CHARTING ACOURSE TO RESILIENCY IN SPACE

A HARRIS SPACE AND INTELLIGENCE SYSTEMS PUBLICATION

2

10

4

Harris is a registered trademark of Harris Corporation Trademarks and tradenames are the property of their respective companiescopy 2018 Harris Corporation 56651 22018 MV

Non-Export-Controlled Information

harriscom | harriscorp

FEATURES2 Resiliency and the

Need for Speed

4 Sustainment and the Space Superiority Mission

6 On Course for a Better Stronger GPS

8 The Challenges for Next- generation Space Telescopes

10 Hyperspectral Imaging An Emerging Tool for Mission Readiness

12 Dealing with Big Data

On The Cover Veil Nebula Supernova Remnant NASArsquos Hubble Space Telescope

8

2

10

4

Harris is a registered trademark of Harris Corporation Trademarks and tradenames are the property of their respective companiescopy 2018 Harris Corporation 56651 22018 MV

Non-Export-Controlled Information

harriscom | harriscorp

FEATURES2 Resiliency and the

Need for Speed

4 Sustainment and the Space Superiority Mission

6 On Course for a Better Stronger GPS

8 The Challenges for Next- generation Space Telescopes

10 Hyperspectral Imaging An Emerging Tool for Mission Readiness

12 Dealing with Big Data

On The Cover Veil Nebula Supernova Remnant NASArsquos Hubble Space Telescope

8

harriscom | 1

United States space assets have given our nation a strategic military advantage for many years and this has not gone unnoticed by potential adversaries who

might want to actively threaten the security of our citizens and allies But with space technologies and the domain of space itself becoming increasingly available to more countries and political factions we know that we cannot ever take this advantage for granted and that it must be protected at all costs

To this endmdashas a mission solutions provider addressing the US Governmentrsquos most pressing space and intelligence needsmdashHarris supports the US Air Forcersquos Space Enterprise Vision and the Space Warfighting Construct that will deliver more resilient space capabilities When it comes to resiliency in space there is no single solution or easy answer Resiliency can take many forms and address everything from the redundancy of system capabilities to strategies for getting new technologies into orbit faster In this edition of Insights for a Better World our business leaders and technology experts discuss a number of the key areas in which we are meeting the challenge for greater resiliency in our nationrsquos space systems

In a world where threats can come from anywhere and at any time Harrisrsquo Space and Intelligence Systems business has evolved to provide complete remote sensing and communications solutions These start with the worldrsquos most advanced data collection payload and communications technologies and continue with enterprise ground systems and state-of-the-art processing capabilities They end with the integrated information and mission solutions needed for intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance mission success

Concurrently we are enabling the space superiority mission by developing modernizing and sustaining critical ground-based radars and optical systems and by ensuring delivery of critical information from those systems for effective battle management command and control

By providing solutions that address the need for greater resilience in these areas we hope to do our part to protect US access to space and secure our nation

[Executive Note]

Charting a Course to Resiliency in Space

ldquoWhen it comes to resiliency in space there is no single solution or easy answer Resiliency can take many forms and address everything from the redundancy of system capabilities to strategies for getting new technologies into orbit fasterrdquo

William H Gattle President Harris Space and Intelligence Systems

2 | insights

The importance of speed was reinforced in a speech delivered by General John Hyten USSTRATCOM commander at the 2017 Space and Missile Defense Symposium ldquoThe vast reaches of space are becoming increasingly crowded and dangerousrdquo stated Hyten ldquoThatrsquos where our adversaries are going and we need to get ahead of their efforts But wersquore falling behind and I know why Because we forgot somehow how to move fast in this country In both space and missile defense we need to get back to the basics of speed and innovationrdquo

It is this sense of urgencymdashthis need for speedmdashthat is driving Harris and others in industry and government to think creatively in order to bring to our warfighters new and resilient intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities more quickly And as a result next-generation space capabilities are looking very different than they did even five years ago

From Washington DC to Los Angeles California the dialogue surrounding the topic of resiliency typically includes words like ldquoredundancyrdquo ldquoflexibilityrdquo ldquoagilityrdquo

and ldquodisruptive changerdquo While these all represent very complex and distinct concepts there is an essentialmdashand highly importantmdashcommon denominator speed

RESILIENCYAND THE NEED FOR SPEED

[By Rob Mitrevski]

harriscom | 3

five-year design life that can be acquired more quickly can be technologically refreshed more quickly and then launched on tactical timelinesrdquo The challenge is how to get adequate capabilities into those small form factors At Harris we are approaching this from several angles

Payload- or mission-driven satellite design The first satellite Sputnik I was the size of a beach ball and weighed in at 184 pounds In the 60 years that have followed Sputnikrsquos 98-minute orbit around the earth satellite buses have grown into standardized product lines and sizes weighing as much as an adult rhinoceros Todayrsquos smallsats provide an opportunity to rethink that approach and provide greater flexibility to mission owners with satellite vehicles built around the payload or mission rather than force-fitting them into available buses Such customization does not necessarily have to be more costly

