But there are multiple other reasons why government and military users, specifically, should be interested in SES-17. The satellite has been called, “built to deliver managed services,” at a time when the U.S. government and military are increasingly interested in moving towards purchasing satellite as a service. The system that controls and managed SES-17 is also the same that SES will leverage to manage its soon-to-be-launched O3b mPOWER MEO satellite service – opening the door for military and government users to access a multi-orbit satellite solution as a service.

To learn more about SES-17 and how it could benefit military and government organizations in need of commercial satellite communication (COMSATCOM) services, we sat down with Amit Katti and Carolyn Cuppernull of SES Space and Defense.

Government Satellite Report (GSR): In late June, SES announced that SES-17 was “fully operational.” What exactly does that mean? What transpires from satellite launch to a satellite being “fully operational?”

Carolyn Cuppernull: Fully operational suggests that the satellite has reached orbit as planned, after months of in-orbit raising and testing. This also means that the Very High Throughput Satellite (VHTS) is ready to offer managed broadband services across the Americas and the Atlantic.

SES-17 is the first satellite with a 100 percent digital payload, which means that it can be managed automatically using the SES Adaptive Resource Controller.” -Amit Katti

We can offer a flexible and cost-effective way to deliver high-quality broadband services. The SES-17 next-generation ground system is optimized for the delivery of high-throughput bandwidth that, when combined with SES-17’s advanced satellite capabilities and our service lifecycle expertise, enables the creation and delivery of tailored services.

GSR: SES-17 is considered a “high-throughput satellite (HTS).” What does that mean? How is an HTS different from a traditional satellite in GEO?

Amit Katti: Fundamentally, a high-throughput satellite (HTS) allows for frequency reuse across several spot beams, considering each of those beams can deliver hundreds of Mbps in throughput. SES-17 is a VHTS, which means that it has potential to deliver hundreds of Mbps across 200+ spot beams in a specific configuration.

In addition, SES-17 is the first satellite with a 100 percent digital payload, which means that it can be managed automatically using the SES Adaptive Resource Controller (ARC). ARC is a component that allows dynamic capacity allocation and resource management on the spacecraft.

The ARC system supports our strategy to provide a multi-orbit service using O3b mPOWER and SES-17, given that both these space assets are “managed” by ARC.

Our service offering consists of an integrated service portfolio that allows the military and government users alike to utilize the full benefits of platforms hosted on SES-17.” -Carolyn Cuppernull

SES-17 offers 200 configurable spot beams connected to 16 gateways that are capable of changing power and frequency based on the mission needs delivering increased throughout, better link optimization, and performance. SES-17 also offers HTS Ka-band GEO spot beams covering the Americas and includes unparalleled scalability, enabling the ability to increase capacity where and when it is needed without additional hardware costs.

Using global terrestrial MPLS network we can provide enterprise grade end-to-end connectivity solutions tailored to unique customer requirements.

GSR: SES-17 has been positioned as an example of two major trends or changes that we’re witnessing in how the government and military utilize commercial satellite – the movement towards shared services, and the integration of COMSATCOM services into the military’s satellite architecture. How does SES-17 align with managed services? What about this satellite makes it ideal for satellite managed services?

Carolyn Cuppernull: SES-17 was launched to primarily provide fully managed services. Our service offering consists of an integrated service portfolio that allows the military and government users alike to utilize the full benefits of platforms hosted on SES-17.

This means that SES Space and Defense will be able to provide fully operational COMSATCOM terminals on pre-defined – yet customizable – service plans that the government can fully utilize on Day 1. This also allows the end-users the flexibility to start the network small, as small as a single terminal, and ramp up the number of terminals added to a network within no time, because we have invested and stood up the hub-side architecture at multiple gateways.

In addition, the system architecture is designed that regardless of which gateway the traffic lands, it is terminated at SES Space and Defense’s Point of Presence (POP) in Ashburn and Los Angeles on the Global Terrestrial Network (GTN). From there, we are able to re-route the services to end-user locations or the internet as needed.

We add inherent security layers on top of the standard data path to make our managed services secure for the military to use.” -Amit Katti

With capacity on SES-17 offered as part of a managed service, U.S. government and military customers can use high-throughput satellite with submeter antennas. Programs like TROJAN – which utilizes small form-factor terminals – could benefit. There are also benefits for military Comms-on-the-Move (COTM) use cases.

