Cal Poly has received a grant for research to increase the safety and security of satellites in orbit.
The $340,091 grant comes from the California Advanced Supply Chain Analysis and Diversification Effort (CASCADE), a program funded by the U.S. Department of Defense through the California Governor's Office of Planning and Research.
The money will be used to conduct a "Space Operations Challenge."
Cal Poly students and faculty members will create six specific challenges and work with a private company or public agency to find a solution to each issue. The research will address issues including satellite communication design, secure and reliable space to ground communication, and data exploitation.
As part of the grant, Cal Poly will host a seminar next year focusing on the impact cybersecurity and space are having on the workforce and economy. "Innovation in Cybersecurity to Defend National and Commercial Space Assets" will be held on June 26, 2020.
Earlier this year, the university became the first academic institution to sign an agreement with the military to track the tens of thousands of objects circling the Earth.
