CyberWire Daily Podcast Summary

Title: AWS in Orbit: Data Automation and Space Domain Awareness with Khan Space
Host: Maria Varmazes
Guests:

• Araz Faizi, Co-founder and Chief Technology Officer at Khan Space
• Tim Sills, Lead Security Solutions Architect for the Americas at AWS
  Release Date: January 20, 2025

Introduction

In the January 20, 2025, episode of CyberWire Daily, host Maria Varmazes delves into the transformative nexus of cloud computing, space technologies, and generative AI. Titled "AWS in Orbit: Data Automation and Space Domain Awareness with Khan Space," the episode features insightful discussions with Araz Faizi, Co-founder and CTO of Khan Space, and Tim Sills from AWS. The conversation centers on how automation and cloud solutions are revolutionizing space domain awareness and addressing the complexities of an increasingly crowded space environment.

Guest Introductions and Backgrounds

Maria Varmazes opens the episode by inviting guests to share their backgrounds.

• Araz Faizi recounts his journey from a childhood fascination with computers to becoming the CTO of Khan Space. He states, “I’ve been using computers to solve any problem that I see. That’s kind of my hammer” (02:07). Araz emphasizes his passion for leveraging technology to automate and streamline processes across various industries.

• Tim Sills introduces himself as the lead security solutions architect for the Americas at AWS. He collaborates closely with customers like Araz to deploy and architect secure cloud solutions. Tim expresses enthusiasm for the discussion ahead, highlighting his ongoing collaboration with Khan Space (02:12).

Formation and Evolution of Khan Space

Maria prompts Araz to elaborate on the origins of Khan Space, merging his tech expertise with a passion for space.

• Araz narrates the founding story, mentioning his long-standing partnership with his co-founder Siamac, rooted in their shared high school and college experiences. He describes the shift from "old space"—dominated by nation-states and major corporations with hefty budgets—to "new space," characterized by a surge in commercial ventures due to reduced launch costs (02:41).

• In 2019, recognizing burgeoning challenges within the space industry, Araz and Siamac began addressing collision avoidance. By 2020, their focus shifted to developing an autonomous satellite collision avoidance solution, enabling operators to receive real-time notifications and maneuver options to prevent collisions (04:00).

Khan Space's Solutions and Products

Khan Space has evolved into a premier space situation awareness company, focusing on data analytics without owning sensors. Their platform ingests data from multiple government and commercial sources, offering a comprehensive view of space activities.

• Pathfinder: Described as the "Waze for space," Pathfinder facilitates space traffic coordination among over 20 satellite operators. It assists in managing virus conjunctions and coordinating orbital paths to prevent collisions (04:50).

• Satcat.com: Launched recently, Satcat serves a diverse user base, from space enthusiasts tracking the ISS to seasoned satellite operators monitoring competitor constellations. Araz likens it to "Google Maps for space," providing a centralized repository for space data (05:22).

Notable Quote:

“Khan is the premier space traffic coordination platform for satellite operators. Over 20 satellite operators use our solution Pathfinder today to coordinate with each other when they have virus conjunctions on where they want to fly around each other.” — Araz Faizi (04:50)

Scalability and Rapid Growth

The unexpected viral growth of Satcat led Khan Space to pivot and focus more on this product.

• Araz shares the spontaneous success post-launch, noting that minimal marketing efforts resulted in "hockey stick growth" with thousands of users rapidly adopting the platform (05:46). This surge necessitated a strategic shift, making Satcat the new brand identity for Khan Space.

Tim highlights the role of AWS in enabling this scalability:

“The advantage here is with AWS and the scalability...being able to do that on demand.” — Tim Sills (06:14)

Security Considerations for Diverse Customers

With a wide array of customers, including government agencies, security is paramount for Khan Space.

• Araz emphasizes the critical importance of cybersecurity in space operations. By leveraging AWS's robust security infrastructure, Khan Space ensures compliance and protection for both commercial and government clients. He notes, “When you're building on AWS, all of that is handled for you and your attack surface is much, much smaller” (10:47).

• Tim adds that AWS's scalability features, such as availability zones, support Khan Space in maintaining a strong security posture even as they scale their operations (12:50).

Notable Quote:

“We really get access to a ton of other resources...it’s been a really positive experience, kind of cutting through a lot of extra effort.” — Araz Faizi (11:00)

Handling the Complexity of Increasing Satellite Deployments

The explosion of satellite launches, particularly in Low Earth Orbit (LEO), presents significant challenges in space domain awareness.

• Maria inquires about managing the growing number and complexity of satellites, to which Araz outlines two types of scalability issues: steady growth and sudden bursts of activity. He explains the necessity of maintaining system availability during critical events, such as unexpected debris creation, which can threaten thousands of satellites within hours (14:27).

• Tim underscores AWS's role in providing resilient infrastructure through regions and availability zones, ensuring that Khan Space can handle high-demand scenarios without compromising service quality (17:55).

Notable Quote:

“If you have a mission operation, if a critical system that's in the path of your current path of operations, you expect that system to be available when you need it.” — Araz Faizi (16:00)

Automation and Autonomy in Space Operations

Automation is at the heart of Khan Space's mission to streamline space operations.

• Araz discusses the shift from heavily staffed operations centers to automated systems. By automating tasks like collision avoidance and orbit adjustments, satellite operators can focus on their core missions without being bogged down by routine operational concerns (19:25).

• Tim echoes this sentiment, highlighting how AWS removes the "undifferentiated heavy lifting," allowing satellite operators to concentrate on delivering mission-specific solutions while relying on Khan Space's automated capabilities (21:54).

Notable Quote:

“We are taking human out of the loop and putting human on the loop so they can supervise the processes instead of manually pushing buttons.” — Araz Faizi (21:00)

Future Directions and Closing Thoughts

As Khan Space continues to grow, both Araz and Tim share optimistic visions for the future.

• Araz positions Khan Space as an enabler of growth in the space industry, committed to solving emerging challenges through their Satcat platform. He encourages listeners to stay tuned for upcoming developments (23:59).

• Tim expresses excitement for Khan Space's future innovations and reaffirms AWS's support in empowering Khan Space to realize the full potential of the space industry (24:22).

Notable Quote:

“We are working day and night to solve problems that we believe that are coming up and we’re going to leverage satgat platform to solve all of those problems.” — Araz Faizi (23:59)

Conclusion

This episode of CyberWire Daily offers a comprehensive look into how Khan Space, supported by AWS, is pioneering automation and situational awareness in the rapidly evolving space sector. Through robust cloud infrastructure, scalable solutions, and a focus on security, Khan Space is adeptly navigating the challenges of an increasingly congested orbital environment. The collaboration between AWS and Khan Space exemplifies the synergetic potential of cloud computing and space technology in addressing contemporary and future space domain challenges.

For more insights and episodes in the AWS in Orbit series, visit space.n2k.com.

Produced by Alice Carruth, Powered by AWS
Producer: Lara Barber
Associate Producer: Liz Stokes
Mixed by: Elliot Peltzman and Trey Hester
Original Music: Elliot Peltzman
Executive Producer: Jennifer Ivan
Executive Editor: Brandon Karpf
President: Simone Petrella
Publisher: Peter Kilpe