10 Ways Digital Twins Are Propelling Satellite Networks to the Future
Satellite operators, infrastructure providers, and manufacturers are under heightened competition for launches, orbits, and customers, driving the need for a swift time-to-market and risk mitigation strategy. Achieving these objectives involves early design verification and performance validation throughout the satellite and infrastructure development lifecycle.
The current scale and complexity of satellite constellations make digital twins imperative, offering a level of management that exceeds human capabilities. Digital twins enable virtual modeling of numerous communication scenarios, providing a comprehensive understanding of performance in various orbital dynamics, data rates, latencies, and impairments. The continuous flow of insights from digital twins proves invaluable for ongoing network optimization, anomaly detection, predictive maintenance, and more.
What is a digital twin?
A digital twin is a virtual replica of a physical system that mirrors its behavior and characteristics in real-time. It combines data from various sources with behavioral insights and visualizations. In the context of satellite networks, this means a software model that captures everything from the individual satellites and ground stations to the complex interactions between them, all calibrated based on live telemetry data. Constructed early in the development process, the digital twin evolves and informs space system specifications as the physical satellite is tested and built. This allows organizations to put the satellite through its paces in scenarios designed to reveal vulnerabilities and identify methods to protect the system before it is ever launched.
From the C-Suite to the battlefield
CEOs are increasingly recognizing the importance and power of digital twins. According to McKinsey, 70% of C-suite technology executives at large enterprises are exploring and investing in digital twins. Digital twins offer benefits across various industries, but they truly serve as the backbone for military operations, delivering secure communication, precision targeting, and global situational awareness. Several military and aerospace organizations are already reaping the benefits of digital twin technology. NASA is leveraging digital twins to design and test the James Webb Space Telescope, and the Marine Corps and Air Force both employ digital twins for deploying 5G tactical operations.
How are digital twins transforming satellite networks?
The benefits of digital twins extend beyond the development and testing phases. Here are ten ways in which digital twins are propelling satellite networks into the future:
Design and Planning
In the recent Defying Gravity survey by Keysight Technologies, one of the top five challenges facing satellite manufacturers was system-level modeling and simulation. Digital twins are the answer, providing a dynamic and realistic model of satellite networks, including the entire network infrastructure — satellites, ground stations, and communication links. Engineers can design and plan the network architecture virtually, optimizing parameters such as the number and placement of satellites, ground stations, and frequency allocations.
Testing and Performance Optimization
Digital twin technology offers a key advantage for satellites by enabling the testing and validation of designs and performance before actual construction. This proactive approach helps identify and address potential issues before they become costly problems in the field. The digital twin simulates and tests satellite designs, allowing optimization of configuration, weight, and balance of components prior to manufacturing. They can also simulate the satellite's environment and predict how it will perform under different conditions like signal propagation, interference, data transfer dynamics, and cyberattacks.
In the aerospace and defense industry, digital twins aid in simulating satellite orbits, communication links, and payload performance—optimizing launch windows, ground station coverage, and mission characteristics for success. SpaceX uses digital twins to design and test their Starlink satellite internet constellation. The company's digital twins are so detailed that they can even simulate the effects of solar flares on the network.
Enhanced Innovation
Digital twins provide a platform for experimentation and innovation, allowing engineers to test modern technologies and concepts before deploying them in the real world. By running simulations on the digital twin, engineers can test new configurations, identify potential problems, and optimize performance without having to touch the physical network.
Real-time Monitoring, Simulation and Analysis
Digital twin technology for satellites provides the ability to monitor and maintain satellites in real-time. In the event of network issues or disruptions, digital twins facilitate root cause analysis. Engineers can backtrack through simulated data to identify the problem source and implement corrective measures, saving time, money, and resources.
Predictive Maintenance and Troubleshooting
By continuously monitoring the digital twin, organizations can predict potential maintenance needs. This proactive approach ensures the satellite network operates at peak performance, minimizing downtime. Digital twins can assist in discovering potential problems before they become severe and enable prompt maintenance or adjustments. By tracking the health and performance of satellites in orbit, satellite lifespan is extended and the need for costly repairs or replacements is reduced. Badge 6 with solid fill
On-Orbit Servicing and Traffic Management
Digital twins simulate intricate interactions among servicing satellites, facilitating the optimization of robotic operations, and mitigating risks during on-orbit servicing. The US Space Force employs digital twins for their satellite communication networks and their Tetra 5 experiment, which aims to refuel satellites in orbit. The utilization of digital replicas of satellites and their orbital trajectories enables the simulation and anticipation of prospective collisions, enhancing space traffic management efficacy and mitigating the probability of orbital accidents.
Enhanced Performance and Efficiency/Optimization
Digital twin technology can also be used in conjunction with artificial intelligence and machine learning to optimize satellite performance over time. By collecting and analyzing data, the digital twin identifies patterns and predicts behavior, improving efficiency, extending lifespan, and reducing the need for manual intervention.
