AI on AWS: Transforming Satellite Mission Operations

Published Date: 10/07/2024

Discover how to modernize mission operation centers with cloud-based managed services, artificial intelligence, and digital twins on AWS.

"Satellite mission operations have been a critical element of space exploration, from the Apollo missions to present-day satellite constellations. Traditional mission operation centers (MOCs) are composed of various subsystems, including command and control, mission planning, flight dynamics, and payload processing. However, as satellite constellations grow, the complexity of MOCs increases, leading to scalability and cost issues.

Cloud-based managed services on AWS offer a solution to these challenges. By leveraging AWS, satellite operators can modernize their MOCs, take advantage of artificial intelligence (AI), automation, and digital twins. This article provides technical guidance for building and operating MOCs on AWS, including scalable flight dynamics using serverless compute and mission planning operations with CNTIENT.

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For satellite operators, the MOC is the core functional component that enables business objectives. It contains all elements required for driving nominal and contingency operations. Key foundational elements of a MOC include command and control, flight dynamics, mission planning, and payload processing.

AWS and Partner CMOC solutions enable satellite operations at scale. Architected as a set of extensible microservices, one or more foundational elements can be deployed securely as infrastructure as code (IaC), with the option to mirror systems in a separate AWS Region for resiliency or compliance purposes.

Satellite Missions on AWS

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An example cloud-based architecture for a MOC on AWS is shown in Figure 2. The various subsystems are separated and modular, allowing flexible replacement and drop-in capability of partner or open-source solutions.

Flight Dynamics with Serverless Compute

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The flight dynamics subsystem requires extensive computational resources for orbit determination, maneuvering, conjunction analysis, and collision avoidance. AWS Lambda can be a cost-effective choice for stateless calculations, although Amazon EKS is often used if customers have an existing Kubernetes footprint.

CNTIENT Intelligent Mission Operations

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CNTIENT.Optimize mission planning is designed to help commercial and government satellite operators manage their fleets more efficiently. It uses AI to automate Earth observation tasking and improve business key performance indicators (KPIs) while satisfying technical constraints.

Recommendations

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When evaluating a cloud-based MOC system, it's essential to consider building it out yourself or leveraging aerospace and satellite Professional Services and AWS Partners. Engaging with AWS Partners such as Cognitive Space provides new opportunities for intelligent mission planning.

Summary

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This article explores how to adopt a cloud-based mission operations system. Satellite fleet tasking can be optimized with AI solutions, and customers can improve the resilience and scalability of their MOC with AWS ProServe and Partner solutions."

FAQs:

"Q: What are the key challenges faced by traditional mission operation centers?

A: Traditional MOCs face scalability and cost issues as satellite constellations grow in complexity.

Q: How can AWS help modernize mission operation centers?

A: AWS offers cloud-based managed services, artificial intelligence, and digital twins to modernize MOCs and improve scalability and resilience.

Q: What is CNTIENT.Optimize, and how does it help satellite operators?

A: CNTIENT.Optimize is an AI-powered mission planning solution that helps commercial and government satellite operators manage their fleets more efficiently and improve business KPIs.

Q: What are the benefits of using AWS Lambda for flight dynamics calculations?

A: AWS Lambda provides a cost-effective choice for stateless calculations, allowing customers to cost-optimize by elastically scaling resources to meet demand.

Q: What is the role of AWS Partners in building cloud-based MOCs?

A: AWS Partners such as Cognitive Space provide new opportunities for intelligent mission planning and offer turn-key solutions for building cloud-based MOCs."

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