For the U.S. Air Force, the sky might be even bigger than you think. In fact, its operating space extends into low Earth orbit. And it's busier out there than we might assume.
As part of a new project aimed at making the Air Force's satellite constellations capable of more quickly adapting and updating, Austin-based Hypergiant Industries on Tuesday revealed its prototype for the first node of its Chameleon Constellation. It will operate in concert with the Air Force's Platform One.
The partnership was born after Hypergiant presented its concept to the Air Force, Hypergiant co-founder and CEO Ben Lamm told Austin Inno.
"The space industry is going through a shift from a predominantly hardware industry to one that is integrating software," he wrote in an email exchange. "Changing how satellites operate and are updated is key to digital transformation in the satellite industry."
The satellite prototype is unique in that it operates on an agile software platform that can quickly change its sensor arrays and functions, update systems with new security software and integrate AI and machine learning protocols.
The software components of the prototype were developed mostly in Hypergiant's Austin offices, with the hardware coming together in Houston.
The updated satellite concept has important implications for the Air Force, said Maj. Rob Slaughter, director of Platform One, in a statement.
“We need to be able to put assets in space as quickly as possible and then continuously improve them to maintain superiority,” he said. “In order for the U.S. to remain competitive and protect the systems that run the lives of everyday Americans, we created a solution that allows for continuous software delivery in space. The only difference between a national security system and space junk is the software that operates it."
The prototype is just the latest in a string of space-bound projects for Hypergiant. It has also worked with NASA, Army Space, DARPA and others. The company, which also makes investments in promising startups, is working on a variety of space supply chain concepts, as well as a next generation space suit helmet and other projects.
Lauren Knausenberger praised Hypergiant for its futuristic approaches to space innovations.
“They 'get' problems intuitively and then apply sophisticated research and development to test those solutions," she said in a statement shared with Inno. "We are working with them on a number of projects because the United States Air Force understands that the future of keeping Americans safe rests in having access to the best minds and most sophisticated technology."
