SpiderOak, which provides zero trust security solutions for civil, military and commercial space operations, has been awarded a Space Force Other Transactional Authority contract to support the agency's Rapid Resilient Command and Control effort, the company announced.
Financial terms of the contract were not disclosed.
What the Contract Means for SpiderOak and the Space Force
With the contract, SpiderOak said it will research integration of its OrbitSecure software suite for securing space-based communications to enhance the cybersecurity of the Space Force's command-and-control networks. OrbitSecure can also augment its traditional Satellite Control Network with commercial and allied networks.
In addition, SpiderOak will look for ways to use OrbitSecure to expand government use of commercial, civil and allied ground infrastructure, the company noted.
SpiderOak OrbitSecure Delivers End-to-End Protection
OrbitSecure leverages patented variable-trust mechanisms that allow data to travel securely on networks and infrastructure with different owners and variable-security protocols, SpiderOak indicated. By doing so, it can provide the Space Development Agency (SDA) and other organizations with insights into how to attain more resilient command and control than ever before.
OrbitSecure protects information transiting in or through space assets at the data level rather than the network level, SpiderOak stated. As such, OrbitSecure allows organizations to securely employ commercial network and ground station options for command and control.
Furthermore, OrbitSecure provides organizations with the flexibility to securely augment a Satellite Control Network with non-government resources, SpiderOak said. That way, OrbitSecure helps these organizations reduce data latency and achieve greater resiliency against potential cyber and physical threats to satellites.
SpiderOak Showcases OrbitSecure's Applications
The Space Force contract comes after SpiderOak in July 2023 demonstrated OrbitSecure on the International Space Station using the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Snowcone edge computing device provided by Axiom Space. Previously, SpiderOak in June 2023 displayed OrbitSecure on a Ball Aerospace prototype payload.
SpiderOak may continue to explore new applications for OrbitSecure. The company in May 2022 received funding from Accenture Ventures. It has also partnered with national space security company LinQuest and may pursue new partnership opportunities.
