Viasat Real-Time Earth
Ground Service Available via Microsoft Azure
Orbital
Sept. 22, 2020
Viasat Inc. announced
Viasat Real-Time Earth (RTE) is available as a
managed services option for Microsoft Azure
customers. The Company has integrated Azure
Orbital with its ground service solution to
enable Azure Orbital customers, including those
in the earth observation and remote sensing
segments, easy access to Viasat's proven ground
service solution—from initial commissioning and
calibration to subsequent telemetry, tracking
and command services and downlinking of critical
payload data.
Microsoft Azure announced
Orbital today at Microsoft Ignite, which is
being held virtually from today through
September 24, 2020. Azure Orbital is a new
service focused on providing satellite operators
with direct access to Azure through owned and
partner antennas. Viasat is recognized for
providing global, trusted and secure antenna
solutions, and is now part of the Azure Orbital
ecosystem with its RTE solution.
Viasat's RTE network
provides Ground-Station-as-a-Service (GSaaS) to
the commercial and government earth observation
and remote sensing communities. The service
offers affordability and reduced latency through
automation and geographic diversity on a
pay-per-use basis. Viasat's RTE service supports
next-generation and legacy low earth orbit
satellites using the S-, X-, and Ka-bands, which
will enable operators to meet current and future
data requirements. Specifically for its
relationship with Microsoft, Viasat expects
Azure Orbital customers to leverage Viasat's 5.4
meter S-/X-band antennas systems and its 7.3
meter S-/X-/Ka-band antenna systems utilizing
the world-class Viasat high-rate receiver, the
VHR-3200, which is capable of downlink speeds
from 15 Megabits per second (Mbps) to 6400Mbps
for computing at the edge.
John Williams, vice
president, RTE at Viasat commented, "We are in a
leading position to help modernize and scale RTE
communications across the major cloud providers.
We're proud to join the Microsoft Azure Orbital
ecosystem, as this relationship will provide
Azure Orbital end-users with access to advanced
antennas systems and modems, while also
elevating opportunities to develop new
state-of-the-art technologies that stand to
transform the GSaaS industry."
"Commercial and government
earth observation communities require the
flexibility, scalability and security provided
by cloud-based solutions to command and control
satellites as well as downlink and distribute
valuable satellite data over trusted networks,"
said Chirag Parikh, principal program manager,
Microsoft Azure at Microsoft Corp. "Viasat RTE
ground service provides real-time automation and
interoperability with multiple layers of
redundancy and diversity to ensure Microsoft
Azure Orbital end-users' data is transmitted and
delivered in a timely, affordable and secure
manner."