Success Story

CesiumAstro Speeds SATCOM Development

Qualifying space systems for mission readiness requires scalable SATCOM test software with automated data results processing. CesiumAstro partnered with Keysight to standardize its test infrastructure, enabling automated testing across its portfolio and reducing test software development by 40%.
Keysight - CesiumAstro Case Study

Enabling Software-Defined Space Connectivity

CesiumAstro Case Study Highlights

Satellite Communications Innovator

CesiumAstro delivers scalable, high-performance communications systems for national security, commercial aerospace, and civil customers, supporting missions in space, air, and ground environments. The company's portfolio spans the full communications technology stack, enabling everything from prototypes to full-scale production.

From Benchtop Test to Production-Ready Validation

CesiumAstro’s rapid growth exposed a critical test engineering challenge: limited benchtop setups could not support the volume, consistency, and automation required for space-qualified communications hardware. Their products required modular, software-driven test architectures capable of validating complex RF and communications systems across expanding product lines with minimal redesign. To meet delivery timelines and mission reliability requirements, CesiumAstro needed standardized, production-ready test workflows that could automate test execution, data analysis, and reporting at scale.

Scaling Automated RF Validation

To support production of active electronically scanned array technologies and integrated processing platforms, CesiumAstro needed a repeatable RF validation workflow that could scale across multiple hardware programs. The Keysight RF test platform integrated advanced instrumentation, automated calibration, and modular switching to standardize measurement execution across mission-grade communications hardware. This approach improved test repeatability, reduced manual setup variation, and enabled higher-volume validation without redesigning the test environment for each product configuration.

Proven Performance for Mission Deployment

Using Keysight’s standardized RF test stations and automated application software, CesiumAstro rapidly evolved its test infrastructure from benchtop setups to scalable, production-ready validation platforms. This enabled CesiumAstro to automate testing across a diverse product portfolio in six months and deploy nine RF test stations within a year. As a result, CesiumAstro supported mission payload requirements while ensuring consistent quality and performance across space, airborne, and terrestrial platforms.
James Carwell, Vice President of Technology CesiumAstro

“Thanks to our collaboration with Keysight, we now have a robust, production-qualified and automated test ecosystem that allows us to meet the evolving needs of our customers.”

James Carwell
Vice President of Engineering at CesiumAstro

Explore the Tools CesiumAstro Used

Signal Analyzer

Validate signal integrity, modulation quality, and compliance with precise wideband RF measurement and demodulation.

PXI Modular Products

Conduct RF measurements and signal generation with a high-performance, fully-integrated platform.

Vector Network Analyzer

Characterize RF interfaces with accurate S-parameter, return loss, and isolation measurements.

Explore Related Resources

White Paper

White Paper

SATCOM Fundamentals: Orbits, Standards, and System Design

Technical guidance on LEO to GEO architectures, modulation standards, link budgets, antennas, and non-terrestrial networks.

White Paper

White Paper

Optical Communications for Satellite Applications

Technical insight on reusability, integration, and standardization in satellite technologies for aerospace defense.

eBook

eBook

How to Design and Test a Phased-Array Antenna

Phased-array antenna fundamentals and technical insights into their evolution and workflow from design principles to field servicing.

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