM resources at GEO and Medium Earth orbit (MEO). This groundbreaking capability will provide resilient and hardened SATCOM defense against adversaries that try to deny or degrade mission-critical comms. It also allows flexibility if mission requirements were to change.

According to SES Space and Defense’s Vice President of Mobility and Integrated Solutions, Rashid Neighbors, “Ultimately, our intent is to provide the U.S. Government with highly resilient, multi-orbit hybrid satellite solutions. While the spacecraft technology in SES-17…is fundamentally different, the ground system will be integrated through…ARC. This allows our government customers to focus on their mission and applications and let SES Space and Defense worry about how the transport works.”

To learn more about SES-17, click HERE.

Click the video below to watch the Spacepower Forum in its entirety.

The post U.S. Air Force Assistant Secretary Calvelli shares his top 5 space acquisition priorities appeared first on SES Space and Defense.

In an effort to evaluate and begin tapping into the accelerated innovation coming out of the COMSATCOM industry, NASA has created the Communications Services Project (CSP), an agency initiative that seeks to harness commercial industry’s advances in order to, “…ensure NASA missions have the reliable, secure and continual space communications on which their long-term operations depend.”

NASA recently announced that SES Space and Defense, in partnership with Planet Labs (Planet), will be awarded a Funded Space Act Agreement to support the development and demonstration of near-Earth space relay communication services in support of the agency’s future mission needs.

To learn more about the CSP, why SES Space and Defense was chosen to support the project, as well as how the company’s O3b mPOWER satellite constellation will deliver near-Earth comms capabilities to NASA, the Government Satellite Report recently sat down with Eric Gunzelman, a Senior Director at SES Space and Defense.

Here is what he had to say:

Government Satellite Report (GSR): What is the NASA Communications Services Project? What are they looking to deliver communications and connectivity for?

Eric Gunzelman: NASA’s Communication Services Project (CSP) is primarily focused on pioneering the future of NASA’s near-Earth space communications and evaluating the feasibility of leveraging commercial SATCOM networks to reliably support future NASA missions, particularly through space relay, also known as satellite-to-satellite communications.

NASA has recognized the growth in commercial satellite technology and the maturation of that technology to now handle communications relay through space, as a more efficient, cost-effective alternative to the purpose-built TDRSS that NASA has operated for decades.

TDRSS is a highly capable satellite that sits in Geostationary Orbit (GEO) and provides relay services to NASA science missions at Low Earth Orbit (LEO), with the highest-profile one being the relay mission from the International Space Station (ISS).

Sometimes these LEO satellites are not always in view of the ground station, but NASA investigators still need immediate access to the scientific data collected. TDRSS functions to relay that scientific data to the ground immediately even when the LEO satellite is not in view of an earth station.

For example, Johnson Space Center can communicate to astronauts who may be on the other side of the Earth, via the 24/7 direct communication TDRSS enables.

GSR: Why is NASA looking to replace TDRSS? Why is commercial satellite a viable or preferred candidate to replace TDRSS?

Eric Gunzelman: The main reason is the expense. It costs a lot of money to build your own purpose-built constellation of satellites to cover the globe. NASA believes that the commercial technology marketplace has matured enough to enable reliable space relay capabilities. As a case in point, the commercial imagery industry has matured to the point of providing high-resolution photographs that we have all seen on the national news throughout the Ukraine conflict.

NASA is providing the funding to not only help demonstrate these emerging COMSATCOM relay services, but also the “seed” money to develop the market such that NASA is one of many customers. If they can get CSP off the ground in a cost-share agreement to help create the market – but not be the sole proprietor of the service – then that will be a big win that will save the agency money over continuing to develop and launch a purpose-built TDRSS satellite system.

“O3b and SES have been operating in a mature MEO system since 2014, providing services to the U.S. government since 2016. They have delivered more than 10 gigabytes per second on 41 contracts. That experience and legacy will ensure that NASA is receiving a low-risk, high-payoff capability for space relay.” – Eric Gunzelman

GSR: Will SES Space and Defense be delivering capacity on GEO satellites only, or will it also be leveraging its Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) satellite constellation to deliver service to the CSP?

Eric Gunzelman: We will begin primarily with the hybrid, GEO/MEO concept. The long-term plan is to offer most of our services through MEO, due to its lower latency and higher throughput. However, we can provide services through GEO as well.

GSR: Why is the CSP so important for NASA? How has the agency’s connectivity and communications requirements changed and shifted to make connectivity in LEO so essential?

Eric Gunzelman: Most of NASA’s Earth-observing missions are in LEO because of its closer proximity to the Earth. And a lot of those scientific missions are best served if we can get the data back to the NASA Principal Investigator as soon as the event happens. This helps NASA understand the science as it happens on our planet, and enables NASA to identify any correlation with other events around the globe.

Currently, NASA science missions that operate in polar orbits sometimes need to wait up to 30 minutes to downlink their data to an earth station if they don’t have enough priority to use TDRSS.

GSR: How will delivering MEO capacity via O3b mPOWER better enable NASA missions in LEO? What will this make possible for them? What capabilities will it enable?

