Microsoft launches Azure Space to pursue new connectivity, compute opportunities

Microsoft corporate vice president Tom Keane announced the launch of Azure Space in a bid to support the worldwide space industry. Microsoft aims to make space connectivity and compute more attainable, particularly for industries like telecom, agriculture, energy and government. To do so, it is assembling a team of space industry veterans, simulating space missions and parsing satellite data.

Multiple partnerships are part of the initiative. Microsoft is teaming up with SpaceX Starlink to provide high-speed, low-latency satellite broadband for the Azure Modular Datacenter. Building off of an existing partnership with SES, Azure will support the O3B Medium Earth Orbit constellation for expanded connectivity to cloud edge devices.