TAMPA, Fla. — Viasat plans to demonstrate automated constellation management software in 2026 to help small satellites operate independently in increasingly congested low Earth orbit (LEO).
The Multi-Mission Orchestrator’s (MMO) algorithms would draw from publicly available orbital data and information from participating satellite operators to reduce the need for ground-based control crews, the geostationary fleet operator announced Aug. 5.
These algorithms could run terrestrially or hosted onboard small satellites, according Viasat, enabling spacecraft to cooperate and coordinate operations across the fleet and orbital domain.
“MMO is designed to consider individual satellite capabilities and resources, and then provide insight on how best to optimize and coordinate space vehicle schedules for maximum mission utility,” Michael Maughan, vice president of space and mission systems for Viasat’s government division, told SpaceNews.
Specifically, MMO would generate an operational schedule for every satellite within a constellation while optimizing mission performance from a global perspective.
“This advanced system enables a simultaneous search for each satellite’s schedule through the fulfillment of operational tasks,” Maughan added, “ensuring coordination between cooperative systems and guiding the solver to a mission-realistic and optimized schedule.”
While the software can be combined with artificial intelligence to control satellite operations more dynamically, it does not require it.
Maughan described MMO as “fundamentally a decision engine” that optimally allocates task fulfillment responsibilities to each satellite within the constellation.
“These task fulfillment decisions apply to virtually any mission where decisions have a quantitative impact or measurable performance,” he added.
The algorithms are currently undergoing testing on flight-representative hardware.
Data relay support
Viasat plans to validate MMO in conjunction with a demonstration in 2026 of its Integrated Space Access Network (ISAN) service, which aims to offer near-Earth mission operators improved relay communications via Viasat’s satellite and ground-based networks.
“The MMO solution will leverage cross-linking behavior that allows for more strategic use of resources across the constellation,” Maughan said.
“This feature is crucial for real-time decisions and effective resource management that can optimize network communications and data storage to better support mission execution.”
Viasat declined to comment on how much it would charge for MMO.
The service is one of multiple constellation management tools that have recently emerged to address the increasing complexity of operating in space — and the growing threat of debris-causing collisions.
In March, Portuguese startup Neuraspace released a free version of its online space traffic management platform to foster more satellite operator collaboration.