In collaboration with Pentagon’s Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), startup network firm Aalyria has reportedly showcased its cutting-edge Spacetime software. This software manages the flow of communication among various Defense Department and commercial satellites. DIU’s concept regarding a hybrid space architecture along with Defense Department’s plans for Combined Joint All Domain Command and Control (CJADC2) were substantiated by Aalyria’s recent demo.

CEO Chris Taylor references the demonstration as a benchmark in the field. The proposed hybrid space architecture aims to combine military and commercial satellites to create a jam-resistant internet in space, while CJADC2 intends to integrate allies into a planned sensor-to-shooter communications network for near real-time targeting in next-gen conflicts. Despite DIU refraining from commenting, Taylor asserts that their software corroborates that these concepts can indeed be executed.

The demonstration used a multibendor, multioperator, multiorbit SATCOM network supported by Aalyria’s Spacetime to operate across secure DoD and multiple commercial locations. The software manifested connected services restoration and network resources reallocation within seconds of an unexpected satellite loss, jamming effects, terrestrial fibre outages, and end-to-end data rate, latency and priority requirement alterations. Partners for DIU’s demonstration include commercial satellite providers OneWeb, Intelsat and Viasat; SATCOM systems provider Comtech; the Army’s XVIII Airborne Corps; the European Space Agency (ESA); and NRL.

Aalyria likens Spacetime’s operations to an early 20th-century call centre. However, instead of humans, machine intelligences handle new connection requests almost instantly, considering the physics of orbiting satellites, Earth’s weather conditions and possible obstructions. As opposed to the current Department of Defense (DoD) systems that can take hours to days to reroute communications from one satellite network to another, Spacetime can execute these shifts in a much more efficient manner. The software alert users about upcoming issues such as possible link obstruction due to topographic features.

Highlighting the benefits of Spacetime, Aalyria stresses that it contains open-source adaptors, which lets any current satellite network to connect easily. This appeals greatly to DoD officials as they strive to prevent vendor lock and establish a bridge between old and new networks for CJADC2.

In conclusion, the Defense Innovation Unit along with the Space Warfighting Analysis Center (SWAC), Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), and Space Development Agency (SDA) had awarded Aalyria contracts for developing the baseline tech for a future Hybrid Space Architecture in July 2022.

Source: Startup Aalyria demos SATCOM software for DIU ‘hybrid network’.