Manufacturing for low size weight and power (SWaP) Among the primary limiting factors in replacing conventional satellites with smaller ones have been the latterrsquos limitations in SWaP and storage capacity and the ability to transmit and receive information from them Smallsats are prompting us to push the boundaries of manufacturing technologies to deliver low-SWaP payloads

For example Harris is developing mesh space antenna reflectors that fit into small launch envelopes with new designs and 3D printing processes that achieve up to 50 percent mass reductionmdashwithout degrading the structurersquos expected strength performance or durability We have patented composite materials for optics that are 25 percent lighter than conventional ones and equally important have developed manufacturing processes that enable us to reduce the delivery time for optics by 90 percent

Putting proven technologies to work Through research and development we are adapting proven Harris technologies like our Harris AppSTARtrade hosted payload architecture and our legacy satellite imaging systems to serve smallsat needs Our reconfigurable software-defined payload facilitates the transfer of RF signals between the ground and the smallsat Our 1-meter imaging solutions enable smallsats to collect high-detail data for a variety of applications

ENTERPRISE-COMPATIBLE SCALABLE GROUND SYSTEMS While the move away from traditional long-duration exquisite systems toward fast turnaround small form-factor constellations or multimission solutions furthers the goal of greater resiliency in important ways there is risk that it could also result in the ground system ldquostovepipesrdquo that are at odds with the governmentrsquos vision of a single space enterprise

For as long as Harris has developed spaceborne hardware we have also built state-of-the-art ground systems This experience has taught us that future ground systems for the nationrsquos space superiority mission must have built-in commonalities that present opportunities for cost efficiencies enable the rapid insertion of new technologies as they become available and can be scaled to accommodate the addition of new or changing missions And while future ground systems do not need to be identicalmdasheach mission can be expected to have unique requirementsmdashthe right approach will enable ground systems to play an essential role in the race toward tomorrowrsquos resilient space enterprise

COMMERCIAL ASSETS HOSTING GOVERNMENT MISSIONSAre the days of large expensive exquisite satellite missions over ldquoWaningrdquo is the more likely trend as government continues to find value in piggybacking missions onto those of commercial satellite owners The win-win nature of hosted payloads for both groups led to formation of the Hosted Payload Alliance (HPA) in 2011 and its charter to help further this relationship

Hosting government payloads on commercial vehicles not only offers the obvious advantage of lower costsmdashbuilding and launching a satellite costs significantly more than placing a payload on an existing satellitemdashbut also can speed up the process of getting missions into space According to HPA ldquoa hosted payload on a commercial satellite can reach space in a fraction of the time that it would take to develop a free flyer program Roughly 20 commercial satellites are launched to GEO orbit each year and each one presents an opportunity to add on additional capabilityrdquo

Speed means more missions with updated technology get into space faster and enables a more resilient architecture Assets distributed over multiple platforms make things much more challenging for adversaries

At Harris wersquove taken this concept one step further by creating a hosted payload architecture Harris AppSTARtrade that supports multiple missions in a single hosted payload Some call these hosted-hosted payloads Using software-defined radio technology Harris AppSTARtrade enables missions to be altered technology updated and new missions added while on orbitmdashthe flexibility desired to facilitate resiliency Today Harris is successfully running and operating multiple diverse missions using this capability demonstrating its revolutionary viability in the resiliency toolkit

SMALL FORM FACTOR SATELLITE CONSTELLATIONSIn an interview with SpaceNews Major General Nina Armagno USSTRATCOMrsquos director of plans and policy shared her organizationrsquos vision for a resilient space enterprise ldquoWe think what it looks like is smaller satellites that are three- to

Rob Mitrevski is vice president and general manager of Harrisrsquo Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) business unit Harris is applying new ideas and perspectives to develop game-changing technological breakthroughs for ISR solutions that are more affordable and have lower size weight and power requirements

harriscom | 3

five-year design life that can be acquired more quickly can be technologically refreshed more quickly and then launched on tactical timelinesrdquo The challenge is how to get adequate capabilities into those small form factors At Harris we are approaching this from several angles

Payload- or mission-driven satellite design The first satellite Sputnik I was the size of a beach ball and weighed in at 184 pounds In the 60 years that have followed Sputnikrsquos 98-minute orbit around the earth satellite buses have grown into standardized product lines and sizes weighing as much as an adult rhinoceros Todayrsquos smallsats provide an opportunity to rethink that approach and provide greater flexibility to mission owners with satellite vehicles built around the payload or mission rather than force-fitting them into available buses Such customization does not necessarily have to be more costly

Manufacturing for low size weight and power (SWaP) Among the primary limiting factors in replacing conventional satellites with smaller ones have been the latterrsquos limitations in SWaP and storage capacity and the ability to transmit and receive information from them Smallsats are prompting us to push the boundaries of manufacturing technologies to deliver low-SWaP payloads

For example Harris is developing mesh space antenna reflectors that fit into small launch envelopes with new designs and 3D printing processes that achieve up to 50 percent mass reductionmdashwithout degrading the structurersquos expected strength performance or durability We have patented composite materials for optics that are 25 percent lighter than conventional ones and equally important have developed manufacturing processes that enable us to reduce the delivery time for optics by 90 percent

