WASHINGTON — Kayhan Space is providing a version of its space traffic coordination platform to universities, with the intention of teaching students the best practices for sustainable space operations.
The Broomfield, Colorado-based company launched Pathfinder Classroom on March 19, which is a version of its Pathfinder system specifically designed for use by universities. The system's purpose is to grant student satellite programs access to space safety services and serve as an educational tool.
Araz Feyzi, chief technology officer and co-founder of Kayhan Space, explained in an interview that universities currently don't offer courses in conjunction assessment, collision avoidance, and spaceflight safety. He expressed the need to address this problem directly by equipping students with the tools to learn in this very specific area.
Siamak Hesar, the chief executive and co-founder of the company, has firsthand experience with the issue from his time as a student at the University of Southern California (USC), where he participated in a cubesat project. He recalled that during that time, their only focus was on building and launching a cubesat, without considering aspects like collision avoidance.
USC is the initial institution to enroll in Pathfinder Classroom. Dave Barnhart, director of USC’s Space Engineering Research Center, stated, “Kayhan Space has opened the door to ensuring our space program is fully capable of flying our satellite missions safely and securely.” He highlighted the significance of providing this service to university space programs, as it aids in predicting the best orbits prior to launch and emphasizes the importance of assessing the space environment around Earth.
Kayhan is currently in discussions with several other universities regarding Pathfinder Classroom, which Feyzi and Hesar emphasized is not exclusively for schools developing their own satellites. The platform includes a “high-fidelity simulation environment,” allowing students to practice handling potential conjunctions and coordinating maneuvers.
The objective of Pathfinder Classroom is to educate students about the value of space safety before they enter the workforce. Hesar maintained, “It’s about ensuring that the next generation of leaders have the right mindset coming into this industry and that we take the right steps to make sure the U.S. is leading the charge when it comes to space traffic coordination.”
The student version of Pathfinder is released as Kayhan expands its customer base for the main version. Feyzi mentioned that the company has secured 29 satellite operators with a target of 50 by the end of the year. These current customers handle the majority of operational conjunctions, excluding SpaceX’s Starlink constellation. He expressed satisfaction with the level of adoption thus far.
The company also received an order from the Office of Space Commerce on Feb. 29 to deliver space situational awareness (SSA) data quality monitoring services. Kayhan, alongside SpaceNav, will assess the quality of SSA data provided by companies participating in the office’s Consolidated Pathfinder program as it develops the Traffic Coordination System for Space, or TraCSS, system.
Hesar stated that the data quality services offered for the TraCSS Consolidated Pathfinder will utilize the company's existing capabilities, which will be tailored for that specific project. He mentioned, "Due to our distinct position of not owning data, we can act as an impartial third-party."
