Belfast-based cyber security firm ANGOKA has been accepted to the Airbus Space Accelerator programme. The accelerator is described by Airbus as “an exciting opportunity not only for existing space companies, but for any business with the desire and potential to work in space”.
Speaking at an event at Farnborough International Airshow, ANGOKA director Yuri Andersson said this is a chance for ANGOKA “to deepen its ties with the space industry, helping us to develop the next generation of cybersecurity solutions.”
Airbus says the accelerator is part of the wider Community for Space Prosperity (CUSP) initiative to develop the UK’s space ecosystem, where the 14-week programme will help startups, academics and non-traditional space businesses to advance their technical offering, understand the commercial space landscape and build connections within the wider space industry.
Airbus is running the accelerator with Plexal, the London-based innovation boutique which collaborates on technology with government, startups and industry.
Mr Andersson says there is rapid growing convergence between terrestrial and non-terrestrial communication networks for improved coverage and bandwidth.
“A new space economy is being built where in the near future there will be in-space infrastructure such as in-space assembly and manufacturing, orbital data centres and human habitats,” he added.
“Much of the data will be kept in space and processed in space, and to support the communications needs of the future space economy we need new solutions for cybersecurity and digital infrastructure. With emerging cyber threats from quantum computers and AI, traditional approaches such as those based on PKI [Public Key Infrastructure], or Distributed Ledgers are no longer adequate, and this requires a complete paradigm shift.” says Mr Andersson.
ANGOKA has also been selected to the Mandala Space Ventures and the Venture into Space programmes supported by UK Space Agency.
