Hughes wins contract with SES in support of AFRL satellite internet trial
NewsMarch 01, 2024
GERMANTOWN, Md. Hughes Network Systems (an EchoStar company) announced that it won a contract with SES Space & Defense to provide a flexible, software-defined, multi-orbit, auto-PACE [primary, alternate, contingency and emergency] solution and associated modems in support of SES Space & Defense's and the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) Defense Experimentation Using Commercial Space Internet (DEUCSI) program.
Under the terms of the agreement, Hughes is tasked with delivering its automated network management system (NMS) and enterprise management and control (EM&C) capabilities together with its "Smart Network Edge" software to be integrated by the SES Space & Defense team with Hughes next-generation, software-defined HM100 and HM400 satellite modems providing GEO/MEO [geosynchronous orbit/medium Earth orbit] connectivity. SES Space & Defense is working on integrating a LEO [low Earth orbit] solution into the Hughes auto-PACE offering, which is expected to add resilience to the end program.
The Hughes solution will enable resilient broadband connectivity using both Ku- and Ka-band GEO/MEO/LEO satellite constellations for various comms-on-the-pause (COTP) and comms-on-the-move (COTM) test scenarios.
