Streamlining software development for space

Qinetiq Space is the Belgian space division of the UK-based Qinetiq corporation. We specialize in the development of high-reliability (hi-rel) products to be deployed in the harsh space environment. Typical hi-rel products are avionics, electric propulsion, microgravity research instruments, robotic systems, space security, space exploration, remote sensing and small satellite systems. We manage the development of these products from concept to in-orbit operations.

To make this possible, the engineers in our Electronics and Software Engineering (ESE) department write safety-critical software applications ranging from boot loaders, low-level device drivers and communication protocols to system services and real-time application software. As the complexity and amount of software in our products continuously increase, so do the risk for system flaws caused by software bugs and the need for early detection of unwanted side effects of new implementations. Consequently, the ability to control software quality was becoming more and more eminent. Fortunately, we made the required investment well ahead in time to prevent loss of product quality and, more importantly, to prevent loss of customer satisfaction.