Fast Pixel concept image by Analytical Space (ASI)

The U.S. Air Force’s commercial investment group, AFVentures has awarded Analytical Space, Inc. (ASI) a $26.4 million contract to develop and launch six satellites and two additional hosted payload network nodes for the company’s Fast Pixel Network. 

The three-year contract ASI announced Wednesday involves joint funding from the Space and Missile Systems Center (SMC) and the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), as part of the Strategic Financing (STRATFI) program. The award will be matched by private investment funds. 

ASI is working to develop the Fast Pixel Network, a low latency space networking architecture. The data transport network in Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) takes in data from geospatial intelligence collection satellites, and routes that data from node to node via high speed optical intersatellite links and delivers that data in real time to military operators, intelligence analysts, and customers. 

“Satellite data is such a key enabler in our ability to fight climate change, prevent humanitarian injustices, and decipher complex economic problems. Today’s joint investment by AF Ventures in our technology sends a clear signal that Analytical Space’s dual use technology is poised to be a premier enabler in this fight to build a peaceful world by democratizing and speeding access to space-borne data,” ASI CEO Dan Nevius said in a press release. 

Separately, ASI recently entered into a partnership with Inmarsat to use the Addvalue Intersatellite Data Relay System.