From supporting ground control in saving the Apollo 13 astronauts to testing thermal protection on the Space Shuttle, digital twins have been a core component of successful spacecraft design, verification and operations. As the number of spacecraft is set to grow over 10x by 2030, digital twins are once again fundamental to sustainable space operations.
A digital twin for a satellite refers to a virtual replica of the physical satellite that is calibrated based on live telemetry data. The digital twin uses this data to create a virtual representation of the satellite that is as close as possible to the real thing, reacting and responding with precise accuracy to real physical conditions and dynamics.
One of the key benefits of digital twin technology for satellites is the ability to test and validate the satellite's design and performance before it is even built. This can help to identify and address potential issues before they become costly problems in the field. Additionally, digital twin technology can be used to simulate the satellite's environment and predict how it will perform under different conditions, allowing for more accurate design and better performance in the long run.
Another benefit of digital twin technology for satellites is the ability to monitor and maintain the satellite in real-time. Digital twin software can be used to track a satellite's performance, detect any issues, and make adjustments as needed. The result? Extended satellite lifespans and a reduction in repairs or replacements.
Digital twin technology can also be used in conjunction with artificial intelligence and machine learning to optimize the satellite's performance over time. By collecting and analysing data from the satellite, the digital twin can be used to identify patterns and make predictions about the satellite's behaviour. This can be used to improve the satellite's efficiency, extend its lifespan, and reduce the need for manual intervention.
While many organisations are using tools they refer to as “digital twins”, their modelling is often built on conflicting frameworks making interoperability clunky or unreliable. Most incumbent platforms have either grown from an outdated solution into a digital twins or offer digital twin as a secondary product or feature resulting in onerous configuration timelines or interfaces that are anything but intuitive. So without a team of modelling specialists on hand to build (and maintain!) every new model from scratch and at-the-ready to update every new mod to your digital twin environment, the gains just aren't worth the effort.
From day 1, our team has had a singular intention of building the world's leading digital twin solution to support scalable innovation in the Space Domain. That's given us the benefit of building every feature with the end user in mind. And because our product design team includes satellite engineers and operators, we know what the end user wants because, well, we are the end user.
Our digital twin technology enables easily-configurable, high-fidelity modelling. Both visualizer interfaces – Studio and Editor – are powerful platforms. They provide a unifying framework that makes digital twin development a simple assembly of components using either a click-and-drag or low-code configuration.
Your ConOps team will love Zendir Studio for its intuitive click-and-drag configuration, ideal for rapid deployment. It's great for teams wanting to quickly test some initial assumptions, stress-test some sub-system considerations, or validate operator requirements in the design phases. Studio is also the environment in which we deliver our industry-leading operator training with a full suite of out-of-the-box training scenarios.
For more advanced design validation and mission rehearsal, Zendir Editor is a highly extensible developer-friendly platform that can be easily configured for hardware/software-in-the-loop to mirror your full mission stack. This is where things really amp up. Think RPO, joint-ops testbeds, and the keystone to satellite automation.
One of the limitations of many digital twins that are built on top of other products is that they're not easily extensible. But a digital twin isn't truly sustainable if it can't keep up with our rapidly changing industry and the tech driving it.
Zendir’s architecture has been built with a focus on modularity and is therefore extensible by design. Which means adding new features or functionality can be highly responsive to industry trends and ways of working. It also means Zendir clients aren't limited to the space domain. Multi-domain simulations are easy to integrate and are only limited by your own systems expertise.
The Message Passing Interface (MPI) design architecture of Zendir's digital twin means that our system simulations are not computationally bound. In other words, our technology can scale to simulate the most extensive constellations and most the complex system configurations... and subsystem configurations... and system-of-system configs.
If that sounds a little too confident, don't worry – we've tested that claim just to be sure. The last attempt to break our own record resulted in 100,000+ simulations run in just 19 hours. It's hard to imagine a use case requiring that level of computational demand, but if you've got one we'd love to run it!
When built for scalability and ease-of-use, digital twin platforms are powerful technology. For the satellite industry, a well-configured digital twin will improve design ceremonies, cross-team collaboration, real-time monitoring and asset sustainability.
Choosing the right solution for your mission ops is a long-term investment. But not all digital twin platforms are created equal and a misfit could have long-lasting impacts on your mission's capability, your team's effort and your business' scalability.
If you're ready to put our tech to the test or speak to our experts to explore how Zendir can enhance your mission outcomes, contact our team or book a live demo today!