The strategic issues with implementing open avionics platforms for spacecraft

Non-aerospace industries from automobiles to consumer electronics are using product platform concepts to accelerate product development. By planning and developing a series of products based on similar architectures, firms can reuse hardware, software, and manufacturing processes to provide a wide range of products, at lower costs and with shorter development cycles. The nature of spacecraft systems creates special technical, strategic, economic, and organizational challenges for implementing product platforms. The low volume, extreme operating environments, long development cycles, short technology cycles, and the nature of government space programs make it difficult for the space industry to benefit from product platform concepts. However, several aerospace organizations are implementing avionics platforms with significant technical, cost, and strategic benefits. This paper discusses the potential strategic benefits of product platform concepts applied to spacecraft avionics.