GSR: What about the integrated commercial and military satellite and the network architecture? What about SES-17 makes it a satellite that could be easily and seamlessly utilized by the military?

Amit Katti: We add inherent security layers on top of the standard data path to make our managed services secure for the military to use. When the traffic terminates at one of SES Space and Defense’s GTN POPs, the traffic is routed on a secure network designed for the U.S. government community.

We also apply specific policies and controls defined by the U.S. government on the end-to-end network, therefore extending the security layer all the way to the end-user terminal.

Since the satellite can deliver more throughput using smaller terminals, it enables the military to spend less on HUB hardware for its Satellite Communications (SATCOM) solution. That’s critical because it enables more service availability to the warfighter.

GSR: Why does the military want these things? Why would they want to integrate COMSATCOM services into their military networks?

Carolyn Cuppernull: It comes down to efficiency and scalability. Because SES-17 offers fully managed services, the military can deploy a network for a single terminal, a cluster of terminals, or a combination of mobile and fixed terminals. The service offering and ease of deployment – is consistent across any form of deployment. This makes deployment super-fast and extremely scalable.

The COMSATCOM platforms utilized to provide these services offer high throughputs – up to 100s of Mbps per terminal. That makes for a very compelling use-case, especially for using this service for training purposes in the contiguous United States.

Cost is also an important factor. The government is always seeking a less expensive solution which supports their requirements for size, weight, power, and expense. SES-17 delivers that.

GSR: We know that SES is poised to launch the O3b mPOWER satellite service in the very near future. How will O3b mPOWER impact these two trends?

Amit Katti: SES-17 is equipped with ARC, an industry-first software system that dynamically and autonomously optimizes space and ground resources on demand.

ARC will also be integrated into O3b mPOWER, enabling managed connectivity integrated into our multi-orbit GEO-MEO fleet creating an interoperable network.

To learn more about SES-17, click HERE.

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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.”

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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.”

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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.”

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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.”

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As the military increasingly relies on data and network-enabled platforms and systems for deployed warfighters, having communication systems that are flexible and assured is essential. And, as the number and quality of sensors increases in the field, greater bandwidth becomes incredibly important.

To learn more about how a new generation of high-throughput satellite can help to meet the bandwidth and connectivity requirements of the military – and the ABMS program – we sat down with Jim Hooper, SES Space and Defense’ Chief Commercial Officer and a Corporate Vice President. During our conversation, we asked Jim why ABMS is so critical to our future forces, why low-latency, high-throughput connectivity from satellites in MEO orbit are an important part of meeting military connectivity requirements, and the innovation that this new relationship between the Air Force and SES will bring to bear for the warfighter.

Here is what he had to say:

Government Satellite Report (GSR):  What is the ABMS? Is this something completely new, or is it replacing an existing system or systems within the Air Force and DoD?

Jim Hooper:  ABMS is a new program, but it is designed to address a long-standing and enduring requirement – delivering advanced and interoperable battle management and C2 capabilities to the U.S. military.

One of the things that is exciting about ABMS is that it reflects a mindset of accelerating the adoption of new technologies and capabilities into the Air Force, which includes exploiting advanced commercial systems and technologies, and extend that across the Department of Defense (DoD) at large.

Oftentimes, DoD procurements take many years. ABMS is all about collapsing acquisition timelines with rapid testing of technologies for rapid adoption and fielding. This is particularly important given that commercial technologies are evolving very quickly in areas like satellite communications and cloud capabilities.

GSR:  Why is the ABMS important today? What has changed in how we conduct operations and fight battles that makes this necessary?

Jim Hooper:  The concept of rapid testing and fielding of new capabilities has always existed within DoD. But for the past two decades, there has been a focus on counterterrorism, counterinsurgency, and stability operations missions.

As the U.S. defense strategy has evolved to address the challenge of near-peer threats, programs like ABMS are helping posture the U.S. military and our allies for the demands of the future.

ABMS is enabled by the US Space Force’s Fighting SATCOM Concept and Enterprise SATCOM Architecture.  In turn, ABMS enable the Joint Warfighting Concept (JWC) for all-domain operations, improving interoperability and enabling capabilities from all the services to operate simultaneously, effectively, and with the unity of effort in air, land, sea, space, cyber, and the electromagnetic spectrum.

GSR:  Why is satellite an essential part of the ABMS? What role will satellite play in making this system function and operate optimally?

