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Cover Story FRONTIERS

14 APRIL 2008 BOEING FRONTIERS Cover Story BOEING FRONTIERS

Workers at the Development Center in El Segundo, Calif., work on a Wideband Global satellite—a game-changing for the U.S. Air Force. To the Help from right of the WGS satellite is a scale model of , the world’s first geosynchronous . Bob Ferguson photo above Have Boeing helped humanity? Absolutely—as demonstrated by their 2,500 years of accumulated service

By De bb y Ar k e l l

surgeon in consults with physicians in Berlin by video conference. Driv- ing home from work, she enjoys her favorite music via . She accesses Aher car’s GPS navigation system to locate a new deli and pays for take-out dinner with the swipe of a credit card. Once home she turns on the evening news, catches tomorrow’s weather forecast and settles in to enjoy a live telecast of the Grammy Awards. That convenience is all thanks to satellites, those machines high in the sky that we rarely think about yet depend on daily to keep us connected—and protected. Hundreds of satellites circle the globe today. One-third of the satellites in are Boeing- built, providing commercial, military, scientific and exploratory services. The company has been a major player in the satellite business for 45 years and recently reached an industry milestone of 2,500 years of accumulated satellite on-orbit service. Manufactured at the Satellite Development Center in El Segundo, Calif., by Space and Intelligence Systems, Boeing satellites are more complex, powerful and sophisticated than ever before. “Boeing is a market leader because we use cutting-edge technology in our payloads, and our commitment to program execution and quality ensure that the products we build are reliable and delivered on schedule,” said Craig Cooning, vice president and general manager of S&IS. Inside A market evolves Milestone surpassed: Boeing-built satellites recently The former built Syncom, the world’s first geosynchronous topped 2,500 years of accumulated on-orbit service. communications satellite, in 1963, when long-distance phone calls were costly and overseas Page 15 TV broadcasts impossible (see sidebar on Page 21). Back then, a satellite the size of a desk required a ground the size of a house. A primer on satellites: How do they work? What Today, satellites can transmit video signals to an antenna the size of a pizza pan, and does Boeing offer? Page 17 customers can modify from the ground a satellite’s onboard capabilities as mission require- Operational improvements: How has this business ments evolve. become even more successful? Through innovative As satellite technology changes, so do missions, markets and customer expectations. management, Lean+—and tips from the best of “In the ‘70s, customers tended to be national institutions,” said Art Rosales, S&IS director, Boeing. Page 18 Program Services and Execution. “Satellites gave developing countries a tremendous ad- The competition: What companies are going up vantage and were a source of national pride. Accordingly, satellites were built primarily to against Boeing in this market? Page 19 meet national infrastructure needs such as service.” Today—as a result of global privatization of industry—a large part of Boeing’s satellite Satellite teammates: Meet some of the many em- ployees who support this business. Page 20 business is for the private sector. These companies provide satellite-driven consumer servic- es such as direct-to-home TV, , services and digital audio radio. Harold Rosen Q&A: Boeing Frontiers talks with the This shift has changed Boeing’s approach to manufacturing spacecraft. Since businesses “founding father” of today’s satellites. Page 21 are more risk-averse and competitive than governments, Boeing has to be cost-competitive

BOEING FRONTIERS APRIL 2008 15 Cover Story BOEING FRONTIERS

“One of our near-term future business strategies to be able to deliver a flexible payload in a cost-effective manner, and we’re working hard to bring costs down and make that a reality for our customers.” – Art Rosales, Space and Intelligence Systems director, Program Services and Execution