Eric Gunzelman: NASA has a handful of mission sets that can be serviced by relay, including launch and early orbit, as well as your standard LEO science missions. With our 50+ GEO satellites and new O3b mPOWER MEO constellation, we can service them without the need of being in view of a NASA ground station. This reduces the long-term costs for NASA, saving budgets on TDRSS procurement and ongoing operations and maintenance, and on the ground infrastructure required to support TDRSS.

“If [NASA] can get CSP off the ground in a cost-share agreement to help create the market – but not be the sole proprietor of the service – then that will be a big win that will save the agency money over continuing to develop and launch a purpose-built TDRSS satellite system.” – Eric Gunzelman

As noted earlier, NASA missions don’t always have access to TDRSS because of other mission priorities (such as manned flights/the ISS). There’s a priority structure. In addition, a market implies many vendors to choose from. So, in theory, NASA could have access to multiple providers so buying a service when they need it and only when they need it should save billions of dollars, averting the cost to build and maintain TDRSS.

In fact, NASA has been working on this effort for nearly a decade now. The Phase One studies showed that COMSATCOM technologies had advanced and matured to consider the market space. In fact, NASA has committed to Congress, as a result of their Phase One studies that they can get off of TDRSS by the early to mid-2030s, with some new missions capable of transitioning much sooner. The final TDRSS will fly out, and they will make use of their services as they can. But the current plan is to transition to commercial for new NASA missions beginning in 2026.

GSR: Why were SES Space and Defense and Planet chosen for this program? What role will SES Space and Defense play? What role will Planet play?

Eric Gunzelman: We were one of six vendors chosen by NASA — we offer the only mature non-GEO satellite system today, that being O3b constellation operating at MEO (8,062 km). This gives us a unique vantage point because we see more of the Earth at any one time than our LEO counterparts but we don’t suffer the high latencies of GEO satellites.

“Most of NASA’s Earth observing missions are in LEO…a lot of those scientific missions are best served if we can get the data back to the NASA Principal Investigator as soon as the event happens.” – Eric Gunzelman

Planet is chosen because they know how to build and launch LEO demonstration satellites with an Earth observation payload — they know how to build small efficient satellites with an earth-based mission (imaging in this case). Planet has launched nearly 200 satellites.

GSR: What is the timeline for the CSP? Is it up and working today? If not, when will it be operational?

Eric Gunzelman: It is a four-year demonstration program that will conclude with an operational service in the late-2025/early-2026 timeframe. Ideally, NASA wants to immediately transition from this demonstration program into operational service.

O3b and SES have been operating in a mature MEO system since 2014, providing services to the U.S. government since 2016. They have delivered more than 10 gigabytes per second on 41 contracts. That experience and legacy will ensure that NASA is receiving a low-risk, high-payoff capability for space relay. We are just moving the terminal from the ground to space, and bringing the connectivity along with it.

To learn more about the agreement between NASA, SES Space and Defense, and Planet click HERE.

The post Moving the Terminal from the Ground to Space – How COMSATCOM Will Enable the NASA Communications Services Project appeared first on SES Space and Defense.

However, there is a new approach to acquiring commercial satellite services that is rapidly gaining traction across the government – a movement towards satellite managed services – that promises to bring more innovative, more affordable satellite solutions to government users. As the government begins to shift from leased capacity to this new “Satellite as a Service” approach to satellite acquisition, commercial satellite providers are working to introduce exciting new technologies that can deliver the added resiliency, scalability, and flexibility needed to meet the demands of government users.

One of these providers – SES Space and Defense– has invested heavily into new systems and satellites that will enable the company to deliver high-throughput satellite connectivity to government users from multiple orbits, ensuring that its satellite service offering will be capable of meeting even the most bandwidth-hungry missions that absolutely demand assurance and resiliency.

A cornerstone in the company’s plan to offer multi-orbit connectivity to government users as a service is the recently-launched SES-17 satellite, a revolutionary High-Throughput Satellite (HTS) that was sent into orbit in October of this year.

To learn more about the SES-17 satellite, why the company refers to it as a satellite that was “built for managed services,” and what makes satellite managed services so attractive to the United States government and military, we recently sat down with Amit Katti and Rashid Neighbors of SES Space and Defense.

Government Satellite Report (GSR): SES-17 was launched in late October, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s in use already, correct? What is the current status of the SES-17 satellite, and when is it expected to go into service?

Amit Katti: SES-17 was successfully launched onboard an Ariane 5 launcher operated by Arianespace from a spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana on October 23, 2021. Currently, the satellite is on its way to geosynchronous orbit (GEO).

Carolyn Cuppernull: Once in orbit, [SES-17] will undergo in-orbit testing for optimal performance with the goal to commence services on June 15, 2022. So, anticipate that SES-17 will commence service in about four months.

GSR: Recently, when SES has talked about the exciting new technologies that it’s implementing in its spacecraft and ground segment, the company is touting its upcoming O3b mPOWER MEO satellite solution. Is SES-17 a part of that? If not, what is the difference?