Putting proven technologies to work Through research and development we are adapting proven Harris technologies like our Harris AppSTARtrade hosted payload architecture and our legacy satellite imaging systems to serve smallsat needs Our reconfigurable software-defined payload facilitates the transfer of RF signals between the ground and the smallsat Our 1-meter imaging solutions enable smallsats to collect high-detail data for a variety of applications

ENTERPRISE-COMPATIBLE SCALABLE GROUND SYSTEMS While the move away from traditional long-duration exquisite systems toward fast turnaround small form-factor constellations or multimission solutions furthers the goal of greater resiliency in important ways there is risk that it could also result in the ground system ldquostovepipesrdquo that are at odds with the governmentrsquos vision of a single space enterprise

For as long as Harris has developed spaceborne hardware we have also built state-of-the-art ground systems This experience has taught us that future ground systems for the nationrsquos space superiority mission must have built-in commonalities that present opportunities for cost efficiencies enable the rapid insertion of new technologies as they become available and can be scaled to accommodate the addition of new or changing missions And while future ground systems do not need to be identicalmdasheach mission can be expected to have unique requirementsmdashthe right approach will enable ground systems to play an essential role in the race toward tomorrowrsquos resilient space enterprise

COMMERCIAL ASSETS HOSTING GOVERNMENT MISSIONSAre the days of large expensive exquisite satellite missions over ldquoWaningrdquo is the more likely trend as government continues to find value in piggybacking missions onto those of commercial satellite owners The win-win nature of hosted payloads for both groups led to formation of the Hosted Payload Alliance (HPA) in 2011 and its charter to help further this relationship

Hosting government payloads on commercial vehicles not only offers the obvious advantage of lower costsmdashbuilding and launching a satellite costs significantly more than placing a payload on an existing satellitemdashbut also can speed up the process of getting missions into space According to HPA ldquoa hosted payload on a commercial satellite can reach space in a fraction of the time that it would take to develop a free flyer program Roughly 20 commercial satellites are launched to GEO orbit each year and each one presents an opportunity to add on additional capabilityrdquo

Speed means more missions with updated technology get into space faster and enables a more resilient architecture Assets distributed over multiple platforms make things much more challenging for adversaries

At Harris wersquove taken this concept one step further by creating a hosted payload architecture Harris AppSTARtrade that supports multiple missions in a single hosted payload Some call these hosted-hosted payloads Using software-defined radio technology Harris AppSTARtrade enables missions to be altered technology updated and new missions added while on orbitmdashthe flexibility desired to facilitate resiliency Today Harris is successfully running and operating multiple diverse missions using this capability demonstrating its revolutionary viability in the resiliency toolkit

SMALL FORM FACTOR SATELLITE CONSTELLATIONSIn an interview with SpaceNews Major General Nina Armagno USSTRATCOMrsquos director of plans and policy shared her organizationrsquos vision for a resilient space enterprise ldquoWe think what it looks like is smaller satellites that are three- to

Rob Mitrevski is vice president and general manager of Harrisrsquo Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) business unit Harris is applying new ideas and perspectives to develop game-changing technological breakthroughs for ISR solutions that are more affordable and have lower size weight and power requirements

4 | insights

[By Chris Forseth]

Sustainment and the SPACE SUPERIORITY

MISSION

THREE IMPROVEMENTS FOR A COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE

Certainly creating and maintaining effective resilient space situational awareness (SSA) and space control capabilities is no small feat in a world where needs are growing faster than budgets radical technological changes can happen overnight and the domain of space is increasingly congested contested and competitive Tomorrowrsquos space superiority sustainment practices could help secure the US a competitive advantage by delivering three essential improvements better prediction an ldquoenterpriserdquo approach to portfolio management and modernization strategies that squeeze more capacity from existing assets

October 2017 marked a milestone in our nationrsquos long-running Space Surveillance Network (SSN)

35 yearsrsquo operational capability of the Ground-based Electro-Optical Deep Space Surveillance (GEODSS)

system The continuing value of this workhorse system so critical to the family of ground-based radars and

optical sensors that relentlessly track objects in space is testimony to the resourcefulness and ingenuity of

the US Air Force Space Superiority Systems Directorate which is responsible for its sustainment

Phot

o cr

edit

Jak

e Pa

irsh

harriscom | 5

PREDICTING FAILURES AND OBSOLESCENCE

Fundamentally system sustainment for the defense community is about ensuring that personnel in the field have the systems and tools they need when they need them so they can successfully accomplish their missions Well-executed maintenance and upgrade plans efficiently run parts depots trained staff and consistent preventive maintenance practices have gone a long way toward increasing the ldquoup timerdquo of space superiority systems as well as minimizing costly emergency and large-scale repairs and reducing overall system life-cycle costs

But these mission-critical systems so important to protecting the security of our nation could benefit from cutting-edge technologies applied to the business of system sustainment For example the potential now exists to significantly up the game in sustainment with predictive analytics generated through machine learning techniques Machine learning refers to computers designed to emulate the human neural network and learn without being programmed for specific tasks They can quickly sift through vast quantities of commercial data about system components consider past and current performance as well as future needs and then predict part failures and obsolescence that can be addressed before they occur Relying on machines to do this can enable personnel to focus on innovation and the decision-making aspects of sustainment

