WHY FSDK?

6 POWERFUL REASONS TO CHOOSE THE FSDK

The central elements of the FSDK are software components, which promote the idea of reuse: the platform is designed to create limitless combinations of both ready-made and bespoke software components, similar to constructing with building blocks. This means you can develop your spacecraft flight software significantly faster and with greater reliability – whether it’s a single nano-satellite or a large constellation.

Reduced time to market

Our component library covers most basic flight software functionality and allows you to focus on the unique parts of your space mission, helping you to significantly reduce development time.

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Reduced risk

Our heavily-tested components come pre-validated with extensive flight heritage, reducing the risk of failure and giving you a peace of mind.

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Supports unique missions

The component-based architecture means that your software can be quickly and easily supplemented with new components to support additional capabilities, tailored to your unique and specific space mission.

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Scalability

As your space system grows, the existing FSDK components can be quickly swapped in and out to adapt to new missions, meaning that you won’t have to re-design your software from scratch, even if your hardware changes.

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Allows for multiple vendors

The FSDK allows you to use multiple hardware vendors, even within a single constellation, which means you can choose the most appropriate and cost-effective option for your space mission.

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Ease of use and support

The FSDK does not require specialist skills, thanks to its inherent simplicity and ease of use, coupled with a full year of support and maintenance, including training to get you started.

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THE FSDK IN ORBIT

Browse our blog posts and case studies to find out more about how the FSDK works and how it can visibly improve your mission development and operation.

Case study

Sun and earth diagram

FARADAY PHOENIX

The Faraday Phoenix mission enables multiple third-party payloads to ‘rideshare ’ on a single satellite platform, providing fast and low-cost access to space.

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Blog

Neon world map

Developing Flight Software for Large Satellite Systems

As the New Space market continues to grow, more and more satellite applications require a large number of spacecraft. Find out how to efficiently design flight software to support high-volume…

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Blog

Satellite Imagery

How to Optimise Payload Integration

Payloads tend to be developed by specialists in their own fields, but integrating these payloads into a spacecraft platform remains the task of a satellite developer.

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News & Events

NASA image of earth from space

ESA ARTES Pioneer programme

We are starting development work as part of the partnership with AAC Clyde Space to deliver a multi-year ESA ARTES Pioneer programme, funded by the European Space Agency (ESA) and…

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Blog

Bright Ascension Artboard

What Is GenerationOne Technology?

In the rapidly changing commercial space market, there is a strong need to produce satellite software quickly and at low cost. Find our how our GenerationOne technology supports software reuse.

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TECHNOLOGY

WHAT MAKES THE FSDK DIFFERENT?

The FSDK is based on our unique and innovative GenerationOne technology, which promotes the idea of reuse, when the package created for one mission can be quickly and easily adapted for another, even it uses different hardware. These reusable software components also allow to promptly respond to any inevitable changes in requirements by simply swapping the required elements in and out.The FSDK includes both the library of ready-made pre-validated components and the possibility to create custom elements to cover each unique functionality.

Blog

Neon world map

Developing Flight Software for Large Satellite Systems

As the New Space market continues to grow, more and more satellite applications require a large number of spacecraft. Find out how to efficiently design flight software to support high-volume…

Read more

Blog

Bright Ascension Artboard

What Is GenerationOne Technology?

In the rapidly changing commercial space market, there is a strong need to produce satellite software quickly and at low cost. Find our how our GenerationOne technology supports software reuse.

Read more

Blog

Padlock on wooden door

Say No to Vendor Lock-In: Benefits of an Open and Modular Software System

As a service provider, you may want to take advantage of price competition between hardware manufacturers and make your constellations heterogeneous, comprising satellites from different manufacturers with different capabilities. Learn…

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TECHNICAL INFO

HOW IT WORKS

Learn more about how exactly the FSDK works, its capabilities and design.

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an extensive library of pre-validated components covering all space mission needs and developed to a strict coding standard for mission-critical software

a lightweight framework which promotes portability and modularity, allowing individual layers to be modified or substituted without impacting layers above and below

tooling to support component development, software integration and testing, which helps guide engineers through the process rapidly, promoting an agile and iterative approach

TECHNICAL INFO

SYSTEMS AND PLATFORMS WE SUPPORT

The range of Onboard computer (OBC) platforms, communications protocols and subsystems supported by the FSDK is extensive, and growing all the time.

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Product

Systems and Platforms

The range of Onboard computer (OBC) platforms, communications protocols and subsystems supported by the FSDK is extensive, and growing all the time.

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SERVICES

NEED MORE HELP?

We offer a wide of range of services to assist spacecraft owners, developers and integrators with flight, ground or entire end-to-end mission solutions. Whether you need a complete turn-key solution, mentoring support or bespoke components – we are here to help.

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complete turnkey solutions

mentoring and support for capability-building

bespoke components for your space mission

model-based engineering services

INTEGRATED SOLUTION

MISSION CONTROL SOFTWARE

For maximum efficiency, increased performance and reduced operating costs, make sure to take advantage of the seamless integration of our space- and ground-based products.

Mission Control Software

Product

Mission Control Software

Easy-to-use monitoring and control of onboard changes during development and flight

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We can usually add support for a new OS or platform, depending on the specific OS/platform characteristics. Please get in touch to discuss your needs in detail.

Bright Ascension provides turnkey solutions for missions and payloads based on the use of its own Flight Software Development Kit (FSDK). Just contact us via our contact page, explain your needs, and we can discuss how we can help your mission development.

The FSDK tools are quick and easy to run from the Linux command line. It also ships with a plugin for use with the Eclipse IDE.

While we are not satellite system specialists, we have done a lot of software for a number of different hardware configurations. We can tell you what works and, in particular, what will make software development harder and more complex. Simply contact us and we will be happy to share our expertise with you.

The FSDK supports a range of ground systems through the use of standard communications protocols, including CCSDS and ECSS PUS.

The resource requirements of an FSDK image depend strongly on the functionality you choose to build into it. As a rough baseline, however, a basic FSDK image will make use of around 1MiB of RAM, occupy <256KiB of non-volatile storage, and use less than 10% of a 50MHz CPU’s available processing time (including basic telemetry gathering, command handling and FDIR). You should expect a fully functional image to use >2MiB of RAM, and occupy >0.5MiB of non-volatile storage. Some system functions (such as data downlinks) will use substantial CPU time.

The FSDK currently supports FreeRTOS, Linux (and by extension other POSIX-compliant OSes) and RTEMS.

The FSDK currently supports the AAC Clyde Space Kryten and Sirius LEON3, the GomSpace A3200, and a range of Linux-based OBCs such as the Xiphos Q8 and GomSpace Z7000.

The FSDK supports a wide range of nanosatellite subsystems. These include ADCSs, batteries, EPSs, radios, reaction wheels sets, and other subsystems from AAC Clyde Space, Cubecom/CPUT, GomSpace, Pumpkin, Satlab and Skylabs. We are continually adding to our component library, so if you have specific needs, please get in touch!

We release a minimum of 2 updates per year and plan to increase the frequency in the near future.