Rashid Neighbors: SES’ O3b mPOWER service is a low-latency, high throughput satellite service offering that is anticipated to launch in Q1 of 2022. That service utilizes High Throughput Satellites (HTS) at an orbit closer to Earth – at Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) – to deliver incredibly high throughputs at extremely low latency.

While SES-17 is an HTS, much like the satellites that power the O3b mPOWER service, it will operate in GEO.

There are many reasons why a government agency or military organization would want to utilize a commercial satellite service delivered from GEO. Depending on the mission and the use case, a GEO satellite solution with a larger coverage area may be ideal. Or the data being transferred via the satellite may not suffer from slightly higher latency – such as voice data.

Ultimately, our intent is to provide the U.S. Government with highly resilient, multi-orbit hybrid satellite solutions. While the spacecraft technology in SES-17 and the O3b mPOWER satellites is fundamentally different, the ground system will be integrated through a centralized system called ARC. This allows our government customers to focus on their mission and applications and let SES Space and Defense worry about how the transport works.

GSR: You mentioned a system called ARC. What is that specifically, and what does it do?

Amit Katti: ARC functions like the motherboard for a computer. It basically creates a common interface for different processing units.

With ARC, we can coordinate mission assurance across different technologies and orbits. We can also manage the space and ground segment resources, together, for our U.S. government and military customers.

GSR: In our past conversations, you’ve referred to SES-17 as a satellite built for managed services. How is a satellite managed service different from how the government and military have traditionally acquired satellite capacity? Why would the government and military want to make a move towards managed services?

Carolyn Cuppernull: Typically, the government has worked with multiple commercial satellite service providers to lease or purchase wholesale bandwidth that it then distributes to its users, as needed. Ultimately, this system of purchasing capacity on the spot market was expensive for the government and limited its ability to leverage new technologies being leveraged by the commercial satellite industry.

A recent trend that we’re seeing in the government and military is a movement towards a managed service model. In this model, everything that is necessary for an end-to-end satellite network is delivered as a service. The satellite capacity, the ground hardware – including terminals and antennas – are all included in the service.

Rashid Neighbors: With a managed service model for satellite services, the government would always have the latest commercial technologies and solutions available to them. With systems like ARC in place, they’ll also have the added resiliency and capability of being able to leverage a multi-orbit constellation. This means they would have access to low-latency, high-throughput connectivity from MEO, as well as wideband high-throughput connectivity from GEO, and they would be able to seamlessly switch between those resources based on their mission requirements.

The government and military rarely operate in static conditions. The environment changes, the mission shifts and evolves. Having a satellite managed service that gives them access to the latest and greatest technologies, as well as a multi-orbit satellite constellation ensures that they’ll always have the communications and connectivity they need to accomplish their mission – even if mission parameters or requirements change.

The technologies in SES-17, and the development of the ARC system, make this satellite a natural fit for the “Satellite as a Service” model, since it enables us to listen to the government’s and military’s requirements, and tailor a multi-orbit satellite solution that meets their needs and helps them accomplish their mission.

GSR: What is the coverage area of SES-17? Where will the government and military be able to leverage the services of this satellite, in particular?

Amit Katti: SES-17 will service the majority of North and South America. The satellite will also provide coverage to an area that is of incredible importance to the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), delivering services to parts of the Arctic Circle. Coverage will extend east into Africa, and cover a large part of Europe, as well.

SES-17 also offers coverage over much of the Atlantic Ocean, delivering seamless connectivity for maritime and air travel between the Americas and Europe.

To learn more about SES-17 and its potential to enable multi-orbit satellite managed services to the government and military, click HERE.

The post Satellite Managed Services Take Off with Successful SES-17 Launch appeared first on SES Space and Defense.

Understanding that cloud customers will rely on satellite to access their cloud services and cloud-native applications in geographically remote and isolated areas, Microsoft recently launched Azure Space, and announced a number of innovative partnerships with satellite providers, such as SES Space and Defense. They also introduced Azure Orbital and the Azure Modular Data Center, which are designed to help make cloud connectivity at the tactical edge easier for government cloud users.

In the second part of our illuminating interview with Steve, we set out to learn more about these exciting announcements from Azure Space. We also discussed how innovations in the space and satellite industry are opening the door for the ubiquitous, global connectivity necessary to power government cloud and digital transformation initiatives.

Government Satellite Report (GSR): While our readers are undoubtedly familiar with Microsoft Azure, they may not be as familiar with Azure Space, which I understand is a relatively new entity. Can you tell our readers a bit more about Azure Space and its mission?

Steve Kitay: Microsoft publicly launched Azure Space a year ago, although we’ve been working on standing it up for more than two years. The mission of Azure Space is bringing the cloud and space together to empower our customers both on and off the planet.

Our approach to Azure Space is through partnerships and enabling an ecosystem. Microsoft isn’t building and launching its own satellites, but rather partnering with others that do to provide connectivity solutions both to space systems, and anywhere on earth.

