AWS Ground Station • Hacker News Board

Re: AWS Ground Station

#111

Post by tim-- » Mon, Mar 30, 2020, 1:17 AM UTC

closeparen wrote: post #84

yongjik wrote: post #73

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They do have some impressive "I didn't know anyone would need that!" services. I also love this one: https://aws.amazon.com/snowmobile/ > AWS Snowmobile is an Exabyte-scale data transfer service used to move extremely large amounts of data to AWS. You can transfer up to 100PB per Snowmobile, a 45-foot long ruggedized shipping container, pulled by a semi-trailer truck. (...)

I wanted a small-scale version of this for my personal photos, back when I realized that uploading a few hundred GB on my 5mbps down/0.5mbps up residential cable connection was going to take weeks. (Ended up doing it from university, where I had symmetric 100mbit in my dorm room).

They also have a service where you can ship them a USB hard drive.

https://aws.amazon.com/blogs/aws/send-us-that-data/

Re: AWS Ground Station

#112

Post by chance_state » Mon, Mar 30, 2020, 1:19 AM UTC

d_silin wrote: post #21

We also can offer you an actual satellite for rent, starting 2021. Have a look at https://www.exodusorbitals.com

Sorry, but what would be the use case for running code on a satellite?

Re: AWS Ground Station

#113

Post by closeparen » Mon, Mar 30, 2020, 1:21 AM UTC

xenophonf wrote: post #108

closeparen wrote: post #81

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>maybe ask them to beef up their security What's the threat model for a ground station? Interception? Sabotage? Hardware theft? Can you even sell these things on eBay?

Satellite navigation is a key strategic asset, as is any system that carries national and trans-national communications. Imagine being able to interfere with a navy's navigation, maybe not enough to stop them from getting somewhere but definitely enough to slow them down. Or imagine being able to change the position of a communications satellite, a device that is basically just dumb microwave relay---and microwave, I…

I would expect ground stations that important to be on military bases, not random locations that a private company is scouting. No?

Re: AWS Ground Station

#114

Post by d_silin » Mon, Mar 30, 2020, 1:29 AM UTC

chance_state wrote: post #112

d_silin wrote: post #21

We also can offer you an actual satellite for rent, starting 2021. Have a look at https://www.exodusorbitals.com

Sorry, but what would be the use case for running code on a satellite?

A few solid cases are:

- space-qualification for the satellite control software. You need to test your own flight software in space, so you use our satellite platform to run test/validation and then reuse on your own satellite.

- space-based algorithm tests, such as data compression/error correction or radiation hardening through software means. Inter-satellite link protocols is also a rich field for software developers.

- data analysis: satellite instruments can produce a lot more data than can be downlinked, so it is in your best interest to pre-process it as much as possible on-board instead of downloading just raw data

- Autonomy algorithms tests: for example for automatic collision avoidance software or maneuvres around non-cooperating target (think defunct satellite or asteroid)

- Data fusion: combine data from multiple satellite instruments, such AIS receiver and imagery to filter maritime traffic for ships without AIS transponders on, then classify those

- Remote asset tracking and labeling (think pipelines, agriculture, shipping containers, farming plots) where you don't have "eyes on the ground". Needs some image recognition tools to identify changes and/or damage.

All of the above can be packed as an "app" and run concurrently or in series on one or multiple satellites, with the possibility of reusing the code for different satellite platforms.

An interesting case is making a single "virtual satellite" out of multiple physical ones, with a single app using instruments from different satellites.

Re: AWS Ground Station

#115

Post by [deleted] » Mon, Mar 30, 2020, 2:01 AM UTC

closeparen wrote: post #81

mirashii wrote: post #43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I worked at a company that with a fleet of microsatellites that also built and managed our own network of groundstations. The costs of groundstations can definitely add up. Scouting for locations with good RF properties takes a lot of long flights, weird dealings with customs (RF equipment is questioned heavily). Then you have to find a site to host it, maybe ask them to beef up their security, construction to suppor…

>maybe ask them to beef up their security What's the threat model for a ground station? Interception? Sabotage? Hardware theft? Can you even sell these things on eBay?

[deleted]

Re: AWS Ground Station

#116

Post by kube-system » Mon, Mar 30, 2020, 2:02 AM UTC

closeparen wrote: post #113

xenophonf wrote: post #108

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Satellite navigation is a key strategic asset, as is any system that carries national and trans-national communications. Imagine being able to interfere with a navy's navigation, maybe not enough to stop them from getting somewhere but definitely enough to slow them down. Or imagine being able to change the position of a communications satellite, a device that is basically just dumb microwave relay---and microwave, I…

I would expect ground stations that important to be on military bases, not random locations that a private company is scouting. No?

A ground station can also point at things it's not supposed to:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Captain_Midnight_broadcast_sig...

Re: AWS Ground Station

#117

Post by kylek » Mon, Mar 30, 2020, 2:06 AM UTC

schappim wrote: post #7

Where does one get the satellite to rent?

Someone like Intelsat? (You don't generally rent a whole satellite. You pay by the second for tiny pieces of the spectrum.)

Re: AWS Ground Station

#118

Post by neosat » Mon, Mar 30, 2020, 2:20 AM UTC

It's easy to miss the data processing and storage story. It potentially sounds like a fascinating story of vertically integrating to make your processing, cloud storage, data management (of huge amounts of data) more attractive compared to competition. Also the companies/organizations that this will be interesting to (think defence) are likely to have large overall budget for other cloud services. Well played Amazon!

Re: AWS Ground Station

#119

Post by _curious_ » Mon, Mar 30, 2020, 2:30 AM UTC

d_silin wrote: post #114

chance_state wrote: post #112

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sorry, but what would be the use case for running code on a satellite?

A few solid cases are: - space-qualification for the satellite control software. You need to test your own flight software in space, so you use our satellite platform to run test/validation and then reuse on your own satellite. - space-based algorithm tests, such as data compression/error correction or radiation hardening through software means. Inter-satellite link protocols is also a rich field for software develop…

Great question and answers here, fascinating to consider potential use cases. Have you thought about adapting this copy for your website so more people can see the potential when they arrive there?

Re: AWS Ground Station

#120

Post by d_silin » Mon, Mar 30, 2020, 2:35 AM UTC

_curious_ wrote: post #119

d_silin wrote: post #114

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A few solid cases are: - space-qualification for the satellite control software. You need to test your own flight software in space, so you use our satellite platform to run test/validation and then reuse on your own satellite. - space-based algorithm tests, such as data compression/error correction or radiation hardening through software means. Inter-satellite link protocols is also a rich field for software develop…

Great question and answers here, fascinating to consider potential use cases. Have you thought about adapting this copy for your website so more people can see the potential when they arrive there?

Yeah, good point :)