ATLAS Space Operations recently completed the successful operational integration of a Department of Defense (DoD) antenna through ATLAS’ Freedom Software Platform – demonstrating true hybrid network capability. Hybrid Space Architecture (HSA) has long been a sought-after capability. This technology allows the linking of the Department of Defense, Civil Government, private agencies, and commercial satellite ground stations into a single, global software-defined network.

As part of an effort to prove operational HSA capability, ATLAS enabled a DoD satellite mission operations center to access both its assigned DoD ground station and a network of public commercial ground stations using a single seamless software interface. The ATLAS antenna network management software, Freedom™, empowers US government satellite operators to build and control government-only antenna network enclaves while also enabling rapid access to external commercial ground station networks for resiliency, redundancy, or reduced data latency.

“This is a critical step forward in hybrid network infrastructure, one that goes beyond commercial augmentation by simultaneously enabling network expansion across government agencies,” said John Williams, CEO of ATLAS. “Hybrid Space Architecture allows DoD and government agencies to continue building out their global networks while providing them the much needed secure, resilient access to global commercial networks like ours.”

When managed by Freedom, government ground antenna equipment “orphaned” by the end of a contract or practically idle due to suboptimal utilization can be returned to use or more efficiently utilized. Government equipment can be segregated between agencies or federated across multiple organizations to improve cross-utilization and reduce total government costs. Connections to commercial network providers are enabled for all government users allowing agencies to build and modify “hybrid” ground architectures across disparate government and commercial networks.

Freedom software also enables satellite operators in the mission control center to execute time-sensitive and ad-hoc network tasking in response to crisis or contingency. The software’s user interface provides satellite operators with the information they need to rapidly identify and access available time and locations across the hybrid network of antennas within minutes.

When combined with wider access to ground stations, satellite operators empowered with Freedom can adapt and respond far more rapidly to dynamic conditions in the space domain.