We also have cutting-edge AI and machine learning (ML) algorithms to drive insights from the data coming from space. We are also supporting the developer community with unique simulation and digital engineering capabilities. And lastly, while we’re not building or launching our own satellites, we’re bringing our innovation into space.

For example, HP has a computer on the ISS called the Spaceborne computer that we’ve connected to the hyperscale cloud to enable researchers and astronauts to do more. There are a variety of innovation areas that we’re exploring and working on both on and off the planet.

GSR: What is Microsoft Azure Orbital? What does it enable government cloud users to do?

Steve Kitay: Azure Orbital is a fully managed, cloud-based ground station as a service that allows users to communicate with their satellite constellation. This allows them to download data, uplink commands, and process data in the cloud. It also enables Azure services to be deployed to generate products for their customers.

“Governments worldwide are looking for these kinds of connectivity solutions to meet their needs. What we’re doing with SES is bringing the connectivity and compute together so that they’re not just moving the data, but they’re deriving insights and understanding from that data.” – Steve Kitay

Ultimately, it provides modern ground segment technologies, allowing satellite operators to focus on their space mission and product, offloading the responsibility of deployment and maintenance of ground station assets.

The system that we’ve built out is on top of Azure’s global infrastructure and low-latency global fiber networks. The capability of Azure Orbital is building upon a partner ecosystem that includes KSAT, ViaSat, Kratos, Emergent Space Technologies, and several others.

GSR: What about the Microsoft Modular Data Center (MDC)? What is the MDC and what does it do? How is it different from other data centers? What can it enable for government cloud users?

Steve Kitay: We have a suite of edge capabilities, and the MDC is one of them. The MDC and our other edge devices enable the use of Azure from anywhere in the world.

MDC gives customers the capability to deploy a modular data center to remote locations, or to augment existing infrastructure. A major differentiator for the MDC is that customers can run the unit with full network connectivity, or in situations where it’s occasionally connected or even fully disconnected.

“Microsoft isn’t building and launching its own satellites, but rather partnering with others that do to provide connectivity solutions both to space systems, and anywhere on earth.” – Steve Kitay

We have also built in an ability to have satellite connectivity with SES, and other providers, to enable the data center to be connected back to the hyperscale cloud.

GSR: In a recent press release, it was announced that Microsoft would leverage the SES multi-orbit satellite system to give government entities to cloud resources practically anywhere on the globe. Why is a multi-orbit satellite solution ideal for this? What advantages does a multi-orbit constellation or service have over one that is in a single, dedicated orbit?

Steve Kitay: SES is a close partner of Microsoft, and their multi-orbit satellite constellation allows us to better service our customers.

By enabling our customers to access different satellite services at different orbits, we’re giving them the choice and flexibility to choose the right satellite service for their needs and requirements.

Satellite services from different orbits have different advantages, and different satellite services may be optimal for a particular customer’s needs and requirements. By enabling access to multiple options, Microsoft ensures that they have different options they need to meet their needs in regard to pricing, bandwidth, capacity, latency and other factors.

“Azure Orbital is a fully managed, cloud-based ground station as a service that allows users to communicate with their satellite constellation. This allows them to download data, uplink commands, and process data in the cloud.” – Steve Kitay

Our approach brings together partnerships and products to create a comprehensive and resilient satellite tool and solutions that meet the needs of our customers.

GSR: SES is on the precipice of launching a new satellite service – SES O3b mPOWER. What will this new service mean for government and military cloud users? How can it change what is currently possible at the tactical edge?

Steve Kitay: O3b mPOWER is a satellite constellation that we’re specifically partnering with and that they’re leveraging Azure Orbital for ground infrastructure. It’s a Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) satellite service that delivers a tremendous increase in flexibility and throughput speed, and cloud-scale capacity to Azure locations across the Earth. And, ultimately, what that means for customers is that fiber-equivalent connectivity will now be available wherever users are located – including in the air, at sea, or on the ground in remote sites in geographically-isolated regions.

O3b mPOWER is delivering secure and resilient network architecture for robust connectivity whether the mission is establishing a secure network at a tactical edge or deploying a UAV for live HD video along a border. Governments worldwide are looking for these kinds of connectivity solutions to meet their needs. What we’re doing with SES is bringing the connectivity and compute together so that they’re not just moving the data, but they’re deriving insights and understanding from that data.

For additional information about how Ob3 mPOWER can enable next-generation technologies on the battlefield, click HERE to download a complimentary copy of the whitepaper, “High Throughput Satellites for U.S. Government Applications.”

The post Steve Kitay of Microsoft Azure Space on the increasing integration between space and the cloud appeared first on SES Space and Defense.

This digital transformation was arguably kickstarted by the widespread adoption of the cloud and cloud resources across the government. And it’s being driven forward by cloud-native applications that are being developed, deployed, and hosted in the cloud, where they can be accessed by government and military personnel whenever and wherever the mission requires.

While this digital transformation will only result in the government becoming more effective and efficient, it can only succeed if connectivity and access to cloud resources are ubiquitous across the globe.

The connectivity required for government and military organizations to access and utilize cloud services at the tactical edge is most effectively delivered by satellite. This is creating new collaborations and partnerships between those that operate satellite networks, and the organizations that provide cutting-edge cloud services.

