183 – Software-Defined Satellites, New Business Models and Competitive Advantages

Constellations - Explore Space Network Technologies with Industry Leaders

New business models for software-defined satellites: this episode features Florian Thirion, Senior Product and Portfolio Marketing Manager at Airbus Defence and Space. New software-defined satellites give operators the capability to scale their business models and diversify the services they deliver to customers.

• Over 27,000 satellites with flexible architectures are forecasted to be manufactured and launched between 2021 and 2031.
• Software-defined satellites enables lower and progressive CapEx, can share capacity between operators, and have lower overall operation costs.
• In coming years, high throughput laser links between GEO and ground architecture will allow from 10-100 gigabits of massive data transfer.

Chapters:

0:00 – introducing Florian Thirion, Airbus Defence and Space

1:25 – current state of the satellite market

2:42 – why the industry is moving towards software-defined satellites

4:10 – bent-pipe satellites vs. software-defined satellites

6:55 – new capabilities made possible

8:25 – best applications for software-defined satellites

10:11 – increasing revenue and lowering CapEx

11:50 – working with ground systems

14:17 – multi-orbit orchestration

14:50 – prediction: software-defined satellites in five years

17:44 – building cloud connectivity in satellite

19:36 – long-term sustainability in space

About Constellations: Constellations is a podcast and publication by Kratos covering the new generation of space network technologies. Our core interests are space networks, softwarization, terrestrial-space interoperability, the ground segment, security—and, of course, the growing space economy.

• The podcast publishes biweekly on Wednesday mornings.
• The podcast has featured leading CEOs, analysts, and government guests from Space Force, AFRL, the White House, and more.
• By size, our audience is space industry leaders, engineers, military/civil space, and academia.
• We publish article contributions from outside organizations and have ongoing content partnerships with DIFI, Space ISAC, Space Intel Report, and Analysys Mason.
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