MANAGING THE PORTFOLIO AS AN ENTERPRISE

The systems that deliver the Air Forcersquos space superiority capabilities have been acquired over the course of many decades As a result they have been managed as disparate systems within the three separate portfolios of the Space Superiority Systems Directorate divisions Tremendous efficiencies could be gained by applying an enterprise-style approach to at least each divisionrsquos portfolio if not to the combined Space Superiority Systems portfolios

In its simplest form this can look like ldquocommand mediardquo a collection of standard best practices that enterprises follow religiously to increase their efficiency deliver consistent quality and reduce risk Even more beneficial would be a system-of-systems approach to sustainment While the individual systems would still have the flexibility to use internal tools to run their element there would be common tools as well as shared processes and a complementary approach to developing emerging capabilities that would streamline overall operations

To this end space superiority portfolios should consider capitalizing on a common reference architecture as a way to guide the development of future system solutions In addition to providing a common language among solution stakeholders the reference architecture ensures a consistency in the implementation of technologies and provides a basis for validating solutions From a system sustainment perspective this equates to greater resiliency and tremendous gains in efficiencymdashand therefore cost savingsmdashfor everything from staff training to depot support

MODERNIZING FOR MORE CAPACITY

Predicting the obsolescence of system components is certainly important but overcoming itmdashand addressing future mission requirements as wellmdashis a whole different ballgame An original equipment manufacturer has a somewhat narrow view of system sustainment largely focusing on available technology advancements to replace obsolete components with new ones available on the market A good sustainment engineering team will approach system modernization from the standpoints of improving system performance and reliability and reducing the time it takes to carry out repairs and component replacements An excellent sustainment engineering team will understand the mission and expand this approach to also address changing mission needs by squeezing more capacity from existing systems

Modernization of the Air Forcersquos GEODSS system and others like the Perimeter Acquisition Radar Attack Characterization System (PARCS) and Eglin Air Force Basersquos ANFPS-85 phased array radar demonstrate how the life of systems that are 30 40 and even 50 years old can not only be effectively maintained but also upgraded with very modest expenditures (compared to new developments) to increase capabilities and address changing mission needs without ever breaking the overall system architecture It takes a team with a unique combination of mission knowledge technology experience and creative problem-solving skills to do this type of work successfully

In an article for Defense One Dr Heather Wilson secretary of the US Air Force recently stated ldquoThe extent to which space is vital to the military cannot be overstated From intelligence gleaned by satellites to technology that guides remotely piloted aircraft and runs our global intelligence network space allows us to fight smarter faster and with much greater understanding of the battlefieldrdquo This and the growing potential of space becoming a battleground makes it essential that we strive for a more resilient SSN enterprisemdashone that both reliably protects our assets and actively exploits their full potential

Chris Forseth is vice president and general manager of Harrisrsquo Space Superiority business unit Harris provides the full spectrum of enterprise architecture solutions needed to gain maintain and exploit space superiority

6 | insights

The United States Air Force Global Positioning System (GPS) developed to

provide precision navigation and timing to the nationrsquos military has become equally essential to the rest of society with applications ranging from transportation and communications to financial transactions Although illegal jamming spoofing and other forms of general GPS signal interference are not difficult to accomplish for those who want to hide illicit activities or disrupt industries This combined with our general reliance on GPS for so many critical functions has created an urgency to push forward strategies and technology for a more resilient GPS

ON COURSE FOR A BETTER STRONGER

GPS

Jason Hendrix is program director of Harrisrsquo Positioning Navigation and Timing (PNT) business area Harris PNT solutions are on every US GPS satellite launched and are critical to GPS availability accuracy and integrity

[By Jason Hendrix]

harriscom | 7

IMPROVING SIGNAL STRENGTH AND ACCURACYCurrent GPS radio signals are faint designed to be only around 15 dB and coming from satellites 13000 miles away (In comparison home television signals usually range from 25-46 dB) They are also complex containing multiple components such as time ephemeris data and information about the health of the satellite The continual production and broadcasting of GPS signals from solar-powered satellites requires a design that successfully balances the allocation of energy equipment and other resources For many years signal strength was not considered a critical vulnerability But times have changed

GPS is now considered an enabler for critical infrastructure integral to both military operations and the economies of nations around the world As such it has become a potential target for those with ill intent In response the next generation of GPS satellites is being developed to be more resilient The navigation payloads Harris is delivering for GPS III space vehicles (SVs) 1-10 have the capability to deliver signals that are three times stronger than those from previous GPS satellites making jamming more difficult providing better coverage in ldquourban canyonsrdquo and forests and improving location accuracy by three times

GPSrsquo atomic clock technology fundamental to the systemrsquos positioning and navigation capability is already the most accurate in the world For the next generation of GPS satellites it will be even more precise achieving an accuracy of one-tenth of a nanosecond over a day

FURTHERING GPS RESILIENCEShoring up GPS is not just smart it is essential to world stability So what will make tomorrowrsquos GPS more resilient Looking ahead to GPS III SV 11 and beyond Harris has developed a fully digital navigation payload that will improve performance for the US Air Force by providing even more powerful signals making it harder to interfere with GPS signals The design is fully mature as an engineering development modelmdashnot simply a prototypemdashand is ready to be inserted into the satellite Modular and fully redundant the payload uses independent circuit cards for critical algorithms and data processing command and control maintenance and telemetry functions