One of the cloud providers leading the pack in embracing satellite connectivity is Microsoft Azure, which recently launched Azure Space, and announced a number of innovative partnerships with satellite providers, such as SES Space and Defense.

We recently sat down with Steve Kitay, the Senior Director of Azure Space at Microsoft, to discuss the trends driving the need for satellite and cloud partnerships, and how cloud services delivered via satellite could revolutionize how governments operate.

Government Satellite Report (GSR): Transitioning to the cloud has been a major initiative for the government over the course of the last few years. What types of cloud use cases are we seeing in the government? What different types of applications and workloads are being moved to the cloud by government agencies? Are mission-critical workloads making their way into the cloud?

Steve Kitay: Government agencies want to benefit from commercial cloud innovation. They want to take advantage of its speed, its scale, and its agility. Transitioning to the cloud reduces costs, provides access to the latest technologies, and diminishes the burden of having to maintain their own legacy infrastructure.

We see government agencies moving a range of workloads to the cloud to rapidly grow their mission capabilities. At the start of the COVID pandemic, we saw a rapid shift to cloud services to enable secure remote work environments through Azure Commercial and Government Clouds, and through the Office 365 productivity suites.

We’re seeing this shift to the cloud across a range of agencies. We’re working with a number of agencies, in particular, to help them use the cloud to solve their mission problems. The Department of Agriculture has leveraged a project called Farm Beats that accesses Azure’s repositories of analytics tools to understand data, and uses AI to help farmers cut costs, increase yields and sustainably grow crops that are more resilient to threats like climate change.

“When we bring (IoT and hybrid infrastructure) together, with AI running across these systems, we enter into an era of Intelligent Edge – a continually expanding set of connected systems and devices that gather and analyze information close to the physical world where the data resides and is harvested.” – Steve Kitay

The Department of Defense (DoD) is working on building out its enterprise cloud capabilities. Branches within the DoD, such as the Air Force, have deployed their own instances. Air Force Cloud One is a good example of a military branch using the cloud to provide foundational cloud capabilities, including networking, monitoring, access control, and identity management.

GSR: Are we seeing the need across different levels and organizations within the government for access to cloud solutions in the field, off-grid, and at the tactical edge? What is driving this requirement? What types of capabilities and applications are they looking to access?

Steve Kitay: The U.S. Government has been clear that they are trying to tap into commercial innovation to unlock new mission scenarios that were simply not possible before. There are two trends that we’re seeing in the government that really illustrate that.

The first trend is the Internet of Things (IoT), which utilizes smart sensors, connected devices, and other network-enabled endpoints to change the way that agencies approach problems. From equipment maintenance, to measuring air quality, to smart cities, and even military outposts, they’re implementing devices that are cloud-connected by default.

The other trend is movement towards hybrid infrastructure – or the integration of traditional datacenter infrastructure, edge devices, and the public cloud. This gives the government access to more compute capabilities in even the world’s most remote locations.

When we bring these two technology trends together, with AI running across these systems, we enter into an era of Intelligent Edge – a continually expanding set of connected systems and devices that gather and analyze information close to the physical world where the data resides and is harvested. This enables them to get real-time insights and immersive experiences that are highly responsive and contextually aware.

There is a space program that is a great example of the Intelligent Edge called the Casino Program, which was done with the Defense Innovation Unit in support of the U.S. Space Force. The rising number of satellites proliferating in low earth orbit (LEO) presents a new data challenge for the ground segment of missions—a segment that is often overlooked.

The Casino Program Office demonstrated fast, flexible, and extensible cloud commercial capabilities for ground processing in support of defense missions.  In this project, the joint Ball Aerospace and Microsoft team demonstrated the ability to transmit overhead, persistent infrared data through commercial satellites to the ground and then be processed both in the hyperscale Azure data center, as well as directly to a tactical vehicle in the field that was equipped with an Azure stack edge device.

“The need for bandwidth and cloud services in remote locations is a large and growing global challenge. The alignment and integration of the Azure cloud with satellites and terrestrial networks further enables the connected, Intelligent Edge…” – Steve Kitay

In this scenario, the overhead satellites transmitted the images of the environment, and that data was then pushed to both Azure and the Azure stack edge device where machine learning algorithms processed the images and detected certain activities and features. This machine learning identification generated insights which were converted into messages and disseminated to multiple endpoints.

This project represents a huge leap forward in reducing the time to actionable insight—if users are on the ground in a tactical edge vehicle or located at a command center, users can obtain necessary information accurately, quickly, and securely.

GSR: How else could access to cloud resources at the tactical edge or on the battlefield impact our warfighters? What could it enable them to do? What services/capabilities could it make possible for them?

Steve Kitay: Well, another great example is the Army’s IVAS program, which is bringing state-of-the-art cloud and mixed reality capability to soldiers at the tactical edge.

The IVAS headset, which is based on HoloLens and augmented by Azure cloud services, delivers a platform that keeps soldiers safer and makes them more effective. The program delivers enhanced situational awareness, enabling information sharing, and decision making for a variety of scenarios.

