SAN FRANCISCO – Telesat selected Aalyria Technologies to orchestrate communications for its Lightspeed low-Earth orbit broadband network.
Under the contact announced Nov. 14, Aalyria’s Spacetime networking technology will organize the flow of data traffic in the broadband constellation for more than 10 years. The value of the contract was not disclosed.
“Partnering with an industry leader like Telesat is a big deal for Aalyria,” Brian Barritt, Aalyria chief technology officer, told SpaceNews by email. Lightspeed is “a truly next-generation constellation” with advanced technologies including hybrid orbits, optical intersatellite links, phased array antennas and data processing in space, he added.
Spacetime is designed to ensure reliable, secure communications by continuously analyzing possible data paths in complex networks. With machine learning and artificial intelligence, Spacetime creates a digital twin of Earth and space that takes into account the movement of objects, atmospheric characteristics and weather.
“Aalyria’s Spacetime orchestration capabilities are a key enabler in achieving the lowest latency, highest availability and resiliency for meeting the committed information rates and service level agreements for our enterprise-class LEO services,” Dave Wendling, Telesat chief technical officer, said in a statement. “Aalyria’s expertise and heritage with Spacetime align perfectly with our vision for Telesat Lightspeed, and we are confident that this partnership will contribute to the success of this revolutionary network.”
Lightspeed Mesh Network
Telesat announced in August that it had raised enough money to establish a mesh network in space with an initial constellation of 156 satellites. Lightspeed satellites are scheduled to reach orbit in 2026 and 2027 on 14 SpaceX launches.
“We are excited to partner with Telesat in the development of Telesat Lightspeed, a constellation that is set to redefine the possibilities of global satellite communication,” Aalyria CEO Chris Taylor said in a statement. “Aalyria’s Spacetime will play a pivotal role in ensuring the efficient orchestration and management of the network, and we look forward to contributing to Telesat’s success.”
Aalyria, a spinoff of Google parent Alphabet established in 2021, has announced a series of contract awards for Spacetime and Tightbeam optical communications technology. Customers include Intelsat, Airbus and Rivada Space Networks.
Aalyria also is working with the Pentagon’s Defense Innovation Unit to demonstrate global, high-speed, secure data connections through the Hybrid Space Architecture project. And Aalyria is participating in the U.S. Navy’s Secure Optical Aerial Relay project.