Jim Hooper:  A core tenant of ABMS is that every platform is potentially a sensor and can be tied to each other to help provide a greater picture of the battlespace. Drawn to its logical conclusion, that extends to every aircraft, every ship, ground vehicles, dismounted soldiers, unattended sites, etc.  There are several short-range communications links that will help tie all these platforms together, but in aggregate they will be deployed over such large distances where satellite communications (SATCOM) are necessary.

SATCOM solutions will connect the remote platforms to provide critical data to centralized processing and cloud processing centers, as well as back out to field headquarters and areas of engagement to act on that information. SATCOM will distribute vital C2 and targeting information to remote sites, at the same time as headquarters sites, allowing parallel and simultaneous process.

GSR:  As part of the recent announcement that SES has been chosen to provide satellite services for the ABMS, the company’s multidomain satellite constellations were touted. Why is having satellites in multiple domains important for this system? What resiliency and mission assurance benefits does this deliver?

Jim Hooper:  For military requirements, a multi-domain solution is always preferred over a single solution, particularly given that a military network is only as strong as its weakest link. Of course, potential adversaries continue to adapt and field their own new capabilities, so the situation also changes over time. If all the communications links are reliant on one satellite – or one satellite network – that may suffice for a large part of the time. But if that link or that constellation becomes unavailable or overloaded for whatever reason, backups or alternates are immediately required.

Most communications links already have built-in backup and redundancy links so this is nothing new. What is unique about the SES’ capabilities is that we have global SATCOM solutions in multiple frequency bands (Ku-, Ka-, C, and X-band) and multiple orbits with our geostationary (GEO) and medium earth orbit (MEO) constellations.

Our networks are open architecture and multi-domain by design. This provides resiliency and redundancy for vital communications links. It also provides much higher data rate surge and expanded geographic coverage capabilities that might not exist with other systems.

Also of critical importance, SES is at the forefront of deploying new satellite technologies and systems. Building upon the existing GEO and MEO capabilities currently supporting DoD missions today, SES will next launch an advanced MEO constellation in 2021 called O3b mPOWER with advanced capabilities that are directly relevant to U.S. Air Force, DoD, and coalition/allied requirements.

The ABMS program provides a tailor-made mechanism to experiment with both current and future SATCOM capabilities and identifying the most promising capabilities for rapid integration into the DoD.

GSR:  What about the ability to utilize MEO satellite services? Is low-latency, high-bandwidth connectivity necessary for this system? Why or why not?

Jim Hooper:  MEO (Medium Earth Orbit) satellites are very unique and SES operates the world’s only broadband MEO satellite constellation. MEO essentially has the best of both worlds when talking about LEO (Low Earth Orbit) and traditional GEO satellite networks. MEO satellites have much less latency than GEO satellites, which is critical to real-time cloud computing, Artificial Intelligence (AI) analyses, and targeting information.

“One of the things that is exciting about ABMS is that it reflects a mindset of accelerating the adoption of new technologies and capabilities into the Air Force, which includes exploiting advanced commercial systems and technologies…” – Jim Hooper

The use of many steerable spot beams on the MEO satellites also provides very focused coverage areas for increased anti-jam resiliency, and the MEO satellites are moving which also increases the jamming sophistication needed vs. GEO. MEO beams also typically have much higher performance.

MEO performance allows much higher data rates for rapidly evolving modern ISR sensors and platforms with multiple sensors. It also enables more users in a beam area, or higher capacity-density, than would be typically available on a GEO satellite. This capacity density is critical to warfighters and their C2.

GSR:  Once the ABMS is launched, what will the battlefield of the future look like? How will sensors, warfighters, and satellites converge to make our soldiers more effective?

Jim Hooper:  Satellite communications are evolving rapidly and the capabilities for the end-user are evolving just as rapidly. A good analogy is provided by cellular phones, and how that technology has evolved over the last 10-20 years.

Cellular started where we all just made a telephone call. Then capabilities improved a little bit to add texting, which was widely adopted by users. Then we could use our cell phones to send emails and attachments and people changed their behavior to depend on cell systems for work and personal information sharing. Then technology jumped to passing video over cellular devices and now it’s all about apps. There are more people using apps on phones than talking on phones, which is where it all started.