GSR: Microsoft has been working with satellite providers – including SES – to enable remote, off-grid access to cloud resources. Why is satellite the right choice for this?

Steve Kitay: Satellite is the right choice because space provides is a global perspective. It enables us to connect people anywhere, whether they’re in the middle of the ocean, the desert, or anywhere else on the Earth.

What is changing now with satellite communications is the type of services being offered. New services are now available with higher bandwidth and lower latencies. And space-generated data is growing exponentially, which requires expanded ground control capabilities, as well as data processing, storage, and analytics to turn that data into knowledge and actionable insights.

The need for bandwidth and cloud services in remote locations is a large and growing global challenge. The alignment and integration of the Azure cloud with satellites and terrestrial networks further enables the connected, Intelligent Edge that I referenced earlier.

For additional information about how Ob3 mPOWER can enable next-generation technologies on the battlefield, click HERE to download a complimentary copy of the whitepaper, “High Throughput Satellites for U.S. Government Applications.”

The post Steve Kitay of Microsoft Azure Space explains why the path to the cloud passes through space appeared first on SES Space and Defense.

Both SES and Boeing have touted the satellites that will comprise the O3b mPOWER service as revolutionary in their capacity, flexibility, latency, and automation. Those features are among the reasons why many companies – including Microsoft and four of the top five major cruise companies– have contracted for service on the system before it’s even launched.

In the second part of our conversation with Ryan, we explore what makes the O3b mPOWER service so automated, what that automation means for users, and how the flexibility and scalability of O3b mPOWER could open the door for advanced capabilities specifically for government and military users.

Government Satellite Report (GSR): In addition to the drastically increased throughputs, SES has often touted mPOWER as a more scalable and automated solution that can give users more control over their satellite service, while also making satellite easier to use. How is this being accomplished? What advancements are making these satellites more scalable and automated?

Ryan Reid: With a new generation of software defined satellites, there is an inherent complexity involved. With this satellite infrastructure, we’ve worked to bake in the necessary automation of that complexity – management of that complexity – onto the satellite. This means that we’re not driving the complexity down to the ground systems and end-users.

SES is able to manage the asset like a network switch. And the end-users that have access to the network don’t have to worry about that complexity. They can engage at the network edge as a network guest. This simplifies the end user’s ability to get the resources that they need when they need them. It doesn’t push complexity onto the user. It makes their lives easier – not harder.

With the systems and automation that we’re building into the satellites and system, an end-user can have an iPad out in the field and simply increase the bandwidth that’s available, direct service to different geographic regions, or move capacity around, all through control of the network.

When it comes to the military, planning resources is a huge endeavor that involves coordinating across multiple offices. We’ve taken a lot of work away by making the allocation of resources much easier and much more agile – enabling scalability as missions requirements change. That’s where the automation comes in – resource management through the SES ARC system that is complemented by the avionics and intelligence in the spacecraft, itself.

“By enabling the command and control function to get the data they need to make better decisions in the field, government and military users can increase the speed of decision-making. That can be a real game-changer.” – Ryan Reid, Boeing Commercial Satellite Systems

Here’s an example of how this might look in the field. If a military customer needs to backhaul data from a special operations mission or ISR platform, they could almost instantaneously allocate a large swath of bandwidth to the location, exfiltrate data, and then move that bandwidth somewhere else where it’s needed just a few minutes later. And all of that is possible without having to go through weeks-long coordination within the government.

GSR: Why is automation and scalability like this useful for government and military users? What would this mean for the actual “boots on the ground” users of satellite and applications delivered via satellite?

Ryan Reid: What that means is that their experience of getting data and connectivity looks and feels like they’re at home. If we need situational awareness, weather reports, or access to reporting, they can simply log in and get that. It’s available.

It means that they don’t need special radio or satellite operators radioing back and getting that information. They have their ruggedized devices that they can log into, connect and get the information that they need when they need it. It’s connectivity in the field on par with what they have back in headquarters or back at home.

“[O3b mPOWER] simplifies the end user’s ability to get the resources that they need when they need them. It doesn’t push complexity onto the user. It makes their lives easier – not harder.” – Ryan Reid, Boeing Commercial Satellite Systems

This means more access, more coordination, and better communications. This means command and control in real-time from the tactical front line. Real-time data for more informed decision-making. And better access to MWR services and capabilities because there is no longer a need to choose between MWR capabilities and mission-critical applications.

GSR: mPOWER has been touted for its ability to give users control over the size and allocation of forward and return beams. Why would this be useful for government or military users? What could this enable them to do?

Ryan Reid: The symmetry of forward and return beams can enable military and government users to push decision-making out to the tactical edge. By enabling the command and control function to get the data they need to make better decisions in the field, government and military users can increase the speed of decision-making. That can be a real game-changer.

Ultimately, the government and military don’t want tactical operators sitting around waiting for data or intelligence. They also want the data and intelligence that is available to them to be as up-to-date and real-time as possible. A symmetric forward and return beam – enabling data to be pushed and received in real-time – can enable that.