S&IS is working to improve resource control with Engineering pro- cesses, getting mature, stable requirements up front so designers know what they need to do before they begin work. That helps minimize any need for redesign. Toups noted that in the past Boeing tended to begin production work on satellites too soon, which can lead to incomplete designs and expensive manufacturing issues down the line. “It may sound strange to say that starting later is better, but in situa- tions like this it can be,” he said. S&IS has also created a moving line for phased-array antenna production. Since phased-array antennas have thousands of com- ponents, building them on a “pulse” line has meant reductions in Quality is critical for Boeing’s satellite customers. “They’re paying to put a product in the sky that has to work for 15 years and can’t cost and build time. be repaired,” said Charles Toups, IDS vice president of Engineer- A pulse line also is planned for the 12 satellites that make up the ing & Mission Assurance and formerly the leader of Navigation and GPS IIF program, an upgrade to the original GPS system used by govern- Communication Systems. ments and civilians worldwide. Bob Ferguson photo “At the end of the day, our products must be a cost-effective part of our customers’ business plans,” Rosales said. “To many, satellites are money-generating machines in the sky. Our challenge and goal in in the products it offers. a competitive market is to give them what they want: something that’s A customer’s key priorities—whether a government or a private high-quality, simple to operate, and the best value for their market business—are quality and schedule, both strongly tied to cost. segment.” “The quality of the product is the customer’s overriding priority; and for our government customers in particular, mission assurance Shaping the market is critical,” said Charles Toups, IDS vice president of Engineering & Future commercial applications may include altering the use of a Mission Assurance. Toups has worked in the satellite business since satellite while it’s on orbit. A customer may purchase a satellite and 1982 and most recently led S&IS Navigation and Communication wants its signal beamed down only over Southeast Asia, but later want Systems. “They’re paying to put a product in the sky that has to work the signal broadcast over India instead. for 15 years and can’t be repaired, so the quality of that product “The ideal end-state is for the user to be able to reprogram that is paramount. We are continually focused on first-pass quality and pattern while the satellite is in the sky,” Rosales said. “We have this flawless execution.” technology today, but it’s very expensive. One of our near-term future Schedule is also critical. “Satellite launches are huge capital outlays business strategies to be able to deliver a flexible payload in a cost- for our customers, so getting satellites up there on time is very impor- effective manner, and we’re working hard to bring costs down and tant,” Toups said. “The faster you can build a high-quality satellite and make that a reality for our customers.” get it launched, the better the value for the customer.” The government side of the satellite business also is pursuing nearly $12 billion in new opportunities, driven primarily by the Transformational Lean leads the way Satellite Communication System (a secure communications network for To meet quality, schedule and cost requirements, Lean is a big part the U.S. Air Force) and GPS III. of S&IS culture (for more on this topic, see story on Page 18). Its primary “We shape the market with new technologies and by working focus is not manufacturing, however; the vast majority of satellite costs closely with customers to identify product and mission operations are incurred in the design and development phases. enhancements on existing programs. This allows us to stay on the cutting edge while also extending the viability of current products and programs,” Toups said. n [email protected]

