A Strategy For Small Satellite C2

Systems, Economics and Scalingto Meet the Challenge

A Directions Whitepaper

Some of the most exciting and creative efforts in the space industry are in the burgeoning area of small satellites (smallsats). Sometimes called cubesats, microsats, nanosats—even “phone sats” that can be little more than a modified cell phone launched into space—small satellites are inspiring big changes in the way we think about the affordability of space and communications missions.

More than just the on-orbit hardware, smallsat manufacturing and launch costs are orders of magnitude lower than traditional satellites, and they are reinventing the scale, economics, schedules and business cases underlying satellite missions.

From NASA and the U.S. Department of Defense, to industry giants such as Boeing and Lockheed Martin to entrepreneurial startups and educational institutions, organizations around the globe are embracing smallsats for missions ranging from science and weather data to national security and essential communications. The U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), for example, plans to spend US$46 million to find ways to launch smallsats on 24-hour notice under the Airborne Launch Assist Space Access (ALASA) program, and the U.S. Air Force and National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) are reviewing smallsats as a way to lower risk by adding redundancy in orbit.

Although smallsats have been around for some time, their growing poularity is relatively new and there are still challenges to realizing their full potential, such as finding ways to replicate smallsat cost advantages in other mission areas, especially the ground segment. How can the needed robustness, reliability and security for Telemetry, Tracking and Command (TT&C) and other Command & Control (C2) functions be consolidated in a package suitable for smallsat economics? Kratos has been investing in solving this challenge, applying its three decades of ground systems leadership to the unique needs and cost structures of smallsat missions.

The New Economics of Satellite MissionsIn many ways, the rise of smallsats is a factor of a much larger trend in the space industry— the pressing need to drive down costs.

The driving difference between small and traditional satellite missions is economics. Building and launching a traditional satellite typically costs hundreds of millions and sometimes upwards of a billion dollars. The return can be great, but the acquisition process, multi-year commitment, technology, and all-or-nothing risk profile are significant barriers to entry, achievement

or ROI. What’s more, traditional satellite platforms are priced beyond many mission profiles, such as certain types of scientific research, educational programs, high-redundancy requirements or efforts targeting emerging markets. With the industry continuously exploring new cost reducing options, smallsats are among the most promising.

Smallsat Requirements on the GroundAs an industry rule of thumb, ground systems for a traditional mission run about 15% of mission cost, with the C2 portion alone usually estimated at approximately 5%. For a traditional satellite mission, that cost is rarely lower than US$1-2 million and frequently exceeds US$10-20 million including purchase, customization, installation and implementation. When a smallsat can cost as little as US$500K,

spending ten times that amount for the ground system alone is simply not tenable.

Cost is not the only way ground requirements for smallsat missions differ from their larger cousins. While it is difficult to characterize a “generic” mission, smallsat programs also tend to diverge dramatically in customization needs, as well as schedule and technical requirements. Any viable smallsat C2 system will have to address these factors, including:

1. Standarization Over CustomizationBy nature, traditional C2 solutions are “design to mission” systems, highly customized to the specific satellites, ground equipment and operator specifications. While they may start out using a commercial product, they soon become highly customized—not just tweaked or fine-tuned— to be optimized for the unique mission operations, goals and environment. This process is valuable, but also costly and time consuming, including substantial amounts of non-recurring engineering to ensure a solution that precisely fits specific parameters. Purchase of the original software is just the start, followed by integration of multiple components, mission unique customizations, integration with in-house systems, extensive formal testing cycles, documentation, training and third-party support.

While the model works for large satellites, it simply isn’t sustainable for smallsats. Even if the smallsat budgetary limitations could be overcome, a highly customized system is more difficult and expensive to maintain and less flexible when needs change, when new missions are conceived, technology evolves or fleets grow. In addition, smallsats are often operated by small teams that may include members who are far less experienced in areas such as spacecraft operations, network integration and TT&C. Operators of academic missions can be teachers or students, and even well-financed government or commercial efforts

Small satellites, such as Tyvak Nano-Satellite System’s one-unit (1U) CubeSats, are a growing segment of the industry addressing issues such as reducing mission costs, disaggregation, education and research goals.

1 - A Strategy For Small Satellite C2

typical core functional requirements versus mission-specific needs. This opens the door to developing a C2 system specifically designed for smallsats that can be delivered at lower cost, capitalizing upon the differences in external interfaces, mission planning, on board memory management, availability requirements, mission unique software, and ground resources to monitor and control when operating smallsats.

