--- title: "Planetary observation, one open protocol | Nexus Observatory" description: "Nexus Observatory designs, builds and runs observing systems on the Observatory Protocol: satellites, radars, towers, buoys and sensors on one open grid." url: https://observatory.global/ publisher: Nexus Observatory Inc. updated: 2026-10-28 --- Observatory Protocol Open # Planetary observation, on one open protocol. Satellites, radars, towers, buoys, seismometers and fibre already measure the Earth, each on its own clock, format and terms. The Observatory Protocol gives every instrument one way to join, attest, keep time and publish what it sees. Open, and stewarded by the Nexus Consortium. Designed, deployed and run by Nexus Observatory. Build on the protocol [Read the specification](https://observatory.global/protocol/) The record **Instruments on the grid**: 153,402 **Observatories in the atlas**: 69 **Technologies mapped**: 997 **Data as of**: 2026-10-27 Heritage**69** observatories, each with sources Milestones**345** dated in the record Spectrum**997** technologies in 16 domains Protocol**12** functions, specified in public **I** Heritage ## From naked eye to planetary grid. 69 observatories, 6 eras, 108 people named in the record. Each generation solved what the last could not: a better instrument, a shared clock, a wire, an orbit, a network. The open problem now is coordination. That is the one we work on. 1945 ### Jodrell Bank Observatory Cheshire, England, United Kingdom Radar tracking of Sputnik's booster rocket in 1957. Bernard Lovell 1956 ### Green Bank Observatory Green Bank, West Virginia, United States The first SETI search with a radio telescope. Frank Drake 1956 ### Halley Research Station Brunt Ice Shelf, Antarctica Discovery of the Antarctic ozone hole. Joe Farman · Brian Gardiner 1956 ### Amundsen–Scott South Pole Station Geographic South Pole, Antarctic Plateau Continuous occupation of the geographic South Pole since 1956–57. Paul Siple 1956 ### Mauna Loa Observatory North flank of Mauna Loa, Island of Hawaiʻi, United States The Keeling Curve, the foundational record of rising atmospheric carbon dioxide. Charles David Keeling 1960 ### TIROS-1 Low Earth orbit (launched from Cape Canaveral) First successful weather satellite. Morris Tepper · Edgar Cortright **II** Frontier ## 16 domains, moving at once. 125 frontier technologies, each traced to the release, study or framework it comes from: 3GPP non-terrestrial networks, O-RAN, IMT-2030, analysis-ready data, geospatial foundation models. They arrive on the same site at the same time. The site has to absorb all of them. **●** Satellite and space systems ### HAPS and HIBS stratospheric platforms Platforms at 20–50 km acting as relays or IMT base stations, filling the gap between towers and satellites. ITU RR No. 1.66A (HAPS definition) · ITU Resolution 221 (Rev. WRC-23) HIBS **●** Ground segment ### Optical ground stations Telescope terminals with adaptive optics for laser downlinks, sited for clear-sky statistics and diversity. CCSDS 141.0-B (optical physical layer) · IEC 60825-1 (laser safety) **●** 5G and 6G radio access networks ### Distributed and cell-free MIMO Many coordinated access points serving users jointly instead of separate cells. Rec. ITU-R M.2160 (IMT-2030 framework) **●** AI-RAN and Open RAN ### Real-time control at the DU (dApps) Research into sub-10 ms control loops running next to the DU on live radio data. O-RAN next Generation Research Group (nGRG) reports **●** Core and transport networks ### 6G core architecture studies Release 20 work on the next system architecture, including AI, sensing and NTN as native features. 3GPP TR 22.870 (6G use cases) · Rec. ITU-R M.2160 **●** Spectrum, timing and PNT ### Distributed low-cost SDR sensor networks Many inexpensive receivers at sites forming a continuous spectrum picture. Rec. ITU-R SM.1880 · ITU Handbook on Spectrum Monitoring **●** Compute and edge ### Edge-cloud continuum Placing each workload at the device, edge or cloud tier by latency, cost, energy and data rules, and moving it when conditions change. 3GPP TS 23.548 (5GC enhancements for edge computing) · ETSI GS MEC 003 **●** AI systems ### Split and collaborative inference Dividing a model between device, edge and cloud to balance latency, bandwidth and privacy. 3GPP TR 22.874 (AI/ML model transfer in 5GS) · 3GPP TR 23.700-80 **●** Remote sensing and Earth observation ### High-altitude platform stations (HAPS) Stratospheric aircraft and balloons that loiter over an area for persistent imaging, sensing or relay. ITU Radio Regulations No. 1.66A (HAPS definition) · ITU-R HAPS spectrum identifications (WRC-19, WRC-23) **III** Protocol ## One protocol for instruments that have never met. Twelve functions take a node from unboxed to trusted: join, admit, describe, time, observe, qualify, federate, orchestrate, correct, exchange, prove, exit and decommission. Every value carries its metadata, clock, quality and provenance. No vendor, cloud or central service becomes the owner of local truth.