16 APRIL 2008 BOEING FRONTIERS Cover Story BOEING FRONTIERS

Here’s a primer on how Satellite these spacecraft work, basics what Boeing offers hat is a satellite? Simply put, satel- a fixed spot on the earth. That makes geosyn- other international data transmissions. lites are objects that orbit a larger chronous ideal for communications and The satellite’s framework, called a bus, is home Wobject in space. They can be natural, Earth-observation applications. to its power systems (usually solar cell arrays like the , or man-made. Man-made sat- Once the rocket reaches the desired altitude that convert solar energy into electricity), batter- ellites facilitate communication and connec- and orientation for the mission, the satellite is ies for the times the satellite goes into the earth’s tivity between otherwise disparate locations released from the rocket into its initial orbit. shadow, attitude control systems, temperature or regions. The initial geosynchronous satellite orbit starts control systems and more. Earth stations com- Satellites have a fixed life. Art Rosales, Space out as a highly elliptical orbit. Small rocket municate with on the satellite to and Intelligence Systems director of Program motors onboard the satellite fire periodically to monitor these systems. Services and Execution, said the standard life help position the satellite into its final, circular Boeing currently designs and builds two satel- span for a commercial satellite is 15 years, orbit—and help it attain the proper attitude, or lite product lines—the 702 and the 601. and the time from order to delivery varies orientation, relative to a horizon line or other depending on the satellite’s complexity. Rosales frame of reference. The Satellite is the world’s most noted that customers begin planning their next powerful commercial satellite. It offers up to Once in orbit, the satellite begins to send and 18,000 watts of power and can deliver any satellite acquisition after about or eight receive signals. A communications satellite is years, and for a typical satellite it ordinarily communications frequency customers request equipped with multiple transponders—devices via more than 100 transponders. Currently more takes 24 to 36 months from placing the order that amplify and transmit signals at various to launching. than 20 Boeing 702 satellites have been built or frequencies. Transponders are like channels, are on order. Major customers include , Boeing satellites are built by a team of employ- and only so much information can go through Hughes Network Systems, XM Satellite Radio, ees in El Segundo, Calif., and uniquely designed a channel at a time. The more transponders a and the U.S. Air Force. to meet a customer’s specific requirements. satellite has the more signals it can send and Satellites then are delivered to the customer receive and the more antennas it can use. The The series of satellites is smaller and launched into orbit on a rocket. transponders and antennas make up the satel- and less powerful than the 702. With more lite’s payload. than 80 units ordered, the Boeing 601 is the Satellites typically operate in one of three fami- top-selling spacecraft line. The satellite’s basic lies of orbits defined by their altitude above the The transponder receives a signal at a specific configuration features as many as 48 transpon- earth: (100 miles to 300 miles, frequency from a , amplifies it, ders and offers up to 4,800 watts. A higher- 161 km to 483 km), medium earth orbit and then retransmits it back to antennas or power version, the Boeing 601HP, features as (6,000 miles to 12,000 miles, 9,500 km to receivers on Earth (or aircraft or other space- many as 60 transponders and uses additional 19,500 km), and geosynchronous earth orbit craft) on a different frequency. This process of technologies to provide up to 10,000 watts. (22,300 miles, 36,000 km). In geosynchro- receiving, amplifying and transmitting is what Major customers include AsiaSat, DIRECTV, SES nous orbit, the satellite moves with the earth’s enables phone calls around the world, real-time , , National Oceanic and Atmospheric rotation, causing it to appear suspended over TV broadcasts of global events, and even or Administration, U.S. Navy and MEASAT (Malaysia East Asia Satellite). —Debby Arkell

Solar Panels Antenna

BOEING FRONTIERS APRIL 2008 17 Cover Story BOEING FRONTIERS

Lean Satellite manufacturing team leverages the best from all around Boeing By Bi l l Se i l on me proved from 65 percent five years ago to 95 percent at the end of 2007, ore and more, Boeing businesses, to be successful, are lever- an improvement of 46 percent. On-time delivery of electronic units has aging best practices and ideas from teammates across the reached 97 percent. Mcompany. S&IS also conducts an annual Lean Manufacturing Assessment, and The satellite manufacturing unit of Boeing Space and Intelligence has consistently exceeded its goal. For 2007, the goal for the S&IS sat- Systems in El Segundo, Calif., is one example. Its journey on its return ellite factory was to increase the score from the previous 2.45 to 2.90. to profitability and progress in cost containment over the past five years It achieved a final score of 3.09, meaning that it beat its score-growth can be attributed to many factors. But high on this list are an innovative goal by 42 percent. The improvements are measurable, quantifiable, management team, use of the Lean+ companywide growth and produc- and significant. tivity initiative, and eliciting help from colleagues across Boeing. S&IS began its Lean journey in 2003. Charles Toups, then S&IS vice “The success of the El Segundo team is an excellent example of president of Engineering and Operations, was familiar with the extensive leveraging the best of Boeing,” said Bill Schnettgoecke, vice president work BCA had been doing to bring Lean principles and other efficiency and leader of the Boeing Lean+ initiative. “They began by taking Lean+ measures to its operations. approaches used by Commercial Airplanes in a high-production-rate Toups, now vice president, Engineering & Mission Assurance for environment (jetliners) and applying them in a low-production-rate en- Integrated Defense Systems, attended Renton [Wash.] Engineering’s vironment (satellites). They blended in the right portions of Lean con- “Gemba Day,” where teams discussed how they had applied Lean cepts (such as Six Sigma and Theory of Constraints) and transformed principles. He also toured 737 assembly lines, saw examples of Value their culture into one of employee engagement. The formula worked, Stream Mapping and met with other Lean experts. Soon, Lean person- and they delivered results. That’s what Lean+ is all about.” nel from the Puget Sound region began traveling to El Segundo to lead workshops and get a closer look at the challenges the satellite business Eliminating ‘traveled work’ was facing. In any manufacturing facility, the ultimate goal is to eliminate Assistance also came from Boeing rotorcraft operations in Mesa, “traveled work”—open or incomplete items that continue down the Ariz., and Philadelphia, which were applying Lean to their operations. manufacturing line yet require additional work. The metrics at the S&IS also networked with programs within IDS. S&IS satellite factory underscore the benefits of Lean+, continuous In some cases, best practices learned elsewhere could be applied improvement, and other initiatives. directly to satellite manufacturing. In other cases, ideas from around the For example, incomplete or open qualifications and unit returns for company inspired the El Segundo team to develop its own continuous- additional rework have gone to zero. The cost of repair, rework and scrap improvement approaches. is down 73 percent. On-time delivery of engineering products has im-

