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Keysight Technologies, Inc. has released the Defying Gravity survey. It revealed that three in four space technology decision-makers consider software test automation as one of the top technical challenges impacting the satellite industry.

The survey was conducted by Coleman Parkes Research on behalf of Keysight. It comprised interviews of C-suite members and managers from the space and satellite ecosystem. Represented organisations included satellite developers, manufacturers, sub-system suppliers, operators and service providers from Asia Pacific, the Americas and Europe.

Major Transformation in the Satellite Industry

“The satellite industry is undergoing a major transformation, driven by accelerating technology development in the commercial space sector. It is now turning out new designs with vastly reduced cycle times,” said Greg Patschke, General Manager of Keysight’s Aerospace / Defense and Government Solutions Group. “The need for high fidelity simulation and emulation as well as testing expertise has never been greater to ensure successful mission and business outcomes.”

The survey found that 76% of industry professionals see software test automation as the top challenge. It is followed by 53% for system-level modelling and simulation. Next is 46% for design validation. These findings highlight the need for advanced automation and emulation tools that can accelerate design and engineering processes. This is reflected in the top industry trends identified by respondents:

• 43% cited shortened product development times as the leading trend
• 37% cited advanced payload systems
• 34% cited artificial intelligence.

Additional Key Findings

Other key findings from the Defying Gravity survey include:

• Satellites driving industry trends. When looking at the top ten industry trends for the next three years, respondents mentioned satellites most frequently. The top trend identified was small satellites in geosynchronous earth orbit (GEO). It is followed by very high throughput satellites, cybersecurity, in-orbit services and large constellations in low earth orbit (LEO).
• Data gathering and communications top impacts. When identifying the applications that will impact the industry the most, respondents most frequently cited data gathering, research and communications. The top application cited was big-data gathering and analytics. It is followed by uses including earth observation, global positioning/time services, science/research and internet/voice/broadcast services.
• Costs and supply chain greatest risks. When asked to assess the greatest risks to their projects, respondents reported that costs and supply chain were their primary concerns. The top risk cited was unpredictability in costs. Next in order are part/subsystem supply, technical scope and program funding.

Keysight Solutions to Keep Pace with Trends

To help industry decision-makers and engineers take advantage of these trends by addressing their complex technical challenges, Keysight offers complete space and satellite solutions focused on the end-to-end design and development of the product lifecycle and ecosystem. This includes support for the entire satellite product lifecycle from design to validation, including operations, ground stations, and user terminals. It also includes proven testing expertise for satellite payloads, radio frequency systems and power sub-systems.

Using tools like Keysight’s PathWave System Design (SystemVue), satellite engineers can accelerate product development cycles through digital twin technology that emulates system-level designs in real-world scenarios. In addition, Keysight accelerates software development through the automated testing capabilities of the artificial intelligence (AI) -enabled Eggplant test platform.

“By relying on Keysight’s end-to-end design and validation tools, our customers can be more confident that their satellite and its subsystems will work the first time, every time, throughout the duration of its entire mission,” said Patschke.

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