Emergent Awarded Direct-to-Phase II SBIR by the SDA – Avalanche
Emergent Awarded Direct-to-Phase II SBIR by Space Development Agency for High Performance Space Mesh Networking Technology
Laurel, MD / Austin, TX, November 16, 2022 – Emergent Space Technologies, Inc. (Emergent) was awarded a Direct-to-Phase II SBIR contract by the Space Development Agency (SDA) to design and develop a space mesh networking flight platform capability for potential inclusion in the National Defense Space Architecture (NDSA). More specifically, this space mesh networking flight platform capability could be a future option for the Battlespace Management Command, Control, and Communications (BMC3) Modules that will be hosted on NDSA space vehicles (SVs).
Avalanche prototypes a turn-key solution for SV bus integrators to bolt on a networking router/switch with an integrated flight software (FSW) network stack that enables developers to rapidly integrate their FSW applications without the need to understand all details of the network architecture and transport protocols. This can be compared to the way developers create TCP/IP applications today on local and wide-area networks.
Emergent teamed with Innoflight, which will be providing a high-speed space qualified network appliance, supporting its L2 switching, L3 routing or MPLS routing gateway and/or third-party networking software, based on its TRL-9/MRL-9 CFC-400X flight computer. Emergent will integrate its Cirrus Network service running on its Gear FSW integration framework to enable space mesh networking as a potential part of the future NDSA communications network. The integrated system includes communications across BMC3 Apps and SV buses, payloads and radios with design considerations that include standards compliance, performance, and security. The effort also includes emulation and simulation of NDSA communications links driven by Emergent’s Ascent modeling and simulation system.
According to Timothy Esposito, Principal Investigator, “the Avalanche project will provide research and risk reduction to demonstrate end-to-end system interoperability across all NDSA communications links, SUPERNOVA Network Management, transport protocols, multiple SV vendor bus and radio solutions, and a future BMC3 Security and Interoperability Layer solution.”
“Innoflight is pleased to continue our over ten years of collaboration with Emergent, which started on DARPA System F6 and DARPA Blackjack Pit Boss and now onto the Avalanche program”, said Assi Friedman, Innoflight Chief Technology Officer. “The CFC-400X is a platform of choice for Emergent considering its extensive usage for Tranche 0 and Tranche 1 Transport and Tracking Layers efforts, ensuring NDSA compatibility and interoperability.”
About Emergent Space Technologies, Inc.
Emergent is a Small Business that researches, develops, integrates, and tests advanced systems and software solutions for civil, military and commercial space missions. We are industry leaders in the development of flight software for multi-spacecraft missions, including constellations, formations and clusters of small satellites. Our core competencies are systems engineering, integration and test; guidance, navigation and control (GN&C); orbital mechanics; positioning, navigation and timing (PNT); advanced modeling and simulation; visualization; and software architecture, design, development and test. Our domain expertise and experience, combined with our knowledge of current and emerging technology, make Emergent the Small Business team of choice in the aerospace industry.
Innoflight is a non-traditional defense contractor founded in 2004. Innoflight offers state-of-the-art space avionics, including Communications & Networking Solutions, Cyber Security Solutions, Processing, Data Storage & Payload Interface Electronics Solutions, and Bus & Payload Integrated Avionics Solutions. Their core competency is secure Command, Control, Communications and Computers (C4) systems designed through innovative implementation of modern commercial, off-the-shelf technology. The result is modular, high performance, yet low Size Weight and Power systems at competitive prices. Their products are qualified through an Innoflight rigorous process that includes parts reliability analysis and testing, system-level fault tolerance, and radiation risk mitigation. Innoflight’s customers include the U.S. government, prime aerospace contractors and commercial space developers.
