Paso Airport Spaceport Initiative

overview

Cal Poly’s Advanced Wireless Lab is extending its private 5G network beyond campus and into aerospace operations.

This month March-2026, the Lab begins deployment of a CBRS-based private LTE/5G corridor from campus to the San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport supporting an active FAA Spaceport license application and a commercial partnership with Dawn Aerospace.

When operational, this will become the first university-integrated private 5G network in the United States purpose-built for horizontal space launch operations.

This is not a simulation. It is a live operational aerospace environment designed for both mission support and student workforce development.

The Challenge

Spaceport operations require connectivity that commercial networks were never designed to guarantee.

A horizontal launch across a 1,300-acre airport corridor demands:

  • Ultra-reliable, low-latency telemetry
  • Continuous connectivity from engineering labs to runway
  • Autonomous perimeter security
  • Guaranteed bandwidth during launch windows
  • Seamless handover across large operational areas

Public carrier coverage at airport peripheries is limited and congestion-prone. Mission-critical launch data cannot depend on shared consumer infrastructure.

At the same time, preparing students for next-generation aerospace careers requires more than classroom theory. It requires real infrastructure, real engineering constraints, and real operational accountability.

The solution: build a production-grade network and put students in charge of operating it.

Project Overview

  • FAA Spaceport License Application submitted in 2023
  • 12+ projected annual horizontal launches
  • Commercial launch partner: Dawn Aerospace
  • Coverage area: 1,300-acre airport and spaceport operations corridor
  • Private 5G corridor deployment: Initiating this month

The network creates a seamless digital bridge from campus engineering facilities to runway and launch operations.

Strategic Network Advantages

First University-Integrated Spaceport Network

No university in the country currently operates a private 5G system directly integrated with licensed spaceport launch activity.

This positions Cal Poly as a national model for aerospace-connected campus infrastructure and opens new pathways for federal partnerships, industry collaboration, and workforce development pipelines.

Horizontal Launch Infrastructure Advantage

The airport’s 6,000-foot runway is already compatible with Dawn Aerospace’s horizontal launch vehicles.

No vertical launch towers are required.

Cal Poly’s CBRS small cells extend naturally along the campus-to-airport corridor, reducing deployment cost and accelerating operational readiness compared to greenfield spaceport builds.

Seamless Neutral Host Architecture

The same CBRS neutral host model successfully deployed on campus now extends through the airport corridor.

Students, engineers, and launch operators roam across a single unified private network:

  • No carrier contracts
  • No coverage gaps at airfield boundaries
  • No handover disruptions during launch operations

The university owns and manages the entire infrastructure stack.

Private 5G Applications at the Spaceport

Perimeter Security & Autonomous Monitoring

IoT sensors deployed across the 1,300-acre perimeter provide real-time intrusion detection, environmental monitoring, and operational awareness with all backhauled securely to campus over private 5G.

Launch Telemetry & Payload Monitoring

Dedicated low-latency 5G links carry real-time telemetry and payload data during testing and launch windows. Bandwidth is reserved for mission-critical streams to prevent congestion during peak operational periods.

Seamless Campus-to-Runway Roaming

Engineers and students maintain uninterrupted connectivity from academic buildings to the runway apron, ensuring coordinated launch-day execution and real-time troubleshooting.

Student Workforce Development

Every component of this network is designed, deployed, and operated by Cal Poly students under faculty supervision.

Students gain direct experience in:

  • RF propagation modeling
  • Small cell placement and optimization
  • Core network configuration
  • IoT mesh deployment
  • Network operations during launch windows

This is one of the most advanced real-world wireless training environments available at any university in the country.

Engineering Approach

The Advanced Wireless Lab is scaling its proven deployment methodology to aerospace-grade operations:

  • RF modeling using the campus digital twin extended to the airport corridor
  • Optimized CBRS small cell placement for runway and perimeter coverage
  • Core network integration with existing campus 5G for seamless handover
  • IoT sensor mesh architecture for autonomous monitoring
  • Student-led network operations team for launch-day support
  • Service-level alignment with Dawn Aerospace mission requirements

This is disciplined infrastructure engineering, not experimental deployment.

Impact

When operational, this initiative will establish:

  • The only university-run private 5G network supporting licensed spaceport launches
  • A national benchmark for aerospace wireless infrastructure
  • A live training ground for next-generation wireless and aerospace engineers
  • A scalable model for future university–spaceport partnerships

Deployment begins this month.