“We have the subsystems. We need the software architecture.”
Command ownership, startup dependencies, data paths, and recovery responsibilities need to be defined before separate implementations become difficult to combine.
Engineering service / Space systems
Satellite flight software & systems integration.
Hughie Systems develops and integrates the software that brings spacecraft subsystems online, connects them to the network, and makes their behavior visible from the ground. Engage us from initial architecture through integration, commissioning software, and support for deployed systems.
Bus software · Optical ISLs · GNSS · Telemetry · FDIR
When to call us
From defining the first architecture to explaining a deployed-system fault.
We work with satellite bus builders, communications and payload suppliers, and constellation teams. Bring a new software workstream, an integration milestone, or an operational failure that needs a root cause.
“It boots, but joining the network takes manual intervention.”
Provisioning, credentials, configuration, and entry state disagree—or a restart leaves the system unable to resume the sequence.
“The optical link is up, but traffic is not getting through.”
Terminal status, control-plane state, and the actual data path tell different stories. The fault needs to be traced across interfaces and network transitions.
“Telemetry shows a reset, but not what caused it.”
Missing context, inconsistent decoding, or gaps in collection leave operators unable to distinguish the original fault from the recovery sequence.
Engineering scope
Own a defined part of the spacecraft software chain.
Work is scoped to the mission architecture, existing hardware and software, and the behavior your team needs to demonstrate.
01 / ARCHITECTURE
Satellite bus software & subsystem control
Define and implement control-plane responsibilities, peripheral management, command interfaces, initialization sequences, and operating modes. Establish explicit boundaries between bus software, communications, and ground interfaces.
02 / SUBSYSTEM INTEGRATION
GNSS & star-tracker integration
Integrate device drivers, GPS/GNSS receivers, and star trackers, including configuration, data validity, health management, and GNSS anti-spoofing behavior.
03 / NETWORK ENTRY & IDENTITY
Provisioning, network entry & certificate rotation
Build repeatable provisioning and initial network-entry flows, with explicit state and recovery after interruption. Implement certificate rotation and credential transitions so authentication failures can be diagnosed and recovery behavior can be verified.
04 / COMMUNICATIONS
Optical ISLs, mesh networks & ground communications
Integrate optical inter-satellite link interfaces and ISL mesh network management. Trace end-to-end data-plane behavior across onboard, network, and ground boundaries, and resolve control/data-plane mismatches through link interruptions and state changes.
05 / TELEMETRY & FDIR
Understand the fault and verify the recovery
Connect telemetry gathering, transport, and decoding from the peripheral to the ground system. Implement fault detection, isolation, and recovery (FDIR), preserving the event context needed to explain failures and confirm the resulting system state.
06 / SOFTWARE LIFECYCLE
Firmware builds & deployed-system support
Establish reproducible firmware builds, configuration control, and traceability between source, release artifacts, and running versions. Support anomaly investigation and validate software changes against the mission's release and deployment process.
How we engage
A clear scope and a usable engineering handoff.
These services draw on our founder's spacecraft software experience, including satellite subsystem management, optical network interfaces, and end-to-end telemetry. Read about the engineering background.
Architecture assessmentReview interfaces, operating modes, and failure behavior. Deliver a prioritized risk assessment, architecture decisions, and an implementation and verification plan.
Defined implementation workstreamOwn a driver, subsystem-management function, network-entry flow, or telemetry path. Deliver integrated code, documented interfaces, and verification evidence.
Integration or anomaly resolutionInvestigate a specific failure, establish the cause, implement corrections, and check related failure cases. Hand over diagnostic findings and operating guidance.
Related services
The wider embedded platform.
What needs to work before your next mission milestone?
Describe the spacecraft or subsystem, its development stage, the software responsibility you need covered, and the outcome you need to demonstrate.