Our timekeeping technology will deliver even greater stability as well as provide the clock signal for a new GPS III search and rescue payload Looking further into the future on-orbit reprogrammability capability for the navigation payload ldquobrainsrdquo could enable more efficient mission updates and the graceful insertion of new technologies Potential new components like wideband solid-state gallium nitride transmitters could support new signals and offer better anti-jam support for military operations as well as make a significant difference in signal efficiency size weight and power requirements

While the mission of GPS is simplemdashto provide ldquonavigation data to military and civilian users all over the worldrdquomdashwidespread use of and dependency on this global utility have elevated GPS accessibility to a level of importance probably never envisioned when the first satellite launched in 1978 Improvements like those identified here will enable GPS to evolve into the more resilient system we need to better address the threats and demands of a changed world

8 | insights

SPACE TELESCOPES

When the Hubble Space Telescope launched in 1990 NASA hailed it as the ldquomost significant advance in astronomy since Galileorsquos telescoperdquo Its primary mirror had an aperture of 24 meters The aperture of the primary mirror in the James Webb Space Telescope expected to launch in 2019 is a massive 65 metersmdashenabling more than six times Hubblersquos collection area and observation of infant galaxies born soon after the Big Bang Future space-based telescopes will likely require mirrors that are even bigger for missions that will continue to uncover the secrets of the universe including star planet and galaxy formation the nature of dark matter and potentially habitable planets

So how do you get bigger mirrors into a telescope that can fit inside a launch vehicle For the Webb telescope and others to come the solution lies in segmentation Eighteen hexagonal mirror segments made from lightweight beryllium comprise Webbrsquos primary mirror These are mounted on a structure that folds up into compact payloads for launch and then deploys to full size in space Having developed large optical systems for decades and as the integration and test lead for Webbrsquos primary mirror we know firsthand the

In the world of optical telescopesmdash

the integral component in many

Earth and space observation

missionsmdashthe ldquobig dealrdquo is the

diameter or the aperture of the

primary mirror This is because

the telescope with the largest-

aperture mirror can see the finest

details When the telescope is

pointed into space this can lead

to exciting new revelations about

the universe

THE CHALLENGES FOR NEXT-GENERATION

Phot

o cr

edit

NAS

AM

SFC

Dav

id H

iggi

nbot

ham

[By Ted Mooney PhD]

harriscom | 9

Harris we have adapted the telescopes on our world-class Earth imaging systems to fit a smallsat form factor With the capability of capturing images with a 1-meter resolution these systems open the door for new users and applications ranging from urban planning and investment analysis to disaster response and vegetation assessment

Second while smallsats which typically travel in low Earth orbits may not be able to provide the images desired for large universe exploration missions they do offer a practical platform to demonstrate key pillars of segmented systems and accelerate new technology implementation The development and rapid demonstration of key technologies would significantly increase the feasibility of large mission concepts and support early risk reduction for critical system components

FURTHER EXPANDING THE CAPABILITIES OF SPACE OPTICS

Segmented mirrors are already in use in telescopes at some of the worldrsquos most prominent ground-based observatories and they will be part of the largest next-generation ground telescopes currently on the drawing board As the first to adapt this technology for the challenging environment of space the James Webb Space Telescope is leading the way forward for new and exciting applications Through the use of new materials processes and approaches we will further expand the capabilities of space optics to provide insights we cannot even guess at today

The James Webb Space Telescope is a NASA mission done in collaboration with the European and Canadian space agencies

Lightweighted primary mirror segment

challenges precision segmented optical systems present for space applications New manufacturing processes materials technologies and test strategies will help address many of these

RAPID AFFORDABLE PRODUCTION

As telescope apertures increase in size the requirements for precision and stability increase as well Mirror segments must successfully come together in space to form a single reflective surfacemdashand this means precise matching of each segmentrsquos radius Speeding up the process of making multiple identical segments can significantly reduce costs and improve the ability to get missions into space

The desire to improve upon both the traditional cost and cycle time for producing large space-based precision optics prompted Harris to engage in a series of multi-year research and development initiatives to advance mirror construction techniques As a result of these efforts we are applying new materials and processes that quickly replicate aspheric mirrors up to a certain performance point or ldquocapture rangerdquo before final finishing processes are applied thereby eliminating the high-cycle-time high-cost steps associated with traditional early grinding and polishing steps This same approach is advantageous when the mission requires multiple mirrors that have the same optical alignment or ldquoprescriptionrdquo such as segmented optical systems

ADVANCED SYSTEM DEPLOYMENT AND CONTROL

Segmented mirrors add a whole new level of complexity to space telescope deployment and control demanding improved opto-mechanical structures and mechanisms that enable successful precision deployment This is because once deployed the segments must be able to maintain their prescription in the changing environment of space to deliver a continual stream of high-resolution images