The dynamic nature of digital twins, evolving with continuous data input, allows real-time analysis of the satellite network's operational efficiency. Engineers assess how changes, such as new satellites or altered communication patterns, impact overall performance. Insights into resource utilization from the digital twin also aid organizations in optimizing bandwidth, power consumption, and operational costs. This level of analysis contributes to efficient resource management.
Training, Skill Development and Recruitment
Digital twins provide a platform for training satellite operators and engineers. Simulated scenarios, including emergency situations and cybersecurity threats, help personnel develop the skills needed to respond effectively to real-world challenges. As the digital twin evolves, it becomes a valuable tool for continuous learning. Engineers can learn from simulated data, adapting strategies and improving their understanding of the satellite network's behavior.
The Space Force uses digital twins so that their satellite operators and engineers can train on the same model, creating a true digital thread. This enables engineers to continually update and improve their designs with real-time data from users, fostering a more efficient and collaborative design process. They also use models and simulations to help see what the force needs to look like in 20 years, aiding in recruitment.
Reduced Costs/Lead Times
Digital twins accelerate time-to-market for many applications and use cases by eliminating the need for development teams to clean and restructure raw data every time they build an application. As a result, digital twins often reduce the time needed to deploy new AI-driven capabilities by up to 60 percent, cut both capital and operating expenditures by up to 15 percent, and improve commercial efficiency by 10 percent. Traditional physical testing of satellite networks is expensive and time-consuming. Digital twins enable virtual testing in a safe and controlled environment, significantly reducing the time and resources required for validation and verification.
Risk Mitigation and Cybersecurity Strategies
Traditional defense and intelligence satellite assets typically come with a long development lifecycle, meaning that their cybersecurity protocols were established years before they went into operation. This lag places them behind the curve in protecting against modern cyberattacks. And while commercial systems can be developed more quickly, cybersecurity is not always a priority, creating potential points of vulnerability.
Digital twins play a vital role in identifying vulnerabilities and potential points of failure in satellite networks. Simulating real-world cyberattacks and stress-testing the network enables proactive risk mitigation before deployment, helping to identify vulnerabilities and develop effective defense mechanisms. Even in sustainment, digital twins mitigate risks as new threats emerge, lowering total lifecycle costs.
The Air Force uses a digital twin to test components of the global positioning system (GPS) Block Imaging Infrared Radiometer (IIR) satellite, allowing them to discover vulnerabilities and build protections. They can simulate control stations, space vehicles, man-in-the-middle attacks, and penetration testing.
The future of digital twins in satellite networks
As technology matures, digital twins are expected to play an even bigger role in the satellite industry. In the future, we will see the integration of multiple digital twins being layered to construct more effective satellite constellations, improve analysis and simulation capabilities, and predict and prevent network outages.
Imagine a centralized network management system processing information about satellite constellations including positions, capabilities, restrictions, and capacities. This system monitors satellite health, tracks orbits, and allocates resources. It would establish rules that are automatically provided to terminals, giving them self-contained global knowledge and the ability to make decisions autonomously. For instance, if one satellite is jammed, the terminal can detect the compromise and switch to an alternative satellite or service provider, ensuring resiliency. This eliminates the need for extensive field expertise, as that knowledge is translated into AI rules that automatically run on the terminal. The result is rapid decision-making and adaptation — crucial in the face of cyber threats and jamming attempts.
Keysight EXata is a powerful network digital twin solution that optimizes performance and mitigates risks within the satellite industry. It enables engineers to virtually design and plan satellite network architectures, simulate and test designs before construction, and interface with wargaming platforms for effective training.
As digital twin technology becomes more accessible, its adoption is expected to increase in all sectors, including military aerospace. In the dynamic landscape of modern warfare, digital twins offer a strategic advantage, propelling satellite programs forward and ensuring that our military forces remain connected, informed, and dominant.
Conclusion
Undoubtedly, digital twin technology represents an asset for the satellite industry. Digital twins’ dynamic and realistic simulation capabilities empower organizations across the spectrum, from design and planning to operational optimization and troubleshooting. This transformative tool enables informed decision-making, enhances performance, real-time monitoring, and ensures the resilience of satellite communication systems. The continuous evolution of this technology promises even more ways to elevate the design, performance, and maintenance of satellites. Phil Lorch, Keysight Technologies’ Director of Satellite and Space Mission Assurance, summed it up perfectly when he said, “Digital twins are rewriting the script on satellite design and performance. From predicting glitches before they blink to crafting constellations that operate brilliantly in sync, these digital doppelgangers unlock a universe of efficiency and innovation.” This technology has the potential to make satellite networks more efficient, reliable, and affordable, paving the way for a new era of space exploration and unparalleled satellite communication.