Advancing Satellite Software Development by Todd Lizambri

By Todd Lizambri, Vice President of Software Engineering

Software development, satellite communications, and the evolution of this capability. Where to start? Perhaps the beginning. 

This posting tells the story of Network Innovations U.S. Government’s development of software services – but more importantly why it’s a critical milestone for satellite operators. And in the upcoming weeks, I’ll be exploring the fundamental pillars that have shaped this offering.

In the realm of satellite communications, software development becomes the key that unlocks our information requirements. Whether it’s providing resiliency when networks are congested or advancing remote terminal management, software’s role has changed both on mission-critical Department of Defense (DoD) systems and on commercial systems – becoming the backbone of their functionality.

The increasing demand for network resilience is precisely where this capability proves its worth.

In May 2022, our team was awarded the Service Provider Registry prototype – a component of the Satellite Communications Enterprise Management and Control (EM&C) for the U.S. Space Force (USSF). That’s where our exciting journey commenced, building a full stack of end-to-end capabilities for terminal management and an authoritative catalog of SATCOM services.

For the USSF, EM&C plays a crucial role in fortifying satellite communications against adversaries and optimizing mission-critical operations. As we delved deeper into the project's advancements, an intriguing possibility emerged: the potential to extend its benefits to diverse commercial applications.

In the process of building a SATCOM management platform, a crucial aspect is flexibility. How can this be leveraged for alternative applications? How can users from various backgrounds capitalize on the benefits it offers? These questions find their answers in the exploration of three key pillars. Whether our end user requires military applications or has a commercial infrastructure, our software solutions enable them to:

• Embrace the ease of fully managed, end-to-end systems
• Unlock scalability and utilize the cloud-native architecture
• Revel in the dynamic and domain-agnostic nature of the system

Satellite operators want to experience the full potential of their solutions, capitalize on all available features, and see the advantages of information dominance. While there may be some differences in the specific requirements and security measures between the two domains, many fundamental SATCOM software functionalities are relevant for both commercial and military users.

Nevertheless, we build customizable SATCOM management systems with adaptability in mind. For commercial use, our software solutions are API-driven and can interface with other Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems – providing enhanced management of key operations such as inventory and logistics. Anyone can make use of our capabilities.

With our growing team, we’ve evolved this capability from a critical component of EM&C, delivering SATCOM services to the U.S. military and the DoD, to a service improving the delivery of data and information across industry applications.

Up Next – Advancing Satellite Software Development: A Fully Managed, End-to-End System

More Info – https://www.networkinv.com/service/software-development