Cisco’s Webex will be heading to the moon as part of the Artemis I mission, developing a custom-built version of Webex for deep space video collaboration tests.
The solution is designed to interface with NASA’S deep space network, aiming to provide a realistic video experience while navigating the extremes of distance, atmosphere and space noise.
The new software will join the upcoming Artemis I moon mission as part of Callisto, a technology-demonstration payload built with support from Lockheed Martin and Amazon Engineers. The space-specific Webex platform will fly onboard NASA’s Orion spacecraft for the mission.
The Artemis program aims to one day see humans living and working on the moon, using deep space video collaboration technology to bring this sci-fi vision to life.
Deep space dilemmas
Deep space video collaboration presents new challenges for UC technology, requiring a thorough understanding of video communication technology and expertise across a complex ecosystem of separate and interconnected systems such as networking, security and encryption.
For the Callisto demonstration, Cisco engineers incorporated Webex software and hardware to build a custom video collaboration system for deep space.
The space-grade Webex software system will be installed aboard an Orion spacecraft, linked to one of the most advanced, AI-powered collaboration desk devices on Earth.
The spacecraft will communicate with a Webex Desk Pro device housed at NASA’s mission control centre at the Johnson Space Centre in Houston, enabling video interaction tests with technology onboard the spacecraft as well as tests of dynamic content-sharing capabilities.