Session
Session VI: Ground, Software and Tools
Location
Utah State University, Logan, UT
Abstract
How do you open source small satellite software? What are the expected costs, obstacles, and benefits? Why would you even want to release your software to the world? Is it safe to use open source software? Open source software like Ball Aerospace COSMOS fills an important need for SmallSat missions where spending the budget for a traditional ground system would be more than the full cost of the satellite. However, nothing is ever truly free and there are a lot of misunderstandings about open source software in the Aerospace industry. This presentation will answer those questions while discussing the specific choices that were made in open sourcing the Ball Aerospace COSMOS Command and Control System. Additionally, this presentation will discuss the adoption of COSMOS since it was open sourced 4 years ago and where it is going in the future.
How, What, Where, and Why to Open Source Small Satellite Software
Utah State University, Logan, UT
How do you open source small satellite software? What are the expected costs, obstacles, and benefits? Why would you even want to release your software to the world? Is it safe to use open source software? Open source software like Ball Aerospace COSMOS fills an important need for SmallSat missions where spending the budget for a traditional ground system would be more than the full cost of the satellite. However, nothing is ever truly free and there are a lot of misunderstandings about open source software in the Aerospace industry. This presentation will answer those questions while discussing the specific choices that were made in open sourcing the Ball Aerospace COSMOS Command and Control System. Additionally, this presentation will discuss the adoption of COSMOS since it was open sourced 4 years ago and where it is going in the future.
