Software-defined Secure 5G and Space Data Transport Convergence

Enabling secure 5G terrestrial and satellite communications (SATCOM) transport layer convergence poses several R&D challenges while enabling a multi-billion dollar dual-use applications market segment. The growth in tactical data traffic from a multitude of space and terrestrial sensors combined with capacity constraints on commercial 5G and tactical SATCOM networks due to spectrum and security considerations, means that 5G and SATCOM must work synergistically. This Phase I proposal addresses this problem with software-defined networking for enabling secure operations through 5G to transport enterprise space data. The proposed flexible and programmable system architecture is anticipated to deliver a 3X increase in network resilience and 20X analytics latency reduction for real-time space data applications. Several DAF stakeholders and commercial partners have indicated strong interest in the proposed solution.