Fast‑Tracking Space Communications: Keysight and CesiumAstro

Innovation continues to increase in the space and satellite industry, spurred on by opportunities in lower earth orbits (LEOs) and beyond. A growing number of new companies are emerging to take advantage of potential use cases in government and military, maritime, aviation, media, geo-monitoring, and other industries. For example, CesiumAstro designs and builds active phased-array communication systems for satellites, aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and other platforms. As demand increased, the company recognized that its test environment needed to evolve from development-focused benches into a production-ready, automated ecosystem built for precision, repeatability, and scale. The company partnered with Keysight to develop a test ecosystem capable of supporting high-throughput manufacturing while maintaining precision and traceability.

Who Is CesiumAstro?

CesiumAstro delivers software-defined, modular communications systems for space, air, and ground applications. Its architectures integrate radio-frequency (RF), digital, and processing technologies designed for manufacturability, scalability, and mission flexibility. Because space offers no second chances, CesiumAstro places a strong emphasis on rigorous validation and mission-critical performance.

Why Did CesiumAstro Partner with Keysight?

The company’s early test setups were engineering benches optimized for development, with limited automation for large-scale data collection. Data was stored across fragmented systems, and reporting relied on rigid tools. While sufficient for early validation, this approach made it difficult to scale, adapt, or extract deeper insights.

As demand accelerated, incremental improvements to the existing test approach were no longer sufficient. Delivering high-reliability systems at production volume required a validation environment that was repeatable, scalable, and aligned to increasing system complexity.

What Challenges Did the Companies Overcome?

CesiumAstro’s production environment required RF test coverage across phased array antennas, up/downconverters, software-defined radios, and payload communication systems operating up to 31 GHz. This included measurements such as S-parameters, 1 dB compression, noise figure, phase noise, error vector magnitude (EVM), bit error ratio (BER), and spectral emission masks.

These Keysight Signal Analyzers increase throughput while minimizing costs with rapid, accurate signal and spectrum measurements spanning midrange to high-performance satellite testing options.

Working alongside Keysight, CesiumAstro implemented a test framework that enabled hardware reuse, standardized test routines, and automated execution, reporting, and analysis. The architecture incorporated configurable calibration libraries and scalable data handling to support both high-volume telemetry and high-fidelity RF measurements.

What Keysight Products Supported CesiumAstro’s Improved Test Workflow?

CesiumAstro sought a collaborator capable of helping to translate advanced RF measurement capabilities into a production-grade test architecture. The goal was to build a system that could map directly to product requirements while supporting high-fidelity measurements and scalable throughput. The Keysight direct radiating array (DRA) test system is purpose-built for phased array antennas and multiport RF modules requiring a broad range of performance validation. The software-defined radio (SDR) test system leverages a PXI-based instrumentation architecture to support dynamic modulation and demodulation schemes with modular scalability.

The Keysight up/down converter (UDC) test system utilizes advanced measurement capabilities to enable high accuracy converted signal validation aligned with converter performance requirements. The payload test system provides a comprehensive, production-grade validation environment for CesiumAstro’s Reconfigurable Processing Unit (RPU).

In addition, Keysight’s RF test platforms integrate advanced instrumentation, automated calibration, and modular switching to support mission-grade RF validation across CesiumAstro’s hardware. These systems enable precise measurement of complex RF behavior, including signal integrity, noise performance, and conversion characteristics. Supporting software provides signal generation, demodulation, and standards-based compliance testing, along with environmental telemetry capture and power analysis.

Keysight Vector Network Analyzers ensure precise RF port characterization for component tests in complex satellite payload systems.

How Did the Two Teams Align on Space and Satellite Testing Goals?

By engaging early, the two teams worked closely to align test system development with CesiumAstro’s production schedules and requirements. The first fully automated test system was delivered within three months, enabling repeatable validation of new antenna modules.

Test coverage expanded rapidly across a broader product portfolio, establishing a new internal benchmark for measurement consistency, repeatability, and scalability. These systems are now used across CesiumAstro’s test operations to support production and delivery. The result is a production-ready validation environment that improves measurement consistency, reduces manual overhead, and supports scaled delivery of high-performance communications platforms across space, air, and ground domains.

Find out more about Keysight’s space and satellite solutions here.

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