Satlyt takes the next step toward turning satellites into orbital data centres
Startup Satlyt has tested software that distributes computing tasks among computers in orbit. The test was carried out with the University of Houston as part of a research project funded by NASA.
Abdulrahman Sadikhli2 min read
Satlyt, founded in 2024, has reported the successful test of its software. The software is designed to distribute computing tasks among computers in orbit. The test took place at the beginning of the month as part of a research project funded by NASA, which the company carried out together with the University of Houston.
The Satlyt programme turns existing satellites into a data-processing network. The approach is close to the concept of orbital data centres. According to the company's founder and general director, Rama Afulla, the test was a step toward this goal.
How the test went
The company created a simulated network of four computers, four users and eight services. It determined how to distribute and launch tasks on these computers, taking into account the availability of computing resources and communications. The project took 13 months.
Only one of the four computers, a physical one on board the satellite in orbit, ran the programme. The other three were simulations. The results were then transmitted to Earth. According to Afulla, the test showed that the software can form plans for equipment operating in orbit. Verification of how several physical computers will exchange information in practice is yet to come.
Afulla described the outcome as follows: "The result is a compromise." One of the approaches worked better than all the others but required more computing power than the rest.
Limitations and next steps
The company found an error in the way the software handled delays: instead of recording the time of a costly delay, it recorded the time of arrival. According to Afulla, these were different indicators. He stressed that the test was not a failure: "Software development, execution on the satellite and the return of results were successful."
Satlyt also plans to test its software under different loads, on other equipment and in different communication conditions. According to Afulla, much work lies ahead, including reliable communication channels, operator permissions, secure data transfer and recovery in the event of a loss of communication between computers. The company hopes to launch in other environments in addition to low Earth orbit.
NASA has not yet selected this technology for any mission and has not decided to deploy it. Nevertheless, according to Afulla, NASA's missions face the same constraints that Satlyt is trying to address: "limited computing resources, unstable connectivity and the need to deliver useful information to people."
Source: techcrunch.com
