Hughes Network Systems, LLC (HUGHES) now has a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) to study Network Centric Enterprise Architecture validation of IP networking with the Regenerative Satellite Mesh (RSM-A) standard and the SPACEWAY 3 system.

Under this CRADA, Hughes and DISA will perform research and development that supports overall IP convergence as the basis for seamlessly integrating Department of Defense (DoD) SATCOM networking and information needs with the Global Information Grid. SPACEWAY 3 was designed and developed by Hughes as a nexgen, Ka-band broadband satellite system, the world’s first commercial satellite to employ on-board traffic switching and routing capability. Combined with many other advances in satellite technology, such as 10 Gbps overall capacity, fast packet switching, and spot-beam forming, SPACEWAY 3 ushers in bandwidth-on-demand satellite services, with true site-to-site, single-hop networking of high-performance ground terminals. SPACEWAY 3 was manufactured by Boeing and is based on Boeing’s 702 satellite platform.