Palladyne AI has begun work on a $4.2-million US Air Force project to expand its SwarmOS autonomy platform into space, enabling satellites to operate with drones, ships, and ground systems within a shared AI framework.
Known as HANGTIME (Hierarchical Adaptive Networked Game-Theoretic Integration of Multiple Echelons), the effort is being carried out for the US Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL).
The project aims to improve multi-domain autonomy by allowing military assets across space, air, sea, and land to exchange information, coordinate actions, and adapt to changing mission conditions instead of operating as isolated systems.
For Palladyne, the initiative marks the first time SwarmOS has been extended to the space domain, allowing satellites to join the platform’s collaborative autonomy network.
Advancing Multi-Domain Autonomy
According to the company, HANGTIME addresses one of the biggest challenges in autonomous operations: enabling systems from different domains to work together in real time.
By sharing data and synchronizing actions, the AI framework is intended to improve battlefield awareness and accelerate decision-making.
“Our collaboration with AFRL showcases what’s next for autonomous operations,” said Ben Wolff, president and chief executive at Palladyne. “This isn’t about replacing humans — it’s about giving them sharper, faster insight.”
Palladyne chief technology officer Denis Garagic also noted that integrating satellites into SwarmOS significantly expands the platform’s reach.
“For the first time, a single AI framework can coordinate assets across multiple domains, including satellites. That means these systems can now think and act together as a team, sharing what they see and learning as conditions change,” he stressed.
