In an announcement released January 22, 2026, the advanced networking firm Aalyria confirmed it has been selected by the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) to support the Space Data Network Experimentation (SDNX) program.
The contract, awarded through the AFRL’s STAR-FISH (Space Technology Advanced Research Fast-tracking Innovative Software and Hardware) initiative, tasks Aalyria with advancing software-defined networking solutions to manage complex, multi-domain military communications.
As reported yesterday in SatNews US Space Force Awards Starfish Space $52.5 Million for LEO deorbiting services.
Hybrid Space Architecture and STAR-FISH
The SDNX program is managed by the AFRL’s Rapid Architecture Prototyping and Integration Development (RAPID) office. Its primary objective is to evaluate how Aalyria’s Spacetime orchestration software can integrate disparate satellite systems—including government-owned, commercial, and allied assets—into a resilient, “mission-tailorable” network for the joint force. This selection follows Aalyria’s established history of providing orchestration for commercial constellations, including Telesat’s Lightspeed and Rivada Space Networks.
Technical Specifications: Spacetime Platform
Aalyria’s Spacetime is a temporospatial software-defined networking (SDN) platform originally developed over decades within Alphabet (Google’s parent company). It maintains a planetary-scale “digital twin” of moving platforms and environmental conditions to optimize wireless topologies in real time.
- Dynamic Tasking: The software proactively directs steerable antennas and optical terminals to maintain connectivity.
- Interoperability: It is designed to bridge multi-orbit (LEO, MEO, GEO) and multi-domain (land, sea, air, space) links regardless of the communication protocol used.
- Predictive Routing: Spacetime analyzes millions of potential paths to predict disruptions and autonomously reroute data to ensure low-latency connectivity for high-priority defense missions.
Leadership Perspective
“SDNX is about proving that a truly hybrid, federated Space Data Network is ready to move from concept toward reality,” said Brian Barritt, Chief Technology Officer at Aalyria. “Spacetime was built specifically to orchestrate large, dynamic constellations and directional links across land, sea, air, and space. We’re excited to work with AFRL and the broader Space Force community to explore how software-driven orchestration can give warfighters assured, mission-aware connectivity.”
Timeline and Integration Goals
Under the SDNX contract, Aalyria will demonstrate how Spacetime can act as a foundational candidate for the future Space Data Network (SDN). The experimentation phase focuses on verifying the software’s ability to handle high-cadence link switching and traffic prioritization in contested environments. This effort aligns with the U.S. military’s broader push toward the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture (PWSA), which relies on seamless integration with commercial satellite providers to enhance orbital resilience.