[Open the specification](https://observatory.global/protocol/) 01**Join** A node proves what it is, receives an identity and a policy, then a signed plan. 02**Admit** Providers enter by manifest, rights, security and technical review, for a stated scope. 03**Describe** Every instrument and observation carries what, where, how and by whom. 04**Time** One time base across the grid, with time quality as explicit state. 05**Observe** Streams and files move over whatever link the site has, with store and forward. 06**Qualify** Quality flags, calibration and provenance travel with each value. 07**Federate** Nodes form cells, cells form clusters, and clusters federate across trust domains. 08**Orchestrate** Software, configuration and upgrades roll out by signed plan, with evidence for every change. 09**Correct** An upstream correction marks dependants stale, triggers recompute and publishes a new version. 10**Exchange** Governed products reach people and applications through versioned APIs, events, maps and exports. 11**Prove** Peers answer unpredictable challenges and emit signed proof receipts for an independent verifier. 12**Exit and decommission** Every material provider has an open export and replacement path, and decommissioning closes the record. UNENROLLED DISCOVERED ATTESTING IDENTITY\_ISSUED POLICY\_BOUND PLAN\_STAGED LOCAL\_READY DEGRADED QUARANTINED REVOKED ### Stewarded by the Nexus Consortium Open specification, open change process, open to any implementer. Nexus Observatory Inc. supports the protocol and builds enterprise systems on it. Open protocol **IV** Spectrum ## 997 technologies, orbit to edge rack. 16 domains and 127 layers, from spacecraft buses to RedCap modems, PTP grandmasters and GPU edge nodes. Each entry names the standard it is drawn against and what we design, integrate, deploy and operate around it. - Satellite and space systems 66 18 frontier - Ground segment 63 5 frontier - 5G and 6G radio access networks 62 14 frontier - AI-RAN and Open RAN 60 8 frontier - Core and transport networks 60 6 frontier - Spectrum, timing and PNT 59 6 frontier - Compute and edge 65 5 frontier - AI systems 65 11 frontier - Remote sensing and Earth observation 67 12 frontier - GIS, maps and GeoAI 65 5 frontier - In situ sensors and instruments 61 7 frontier - IoT, LPWAN and mesh 54 9 frontier - Power, energy and ruggedisation 64 5 frontier - Security, identity and trust 61 6 frontier - Data, software and interoperability 59 4 frontier - Field operations and lifecycle 66 4 frontier [Open the full spectrum](https://observatory.global/spectrum/) Satellite and Ground segment 5G and AI-RAN and Core and Spectrum Compute and AI systems Remote sensing GIS In situ IoT Power Security Data Field operations 997 **V** Engineering ## Drawn to scale, down to the bolt. Reference designs at true dimensions: lattice towers, edge modules, radars, domes, dishes, floats. Every part is named for what it does. Hover a part; drag to turn. Drag to turn · hover a part **VI** Earth, maps and GeoAI ## See the ground the way the grid sees it. Where a 30 m mast can see, where water will run, when the next pass images the valley. Interactive explainers on real elevation, from hillshade to a GeoAI detector. [ElevationTerrain mesh and contours, computed from the elevation model.](https://observatory.global/earth/#elevation) [HillshadeSlope and aspect under a sun you move.](https://observatory.global/earth/#hillshade) [Line of sightDrop a mast; compute its viewshed across the terrain.](https://observatory.global/earth/#viewshed) [Satellite passThe swath an orbit lays down as it crosses.](https://observatory.global/earth/#pass) [GeoAIA detector run on real slopes, labelled as simulated.](https://observatory.global/earth/#geoai) [Hex gridOpen stations binned into geodesic cells.](https://observatory.global/earth/#grid) [Layer stackElevation to AI layer, exploded and recombined.](https://observatory.global/earth/#layers) [Open dataEvery layer carries its source and licence state.](https://observatory.global/earth/#layers) **VII** Dimensions ## An instrument, a system and an institution at once. An observatory fails if any one of these fails: wrong science, fragile engineering, lost trust. We design all seven together, not one after another. S ### Science Every value traceable: metadata, calibration, quality flags and provenance travel with it. **69** observatories studied T ### Technology Radios, satellites, sensors, timing, edge compute and AI, each mapped to its standards. **997** technologies mapped E ### Engineering Every node and provider moves through defined states, with evidence at each transition. **11** state machines M ### Mathematics Every calculation ships with its method, formula, source and a worked example run as a test. **Methods** with worked examples S ### Society Open data and an open protocol, stewarded