Over the past 10 years Harris has worked with government and industry partners to execute research and development programs to demonstrate key technologies that will accomplish this Techniques like segment-to-segment sensing advanced wavefront sensors and precision mirror actuation are strategies that will provide the required ultra-stable system performance for tomorrowrsquos space telescope mirrors More such demonstrations will be needed to test future concepts to push the envelope in mirror precision size and affordability An integration infrastructure and disciplined testing process like those we have in-house will continue to play an important role in reducing mission risk

GOING SMALL FOR BIG BENEFITS

Smallsat capabilities are maturing presenting two important opportunities for those of us in the business of space-based optical systems First by providing rapid and affordable launch solutions smallsats have the potential to encourage more missionsmdashin number and type These can include missions with optical payloads that would benefit from the use of constellations for broader coverage and resiliency At

Ted Mooney PhD is chief technologist for Harrisrsquo Civil and Commercial Imaging business area Harris specializes in large precision optics and integration and testing services for deep-space observation programs and designs and

manufactures innovative imaging payloads for the worldrsquos Earth-imaging satellites

10 | insights

For those charged with protecting our national security the challenge of mission readiness today begins with more and better intelligence One of

the emerging sources of this intelligence is hyperspectral remote sensing Like its multispectral counterpart hyperspectral sensing lets us ldquoseerdquo beyond the few colors the human eye can perceive But while multispectral sensors typically sense only a few broad wavelength bands such as blue green red and near-Infrared hyperspectral sensors capture hundreds of very narrow bands providing an unmatched level of detail

This higher level of spectral detail lets analysts find and interpret what we might sometimes call ldquothe unseenrdquo Every object or materialmdashwhether solid liquid or gasmdashreflects or emits electromagnetic energy in a distinctive way Hyperspectral sensing enables one to exploit these distinctive spectral characteristics to derive valuable intelligence that would be difficult or impossible to obtain any other way

HYPERSPECTRAL IMAGING AN EMERGING TOOL FOR MISSION READINESS

Aaron Andrews PhD is chief scientist for Harrisrsquo Geospatial Solutions business unit Harris is the leading provider of real-time onboard and on-the-ground processing and analytics for hyperspectral imaging

[By Aaron Andrews PhD]

harriscom | 11

ANSWERING IMPORTANT QUESTIONSBy exploiting the telltale spectral signatures of materials hyperspectral data can be used to answer important questions such as

Is a specific material in the scene (detection) For instance a pipeline operator would want to know if any methane is present along a natural gas pipeline indicating a leak Detection typically relies on signature-matching techniques such as spectral matched filtering against known reference spectra

What materials are present in the scene and where (classification) An application might be the mapping of soil types to determine the trafficability of an area or the location of disturbed earth as an indication of construction activity Classification often relies on ldquofittingrdquo approaches in which we take a measured spectrum and then look for a combination of reference spectral data that resemble it

How much of the material is present (quantification) Quantification is often performed in conjunction with detection and classification In the methane leak example users would benefit from knowing how much methane is being emitted as well as its presence In another example measuring the amount of chlorophyll in a water body can indicate the quantity of algae present thus providing insight into water quality

These uses of hyperspectral sensingmdashdetection classification and quantificationmdashcan address a multitude of commercial civil Department of Defense and Intelligence Community needs While applications are numerous and varied a few include

bull Natural resource identification and environmental impact assessment

bull Exploration and remediation for petroleum and mining industries

bull Monitoring of greenhouse gas emissions from power plants and other industrial facilities

bull Water quality measurement and source monitoring (including glaciers)

bull Measurement of temperature and humidity distributions in the atmosphere to support weather modeling

bull Detection tracking and monitoring of targets of interest and nefarious activities such as narcotics manufacturing

bull Evaluation of farm crop seasonal progress and crop stress

EXPANDING APPLICATIONSOver the last decade hyperspectral imaging has made the leap from an experimental to an operational capability with the maturation of ground- air- and space-based sensors as well as in processing capabilities As a provider of commercial and custom hyperspectral processing and exploitation software and hyperspectral sensors Harris sees two major trends developing

First we believe that constellations of low-cost smallsats with hyperspectral payloads will become commonplace Several commercial ventures are planning to launch hyperspectral smallsats in the coming years Eventually these systems will also include on-board processing to provide timely results to those who need them

Secondly as such systems become widely available we expect to see an explosion of hyperspectral-derived analytics which allow users to derive significantly more valuable information from the data Machine learning-based analytics could for example detect the onset of deteriorating water quality or crop damage due to pests or disease much quicker than done today

SUPPORTING PROACTIVE MISSION READINESSMulti-intelligence (multi-INT) analysesmdashthe fusing together of collections from different sensing sources to extract new levels of intelligencemdashrepresent an important path toward more comprehensive and effective situational awareness With its material detection and identification capability hyperspectral imaging can play an important role in tomorrowrsquos multi-INT products

Consider an airborne platform that hosts both a wide-area motion imaging (WAMI) and signal intelligence (SIGINT) sensor used to detect and track the cell phone signal of a suspected attacker The SIGINT sensor locates the cell phone signal cross-cues to the WAMI sensor which then starts to track the signalrsquos movement across a region As the suspected attacker stops at locations along the route a hyperspectral system is queued to scan against a list of ldquotargets of interestrdquo at each location This type of multi-INT capability is not just powerful it is lifesaving

