As space has transitioned from a sanctuary to a contested domain, a hardware-centric approach to orbital assets is no longer sufficient. The United States and its allies are adopting software-defined architectures that prioritize agility, resilience, and rapid iteration to help ensure continued domination of space.
Breaking Defense discussed the threat scenarios and challenges of upgrading existing satellites with Red Hat’s Kurt Kuntzelman, Executive Strategic Account Manager – Space, and Travis Steele, Global Chief Architect.
Breaking Defense: What is the threat scenario that requires satellite operators to update satellites already on orbit?
Kurt Kuntzelman, Executive Strategic Account Manager – Space, Red Hat
Kuntzelman: The primary driver is the imperative to dominate the ultimate high ground. We must ensure resilience and freedom of action to protect our assets and the joint force from the evolving, pacing space-enabled threats. Gen. Salzman and Lt. Gen. Gagnon have emphasized the need to avoid operational surprise and counter adversarial moves with speed. By utilizing an open-systems architecture, we can integrate artificial intelligence, machine learning, and autonomy to create evolvable platforms where sensors and capabilities are constantly enhanced via secure, mission-critical code.