O3b mPOWER eliminates the return link restraints that government and military users faced with previous systems, including other, traditional HTS (high-throughput satellite) systems. Typically, these systems were designed with an asymmetric forward and return. Most of the data was pushed out, and very little is received.

“…the need for ubiquitous connectivity is only becoming more essential. O3b mPOWER is going to be a major player in enabling the government to embrace modern applications, cloud services, and other next-generation solutions at the tactical edge.” – Ryan Reid, Boeing Commercial Satellite Systems

O3b mPOWER enables symmetric forward and return, if necessary, but it also delivers the flexibility and agility to change that based on the mission requirements. If the user needs a full 2.5 GHZ return beam over an ISR platform to quickly and efficiently pull data off of that platform, they can enable that. If they need to push 2.5 GHZ to a vehicle to push a software update, they can enable that. If they need to direct a number of return beams into an area to locate a lost unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), they can do that, too.

GSR: When it comes to government users – especially the military – resiliency and security are of paramount importance. What has been implemented in the O3b mPOWER satellites to make them more resilient and secure? What is inherent in these satellites and their orbit that makes them more assured for government and military users?

Ryan Reid: Boeing has several decades of experience in the development of commercial and government platforms. There are a great number of best practices and lessons learned from decades of designing and building military satellites that we’ve leveraged in the design and construction of the O3b mPOWER satellites.

While the 702X platform employs a lot of new technologies and the software defined payload is revolutionary, the backbone of the satellite is based on the 702 platform that has a long history of performance, mission assurance and reliability. We want to build satellites that exceed their mission lives. We don’t want to fix what’s not broken, but we also want to innovate. So, we innovated on a highly reliable, highly proven platform in the 702 platform.

The constellation’s operation in the MEO orbit delivers inherent resiliency. There are multiple satellites moving overhead at high velocity. If an asset is compromised, another is coming by shortly thereafter, which delivers inherent resiliency. There are typically multiple satellites in a field of view, which creates a resilient system through asset diversity and redundancy.

“If a military customer needs to backhaul data from a special operations mission or ISR platform, they could almost instantaneously allocate a large swath of bandwidth to the location, exfiltrate data, and then move that bandwidth somewhere else where it’s needed just a few minutes later.” – Ryan Reid, Boeing Commercial Satellite Systems

From a security standpoint, we have employed CNSSP-12 security, including command and telemetry links have been encrypted to the highest standard for non-government-owned assets. There are multiple layers of security, resiliency and reliability that all work together to make this a highly available, secure, and reliable system for the military.

GSR: Big picture, how do you see O3b mPOWER changing the way global governments operate off-grid and at the tactical edge? How will it revolutionize how they operate in the field?

Ryan Reid: Having broadband network access at the edge allows access to information and communication for decision making, training exercises, remote medicine, remote connectivity and other capabilities at a scale that isn’t currently available.

This is an important supplement to the assets the military currently uses. There are a lot of different choices for government comms over commercial and the flexibility and scale that O3b mPOWER delivers has the potential to be revolutionary.

As the government continues to embrace digital transformation and embraces network-enabled services and applications across all of its operations, the need for ubiquitous connectivity is only becoming more essential. O3b mPOWER is going to be a major player in enabling the government to embrace modern applications, cloud services, and other next-generation solutions at the tactical edge.

For additional information about how Ob3 mPOWER can enable next-generation technologies on the battlefield, click HERE to download a complimentary copy of the whitepaper, “High Throughput Satellites for U.S. Government Applications.”

The post Scalable, available, secure, and assured. Boeing’s Ryan Reid on why the military can trust mPOWER appeared first on SES Space and Defense.

Since the procurement of the O3b mPOWER constellation was first announced in 2017, SES has touted it as a revolutionary advancement in connectivity and communications from space. But what makes the system – and the spacecraft that powers it – different from other high throughput satellite (HTS) constellations? What technological advancements does it offer from its O3b successor? And what services or capabilities will military and government users gain access to when this new service launches?

To get the answers to these questions, we sat down with Ryan Reid, the President of Boeing Commercial Satellite Systems, International.

Government Satellite Report (GSR): Last month, Boeing invited press and space experts to sneak a peek at the new O3b mPOWER satellites. At a high level, what makes these satellites so different from traditional HTS satellites in geostationary orbit (GEO)?

Ryan Reid: There are technological differences between the mPOWER satellites and a traditional HTS satellite. The O3b mPOWER satellites are based on our 702X platform. The core difference between traditional HTS satellites – such as those built with our 702 platform – and the 702X platform is full software-defined flexibility.

With traditional high throughput satellites (HTS) there is a digital payload that allows you to flexibly allocate the satellite’s resources. However, there are limits to how much flexibility the user has. With the 702X platform being used on O3b mPOWER, it is much more flexible and manageable, even while it’s in orbit.

For example, with SES’s O3b mPOWER satellites, users can control satellite resources while on orbit completely through software. The beams can be allocated to one location or can be spread out and shaped however the user wants purely by software control.