In a similar manner, the satellite industry is rapidly creating technologies that will deliver “apps” in much the same ways. It’s not just about broadcast or point-to-point connectivity in remote areas. It’s about ubiquitous coverage and “apps” capabilities to millions of users. The convergence of these technologies will enable new military CONOPS, tactics, techniques, and procedures in the future, many of which can’t be fully envisioned today.

SES Space and Defense is a leader in delivering advanced C2 capabilities to the U.S. military today, and with programs like ABMS, we can continue bringing the latest technologies and systems to U.S. military end-users.

For additional information on how SES is supporting the Air Force ABMS program CLICK HERE.

Featured image courtesy of U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Daniel Garcia.

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To address some of the challenges of keeping troops ubiquitously connected, the military has traditionally turned to satellites to deliver communications and connectivity to deployed warfighters. But the size and weight of ground infrastructure and terminals – and challenges caused by limited throughputs and high latency – have often kept satellites from providing connectivity and communications. This is especially true for warfighters that are on the move.

Soldiers need mobility. They also could benefit from network-enabled capabilities on the move. However, they do not need the increased weight of large, heavy satellite terminals, and antennas, nor their large power requirements. This is a problem because there are critical advantages of an empowered soldier with access to advanced mission command capabilities across all warfighting functions, near real-time decisiveness, and the ability to mature capabilities in theater.

When soldiers are away from the forward operating base, it would be incredibly useful for them to have the same access to applications and IT capabilities that they have on base. Situational awareness applications in the hands of our warfighters is critical. Access to cloud data and services, geo intelligence, full communications, including voice, text, and video represent key advantages that will be available to keep warfighters connected and informed.

Thankfully, new satellite hardware – including flat panel, Electronically Steerable Array (ESA), and phased array antennas – is entering the marketplace that is reducing the size and weight of satellite ground infrastructure and hardware. Unfortunately, these flat panel, ESA and phased array antennas are not as effective as traditional parabolic antennas. But, stronger, more concentrated beams are helping to counter that problem.

Major satellite advancements could lead to high bandwidth communications being available to warfighters on the move. One of these new advancements involves the construction and launch of a new generation of satellite that is capable of delivering massive throughputs from the Medium Earth Orbit (MEO). This new satellite service, O3b mPOWER, is slated to be available early in 2022, and will be launched and operated by satellite communications provider SES.

The sheer power of these satellites makes it possible to address one of the largest stumbling-blocks to using satellite for “comms on the move” in the past – the size of the antenna and ground hardware.

With such a powerful satellite, it is now possible to employ smaller, flat panel, phased array antennas that track satellites through the sky. This means that the size and weight of satellite hardware is no longer a limiting factor. These advancements, and the utilization of O3b MEO and 03b mPOWER, will allow the military to bring to bear empowered, informed, and nimble warfighters and maintain a significant advantage in combat theater.

O3b mPOWER also employs digital beams that are customizable and steerable. This gives customers the ability to determine the size of the pipe based on present requirements. Coupled with the reduced latency, this allows for all “at-home” technologies to be employed for expeditionary and mobile communications.

Today’s warfighter is facing a new generation of near-peer adversary. To gain and keep a tactical edge over these adversaries, the DoD is moving towards a hyper-enabled warfighter that relied on network-enabled platforms and capabilities. Satellite is essential for delivering the necessary connectivity for these systems, but that has traditionally come with limitations that hampered the ability to truly embrace comms on the move. But, thanks to O3b mPOWER and a new generation of ground hardware, those limitations are being erased and true, high throughput comms on the move are about to become possible.

For additional information about O3b mPOWER and what it can do for the military, click HERE.

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The panel was moderated by C4ISTNET Editor, Mike Gruss, and featured a list of space experts, including:

• James Comfort, Principal Deputy Director, Geospatial Intelligence Systems Acquisition Directorate, National Reconnaissance Office
• Col. Steve Butow, Space Portfolio Director, Defense Innovation Unit
• Victoria Samson, Washington Office Director, Secure World Foundation
• Pete Hoene, President and CEO, SES Space and Defense

During that discussion, the panelists talked about how America could be embroiled in a new, 21^st Century Space Race. Unlike the previous Space Race, which was all about getting a man into space and onto the Moon first, this Space Race involves the development and deployment of satellite capabilities and networks. Also unlike the previous Space Race, the panelists seem to believe that there was a real chance that America could lose.