As part of a multi-INT solution or alone hyperspectral imaging has the ability to deliver new levels of intelligence to support proactive mission readiness And readiness as part of a comprehensive approach to resiliency will help us meet the challenges of mobile and increasingly capable adversaries

12 | insights

[By Erik Arvesen]

The number and types of sensors and intelligence-gathering techniques are

growing exponentially collecting petabytes of new data intended to help us tackle big questions and make important decisions The challenge is to glean meaningful insights out of all that datamdashand do it in a timely manner

The key lies in increased automation and at Harris we are focused on three areas of process automation workflow optimization computer or ldquomachinerdquo learning and data analytics We believe that together these can revolutionize a userrsquos ability to be agile in delivering effective mission-critical direction

OPTIMIZING WORKFLOWThe process of taking data points from their raw collected state to useful information

represents a system workflow Using computers to automate portions of that workflowmdashlike data filtering and sorting extraction and validationmdashspeeds up the process and minimizes the potential for human error For example an analyst can spend hours manually culling through data files for cloud-free imagery in a subtropical region where clouds dominate the skies By developing automated metadata interrogation techniques we can make a computer ldquolookrdquo through the same data to deliver the most recent cloud-free image in only seconds And when you are dealing with big data the computational power of several processors working in tandem can deliver results for multiple inquiries concurrently saving even more time and money

In fast-paced highly competitive environments the advantage will be in the hands of those able to ingest data from different sources and bring it into one common system Combining data from a broad variety of intelligence sourcesmdashsuch as historical data and maintenance records single-shot or motion imagery three-dimensional point clouds multispectral and hyperspectral reflectance signals or synthetic aperture radarmdashgives users the most comprehensive picture possible Workflows that incorporate ldquosensor-agnosticrdquo processing and open architectures will be able to meet multi-intelligence needs and adapt easily to the incorporation of new technologies

ADVANCEMENTS IN AUTOMATION ENABLE MEANINGFUL AND TIMELY ANALYSES

BIG DATA

DEALINGWITH

harriscom | 13

INCORPORATING MACHINE LEARNINGCurrent practice in dealing with unstructured big data flows is to hire analysts to categorize and tag data with rich metadata labels so that computer processors know what to do with it This is known as giving structure to unstructured content and when done manually is a very labor-intensive and time-consuming task Advancements in machine learning are making it possible for us to train computers to do this automatically resulting in large volumes of metadata-rich content available for processing

Similar to the way Google Facebook or Amazon can automatically identify objects or people in images we can train computers to recognize and identify objects by certain attributes Further machine learning techniques involving deep learning can be applied to labeled training data sets to help jumpstart the learning cycle until live data sets are available These features are then used to identify an object a material or a specific signal With computer processors and artificial intelligence technology able to do the initial analysis for data tagging analysts are freed up for tasks that demand higher cognition

Harris is applying deep learning technology to detect weather conditions from traffic cameras find and rate damage on wind turbine blades using drone motion imagery detect planes vehicles and ships from aerial imagery and identify railway obstructions from LiDAR data Our applications automate the extraction of meaningful information from the unique data sets of our community such as LiDAR and hyperspectral data signals intelligence and system performance health and status data

REFINING RESULTS WITH DATA ANALYTICS Computer algorithms find meaningful patterns that identify trends and relationships or sort and process data into more useful information pieces Analytics achieve a set of solutions to answer a question provide if-then scenarios or generate alert notifications to help analysts key in on the best available information from the complete set of data from the various sources By integrating algorithms with analytics we can get desired results from big data sources more quickly

Advanced systems capitalize on proven algorithms and incorporate commercially available and custom analytics to seamlessly bring data sets together process the data into information and identify the key information of interest With automated processing we can generate automated reports or customized alerts when prescribed thresholds are reached or identified giving analysts a heads-up to investigate or take action

There are a few general categories of analytics that help us pull progressively important information out of combined data sets The first level of analytics known as descriptive analytics aim to identify what happened like a change in the number of objects The resulting information tells a story or identifies something that needs to be investigated from within large amounts of data

The next level diagnostic analytics takes this understanding one step further by identifying why something happened providing analysts with information they can use to make decisions

Once the analytics in a domain are reliably providing descriptive and diagnostic results we can move forward to furthering the value of decision-making information with predictive analytics Here the system begins to predict with a high level of confidence that something will happen based on combined mathematical and statistical calculations of expected outcomes with the specific data conditions

Harrisrsquo research and investments in the geospatial domain are focused on furthering machine learning capabilities to enhance the predictability of outcomes to achieve this level of offering predictive analytics and predictive systems maintenance Predictive analytics have the potential to reduce system life-cycle cost and improve mission reliability by giving advance notice of looming component failures which can then be managed to limit system downtime and loss of mission capability

The pinnacle of the hierarchy of information value is prescriptive analytics More difficult to achieve but more valuable to possess prescriptive analytics provide valuable insight into the steps that can be taken to prevent something from happening or cause it to occur Harris is working in this area to fine-tune results that support daily systems maintenance