by the Nexus Consortium. Anyone can build on it. **Open** protocol and atlas P ### Policy Jurisdiction, spectrum, privacy and procurement rules, read before design, country by country. **Per country** guides and regimes S ### Standards Composed from open standards, named on every page as design references. **48** standards composed **VIII** Lifecycle ## From survey to the fifth upgrade. Sensors drift, firmware ages, spectrum rules change and the frontier keeps moving. A site is never finished. We carry it through every stage, and bring an upgrade from the frontier only once it is qualified for the field. **01Learn** Read the record and the frontier for the site. **02Build** Design to the terrain, the spectrum and the mission. **03Deploy** Install, commission, accept against the plan. **04Cluster** Form sites and clusters. **05Monitor** Every node, its state and its evidence. **06Expand** Add sites, links and sensors without re-architecting. **07Maintain** Calibrate, repair, predict the next failure. **08Refurbish** Renew the hardware; keep the record. **09Upgrade** Bring the frontier to the field, qualified. **IX** Products ## Nine lines, one architecture. Grid, software, hardware, sensors, connectivity, edge AI, Earth observation, field services and data: each line has its own site and team, all nine run on one protocol and one grid. [5 areas Protocol & GridYour grid, on the open protocol.Open the Protocol & Grid site](https://observatory.global/grid-services/) [6 areas SoftwareOne runtime. Every node. Every state.Open the Software site](https://observatory.global/software/) [6 areas Hardware & powerBuilt for the site, not the lab.Open the Hardware & power site](https://observatory.global/hardware/) [5 areas Sensors & instrumentsMeasurements that carry their own proof.Open the Sensors & instruments site](https://observatory.global/sensors/) [7 areas ConnectivityPrivate 5G, AI-RAN and orbit, on site.Open the Connectivity site](https://observatory.global/connectivity/) [5 areas Edge compute & AIInference beside the instrument.Open the Edge compute & AI site](https://observatory.global/edge-ai/) [4 areas Earth observation & GeoAIThe ground, measured and modelled.Open the Earth observation & GeoAI site](https://observatory.global/earth-observation/) [6 areas Field servicesSurvey to decommission, one accountable crew.Open the Field services site](https://observatory.global/field-services/) [5 areas Data & licensingGrid data, licensed for your use.Open the Data & licensing site](https://observatory.global/data-products/) **X** Open by default ## Open by default. Your rights stay yours. The protocol, the atlas, the grid and the methods are public. Fork them, test them, contribute back. Contributors keep their rights. [What is open, and on what terms](https://observatory.global/open/) - **Protocol** Functions, states, objects and flows, versioned in public. - **SDKs and agents** Put an instrument or an application on the grid. - **Reference designs** Sites, towers, racks and stations at true dimensions. - **Atlas and grid** Every observatory and open network, each with sources. - **Methods** Every calculation with its formula and a worked example. enrol.ts TypeScript ``` // enrol a weather station on the grid const node = await grid.enrol({ role: "weather-environment", evidence: await tpm.quote(), describe: { standard: "WIGOS", sensors }, time: { source: "ptp", profile: "G.8275.1" }, }); // UNENROLLED → DISCOVERED → ATTESTING → … node.on("state", (s) => log(s)); await node.observe(stream); ``` **XI** Towards the future ## From one site to a planetary grid. What runs today, what comes next and the frontier the architecture is built to absorb. Everything beyond today is marked planned. Now ### The core runs end to end. In a reference environment the protocol's core runs complete: admission, enrolment, signed plans, fleet state, disconnect and replay, correction. - Provider admission and qualification runtime - Node bootstrap with software attestation - Plan-only deployment plan compiler - Disconnect, replay and correction Next · planned ### Into the field. The reference moves onto real sites: hardware attestation, field qualification of providers, the opening sites. - Hardware roots of trust on nodes - Field qualification of providers - Sites and managed operations - Open SDKs and the node agent, once licensed Frontier · planned ### Federated, intelligent grids. The frontier the architecture is designed to absorb, entry by entry, as each is qualified for the field. - HAPS and HIBS stratospheric platforms - Virtualised and cloud-native modems - Software-defined L1 on GPUs - Confidential AI on accelerators - Imaging spectroscopy constellations - Wi-Fi sensing **—** Begin ## The next observatory starts with one site. Start on the open protocol and the atlas today. When you are ready to deploy, we design, build and run it with you. 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