A successful mission requires more than just an optimized mission plan and path. Engineers must also develop advanced technology for spacecraft systems. Across various disciplines, engineers must create optimized communications, remote sensing, and navigation technologies for their space missions.
As space becomes increasingly congested and contested, the demand for robust communications, high-resolution remote sensing, and other advanced technology is greater than ever. Engineers and innovators must achieve a few key goals when designing and developing these assets to make mission plans a reality.
Design Secure, Resilient, and High-Performance Communications
Satellite communications evolve to meet global connectivity demands through innovative spectrum management, enhanced signal integrity, secure data transmission, and agile deployment strategies for future advancements.
Developing Electro-Optical Sensing
Critical missions in the defense, commercial, and scientific sectors rely on high-resolution imagery as well as advanced and precise sensing capabilities to succeed. Engineers must focus on imaging precision, sensor performance, cost-efficiency, and providing actionable data, insights, and more to excel and stay competitive.
Advancing Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR)
Remote sensing and imaging require continuous functionality for disaster management, defense intelligence, and environmental monitoring, focusing on enhanced resolution, data accuracy, and real-time processing.
Solutions Showcase
Solutions to Solve Mission Challenges
Whether you’re building satellites for Earth observation, global communications, or deep space navigation, designing assets that can withstand the harsh space environment is non-negotiable. Ansys brings a powerful, integrated suite of multiphysics tools to help you engineer smarter, faster, and with confidence.
“It saves costs, it saves lots of time... and really it just means that we're able to build things that probably would be impossible if we couldn't simulate at all. ”
Featured Ansys products and collections for designing your assets
Plan smarter missions with tools that simulate trajectories, optimize tracking, and connect design to real-time operations—all in one streamlined workflow.
Ansys Fluent
Ansys Fluent is the industry-leading fluid simulation software known for its advanced physics modeling capabilities and industry leading accuracy.
Ansys HFSS is a high-frequency electromagnetic simulation tool that enables engineers to design and optimize RF, microwave, and high-speed electronic components—such as antennas, connectors, and PCBs—by accurately modeling 3D electromagnetic field behavior.
Ansys Optics is a suite of simulation tools that enables engineers to design, optimize, and validate the performance of optical and photonic systems—such as lenses, sensors, displays, and LiDAR—by modeling the behavior of light across complex materials and environments.
Ansys Mechanical is a powerful finite element analysis (FEA) tool used to simulate and optimize the structural performance of components and systems under various physical conditions.
See how the future of Aerospace and Defense is being built. Get the latest stories and updates from Ansys.
Simulating Space
Get In Touch Today
Curious about how we can elevate your space projects with digital mission engineering? We’ll love to hear about it.
Satellite Antenna Arrays Platform Integration
Replace bulky waveguide antennas with compact, high-gain antennas that enable multi-band coexistence and predict the impact of the satellite platform on antenna performance.
Our Solutions
Simplified Simulations
Preparation and simplification of complex CAD for EM simulations with Ansys Discovery (CAD agnostic) software
Implement Ansys HFSS hybrid solver (FEM and SBR+) and linked field solutions for installed antenna integration onto extensive platforms.
Cosite Analysis
Cosite analysis for installed antennas, including radios with EMIT
Optimized Configurations
Optimize antenna location on satellite configuration.
Key Benefits
Performance Predications
Predict overall performance and antenna plus satellite performance when deployed in various scenarios (e.g., low Earth Orbit (LEO)).
Reduced Costs
Reduce testing costs by generating high-fidelity models of prototypes on early iterations of the design.
Seamless Integrations
Prepare for digital mission engineering with seamless integration between Ansys HFSS and STK software, connecting component-to-system to mission support.
Satellite Antenna Beamforming
The transition to electronically steered antennas enhances data rates and reliability. They feature adaptive beam steering for precise tracking and a low-profile design for easy maintenance and quick part replacement.
Our Solutions
Accurate Antenna Design
Fast and accurate phased array antenna design using the Domain Decomposition Method solver.
Automated Antenna Beam Steering
Automated antenna beam steering and shaping using the Finite Array Beam Calculator toolkit.
Seemless Pattern Export
Seamless export of embedded element patterns for antenna arrays.
Efficient Analysis
Efficiently analyze point single and multiple beam patterns for an array installed on a satellite while in orbit and communicating to a target on Earth.
Key Benefits
Reduced Sidelobe Spill
Reduce sidelobe spill by controlling the radiation pattern and efficiently using RF power.
Target Communication
Communicate to various targets by splitting the main beam.
Reduced Interference
Reduce interference between multiple antenna modules by directing a null toward the interferer/aggressor.
RF Performance in Space
RF multipaction and discharge pose reliability risks in satellite communication by causing signal degradation, power loss, increased noise, and reduced efficiency, often requiring additional shielding or detuning for mitigation.
Our Solutions
Optimize Components
Optimize components such as waveguides, amplifiers, and antennas with HFSS multipactor to prevent electron buildup and minimize multipaction risk.
Operating Power Estimation
Estimate the operating power of components outgassing in a harsh environment, preventing ionization, with the HFSS RF discharge tool.
Key Benefits
Improved Reliability
Mitigating multipaction and RF discharge enhances satellite reliability, ensuring long-term, maintenance-free operation in space
Better Signal Quality
Preventing multipaction and RF discharge preserves signal integrity, ensuring more precise and stable communication.
Reduced Failure Risk
Addressing multipaction and RF discharge minimizes breakdown risks, safeguarding critical systems and ensuring mission success.
