Will Aid In Faster Satellite Development
Lockheed Martin announced Monday it has established a new Space
Vehicle Integration Laboratory (SVIL) to enable a more efficient
and reliable process for space vehicle component and flight
software integration.
As a Lockheed Martin Space Systems-wide asset, the laboratory
will have applications for large, small, existing and future
satellite development. The SVIL utilizes state-of-the-art computer
hardware and software technologies to provide users with the
ability to more thoroughly understand how their space vehicle, at
various stages of development, will eventually operate on-orbit.
This approach facilitates less complex development, and fosters
close customer partnerships, with more transparency and long-term
predictability.
The laboratory is designed to significantly reduce risk
associated with flight software-space vehicle hardware integration.
It allows flight software developers to test and integrate early
models of software in "flight-like" conditions long before flight
qualified hardware is available. With the SVIL, hardware and
software models are integrated at an earlier stage, allowing
identification and troubleshooting of any issues near the beginning
of the development cycle. This will enhance Lockheed Martin's
ability to build satellites more rapidly, at lower costs, and with
a higher confidence of mission success.
"The ability to field both large and small satellites quickly
and reliably is a critical capability supporting the warfighter,"
said Rick Ambrose, vice president and general manager of
Surveillance and Navigation Systems at Lockheed Martin. "Through
innovations like the SVIL, Lockheed Martin is eliminating cost,
schedule and weight drivers to provide mission focused solutions
with a commitment to operational excellence and mission
success."
The SVIL, located at the Lockheed Martin Space Systems facility
in Denver, CO, is remotely accessible and can be utilized by
engineers across the company through a virtual logon. Lockheed
Martin's Surveillance and Intelligence Systems (S&IS) mission
area maintains a team of more than 40 engineers devoted to small
spacecraft development. Since 2000, the team has worked on the
XSS-11, Mitex, and internally funded programs.
Lockheed Martin has designed, built and launched over 150 small
satellites, 100 percent of which have met or exceeded their design
life. Lockheed Martin's small satellite heritage demonstrates the
capability to field highly innovative, reliable systems rapidly and
at very low cost.