Microsoft Corp on Tuesday announced a partnership with Elon Musk-led SpaceX and others to take on Amazon Web Services (AWS) which is the Cloud arm of the e-commerce behemoth, in the lucrative space Cloud business.
In a significant development, Microsoft Corp on Tuesday announced a partnership with billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk-led SpaceX and others to take on Amazon Web Services (AWS) which is the Cloud arm of the e-commerce behemoth, in the lucrative space Cloud business.
Unveiling the Azure Space cloud computing platform, Microsoft said it is taking the next giant leap in cloud computing -- to space.
"With Azure Space, we have the ambition to make space connectivity and compute increasingly attainable across industries including agriculture, energy, telecommunications, and government," said Tom Keane, Corporate Vice President, Azure Global.
Microsoft last month introduced Azure Orbital to process satellite data at the Cloud scale.
The partnership with SpaceX Starlink will provide high-speed satellite broadband for Microsoft's cloud computing data centers, the company said.
It comes after Amazon's Cloud arm AWS launched the 'Aerospace and Satellite Solutions' business segment in July, dedicated to accelerating innovation in the global aerospace and satellite industry.
"Our new partnership with SpaceX Starlink will provide high-speed, low-latency satellite broadband for the new Azure Modular Datacenter (MDC)," Keane informed.
"We have brought together a team of renowned space industry veterans to work alongside our world-class product engineers and scientists to build cloud capabilities that meet the unique needs of space," Microsoft said.
The innovation areas include simulating space missions, discovering insights from satellite data, and fueling innovation both on the ground and in orbit.
Cloud companies have seen a surge in demand this year as more businesses use their services for switching to work from home due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
SpaceX, known for its reusable rockets and astronaut capsules, is ramping up satellite production for Starlink, a growing constellation of hundreds of internet-beaming satellites that Musk hopes will generate enough revenue to help fund SpaceX's interplanetary goals.
Data collected from space to observe Earth is instrumental in helping address global challenges such as climate change and furthering of scientific discovery and innovation.
Azure Orbital enables satellite operators to schedule contacts with their spacecraft and directly downlink data into their virtual network (VNet) in Azure.
"Azure Virtual Networks are isolated, highly secure, and governed by Microsoft`s more than 90 compliance certifications covering applications and datasets," the company said.
Earlier this month, SpaceX won a USD 149 million contract to build missile-tracking satellites for the Pentagon, its first government contract to build satellites.
(With agency inputs)
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