Mission-Based Antenna Performance Verification
The tasks involve predicting satellite communication performance, designing and simulating antenna modules, assessing antenna performance pre-launch, and generating reports and link budget analyses for mission evaluation.
Our Solutions
End-to-End Simulation
Complete end-to-end simulation from the component level to the whole mission support.
Complex CAD Preparation
Preparation of complex CAD geometry of the satellite.
Leverage HFSS-FEM
Leverage the industry gold-standard Ansys HFSS-FEM software for synthesizing high-fidelity antenna models.
Predict Installed Antenna Performance
Predict installed antenna performance on the satellite by implementing Ansys HFSS hybrid solutions (IE and SBR+) and linked field analysis.
Streamlined STK Integration
Streamlined connection between Ansys HFSS and STK solutions for mission analysis. Ansys STK software provides a unique solution for satellite mission planning, including orbit maneuvers and calculating harsh environmental effects.
Key Benefits
Reduced Costs
Reduce mission costs by accelerating design validation through simulations, avoiding expensive prototypes and physical testing.
Comprehensive Predictions
Predict the entire mission, including high-fidelity components and systems.
STOP Analysis of High Power Lasers
High-powered laser beams generate thermal stresses in optical components, degrading beam quality. To address this, optimize optical parameters and enhance collaboration between engineering teams for better performance under realistic conditions.
Our Solutions
Meet the Challenge
Design to the most challenging criteria and create high-performance optical systems.
Real-Time Visualization
Design optomechanics with real-time visualization of impact on optical performance.
Automated Data Capture
Seamless, automated data capture and export in an FEA-readable format.
Direct Import of FEA Results
Direct, accurate import of FEA results from structural and thermal simulations.
Key Benefits
Accelerated Design
Expedite innovation with greater interaction between optical and mechanical design and structural and thermal analysis.
Early Issue Detection
Perform previously impractical or impossible design evaluations, catch critical issues early, and avoid costly redesign.
Faster Time to Market
Reduce STOP analysis time from weeks to days and get better products to market faster.
Reduced Prototype Cycles
Reduce the number of prototype cycles, which can result in significant savings.
Sensor Modeling for EOIR Systems in Space
Enhance innovation through improved collaboration in design and analysis, enabling early issue detection, quicker product development, and fewer prototype cycles, resulting in significant resource savings and faster time to market.
Our Solutions
Complete Digital Framework
Create a complete digital framework to estimate or demonstrate the effectiveness of the overall system performance.
Rapid Evaluation
Rapidly evaluate or generate complete proposal system designs with an objective non-proprietary physics engine.
Design and Optimize
Design, optimize, or adapt a sensor system from scratch or with updated factory information to have the most relevant and current system performance characteristics.
Key Benefits
Legacy sensor modeling has traditionally been proprietary, limiting the ability and flexibility to update designs and overall system performance characteristics. With STK software and EOIR, engineers gain access to:
Regularly updated COTS software
Stay up to date with regularly updated COTS software.
Simple and Flexible Interface
Simple and flexible interface for interactive users through a GUI and for automation via a complete API.
Radar Sensor Modeling
Engineers need to comprehensively model radar system integration, including platform geometry, antenna behavior, target positioning, and environmental factors, while also evaluating the operational effectiveness of candidate radar systems against realistic targets.
Our Solutions
Comprehensive Radar Modeling
Model all primary capabilities of radar systems, antennas, propagation factors, target RCS, and receiver performance.
Radar System Integration
Visualize radar employment and operations against realistic targets for performance confirmation and customer advocacy.
Radar System Analysis
Conduct radar system analysis of alternatives vs. approved threat scenarios to assess measurements of effectiveness.
Key Benefits
Support Radar Design
Support radar system design, development, employment, sustainment, and modernization with design reference models (DRMs).
Scenario Modeling
Confirm design options and requirement satisfaction with digital representative models and virtual scenarios.
Digital Engineering
Discover product weakness through virtual testing and streamline mitigation options with digital engineering.
RCS Generation, Visualization, and Implementation
Generate radar cross-section (RCS) measurements to examine vehicle and equipment designs, visualize RCS data in a 3D environment to analyze signature behavior, and evaluate performance against different radar collection modes.
Our Solutions
RCS Data Generation
Generate 4 Pi Steradian RCS data on 3D models over a large range of frequencies, polarizations, bandwidths, and collection geometries.
RCS Visualization
Visualize RCS around vehicles to understand vehicle signature vulnerabilities.
ISAR Image Analysis
Create ISAR Images to understand vehicle surface scattering characteristics.
Key Benefits
Increased Confidence
Increased confidence in vehicle performance vs. opposing radar systems in realistic operational scenarios.
Mitigate Risks
Mitigate the risk of creating a poor vehicle design that increases the probability of detection and survivability.
Accelerated Development Processes
Speed up the development process by implementing virtual testing in an operationally relevant scenario.
Data and Image Visualization
Integrate radar and electro-optical images into the correct geometry, synchronize sensor data with the collection scenario, and ensure model alignment with the collected data.
Our Solutions
Joint Sensor Integration
Illustrate how to jointly integrate multiple sensors into a single target collection scenario.
Time Synchronization
Time-synchronize the physical collection scenario with the EO/IR/Radar images in the correct reference plane for cross-disciplinary simultaneous analysis.
Model Alignment
Align 3D models with sensor image planes to support sensor data analysis and model alignment.
Key Benefits
Confidence in Analysis
Build confidence in analysis exploitation and assessments through model alignment.
Accelerated Training
Accelerate training for new image analysts through synchronized model and cross discipline data alignment.