Steve Holt (left), a Commercial Airplanes process engineer, and Benny Leppert, a BCA liaison engineer, have been leading Lean workshops in El Segundo, Calif., for several years to support Boeing’s satellite business. The pair is at the 777 moving line in Everett, Wash.

Gail Hanusa photo

18 APRIL 2008 BOEING FRONTIERS Cover Story BOEING FRONTIERS

Kevin Naya, S&IS director, Lean+, said net- ‘A foundation to build on’ 787 Payloads Validation Center. S&IS employees working within the Boeing enterprise has been Steve Holt, a process engineer in have traveled to Puget Sound to benchmark the invaluable. Its diverse range of programs cre- Configuration and Engineering Analysis, center and the way the roadmap is used. ate a wealth of experience. And unlike bench- Commercial Airplanes, said he first met Toups John Herrold, a systems engineer in System marking with other companies, there are when Holt was giving a presentation at Renton Integration Process and Tools, part of BCA fewer concerns about discussing proprietary Engineering’s Gemba Day. This led to Holt trav- Engineering, has made multiple trips to information. eling to El Segundo to lead a two-day class in El Segundo with other members of the The S&IS team members and their BCA Critical Chain Project Management, a Lean+ BCA team to provide Lean+ training and proj- colleagues faced several challenges in shar- tool. Holt and his colleagues continued to offer ect support to Kesselman’s team. ing Lean+ ideas. Some involved differences advice on Lean+ issues. Soon, it became an “It’s a two-way street that has proven to in technology and terminology, and there was information exchange. be mutually beneficial,” Herrold said. “In addi- the tremendous difference between their two “It was wonderful fun; I had a great time tion to assisting other programs, we can lever- product lines—satellites and commercial air- with them,” Holt said. “We gave them a foun- age what we learn from them and bring new planes. In addition, while jetliner manufactur- dation to build on. Then, to develop their own Lean+ ideas back to Commercial Airplanes. ing involves a steady flow of airplanes on the expertise, they brought in their own consul- Our management is very supportive of this production line, only a few identical satellites tants. They were able to come up to speed type of collaboration.” are produced at the same time. very quickly, and we began to learn from Dayde McLaughlin, deputy director of the Still, the basic principles of Lean+ applied. each other.” Lean+ initiative, added that the initiative will Louis Kesselman, manager, Space Systems Holt noted he now shares the pride of soon be offering additional opportunities for Design, S&IS, recognized this in early 2006 the satellite group each time they win a new employees to network and share Lean+ ideas. when a major new commercial satellite pro- contract. These will include enterprise standardized gram was starting. Kesselman benchmarked Two other BCA employees who traveled to training that will encourage the use of com- a number of Boeing programs and found El Segundo at that time were Benny Leppert, mon learning and Lean+ terminology through- some great ideas. As a result, the El Segundo an associate technical fellow and liaison - out the company. The Lean+ initiative also is team has successfully leveraged a BCA Lean+ neer, and Kevin Sweeney, a Lean Design/Build upgrading its Web site with new collaboration systems-engineering tool called SLATE/FI, consultant. They led workshops covering Lean tools, including blogs and wikis. which enables systems engineers to find re- processes, including a tool called Design for As the S&IS satellite business continues its quirement errors earlier in the design. This Manufacturing, Assembly and Test (also known Lean+ journey, it will keep drawing from the began an ongoing Lean+ collaboration that as Lean Design). They have since led multi- wide experience of the Boeing enterprise. The soon extended into other projects. ple workshops using the Lean Design/Build S&IS successes serve as a dramatic example Roadmap methodology, a series of Lean+ of the value of information sharing—and how tools that have played an important role in the leveraging best practices can open new paths to success. n [email protected] Also seeking the sky Following are short profiles of some of the world’s other satellite manufacturers. Note: this summary is not intended to be all-inclusive.