Kratos’ strategy for developing quantumCMD™, its C2 system for smallsats, focused on enabling the core command, telemetry, trending and ground Monitoring and Control (M&C) functions that are common to these missions, while:• reducing customization requirements to the absolute minimum• enabling “plug-and-play” capabilities through the use of standards-based interfaces• streamlining mission operations through easy-to-use automation features and• leaving open the door to add advanced functions if and when needed, such as fleet management capabilities

Reinventing C2 for Small SatellitesAs the developer of the industry’s leading satellite C2 system, Epoch™ Integrated Product Suite (IPS), Kratos has more than

30 years experience solving satellite C2 challenges for businesses, governments and defense agencies around the world. In discussing their needs, these operators have made it clear that the paradigm shift presented by smallsats must be addressed with a certain set of characteristics and features, including:

1. It must be a true commercial-off- the-shelf (COTS) product to achieve the necessary economies of scale. Even quasi-COTS solutions will not suffice because they inevitably require high degrees of tailoring and associated costs for integration, customization, documentation, maintenance and support.

2. It must be a legitimate turnkey system, packaged as an appliance that can be specced, ordered and received in weeks, and that can begin operating right out of the box by team members who may not be ground system experts.

3. It must support anywhere access via the web so operators, engineers or users can get telemetry and mission data and command their satellite from the field, a SOC or a lab.

4. It must feature streamlined operations support with tools that enable users to optimize for a new mission CONOPS without the need for re-development.

5. It must provide extensive automation capabilities since smallsat missions are often run “lights out” or under dynamic CONOPS.

6. It must be scalable to enable the growth of smallsat fleets without requiring massive reinvestment.

And, of course, it must be every bit as robust as a traditional, large-scale system with no compromise in reliability,

frequently involve distributed operations with a wide variance in staff skills and expertise. When it comes to C2, smallsats must break free of the customization model and adopt a more standardized (and standards-based) approach that reduces cost, risk and complexity while enhancing operational flexibility and ease of use.

2. Shorter SchedulesTypical large satellite efforts have a cycle time of three to six years from program start to launch base delivery. In contrast, timelines for smallsat development, integration and testing tend to be far shorter, frequently a third to half that time. As a result, smallsat manufacturers want off-the-shelf C2 solutions that can be delivered in months, not years, and can be quickly integrated with their systems right out of the box, both for launch readiness and Integration and Testing (I&T) of the satellite. If a C2 system is available right from the start of satellite development, factors such as factory I&T, launch base compatibility testing and operations testing can all be streamlined and unified, enhancing both readiness and confidence.

3. Functional CapabilitiesLastly, but perhaps most important, the good news is that small satellite missions frequently tend to have less complex C2 requirements. Figure 1: shows the

Figure 1: While traditional C2 functions for large satellites is a complex and expansive task set, core C2 functions for typical smallsat missions can be more proscribed.

Unique to Space -Ground Data Path

RF Reception/Transmission

Antenna Pointingand Control

RF Up/DownConversion

Modulate/Demodulate Signal

Encryption/Decryption

Frame or PacketDecommutation

Point Context Check

Engineering UnitConversion

Measurand LimitCheck and Alarming

Point and Track FileGeneration

Ground DeviceMonitor and Control

CommandGeneration

CommandFormatting

Command AuthorityCheck

Transmission andTracking

Veri�cation

Logging andMessaging

Procedure Scripting

Display Building

Real-Time UserInterface

Ops Automation

Plotting andTrending

Raw Telemetry andProcessed File

MemoryManagement

Mission DataProcessing

Automated AnomalyProcessing

Orbital Analysis

External Interfaces

Payload and BusMission Planning

Unique to Payloadand Mission Users

Core Command & Control Functions

A Strategy For Small Satellite C2 - 2

security or core functionality. While the satellites may be smaller, they still involve significant investments in funds, effort, people and time.

With these design goals and the input of our customers, Kratos architected its new quantumCMD™ product as a lightweight, portable C2 solution specifically for smallsat missions. quantumCMD is a high-functionality appliance in a pre-configured server, leveraging the best practices Kratos has learned through three decades of supplying satellite ground segment products and services.

