Space represents the
next frontier for cloud computing, and Microsoft’s unique approach to
partnerships with pioneering companies in the space industry means together we
can build platforms and tools that foster significant leaps forward, helping us
gain deeper insights from the data gleaned from space.
One of the primary
challenges for this industry is the sheer amount of data available from
satellites and the infrastructure required to bring this data to ground,
analyze the data and then transport it to where it’s needed. With almost 3,000
new satellites forecast to launch by 20261 and
a threefold increase in the number of small satellite launches per year, the
magnitude of this challenge is growing rapidly.
Essentially, this is
the ultimate intelligent edge scenario – where massive amounts of data must be
processed at the edge – whether that edge is in space or on the ground. Then
the data can be directed to where it’s needed for further analytics or combined
with other data sources to make connections that simply weren’t possible
before.
DIU chooses Microsoft
and Ball Aerospace for space analytics
To help with these
challenges, the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) just selected Microsoft and Ball
Aerospace to build a solution demonstrating agile cloud processing capabilities
in support of the U.S. Air Force’s Commercially Augmented Space Inter Networked
Operations (CASINO) project.
With the aim of making
satellite data more actionable more quickly, Ball Aerospace and Microsoft
teamed up to answer the question: “what would it take to completely transform
what a ground station looks like, and downlink that data directly to the
cloud?”
The solution involves
placing electronically steered flat panel antennas on the roof of a Microsoft
datacenter. These phased array antennas don’t require much power and need only
a couple of square meters of roof space. This innovation can connect multiple low earth orbit (LEO) satellites with a single antenna aperture, significantly
accelerating the delivery rate of data from satellite to end user with data
piped directly into Microsoft Azure from the rooftop array.
Analytics for a
massive confluence of data
Azure provides the
foundational engine for Ball Aerospace algorithms in this project, processing
worldwide data streams from up to 20 satellites. With the data now in Azure,
customers can direct that data to where it best serves the mission need,
whether that’s moving it to Azure Government to meet compliance requirements
such as ITAR or combining it with data from other sources, such as weather and
radar maps, to gain more meaningful insights.
In working with
Microsoft, Steve Smith, Vice President and General Manager, Systems Engineering
Solutions at Ball Aerospace called this type of data processing system, which
leverages Ball phased array technology and imagery exploitation algorithms in
Azure, “flexible and scalable – designed to support additional satellites and
processing capabilities. This type of data processing in the cloud provides
actionable, relevant information quickly and more cost-effectively to the end
user.”
With Azure, customers
gain its advanced analytics capabilities such as Azure Machine Learning and
Azure AI. This enables end users to build models and make predictions based on
a confluence of data coming from multiple sources, including multiple
concurrent satellite feeds. Customers can also harness Microsoft’s global fiber
network to rapidly deliver the data to where it’s needed using services such as
ExpressRoute and ExpressRoute Global Reach. In addition,
ExpressRoute now enables customers to ingest satellite data from several
new connectivity partners to address the challenges of
operating in remote locations.
For tactical units in
the field, this technology can be replicated to bring information to where it’s
needed, even in disconnected scenarios. As an example, phased array antennas
mounted to a mobile unit can pipe data directly into a tactical datacenter or
Data Box Edge appliance, delivering unprecedented situational awareness in
remote locations.
A similar approach can
be used for commercial applications, including geological exploration and
environmental monitoring in disconnected or intermittently connected scenarios.
Ball Aerospace specializes in weather satellites, and now customers can more
quickly get that data down and combine it with locally sourced data in Azure,
whether for agricultural, ecological, or disaster response scenarios.
This partnership with
Ball Aerospace enables us to bring satellite data to ground and cloud faster
than ever, leapfrogging other solutions on the market. Our joint innovation in
direct satellite-to-cloud communication and accelerated data processing
provides the Department of Defense, including the Air Force, with entirely new
capabilities to explore as they continue to advance their mission.
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