{"id":34881,"date":"2020-01-28T00:34:47","date_gmt":"2020-01-28T00:34:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2020\/01\/28\/lockheed-martin-experiments-with-a-mesh-network-in-space\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T18:21:35","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T18:21:35","slug":"lockheed-martin-experiments-with-a-mesh-network-in-space","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/space\/2020\/01\/28\/lockheed-martin-experiments-with-a-mesh-network-in-space\/","title":{"rendered":"Lockheed Martin experiments with a mesh network in space"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">An experimental Lockheed Martin payload launched in December will test new cloud networking capabilities that could be of interest to the Pentagon, which wants to develop its own mesh network in low-Earth orbit by 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Developed in just nine months, the company\u2019s Pony Express 1 mission will test new capabilities enabled by software-defined technology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The military has grown increasingly interested in building an on-orbit computing capability that can use the vast amount of data satellite sensors collect for new missions, including Beyond Line of Sight targeting and tracking hypersonic weapons.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/battlefield-tech\/2019\/07\/03\/the-pentagons-new-space-agency-has-an-idea-about-the-future\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"199\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Cover_1.jpg_270c7f.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">The Pentagon\u2019s new space agency has an idea about the future<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">A new document from the Space Development Agency provides an early glimpse of how it wants to organize it&#039;s next generation space architecture.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Satellites can fulfill a number of unique missions through their vantage on orbit, but at the end of the day, most of the data they collect is processed on the ground.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Historically, the reason for this was simple: The size, weight and power restrictions of placing satellites on orbit precluded any excess payloads or components. So instead of hosting computing components on orbit to process the torrent of data collected by sensors, satellites downlink the data to a ground station for processing. Some companies have sought to speed up this process either by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.c4isrnet.com\/battlefield-tech\/space\/2019\/09\/26\/a-pentagon-experiment-to-process-to-the-torrent-of-data-from-space\/\" target=_blank>downlinking data directly into the cloud<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.c4isrnet.com\/battlefield-tech\/space\/2020\/01\/24\/a-new-satellite-to-produce-imagery-for-the-intelligence-community\/\" target=_blank>using other satellites to transmit data<\/a> to a ground station not accessible to the original satellite, but the model remains the same \u2014 collect data in space and then deliver it to a terrestrial network for processing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That status quo works for most missions, but there is a growing demand to change that dynamic, especially from the Pentagon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Driving that demand is a new threat: hypersonic weapons. Those weapons are capable of evading a number of sensors purpose-built to detect ballistic missiles. To counter the threat, some at the Pentagon envision a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.c4isrnet.com\/battlefield-tech\/2019\/08\/06\/the-small-sat-solution-to-hypersonic-weapons-explained\/\" target=_blank>space-based sensor layer comprised of dozens of satellites in low earth orbit <\/a>(LEO) that can track those weapons as they traverse the globe, seamlessly passing off tracking data to other sensors as the threat moves on from one sensor\u2019s field of view and into another\u2019s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That\u2019s the purpose of the Hypersonic and Ballistic Tracking Space Sensor, a system being developed by the Missile Defense Agency in coordination with the Space Development Agency. The head of the MDA has dismissed the development of sensors for that system as a solvable engineering issue \u2014 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.c4isrnet.com\/battlefield-tech\/space\/2019\/10\/09\/the-data-challenge-of-space-based-hypersonics-defense\/\" target=_blank>the real challenge is connecting those sensors through a network<\/a> and providing enough on-orbit computing power to fuse the data and task the satellites accordingly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The SDA wants to build a \u201cTransport Layer\u201d of satellites to do just that. The agency has asked industry to weigh in on the optical intersatellite links that will enable the basic network and expects to have an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.c4isrnet.com\/battlefield-tech\/space\/2020\/01\/21\/one-military-space-agencys-plan-for-1000-new-satellites-by-2026\/\" target=_blank>initial wave of satellites on orbit in 2022<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Though privately funded, Lockheed Martin\u2019s experimental payload could feed into those efforts. The company is one of the major manufacturers of Department of Defense satellites. Pony Express 1 will no doubt inform its interaction with the SDA and other stakeholders as they work toward establishing a mesh network in LEO.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2142\" height=\"702\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Tyvak_Wings_Deployed_1.jpg.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-75944\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Tyvak_Wings_Deployed_1.jpg.jpg 2142w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Tyvak_Wings_Deployed_1.jpg.jpg?resize=300,98 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Tyvak_Wings_Deployed_1.jpg.jpg?resize=768,252 768w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Tyvak_Wings_Deployed_1.jpg.jpg?resize=1024,336 1024w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Tyvak_Wings_Deployed_1.jpg.jpg?resize=1536,503 1536w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Tyvak_Wings_Deployed_1.jpg.jpg?resize=2048,671 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2142px) 100vw, 2142px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Pony Express 1 payload is hosted on Tyvak-0129, a next-generation Tyvak 6U spacecraft. (Tyvak Nano-Satellite Systems, Inc)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Launched in December as a payload aboard the Tyvak-0129 spacecraft, the Pony Express 1 nanosat is on a pathfinder mission for the company. According to Lockheed Martin, Pony Express 1 and its successors will test new space-based computing capabilities that could enable on-orbit artificial intelligence, data analytics, cloud networking and advanced satellite communications. The payload features the company\u2019s HiveStar software, which \u201cvalidates advanced adaptive mesh communications between satellites, shared processing capabilities and can take advantage of sensors aboard other smart satellites to customize missions in new ways previously difficult to achieve in space.\u201d The payload also includes a software-defined radio and a 3D-printed wideband antenna.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cEarly on-orbit data show Pony Express 1 is performing its important pathfinding mission very well\u201a\u201d said Rick Ambrose, executive vice president for space at Lockheed Martin. \u201cThis is the first of several rapid, self-funded experiments demonstrating our ability to systematically accelerate our customers\u2019 speed to mission while reducing risk from new technologies.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Pony Express 2 will further test cloud networking concepts with two 12U cubesats that contain ultra-scale processors, miniaturized cross-links and precision timing.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Pony Express 1 is the first of several experimental missions being conducted by Lockheed Martin to test cloud networking concepts in space, along with other software-defined capabilities.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":75942,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":23,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":[]},"categories":[160,163,36,23],"tags":[],"coauthors":[3385],"class_list":["post-34881","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-daily-news-roundup","category-military-space-report","category-newsletters","category-space"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"HSOPNMKVSBDO7DKLMQECTEHIOA","arc_canonical_url":"\/battlefield-tech\/space\/2020\/01\/28\/lockheed-martin-experiments-with-a-mesh-network-in-space\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented By:"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.0 (Yoast SEO v28.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Lockheed Martin experiments with a mesh network in space - Defense News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Pony Express 1 is the first of several experimental missions being conducted by Lockheed Martin to test cloud networking concepts in space, along with other software-defined capabilities.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/space\/2020\/01\/28\/lockheed-martin-experiments-with-a-mesh-network-in-space\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Lockheed Martin experiments with a mesh network in space\" \/>\n<meta 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