Abstract
The demand for satellites and space systems with ever-increasing avionics requirements is constantly growing, whether in the field of satellite communications or earth observation. Traditional architectures for Data Handling Systems (DHS) on satellites are reaching their limits in terms of flexibility, interoperability and reusability, while slowing down the innovation cycle due to costly qualification. With regard to commercial and industrial solutions, it is evident that ‘plug and play’-like systems based on open standards can overcome the above-mentioned disadvantages. For this reason, this paper describes how open standards could affect the architecture of future satellite DHSs. In particular it shows an transition path from the traditional federated architecture to a centralized but modular architecture based on adapted industrial standards.
Funding source: Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Energie
Award Identifier / Grant number: FKZ: 50RM1607
Funding statement: The results described in this paper were elaborated in the frame of a technology project (FKZ: 50RM1607) partially funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi).
About the authors
Dr. Ulf Kulau received his bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering in 2010 and his master’s degree in computer science in 2012 from the Technische Universität Braunschweig. In 2016 he received his Ph. D. degree in computer science at TU Braunschweig. His current research interests include wireless sensor networks (WSNs), microcontroller systems in general, energy constrained computing and electronics for harsh environments. From April 2018 Ulf was interim professor at the ‘Computer Engineering and Embedded Computing’ research group at TU Braunschweig where he was also working on hardware-software co-design in embedded systems. Since February 2019 Ulf is Head of Pre-Development at DSI Aerospace Technologie GmbH where he is investigating new trends in space electronics as well as technology transfer. He likes travelling and his favorite animals are chicken.
Dr. Juergen Herpel received a PhD degree from Darmstadt University in Electrical Engineering in 1995. He has now more than 30 years of experience in the field of embedded systems. This includes the implementation and design of hardware (boards, FPGAs, ASICs) and software for embedded system as well as the definition and implementation of a design methodology for these systems. The field of application ranges from automotive/train, airborne and spaceborne systems. In the past 15 years he was also involved in various projects as system engineer and project team manager. In 2014 Mr. Herpel was nominated as Expert for Advanced Avionics Software with the focus on modular hardware and software architectures. He is member of the PCIMG standardization group and initiated the Compact PCI® Serial Space standard. In his current position he is coordinating the R&T related projects within the department.
Ran Qedar received a BSc from the Technion in aerospace engineering in 2009 and his MSc in space system engineering from TU Delft in 2015. He has now more than 10 years of experience in the field of space systems engineering, This includes testing, integration, software development and operations. The field of space systems includes academic satellites, commercial earth observation satellites and deep space missions. In the past 10 years he was also involved in various projects as a space system engineer. In 2015 he started to work at the European Space Agency on the Gaia mission as a spacecraft operations engineer and afterwards became the system engineer and CEO of SPiN.
Patrick Rosenthal received a diploma in theoretical high energy physics from the University of Hamburg in 1991. Since then he gained experiences in Earth Observation, optical sensing, GNSS Systems, air traffic management, space radiation effects, thermal engineering, and system simulation at software, system and project management levels. He was involved in projects such as ENVISAT-1, METOP, EGNOS, Galileo Ground Mission Segment, space-based ADS-B. Recently this comprises the development of products, components, and radiation shielding techniques for modular high performance computing and signal processing in space as well as applications in air navigation, surveillance, rail, and novel satcom systems. In his current position Mr. Rosenthal is the head of engineering, design authority, and is responsible for R&D planning and related projects.
Joachim Krieger received his Dipl. Ing. in Electronics in 1996 and his master’s degree in Integrated Product Development in 2011. He started his work with electronics development for satellite payloads, especially instrument controllers and multi-processor systems for laser-communication, cameras and electric beam steering of phased array antennas for radar applications. Then he turned into automation industry responsible for the complete development of fluid-sensors starting as electronics developer and project manager and later-on as head of project management and technical manager. Since 2017 Joachim is Head of Electrical Products at SpaceTech GmbH. Together with his team he is responsible for the space-electronics product line including deployment-electronics, remote data concentrators, opto-electronics for laser-instruments and instrument controllers. He likes hiking and enjoys travelling through Switzerland’s Ticino.
Friedrich Schoen was born in 1958 and graduated from the TU Berlin in 1983 with a degree in computer science. Since 2002, he has been a department head in the area of software quality, first at Fraunhofer FIRST and since 2012 at Fraunhofer FOKUS. His main interests range from parallel and distributed system architectures to model-driven and verifiable design of systems.
Dr. Ivan Masar received his diploma in Electrical Engineering in 2019 from the Slovak Technical University in Bratislava, Slovakia. In 2007 he received PhD from Electrical Engineering at University of Hagen, Germany. In his research he focused on control and navigation of mobile robots (both ground and aerial), real-time embedded systems and model-based design. After joining TTTech in 2014, a Vienna-based company providing data communications networks for safety-critical applications, he managed several projects for the development of the TTEthernet-based products used in space applications before taking over the lead of the Aerospace Product Management team.
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