A Scalable System Architecture for Small Satellite C2Figure 2: shows the functional architecture behind quantumCMD. At the core is its Telemetry & Command (T&C) Engine [1], which accepts telemetry data either as Time Division Multiplex frames or as packets, such as those used by CCSDS-compliant satellites. Once received, the telemetry is processed to break out individual points (with engineering unit conversions applied as needed) and then limit checked. There are numerous options for engineering unit conversions and limit checking, including floats, calibration curves, point pairs, state naming and more. Once processed, all telemetry is available for display and trending. The T&C Engine processes all commands, building them from user or procedure inputs into the required bit streams for uplink. Commands can use keyword-based arguments or have no argument at all and can be packet or frame-based. The T&C Engine also performs validation and verification of all command inputs, ensuring proper formatting for transmission and execution on the spacecraft.

quantumCMD’s File Generator [2 ] takes in data and generates text files, allowing the T&C Engine to generate several types of files during a contact to support

Figure 2: As a pre-integrated, turnkey solution, quantumCMD delivers core C2 functions right out of the box, including all necessary hardware and software.

[8] Automation Server

[7] User InterfaceWeb Server

[5] DatabaseCon�guration Module

XTCE Database M&C Con�guration File

Ground SystemDevices

Spacecraft

Web Browser

quantumCMD

[3] M&C Bridge

[6] T&C Bridge [2] File Generator

[1] Telemetry andCommand (T&C)

Engine

[4] Database IngestTool

external tools. For example, track files can be fed to orbit analysis applications in order to perform orbit determination and ephemeris propagation. Similarly, telemetry files—which contain all the samples of a given point or points that come in during a contact—can be used by spacecraft engineers for post-pass analysis and trending. quantumCMD also provides the ability to set file definitions for capturing real time mission downlink data. Once a trigger is activated, the user-specified mission file begins capturing the data until a second specified trigger is hit, at which time the file is closed and made available. This greatly aids in uses such as immediate science data capture, imagery display or providing time critical mission data to an external organization.

The M&C Bridge [3] provides a text-based interface for ground equipment monitor and control (M&C) messages that instantiates a Ground Equipment Monitoring Service (GEMS) based interface used to manage front end processors, modems, antenna systems, cryptographic equipment, etc. GEMS is the most widely accepted standard in the industry today, and Kratos is working to incorporate other standards as they are adopted by manufacturers. For proprietary equipment that lacks a native GEMS interface, the status points and directives

can be easily converted to the ground hardware’s native interface language, significantly reducing integration costs. The GEMS XML M&C configuration file, which lists control directives and monitor points, is loaded into quantumCMD’s Database Ingest Tool [4] along with the XML Telemetry and Command Exchange (XTCE) configuration file. quantumCMD’s Database Configuration Module [5] employs the XTCE standard to ingest the command, telemetry, and derived and local/global parameters. It stores the satellite-specific data that transforms quantumCMD from a generic tool into a fully-functioning C2 system for any smallsat or fleet of smallsats. The T&C Bridge [6] is instantiated via the GEMS interface and used as the pathway for commands to the ground equipment as well as for telemetry entering quantumCMD.

All user interactions with quantumCMD occur through a standard web browser, enabling access from anywhere a network connection is available. quantumCMD’s built-in HTML5-based Web Server [7] manages authentication and assures data integrity even on high-latency network connections. Operators can select from a library of prebuilt, customizable dashboards or design their own custom web pages using drag-and-drop

3 - A Strategy For Small Satellite C2

whether manual or automatic—operate reliably and securely. Use of industry-accepted standards means quantumCMD can be integrated quickly and easily with other system elements. This dramatically reduces the need for expensive customizations, including eliminating the labor needed to define and negotiate space-to-ground interface and ingest scripts. The emphasis on turnkey operations within an all-in-one appliance enables smallsat mission operations at a fraction of traditional satellite C2 costs, risk and complexity.

Scaling to Fleets of SmallsatsAs smallsats become more popular, there is an increasing move toward flying larger fleets. For example, using a fleet of smallsats for remote sensing in a traditional low earth orbit mission increases the revisit rate over a specific area of the Earth. The more smallsats in the fleet, the quicker the area can be imaged and the more timely the data. The same is true for applications such as communications and high resolution weather data.

functionality. High performance display components such as charts, graphs and tables can be combined to create data-rich dashboards that enable a common operational picture for all users.

