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Once upon a time, a very long time ago, the world was analog. We stored music in tiny grooves on vinyl discs and listened to it on record players. Our telephones had dials instead of buttons. They needed wires to send your voice to other phones. Your TV got its programs from the invisible airwaves through metal antennas. Sound and video were recorded on magnetic tape. And if you could find a computer anywhere, it took up a whole room.

Analog No More

Now, for billions of us, the world is digital. Your computer may be the size of a phone or even smaller. You listen to music stored as 1s and 0s in computer memory. You watch TV and movies and look at funny cat pictures on the digital cloud. Our telephones go everywhere with us and exchange 1s and 0s over the air.

Finally, it’s time for space to be digital as well.

Adaptable, Software-Defined Satellites

To keep up with our digital world, companies like Hughes Network Systems are launching software-defined satellites. Instead of fixed beams, they can change on the fly to offer connectivity where it’s needed most. Digital processing maintains their intricate orbits and automatically hands off service from one satellite to another.

Digital ground systems from Hughes and other companies keep those satellites connected with Earth. Satellites are even exchanging text and voice with ordinary mobile phones. It’s the first step in making sure your phone has service everywhere on Earth.

That was the noble idea behind the very first communications satellite launched 60 years ago. The space industry has pursued that dream for decades. And in our new digital century, the dream is finally coming true.

Bits, Bytes and AI, Oh My! – Episode 3: The Value of Connectivity on the Move