And that gives users a new level of flexibility, scale, and control that is generally unmatched by the traditional HTS architecture.

GSR: How are they different from the existing SES O3b satellite constellation in MEO? What advancements do these satellites offer that those did not?

Ryan Reid: When we had our media event last month, the CEO of SES, Steve Collar, referred to the introduction of these satellites as going from an iPhone One to an iPhone 12. I personally think the example should be going from a push-button telephone to an iPhone 12 or the newly introduced iPhone 13. It introduces a new level of functionality, capacity, and flexibility that is fundamentally different.

If we look at the current O3b satellites, they are very traditional satellites. The constellation includes 20 satellites, each with 10 individually steerable spot beams that connect to steerable gateway beams. SES, as the network service provider, has constraints on how they provide that connectivity to their users because of this architecture. It’s similar to what exists in traditional GEO HTS. There are users and you have gateways, and you have to connect them, which limits service providers to a certain number of set network topographies.

Looking at the O3b mPOWER satellites, the entire construct of the user and the gateway is eliminated. Instead of ten beams to connect with users and two beams for gateways, you have 5,000 beams that you can do anything with. So, there is no longer a concept of a “user” and a “gateway.”

As we began this journey with SES, we started with a more traditional network structure with users and gateways. But then, it became apparent that what they really needed was a network switch in the sky. And that caused Boeing and SES to do a hard pivot, bring in new technologies that we were developing for some time, and create something that is truly software-defined and flexible, and that functions as a layer two network switch in orbit. This gives users complete flexibility into how the network is designed and implemented, and even allows you to change it over the life of the system.

“Instead of ten beams to connect with users and two beams for gateways, you have 5,000 beams that you can do anything with. So, there is no longer a concept of a user and a gateway.” – Ryan Reid

From a hardware perspective, it’s almost like the evolution from a console television – for those of your readers older enough to remember those – to a flat panel television. You have the same functionality as the console television, but you have so much more flexibility and capability in a much smaller package.

The 702X architecture is analogous to going from that console television to the flat panel. It mimics that evolution.

GSR: What types of advanced services, capabilities, and applications could mPOWER enable for the military and government? What use cases do these organizations have for high throughput, low latency connectivity at the tactical edge?

Ryan Reid: Having the satellite constellation at MEO significantly reduces the latency. And that lower latency provides a network and connectivity that operates much like a terrestrial network. So, operating at MEO is a key enabler of many technologies and applications that require high throughputs and low latencies, even at the tactical edge.

The O3b mPOWER satellites have access to the complete 2.5 GHZ of commercial Ka-band spectrum. So, to a military or government user, these satellites can be used to deliver resilient backhaul for a localized network that is accessible to deployed forces or tactical operators. This gives them incredible flexibility to enable connectivity and access to advanced capabilities for mobile users that may not have access to terrestrial networks. It’s also flexible, so it can deliver agility on the fly for tactical requirements. They can allow users to quickly meet shifting connectivity requirements for missions, even if those missions didn’t have well-forecasted locations.

What can military and government users do with that connectivity? They certainly can use it for ISR platforms and missions.

“O3b mPOWER could enable a localized network that could enable that data to be exfiltrated in real-time and pushed to forward operating forces to ensure they have the most up-to-date data.” – Ryan Reid

One of the notable features of the O3b mPOWER design is that it has symmetric forward and return links. That gives it a great ability to backhaul data off of ISR platforms, even if those ISR platforms are highly mobile because it gives the user the ability to create coverage over a large geographic area on the fly, utilizing software.

This is something similar to what we see with the cruise ship market. Think of cruise ships as very large, easy-target ISR platforms. When cruise passengers get back on the ship from their excursions, they want to upload photos, share videos, and communicate with friends and loved ones. That creates a large return link demand which is not typically seen in networks, which are usually very forward-link driven – getting information out to people. The symmetry of the forward and return link that’s inherent in O3b mPOWER can be exploited to empower a bubble of data exfiltration.

The military may not be looking to upload tourism photos, but they would be looking to transmit large intelligence files – including HD videos and images. O3b mPOWER could enable a localized network that could enable that data to be exfiltrated in real-time and pushed to forward operating forces to ensure they have the most up-to-date data.

Another example would be morale, welfare, and recreation (MWR) services. Currently, with limited bandwidth available to them, the military has to make difficult, strategic decisions about what travels across their satellite networks. MWR data and capabilities that could enable a higher quality of life for the warfighter – such as entertainment and communications services – often need to be sacrificed for more mission-critical systems.

The scale of communication that O3b mPOWER enables opens the door for new use cases that the military may never have considered delivering at the tactical edge in their traditional, connectivity-constrained environment. O3b mPOWER is enabling ubiquitous broadband connectivity in theater, and the use cases for that are almost limitless.

For additional information about how Ob3 mPOWER can enable next-generation technologies on the battlefield, click HERE to download a complimentary copy of the whitepaper, “High Throughput Satellites for U.S. Government Applications.”

The post Ryan Reid of Boeing explains what makes the mPOWER spacecraft revolutionary appeared first on SES Space and Defense.