In addition to supporting fully manual operations, quantumCMD provides a wealth of procedure automation capabilities that are managed in the Automation Server [8]. These allow users the flexibility to automate routine operations, adapt to satellite anomalies, support dynamic operations on the fly or even run missions in fully “lights out” mode, if desired. With quantumCMD’s native procedure builder, even those users who have no programming experience can construct custom procedures to direct contact set up, telemetry measure and checks, satellite commanding and pre- and post-pass ground equipment configuration. This includes the ability to perform mathematical, flow control, Boolean operations, system calls and a wide array of user interface prompts.quantumCMD’s software architecture components work seamlessly together to assure that all critical C2 functions—

Standards-Based OperationsOne of the key design elements that allows quantumCMD to provide robust functionality in an economical package is its reliance upon industry standards to simplify integration and speed implementation.

quantumCMD uses the GEMS standard from Object Management Group (OMG) for telemetry ingest, sending commands and controlling ground equipment, including exchange of directives, data and status values. Since the directive and status points are defined in an XML file ingested with the XTCE database, operators see the status of the entire system of spacecraft and ground equipment all on the same page, including an integrated view of space and ground automation procedures.

The XTCE standard, also managed by OMG and accepted by the Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems (CCSDS), is used to ingest satellite databases. quantumCMD’s implementation of the XTCE schema includes spacecraft telemetry simulation, multi-part binary data and other advanced items. Users can easily ingest the XTCE file to generate an operational database containing each command, telemetry measurand, derived point and local/global variable. The ingest process also incorporates XML parameters needed for the GEMS interface devices, all helping to eliminate the labor typically needed to define and negotiate a custom space-to-ground ICD and ingest script.

A Strategy For Small Satellite C2 - 4

Controlling multiple satellites adds new C2 requirements, such as ensuring that the ground architecture will support centralized management, and the increased data flow from multiple satellites and missions requires sufficient infrastructure to maintain acceptable systems performance. To meet these needs while also holding down mission costs— both initial cost and lifecycle Total Cost of Ownership (TCO)— Kratos approached fleet management as a function of the flexibility to scale over time. In its core implementation, quantumCMD delivers all of the C2 functionality required to manage up to four satellites. As needs, strategies, or mission requirements

Figure 3: quantumCMD’s data-rich dashboards give users overall spacecraft and ground status as well as the capability to drill down into each subsystem and ground component for further fidelity, whether controlling a single smallsat or an entire fleet.

grow, quantumCMD can grow with them into a fleet implementation that protects previous investments.

Figure 4: shows a simplified view of quantumCMD’s fleet management architecture. Individual quantumCMD core units can manage up to four smallsats each, actively controlling a single satellite stream at a time. Once that number is exceeded, up to four new satellites can be controlled by a second core quantumCMD unit, with the two bridged by a specialized quantumCMD fleet unit that also adds the ability to control multiple satellites simultaneously.

This architecture consolidates fleet-wide data so that authorized users can monitor and take action across all satellite operations. Essential mission data is shared across all units, including all procedures, displays and databases. Approved users can schedule contacts for the entire fleet, with quantumCMD ingesting TLEs to produce satellite-to-ground antenna visibilities for planning contacts. In addition, ground resources, procedures to run, and desired automation levels can be assigned centrally. Access and control are available from anywhere through a single web browser,

providing a common operational picture across selected satellites or the entire fleet. quantumCMD reduces operational risks by providing constraint checking and a prioritization scheme as well as a failover capability. In addion, its scalable architecture delivers enterprise-grade features including:

• Centralized user account management through built-in LDAP Server • Data synchronization services including automation procedures, displays and vehicle databases which can be shared or local • Contact scheduling, including schedule-based automation of ground and space assets

• Fleet-wide situational awareness, including data from any satellite or ground resource• Enhanced service interface for integrating capabilities into expanded external ground systems

Streamlining Operations for Smallsats and BeyondBy doing more with so much less, smallsats are raising the opportunity to advance the reach, power and proliferation of missions to support communications, research and defense. To realize that promise, however, they must be managed and controlled with the same reliability and security as their larger cousins.

With quantumCMD, Kratos has developed a robust ground control system which meets the economics that are driving the smallsat revolution. As a preconfigured appliance, quantumCMD can be set up and supporting missions in a fraction of the time of traditional C2 systems, at far lower cost. Over time those savings are maximized, first through a far lower Total Cost of Ownership and then, through native scalability that allows expansion from one, to a few, to a fleet of smallsats.

