Keysight Technologies Releases Survey Report: Software Test Automation Is the Top Technology Challenge Facing the Satellite Industry

• Three-quarters of space technology decision-makers believe that software test automation is a top technology challenge facing the industry

• Nearly half of the respondents said that continuously shortening product development cycles has become a general trend

Keysight Technologies recently released a survey report titled "Challenging Gravity," which shows that three-quarters of space technology decision makers consider software test automation as one of the top technical challenges affecting the satellite industry.

The survey found that 76% of industry professionals believe that the biggest challenge facing the satellite industry is software test automation, followed by system-level modeling and simulation (53%), and then design verification (46%). This result highlights the industry's need for advanced automation and simulation tools, which they need to accelerate the design and manufacturing process. This is also reflected in the main industry trends mentioned by respondents: 43% of respondents believe that the top trend is the ever-shrinking product development cycle; advanced payload systems (37%) and artificial intelligence (34%) follow closely behind.

Keysight Technologies Releases Survey Report: Software Test Automation Is the Top Technology Challenge Facing the Satellite Industry

Other key findings from the Defying Gravity report include:

• Satellites drive industry development – ​​When looking at the top 10 industry trends for the next three years, satellites were the most mentioned by respondents. In their opinion, the biggest trend is small satellites in geosynchronous orbit (GEO), followed by very high throughput satellites, cybersecurity, on-orbit servicing and large constellations in low earth orbit (LEO).

• Data collection and communications have the greatest impact – When identifying the applications that will have the greatest impact on the industry, respondents cited data collection, research and communications the most. They cited big data collection and analysis as the top application, followed by earth observation, global positioning/timing services, science/research, and internet/voice/broadcast services.

• Cost and supply chain face significant risks – When asked to rate the top risks to their projects, respondents indicated that cost and supply chain were the top two areas of concern. The top risk they cited was unpredictability of cost, followed by parts/subsystem supply, technology scope, and project funding.

To help industry decision makers and engineers take advantage of these trends, Keysight Technologies provides a full range of space and satellite solutions. These solutions focus on end-to-end design and development product lifecycles and ecosystems to address the complex technical challenges faced by industry customers. Solutions can provide strong support for the entire satellite product lifecycle from design to verification: including operations, ground stations, user terminals, as well as test expertise related to satellite payloads, RF systems, and power subsystems.

By using tools such as Keysight PathWave System Design (SystemVue), satellite engineers can apply digital twin technology to simulate system-level designs in real-world scenarios, thereby shortening product development cycles. In addition, Keysight Technologies also leverages the automated testing capabilities of the Eggplant test platform with artificial intelligence (AI) to accelerate software development.

The study was commissioned by Keysight Technologies and conducted by Coleman Parkes Research. Executives and managers from the space and satellite ecosystem were surveyed. The organizations they represented included satellite developers, manufacturers, subsystem suppliers, operators, and service providers located in the Americas, Asia Pacific, and Europe.

"The satellite industry is facing a major transformation, fueled by the commercial space sector's thriving technology R&D efforts, with new designs coming on line in dramatically shorter timeframes," said Greg Patschke, general manager of Keysight's Aerospace, Defense & Government Solutions group. "To ensure both mission and business success, they need high-fidelity simulation and test expertise. With Keysight's end-to-end design and verification tools, our customers can be more confident that their satellite and subsystem development missions will be successful the first time, every time."