Vector GalacticSky Design Case Study

Vector is a space innovator that connects space startups with affordable and reliable launch vehicles as well as a software-defined satellites platform (GalacticSky). Its goal is to eliminate the need to build hardware or even launch a satellite for customers with certain applications.

Challenge

The challenge was to design a web application to visualize and manage GalacticSky resources in a simple, easy-to-use UI. These resources included the space vehicle (satellite hardware system) and the compute network and storage infranstructure as well as any other hardware enabled by the system for management.

Design + Prototyping

This extremely large undertaking was broken down into smaller goals; visualization of the spacecraft and its resources, visualization and monitoring of resource health and performance, and deploying and managing of software applications on the virtualized infrastructure.

Visualizing hardware in orbit was important for understanding the physical location as it relates to communication with ground systems or other satellites.

Monitoring systems and applications is important for monitoring and maintaining deployed applications to keep them operational and efficient.

Easily deploying applications was critical to improving and enhancing customer’s satellite applications and operations.

The UI evolved based on user feedback and continued research with subject matter experts. These discussions lead to new designs of the interface to solve unique customer applications.

Reflection

The outcome of the design gave form to a new way of looking at infrastructure management. A small step toward solving UI challenges in this emerging new-space network frontier.