For more information contact:info@quantumCMD.com orwww.KratosDefense.com/quantumCMD

Figure 4: quantumCMD’s management architecture scales smoothly over time by aggregating command, control, data and administration functions step-by-step as fleets grow.

5 - A Strategy For Small Satellite C2

Web Browser

ServiceInterface

UserAdministration

ScheduleExecution

SchedulePlanning

User InterfaceWeb Server

ProcedureAutomation

ExternalDevice

quantumCMD Core AppliancesquantumCMD Fleet

SPECIALTY CAPABILITIES

PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

Figure 5: Operators can select from quantumCMD’s library of prebuilt, customizable dashboards or create their own screens using drag-and-drop elements, including maps, charts, tables, even video feeds

Out-of-the-Box Features BenefitsIngest of industry standard XTCE telemetry and

command database

Open standard allows for straightforward database generation and updates

Validation, generation, transmission and verification

of commands

Ensures commands will be properly formatted, transmitted and verified for proper

executionSupports all of the telemetry functions common

across small satellite ground systems

All requirements are met with no software development

• Frame or Packet Decommutation

• Engineering Unit Conversion

• Measurand Limit Check and Alarming

• Logging and Messaging

• Procedure Scripting

• Display Building

• Real-Time User Interface

• Plotting and Trending

• Raw Telemetry and Processed File RetrievalAutomation of spacecraft operations across

multiple core devices

• Reduce the risk and cost of mission operations through selective automation

• Supports completely manual operations, “lights out” or anywhere in between

• Pre-defined responses can be created for anomalous conditions, mission data

triggers or repetitive actions required throughout the missions’s lifetimeTools to develop and maintain automation scripts

and display pages

• Easily develop and tailor scripts and display pages to fit the mission

• Simplified scripting requires no programming experience to automate

functions such as pre/post-contact ground system configuration, telemetry

measurand checks, sending commands and ground equipment directivesProvides a web-based, open and secure user

interface

No client software required to access data across the fleet from any location

Drag-and-drop dashboards Quickly create specialized views including charts, graphs, tables and more without

programmingMultiple databases supported for a single vehicle All phases of the mission lifecycle are accommodated from I&T through de-orbit

Expansion capabilities for fleet management Scales smoothly as fleet operations grow over time. Lowers Total Cost of Ownership

by reducing pre-launch development and integration efforts, as well as the time spent

planning on-orbit contact activities.

A Strategy For Small Satellite C2 - 6

From Kratos, the Leader in Satellite C2 SolutionsFor 30 years, Kratos has been a leading provider of satellite ground systems supporting hundredsof missions around the globe. Kratos offers turnkey ground segment solutions encompassingCommand & Control (C2), RF/IF equipment, signal monitoring, interference mitigation, networkmanagement and payload management solutions.

Kratos’ all-in-one Fleet Management solution, Epoch IPS®, is the most widely used C2 system in the industry. More than 75% of commercial satellite operators use Epoch IPS, as well as government clients on five continents, including NASA, the U.S. Air Force and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in the United States. Epoch IPS provides complete off-the-shelf satellite telemetry and command processing for operations and test environments, with the ability to manage a single satellite, multiple satellites from different manufacturers, or an entire fleet. Epoch supports LEO, GEO and Deep Space satellites from every major manufacturer, providing out-of-the-box compatibility for most commercial satellite designs of the last 17 years. For more information on Epoch IPS, visit www. Kratos-ISI.com.

quantumCMD features deliver the reliability, security and robustness expected from large satellite C2 systems in a package suited to the economics of smallsat missions.

About Kratos

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. (Nasdaq:KTOS) is a specialized National Security technology company providing mission critical products, services and solutions to government, defense and commercial customers around the globe. Kratos’ core capabilities are sophisticated engineering, manufacturing and system integration of advanced communications, C5ISR, unmanned systems, critical infrastructure protection and related technologies. In the Communications domain, Kratos provides industry-leading products and services for satellite command and control, communications protection and assurance, telemetry and mission data, RF link assurance, cybersecurity and end-to-end monitoring and control across satellite and terrestrial networks. Kratos is based in San Diego, California, with more than 3,800 employees in offices around the world.

5971 Kingstowne Village ParkwaySuite 200Alexandria, VA 22315703-254-2000www.KratosDefense.com