SEAKR awarded IRIS development contract by Cisco

SEAKR Engineering, Inc. has been awarded a contract by Cisco to build the Internet Routing in Space (IRIS) payload consisting of an IP layer 3 router and an IP Programmable MODEM. This payload is part of the IRIS initiative announced last April by Intelsat General, which was selected by the Department of Defense (DoD) to lead an industry-government collaboration to demonstrate the viability of conducting military communications through an Internet router in space. The IRIS project is one of seven projects - out of hundreds of applicants - announced in fiscal 2007 as a Joint Capability Technology Demonstration (JCTD) by the DoD. Intelsat General, the first commercial satellite company to be awarded a JCTD program, will host the IRIS payload on its IS-14 satellite.

"IRIS provides a platform for the next generation of satellite communications merging terrestrial based systems seamlessly with space-based assets. The IRIS initiative aims to demonstrate the industry impact of changing commercial communication satellites from transponder "bent pipe" operation to digitally processed and IP packet routed transciever operation. If this new approach becomes standard on commercial spacecraft we expect it to enable growth and establish Colorado as a key participant in our nation's crucial space technology," notes Scott Anderson, vice president and cofounder of SEAKR. "By providing On-Board Processing for IP routing, satellites will be able to cross between different RF frequencies switching data to the most efficient path to the end user."

The IRIS payload will interconnect one C-band and two Ku-band coverage areas. The IRIS architecture and design allow for flexible IP packet (layer 3) routing or multicast distribution that can be reconfigured on demand. With the in-board processor routing the up and down communications links, the IRIS payload is expected to enhance staellite performace and reduce signal degradation from atmospheric conditions.

The IP router and MODEM hardware are based on SEAKR's expertise of combining radiation hardened with non-radiation hardened electronics to create a radiation tolerant system of design. By combining both technologies successfully, SEAKR is able to create hardware that can withstand the space environment without having to trade off performace.