Satlyt tests software that shares computing in orbit
Startup Satlyt ran a NASA-funded test of software that shares computing tasks between satellites, with one real computer in orbit and three simulated.
The facts
- According to TechCrunch, Satlyt tested its software earlier this month with the University of Houston on a NASA-funded research project, after 13 months of work.
- The simulated network had four computers, four users and eight services, but only one physical computer in orbit ran the software. The other three were simulations.
- The test showed the software can generate plans on hardware in orbit. Satlyt says it still needs to test how real computers pass information to each other, and it found a bug in how delays were time-stamped.
- NASA has not selected Satlyt for any mission or chosen it to deploy its technology, according to the report.
Case notes · Danny's take
Why it matters
Satellites collect far more data than they can send home, and the bottleneck is the link back to Earth. Processing data up there, and sending only the useful part, is the idea. This test is early and mostly simulated, so treat it as a building block, not a finished product. The founder says as much himself.
For builders
The pitch is a software layer so developers can build for space without rebuilding the infrastructure for every mission. Watch whether Satlyt demonstrates work shared across separate real spacecraft, because that is the proof that matters. Until then, it is a promising test, not a platform.
Not financial advice. Do your own investigation.
This story was summarised with AI from TechCrunch's reporting and checked against our editorial policy. Danny's take reflects his views. Disclaimer.
Danny Walter
Founder of Moon Republic, Volt Terminal and Moon Republic Academy. Author of The Market Is a Crime Scene and After the Applause.