Unfortunately for the United States, the near-peer adversaries that we’re currently racing against are gaining on us. But the U.S. government and military could have an ace up their sleeve in the form of the commercial satellite industry, which is currently innovating and advancing space and satellite capabilities at a breakneck pace.

Acquisition and funding challenges create bottleneck
Keeping the military’s technological edge is becoming increasingly difficult. The United States simply doesn’t play by the same rules as its adversaries.

While the United States has a clear delineation between the private companies spearheading innovation and the country’s government, military and national defense organizations, adversaries such as Russia and China do not. Our adversaries also have less stringent oversight on spending and fewer hurdles keeping them from acquiring the technologies and solutions they need.

As Col. Butow explained, “[The United States] work[s] in one-year steps. Our adversaries don’t. They want it, they buy it and employ it tomorrow. If we’re too late for the FY 2020 [National Defense Authorization Act], we’ll have to get it in 2021.”

Combined, these factors could contribute to the United States running a Space Race against extremely advanced, near-peer adversaries with its legs bound. And while the country may have enjoyed a head-start, the restrictions and limitations that it uniquely faces could have the other runners breathing down our necks in no time.

The problem was explained by Victoria Samson, who said:

“There is a recognition over the past couple of decades that the way that military space has been developed and acquired is not current…the government is trying to figure out how we handle that. We see that in Congress right now. The appropriators want one thing, the authorizers want another. They’re probably not going to get it sorted anytime soon. It’s a time of change, and our institutional processes are struggling to keep up.”

Overcoming the acquisition hurdle
Historically, the government and military have treated the acquisition of satellite capacity and services the way they would any other commodity. Satellite capacity has been bought on the spot market, which often costs more. However, the extra cost isn’t the largest problem with acquiring satellite this way – it’s the lack of cooperation and collaboration with the satellite industry that results from spot purchases that is really hindering the government.

The government and military could benefit greatly by working hand-in-hand with the satellite industry in a collaborative, consultative environment. By sharing their challenges and requirements more fully and working collaboratively with industry to address them, the government would effectively gain access to an innovative partner that could help them identify new and different approaches and technologies to help them overcome their problems.

To make this a reality, the government and military would have to rethink its approach and relationship with the satellite industry. This was a sentiment that was expressed and championed by the panelists – many of which urged the government to work more closely with the space and satellite industry, move to embrace more public-private partnerships and work to give the military more freedom and flexibility in how it spends dollars.

Along these lines, Mr. Hoene called for increased, clearer communications between government customers and commercial owners/operators when he said, “If there’s a way to share some of the threat requirements and demand signals…[commercial SATCOM providers] can get the investors in our companies to pursue new and innovative capabilities to meet emerging U.S. government threat characteristics. Industry can bring a lot to the table if we ask the right questions and we’re given the proper answers.”

Discussions at the C4ISRNET Conference showed there is a new Space Race ongoing – but this one has more participants than the one previously won by the United States. While our military has a head start, it’s quickly evaporating. If the U.S. is going to keep its technological offset, commercial industry is going to be the key. Military leaders and Congress need to make it easier and faster for decision makers to purchase and acquire the innovative solutions they need.

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While much of the discussion at this year’s conference was focused on new, disruptive technologies the government and military are looking to embrace on-base and in the field – including mobility, IoT, AI and Big Data – there were two other incredibly poignant and important trends identified that are occurring in space.

These trends were identified and discussed during a panel discussion entitled, “Capitalizing on the commercial space renaissance.” The panel was moderated by C4ISTNET Editor, Mike Gruss, and featured a list of space experts, including:

• James Comfort, Principal Deputy Director, Geospatial Intelligence Systems Acquisition Directorate, National Reconnaissance Office
• Col. Steve Butow, Space Portfolio Director, Defense Innovation Unit
• Victoria Samson, Washington Office Director, Secure World Foundation
• Pete Hoene, President and CEO, SES Space and Defense

What were the trends? The first was the advent of a new space renaissance, and the second was the potential resurrection of the Space Race, which dominated headlines and stretched the imaginations of people around the globe for a large part of the 20^th century.

Let’s look at each of these trends individually, although they are inherently linked.

A new Space Race?
it was just a little more than half a century since the United States and the former Soviet Union were working to out-science and out-spend each other in an attempt to make it into space and onto the Moon first. Now, 62 years after Sputnik, the starting gun may have been fired to begin a new Space Race. And it’s no longer being run between two parties.

