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Intelligent Network Slicing and Policy-based Routing Engine (INSPiRE)

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NASA-SBIR-158708SBIR / STTR

Contract Overview

Solicitation details, issuing organization, response deadlines, documents, and interested companies for this government contract opportunity.

AI Contract Overview

The Intelligent Network Slicing and Policy-based Routing Engine (INSPiRE) is a NASA SBIR/STTR program developed by AiRANACULUS to optimize mission science data return and improve resource efficiency across space and terrestrial communication networks. As an add-on to the CLAIRE Project, INSPiRE integrates wide-band spectrum sensing and cognitive control planes to enable network slicing and policy-based routing. This architecture allows NASA to transition from simple link-optimization to secure network optimization by creating application-specific, logically separate, and encrypted tunnels. These capabilities ensure deterministic network behavior and provide robust security for critical services including SCI, NET, DET, and PNT, with broader applicability for other federal agencies such as the DoD, DHS, and FAA, as well as commercial terrestrial and space-based networks. The project is structured as a 15-month Phase II-E capability demonstration focused on interference mitigation and congestion control within heterogeneous multi-vendor environments. Key technical objectives include the orchestration of High Delay Tolerant Networking (HDTN) slices and the use of 3gpp srsRAN, O-RAN, Wi-Fi, and DVB-S2 standards. The program culminates in a final demonstration replicating Artemis III CONOPS using physical radios and Docker containers. Deliverables include quarterly demonstration reports, a final report, design review briefings, and the delivery of source code in MATLAB, C, and Python. The effort is managed under solicitation NASA-SBIR-158708 and is designated as a total small business set-aside.

General Info

AiRANACULUS develops NASA's INSPiRE for secure, optimized network slicing and policy-based routing.

Agency

National Aeronautics and Space Administration → NASA SBIR/STTR Program

NAICS

541512 - Computer Systems Design Services

Place of Performance

Cleveland, MA, 44135, USA

Set-Aside

SBA

Documents

H9.07-1892 INSPiRE Briefing Chart

other

Low

AI Contract Breakdown

Uniform Contract Format

Timeline

PhaseSolicitation

PostedJul 19

Solicitation

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Organization & Contact Information

AgencyNational Aeronautics and Space Administration → NASA SBIR/STTR Program

Contacts5 people available

OfficeUSA

Organization / AgencyNational Aeronautics and Space Administration → NASA SBIR/STTR Program

Office AddressUSA

Contacts

Apurva N ModyPrimary Point of Contact

Aaron D SmithProject Manager

contact@example.gov

Apurva N ModyPrincipal Investigator

Jason L KesslerProgram Director

contact@example.gov

Carlos TorrezProgram Manager

contact@example.gov

Interested Companies (1)

AiRANACULUSChelmsford, MA

Full Description

AiRANACULUS, and its partners, propose an innovative Intelligent Network Splicing and Policy-based Routing Engine (INSPiRE) Solution to increase mission science data return, improve resource efficiencies for NASA missions and communication networks and ensure resilience in unpredictable space environments. The proposed INSPiRE System is an add-on to the CLAIRE Project, that is developing wide-band spectrum sensing, spectrum-aware routing and cognitive control plane as an APP. CLAIRE provides spectrum and network situational awareness to enable link-layer selection and optimization to maximize the data flow. The INSPiRE System utilizes the CLAIRE APP to enable Network Slicing (NS) and Policy-based Routing (PBR). From a logical perspective INSPiRE architecture utilizes the three-state model of network topology, RF performance and PBR two of these inputs are provided by CLAIRE while the third one defining policy is a flow down from NASA. While the actual path optimizations are complex calculations, INSPiRE abstracts the paths as virtual NSs. INSPiRE brings interesting aspects of 5G networks in the form of Network Function Virtualization, Security, Service Level Agreement (SCI/NET/DET/PNT) and PBR, which allows NASA to leap ahead from link-optimization to secure network optimization. Each NS is end-to-end secure and logically separate tunnel, hence providing security and robustness. Unlike 5G NS which are bound to a specific path and support many applications, INSPiRE NSs are application specific and run across all paths over the node/ satellite constellation. The INSPiRE architecture utilizes the CLAIRE APPs which are embedded on satellite and ground system to determine the topology and measure the RF performance. Collected data is uploaded to the INSPiRE Network Slicing Engine where route optimizations are determined based on PBR. These optimizations are transmitted to all CLAIRE APPs which enforce the policy decisions.
Benefits: INSPiRE provides following Capabilities and Applications: 1. Network Slicing provides configuration flexibility to ALL current and future, terrestrial and space-based NASA networks, enabling Service Oriented Architecture and Network Function Virtualization. 2. Policy-based Routing allows NASA networks to control their behavior and over-ride any automated decisions that are made locally hence making them deterministic. 3. Provides Secure Encrypted Network Slices - Allows each of the SCI/ NET/ DET / PNT Services to have separate Virtual Network INSPiRE provides the following Non-NASA Applications 1. Architecture and capabilities are applicable to ALL commercial Terrestrial (3G/ 4G/ 5G / Wi-Fi), Space (LEO/ MEO / GEO/ Relays / Gateways), Backhaul (Optical Fiber / Coax) Networks. 2. Security and Privacy are built in. Hence it is applicable for other Federal Agencies including DoD, DHS, NSA, FAA among others.