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Luxembourg, 22 October 2020. – Kratos Defense & Security Solutions launched OpenSpace, a platform for the software-based creation of virtual ground systems, the Nasdaq-listed U.S. company said.
OpenSpace is a software platform and family of virtual products that enable satellite operators and ground service providers to create fully software-defined, dynamic ground systems, Kratos said. OpenSpace intends to enhance the adaptability, resiliency, security and reliability of ground systems.
“OpenSpace is a leap forward in ground network technologies that allows operators to apply advances in Software-Defined Networking (SDN) to the special needs of the space industry,” Kratos said. “SDN technology is already common in the broader communications and IT worlds, however adoption of SDN has been slower in the space industry, in large part because of the unique challenges of virtualizing Radio Frequency (RF) equipment and reliably digitizing the RF waves that are the staple of satellite operations.”
Kratos claims to have solved these challenges by virtualizing hardware components and reliably digitizing radio frequency signals for processing in digital environments. The new platform now adds “the orchestration, control and management capabilities that can create truly dynamic ground systems in which practically every element of the network potentially can become software-defined – almost all except the satellite and antenna”, the San Diego/California-based company said.
