The Astranis MicroGEO Platform Astranis is a manufacturer of next-generation telecommunications satellites. Our microGEO model has two primary innovations: its size, and its software-defined radio. Microsatellites for Geostationary Orbit Today, communications satellites take five years to build and cost upwards of $500 million for a single satellite. If targeted by hostile actors, those years, dollars, and missions can all be compromised. Astraniss microGEO satellites are roughly 20x smaller than legacy satellites, serve the same functions and interoperate with the same ground equipment, and can be on orbit just 12-18 months after an order is placed. Having a smaller atomic unit of connectivity also provides redundancy to hostile activity; take down one satellite, and others can dynamically reroute their signals to eliminate any gaps in coverage. And even in the worst-case scenario, a replacement satellite can be on orbit five times faster than normal. The Astranis Software-Defined Radio Traditional satellites are bent pipe, which means they are purely analog elements that reroute the signals they receive without any intelligence in the middle. The Astranis Software-Defined Radio (SDR) is an intelligent computer on orbit that can complete a variety of digital signal processing tasks and change its configuration as the mission demands. For instance, the Astranis SDR could receive encoded signals, decode them, and retransmit them using a different codec; similarly, the Astranis SDR could change frequencies on the fly, allowing a warfighter to reroute a signal around adversarial interference. The applications of having intelligence on orbit are nearly limitless, and we plan to explore a new application of that technology in this Phase II effort with SMC/ZAC.