For much of the past few decades, space has been a benign environment for the United States. We have utilized it to deliver capabilities and communications to the warfighter without a significant threat to our space assets. But, as Pete Hoene pointed out, “Space is not a safe haven…it’s a warfighting domain. Right now, China and Russia threaten our actions in space.”

This is a problem for the U.S., which has historically enjoyed a technological edge over adversaries thanks in large part to its space assets. However, with the emergence of threats in space, and with adversaries once again investing and innovating in space capabilities, that technological edge could be evaporating.

This was well articulated by Col. Steve Butow when he said, “…we use technology as our offset. If we lose our technological offset, we have to fight a fair fight, and that’s not what we want to do. We want to have technological capabilities that keep us in a dominant position in all domains.”

This is where the commercial space and satellite industry could help, and where the next trend, the new space renaissance, could factor in.

A renaissance in satellite technology
After decades of innovation and invention in space being driven by the United States government, things have shifted, and private industry has taken over in both innovation and investment. Today, satellite owners and operators are rapidly expanding constellations, introducing new satellite technologies with drastically increased throughputs and putting satellites in new orbits. And this is all creating new capabilities and tools that the government can implement and benefit from.

As Mr. Hoene explained, “62 years ago, Sputnik was launched and it created the biggest space race we’ll ever see between the U.S. and the former Soviet Union. In the following 50 years, we spent a lot of money in the U.S. government. Over the past ten years, what we’ve found is that commercial has taken over in terms of investment and innovation.”

The introduction of these new technologies and new orbits means that high-throughput satellites (HTS) are now available on orbits closer to the Earth’s surface – including MEO and LEO. The result are incredible throughputs and bandwidth with significantly lower latency since the signal has to physically travel a shorter distance.

Not only can these new satellites meet the high-bandwidth, low-latency requirements of today’s innovative IT solutions, they also have the added benefit of helping increase the resiliency of America’s satellite infrastructure through disaggregation and diversification. As Mr. Hoene explained, “Think about how that would confuse and complicate the enemy’s targeting calculus if you’re looking at 150-plus satellites [operated by commercial owner/operators] as well as the ten WGS satellites. Then think about a multi-orbit approach, where you have LEO and MEO in play and how that can help with overall resilience.”

This ability to increase capacity and resiliency has many military leaders and industry executives advocating for a military satellite network architecture that incorporates both military assets and commercial services. And, based on the following from James Comfort, appears to be the future direction for the military:

“We don’t think it’s a ‘one size fits all.’ LEO does good stuff. MEO does good stuff. GEO does good stuff. What we need to [identify] is, what’s the right thing in MEO? What’s the right thing in LEO? What’s the right thing in GEO? We will probably end up with a mixture…”

Exciting talks of improved resiliency through a combined, integrated architecture are only superseded by the potential for innovation. The speed of development in the space industry drastically outpaces the development within the government and military.

This stark difference in pace of innovation was laid bare by Mr. Hoene who explained, “It takes [commercial providers] two to three years to identify the requirements for a satellite, get it on a launch pad and get it on orbit. The hosted payload, CHIRP, which was hosted on one of our satellites took about three years from contract award to on-orbit capability. The commercial space community…is able to turn around things in a couple of years when purpose built systems for the Department of Defense could take eight to ten years.”

By embracing commercial solutions and integrating commercial into the military’s space architecture, the government is expediting its speed of adoption for new, innovative satellite technologies. This means that commercial technologies, solutions and services could give the technological edge back to the U.S. military in today’s Space Race. But only if they can acquire commercial solutions in an efficient and timely manner.

In part two of our C4ISRNET Conference coverage, we’ll look at the acquisition challenges facing the military and some of the innovative ways for improving the government’s satellite acquisition processes, as suggested by the panelists.

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• Ken Mentasti, Director of NextGen Systems Development at SES Networks
• Will Lewis, Senior Legal Counsel at SES Networks
• Mike Blefko, Vice President Business Development at SES Space and Defense

During our conversation, we discussed the FCC approval, the real impact that it will have on the O3b constellation, why this is so important to SES, and why government users should consider the impact of the next generation global fleet, called O3b mPOWER, set to launch in 2021. Here is what they had to say:

Government Satellite Report (GSR): The FCC recently gave SES its blessing to expand the O3b equatorial system to a global system. What does that mean? How are these two things different?

