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Software-defined satellite enters commercial service

98 points by olvy0 4y ago

baybal2 4y ago
aaron695 4y ago
kavalg 4y ago
I wonder how much time it would take for a hacker to brick it :)
deleted 4y ago
[deleted]
solarkraft 4y ago
Correct me if I'm wrong: Isn't every satellite largely software defined? The innovation here seems to be that it's designed to facilitate a wider array of uses.
tiku 4y ago
Docker in space.
deleted 4y ago
[deleted]
freeqaz 4y ago
Are there any more details available about this satellite? Software defined" is cool, but what does that actually mean?
- enkrs 4y ago
  Normally radios are built out of discrete electronic parts using mixers, filters and paths for specific frequencies and various modulation modes. SDR on the other hand can change the modulation programmatically without changing the components and topology. Very handy in space if a new modulation standard gets adopted by some goverment agency.
  - vodou 4y ago
    This is not about SDR, it is about "software defined satellite". It is a generalization of the SDR concept, involving the whole satellite. Basically, it is about designing a more configurable satellite, suitable for a wider variety of tasks.
    - deleted 4y ago
      [deleted]
    - krisoft 4y ago
      > This is not about SDR Can the satelite in question grow software defined optics and look at things? Can it grow software defined manipulators and fix an other satelite? Can it grow a software defined solar sail? If the answer to these is no then what makes it different from a spaceborne SDR? (And for the record ain’t nothing wrong with that.)
      - adrian_b 4y ago
        According to the press release, it is just a spaceborne SDR together with a very configurable antenna array, which can be used to provide various kinds of communication links.
        ugjka 4y ago
        The main feature is that you can "beam" a very narrow beam of rf to a moving target like military convoy
        jaywalk 4y ago
        That's nothing terribly special with satellites. They've had phased array antennas for a while now.
      - vodou 4y ago
        Fair point. But I think the space industry tries to communicate something other than SDR when they are talking about software-defined satellites. E.g., satellites as a service, allowing different customers time share a satellite and use it for different purposes by making the capabilities wider.
enkrs 4y ago
Non blogspam release https://www.esa.int/Applications/Telecommunications_Integrated_Applications/Software-defined_satellite_enters_commercial_service https://www.esa.int/Applications/Telecommunications_Integrat...

98 points by olvy0 4y ago

baybal2 4y ago

aaron695 4y ago

kavalg 4y ago

I wonder how much time it would take for a hacker to brick it :)

deleted 4y ago

[deleted]

solarkraft 4y ago

Correct me if I'm wrong: Isn't every satellite largely software defined? The innovation here seems to be that it's designed to facilitate a wider array of uses.

tiku 4y ago

Docker in space.

deleted 4y ago

[deleted]

freeqaz 4y ago

Are there any more details available about this satellite? Software defined" is cool, but what does that actually mean?

enkrs 4y ago
Normally radios are built out of discrete electronic parts using mixers, filters and paths for specific frequencies and various modulation modes. SDR on the other hand can change the modulation programmatically without changing the components and topology. Very handy in space if a new modulation standard gets adopted by some goverment agency.
- vodou 4y ago
  This is not about SDR, it is about "software defined satellite". It is a generalization of the SDR concept, involving the whole satellite. Basically, it is about designing a more configurable satellite, suitable for a wider variety of tasks.
  - deleted 4y ago
    [deleted]
  - krisoft 4y ago
    > This is not about SDR Can the satelite in question grow software defined optics and look at things? Can it grow software defined manipulators and fix an other satelite? Can it grow a software defined solar sail? If the answer to these is no then what makes it different from a spaceborne SDR? (And for the record ain’t nothing wrong with that.)
    - adrian_b 4y ago
      According to the press release, it is just a spaceborne SDR together with a very configurable antenna array, which can be used to provide various kinds of communication links.
      - ugjka 4y ago
        The main feature is that you can "beam" a very narrow beam of rf to a moving target like military convoy
        jaywalk 4y ago
        That's nothing terribly special with satellites. They've had phased array antennas for a while now.
    - vodou 4y ago
      Fair point. But I think the space industry tries to communicate something other than SDR when they are talking about software-defined satellites. E.g., satellites as a service, allowing different customers time share a satellite and use it for different purposes by making the capabilities wider.

enkrs 4y ago

Non blogspam release https://www.esa.int/Applications/Telecommunications_Integrated_Applications/Software-defined_satellite_enters_commercial_service https://www.esa.int/Applications/Telecommunications_Integrat...