BRINGING IT ALL TOGETHERThrough computer automation techniques activities that once took days or weeks can now be completed in hours enabling users to assign personnel to tasks that require higher levels of thinking By capitalizing on advancements in technology and algorithm development we are melding massive datasets into intelligence that matters for change detection predicting what will happen next and prescribing maintenance to prevent failures Tools like our Heliosreg weather analytics platform turn raw data points into live road-weather condition alerts to support dynamic truck routing With these tools our domain expertise and first-hand sensor knowledge we can deliver innovation in the ever-changing environment of data channels to create unique specialized intelligence

Erik Arvesen is vice president and general manager of Harrisrsquo Geospatial Solutions business unit Harris provides a broad range of geospatial products content management advanced geospatial analytics machine learning and commercial geospatial solutions

How do we prevent it from happening

(or make it happen) ndash prescriptive analytics

What will happen ndash predictive analytics

Why did it happen ndash diagnostic analytics

What happened ndash descriptive analytics

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Information Value Gained from Analytics

harriscom | 13

INCORPORATING MACHINE LEARNINGCurrent practice in dealing with unstructured big data flows is to hire analysts to categorize and tag data with rich metadata labels so that computer processors know what to do with it This is known as giving structure to unstructured content and when done manually is a very labor-intensive and time-consuming task Advancements in machine learning are making it possible for us to train computers to do this automatically resulting in large volumes of metadata-rich content available for processing

Similar to the way Google Facebook or Amazon can automatically identify objects or people in images we can train computers to recognize and identify objects by certain attributes Further machine learning techniques involving deep learning can be applied to labeled training data sets to help jumpstart the learning cycle until live data sets are available These features are then used to identify an object a material or a specific signal With computer processors and artificial intelligence technology able to do the initial analysis for data tagging analysts are freed up for tasks that demand higher cognition

Harris is applying deep learning technology to detect weather conditions from traffic cameras find and rate damage on wind turbine blades using drone motion imagery detect planes vehicles and ships from aerial imagery and identify railway obstructions from LiDAR data Our applications automate the extraction of meaningful information from the unique data sets of our community such as LiDAR and hyperspectral data signals intelligence and system performance health and status data

REFINING RESULTS WITH DATA ANALYTICS Computer algorithms find meaningful patterns that identify trends and relationships or sort and process data into more useful information pieces Analytics achieve a set of solutions to answer a question provide if-then scenarios or generate alert notifications to help analysts key in on the best available information from the complete set of data from the various sources By integrating algorithms with analytics we can get desired results from big data sources more quickly

Advanced systems capitalize on proven algorithms and incorporate commercially available and custom analytics to seamlessly bring data sets together process the data into information and identify the key information of interest With automated processing we can generate automated reports or customized alerts when prescribed thresholds are reached or identified giving analysts a heads-up to investigate or take action

There are a few general categories of analytics that help us pull progressively important information out of combined data sets The first level of analytics known as descriptive analytics aim to identify what happened like a change in the number of objects The resulting information tells a story or identifies something that needs to be investigated from within large amounts of data

The next level diagnostic analytics takes this understanding one step further by identifying why something happened providing analysts with information they can use to make decisions

Once the analytics in a domain are reliably providing descriptive and diagnostic results we can move forward to furthering the value of decision-making information with predictive analytics Here the system begins to predict with a high level of confidence that something will happen based on combined mathematical and statistical calculations of expected outcomes with the specific data conditions

Harrisrsquo research and investments in the geospatial domain are focused on furthering machine learning capabilities to enhance the predictability of outcomes to achieve this level of offering predictive analytics and predictive systems maintenance Predictive analytics have the potential to reduce system life-cycle cost and improve mission reliability by giving advance notice of looming component failures which can then be managed to limit system downtime and loss of mission capability

The pinnacle of the hierarchy of information value is prescriptive analytics More difficult to achieve but more valuable to possess prescriptive analytics provide valuable insight into the steps that can be taken to prevent something from happening or cause it to occur Harris is working in this area to fine-tune results that support daily systems maintenance

BRINGING IT ALL TOGETHERThrough computer automation techniques activities that once took days or weeks can now be completed in hours enabling users to assign personnel to tasks that require higher levels of thinking By capitalizing on advancements in technology and algorithm development we are melding massive datasets into intelligence that matters for change detection predicting what will happen next and prescribing maintenance to prevent failures Tools like our Heliosreg weather analytics platform turn raw data points into live road-weather condition alerts to support dynamic truck routing With these tools our domain expertise and first-hand sensor knowledge we can deliver innovation in the ever-changing environment of data channels to create unique specialized intelligence

Erik Arvesen is vice president and general manager of Harrisrsquo Geospatial Solutions business unit Harris provides a broad range of geospatial products content management advanced geospatial analytics machine learning and commercial geospatial solutions

How do we prevent it from happening

(or make it happen) ndash prescriptive analytics

What will happen ndash predictive analytics

Why did it happen ndash diagnostic analytics

What happened ndash descriptive analytics

valu

e of

info

rmat

ion

valu

e of

ach

ievi

ng

Information Value Gained from Analytics

Harris Corporation is a leading technology innovator solving customers toughest mission-critical challenges by providing solutions that connect inform and protect Harris supports government and commercial customers around the world Learn more at harriscom

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