Will Lewis: Effectively, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) gave us market access and the ability to serve the United States using additional satellites in the space above the United States. Currently, we have 16 Ka Band O3b MEO satellites in equatorial orbit that are authorized by the FCC. This most recent grant gives us the ability to expand that number dramatically.

That’s the first important takeaway from this announcement – an expansion in the number of satellites in the O3b constellation.

What could be even more impactful in the long run is that this grant gives SES the authority to deploy MEO satellites in two different orbits – equatorial orbit and inclined orbit.

That means the O3b satellite constellation could be expanded to deliver coverage from the equator all the way to the poles. This will enable global coverage – the ability to deliver MEO-enabled, high throughput, low latency connectivity virtually anywhere on Earth.

Ken Mentasti: The O3b satellite constellation is evolving, and a new generation of MEO satellites that offer more customization, flexibility and bandwidth than the previous satellites are going to be launched in the near future. This signals a major paradigm shift. The launch of these new satellites and the expansion of the constellation – as enabled by this FCC approval – essentially means that thousands of highly flexible global beamformed beams offering configurable bandwidths and routing will soon be available to deliver connectivity for satellite customers – government or otherwise.

GSR: What motivated SES Networks to pursue expanding the O3b constellation and making it a global system? What is driving demand?

Ken Mentasti: Demand for the O3b satellite constellation has been extremely high. In fact, it will soon outpace the available coverage and bandwidth that exists today. A large part of that is due to a demand for real time applications across all of our market segments. There is incredible demand for high throughput connectivity – ranging from aeronautical and maritime connectivity to services supporting mobile network operators and government customers.

Ultimately, it comes down to what MEO offers – high capacity to practically anywhere on the globe with low latency and with incredible reliability. It comes down to being able to deliver connectivity in places that GEO, fiber or microwave can’t service or can’t service as well.

Mike Blefko: While I cannot speak on behalf of the USG, the services that the O3b constellation offers to our military end users greatly expand the mission capabilities at austere remote locations.  Delivery of terabyte-sized files in a few hours, simultaneous viewing of multiple HD video feeds, 4GLTE over last mile communications links and enterprise utilization of cloud-based applications are the differentiating services enabled by MEO satellites.  All this at a total cost of ownership that is significantly less than historical VSAT services.

GSR: What will a global O3b constellation mean for government users? What capabilities will this give them that they wouldn’t receive from an equatorial system?

Ken Mentasti: Multiple HD video feeds from a single platform can help the military with ISR and intelligence gathering by disseminating actionable intelligence and information to the government user. The applications are almost limitless. In fact, many applications don’t even exist yet that can take advantage of the bandwidth we’ll be capable of delivering. This kind of bandwidth can become a driver of future innovation by eliminating limitations.

The expansion of the O3b MEO constellation can enable global Ka band coverage that can be flexibly allocated globally that has the capability to route traffic wherever and whenever the government needs it. These new satellites will apply the latest and greatest security and encryption. Their steerable beams will be key for risk avoidance and for avoiding interference. And the size of the constellation will give it baked-in resiliency.

All of these things are essential for government and military applications.

Mike Blefko:  The current MEO O3b constellation of 16 satellites that will grow to 20 in 2019 has provided our government users with unmatched throughput (600×600 Mbps) at low latency (<150msec). The next-generation O3b mPOWER system in 2021 will increase this throughput by 10 fold over a gateway-less architecture.  Truly ‘anywhere to anywhere’ connectivity will unleash another satellite industry paradigm shift to make the untethered user more capable, more effective, more productive, and more empowered.

GSR: What is the timeline for the launch of the O3b global satellite system? How long before this is available for government users?

Will Lewis: As is standard with FCC approvals of NGSO systems, SES is required to launch at least half of the 26 additional satellites within six years to maintain the approval.

Those new satellites would all be the next generation of our MEO satellites — O3b mPOWER — with advanced technologies, higher throughput, additional flexibility and increased bandwidth. In addition, the satellites are authorized to operate for both Ka and V band. The initial O3b mPOWER launches are targeted for 2021 and are expected to be for equatorial satellites.

During the course of those six years, SES will be actively assessing the market for satellites in inclined orbit and will respond according to market demand.

To learn more about the ways that commercial satellite services are being used within the military, download the following resources:

• “A New Era of Connectivity” MEO White Paper
• MEO video: “Knowing makes all the difference”
• “High Throughput on the High Seas” White Paper

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