A method comprising: receiving, at a resource manager on-board a satellite forming part of a satellite-based network, a request associated with a communications path from a first device of a first external network to a second device of a second external network, wherein the first and second external networks are external to the satellite-based network; receiving, at the resource manager on-board the satellite , signaling data from a network device of the first external network or the second external network, wherein the signaling data includes information associated with one or more label-switched paths through the first and second external networks; generating, by the resource manager on-board the satellite , switching configuration data based on the signaling data and network topology data associated with the communications path, wherein the switching configuration data indicates a configuration of a switch matrix of the satellite ; and causing, by the resource manager on-board the satellite , the switch matrix to initialize or modify the communications path based on the switching configuration data such that the satellite is able to route traffic associated with different labels according to different paths without demodulating data on-board the satellite to extract labels and route data, wherein a portion of the communications path includes components of a payload of the satellite , the components including the switch matrix , wherein the switching configuration data further includes at least one of one or more filter configurations of the switch matrix or one or more permutation tables used to configure elements of the switch matrix, associated with routing one or more frequency slices associated with a radio frequency, RF, signal received at an input port of the satellite to one or more output ports of the satellite . receiving, at a resource manager on-board a satellite forming part of a satellite-based network, a request associated with a communications path from a first device of a first external network to a second device of a second external network, wherein the first and second external networks are external to the satellite-based network; receiving, at the resource manager on-board the satellite , signaling data from a network device of the first external network or the second external network, wherein the signaling data includes information associated with one or more label-switched paths through the first and second external networks; generating, by the resource manager on-board the satellite , switching configuration data based on the signaling data and network topology data associated with the communications path, wherein the switching configuration data indicates a configuration of a switch matrix of the satellite ; and causing, by the resource manager on-board the satellite , the switch matrix to initialize or modify the communications path based on the switching configuration data such that the satellite is able to route traffic associated with different labels according to different paths without demodulating data on-board the satellite to extract labels and route data, wherein a portion of the communications path includes components of a payload of the satellite , the components including the switch matrix , wherein the switching configuration data further includes at least one of one or more filter configurations of the switch matrix or one or more permutation tables used to configure elements of the switch matrix, associated with routing one or more frequency slices associated with a radio frequency, RF, signal received at an input port of the satellite to one or more output ports of the satellite . <EOS>