EADS Astrium: EADS Astrium is a subsidiary of the European Aeronautic, Defence and Space Company. Astrium Satellites, one of EADS Astrium’s three business units, has produced satellites for operators including and , and for other missions. : Lockheed Martin’s Space Systems and Technologies division provides space systems capabilities to commercial and governmen- tal customers worldwide. Its payloads include communications and space-science instruments. Raytheon: Raytheon Space and Airborne Systems group is one of seven of Raytheon’s businesses. The group supports military, intelligence and civil customers. Space Systems/Loral: Space Systems/Loral, a subsidiary of Loral Space and Communications, designs, manufactures and integrates geostationary satellites and satellite systems. : A joint-venture between Thales and Finmeccanica, Thales Alenia Space’s satellite payloads can support telecommunications, defense, navigation, Earth observation and other science and observation missions.

—Debby Arkell Shown is an artist’s conception of a satellite.

Lockheed Martin graphic

BOEING FRONTIERS APRIL 2008 19 Cover Story BOEING FRONTIERS Reaching for the sky Two thousand five hundred years of on-orbit service by Boeing satellites is an unprecedented accomplish- ment. And Space and Intelligence Systems employees are responsible for making that milestone a reality. Featured here are just a few of the talented teammates who have contributed to this success.

Job title and description: Subcontracts manager in S&IS Supplier Management & Procurement. “I negotiate and prepare contracts with our suppliers for satellite hardware and I maintain supplier ratings and monitor their performance.” Years at Boeing: 5 The impact of satellites: “The development of satellites has increased our communication capabili- ties across the globe, creating enhanced networks and changing the way we . Satellites also have given us the opportunity to expand our scientific research and increase our space mission accomplishments. They are vital in ensuring the success of our national security.” Rosy Rodriguez

Job title and description: Wideband Global Satcom Flight Ops Products Integrated Product Team Lead for S&IS El Segundo in California. “Our team is responsible for the successful delivery of flight products to the Boeing Mission Control Center and U.S. Air Force Customer Operations Center, includ- ing satellite databases, operations procedures, simulators and several other products needed to launch and maintain the bus/platform portion of WGS satellites.” Years at Boeing: 8 Helping Boeing be a satellite-technology leader: “Boeing’s satellite engineers are some of the best in the industry and have a strong desire to develop cutting-edge technologies. The combina- tion of my people, project management and engineering skills, as well as my commitment to team member engagement, is my unique quality. Applying it ensures that we continue to have high-impact teams whose value is far greater than the sum of their parts.” Kaiana Carter

Job title and description: Chief engineer for the GPS IIF Satellite Program. “I’m responsible for the technical integrity of Global Positioning System satellites—ensuring they function correctly and meet all mission requirements.” Years at Boeing: 18 Proudest satellite moment: “My favorite satellite dream is one that motivates me every day: the upcoming launch of the first GPS IIF satellite, where I stand with my team and watch our vehicle head to space and we revel in the satisfaction of transforming an idea into a reality.” Eric —Debby Arkell Watts Bob Ferguson photos 20 APRIL 2008 BOEING FRONTIERS Cover Story BOEING FRONTIERS A proud founding father Harold Rosen, Syncom’s inventor, discusses the past, future of satellites recently talked to Harold Rosen on the tele- the project: getting the company to support the Q: What’s your proudest moment in your phone—a long-distance call made possible idea by funding a prototype and generating Hughes/Boeing career? Ibecause of his initiative. Literally. Not be- national support for its launch and service. Up- A: When I viewed the first broadcast of the cause he chose to pick up the phone and dial, per management was cautious, so the project opening ceremonies of the 1964 Summer but because he is the inventor of geosynchro- did not initially receive the support needed to Olympics [which was] in —the first nous communications satellites—the satellite develop and demonstrate a satellite prototype. continuous transoceanic television broadcast. I systems we use today to communicate and (Former Hughes executive) John Rubel is the was at the NBC studios in Burbank (Calif.) when transmit data around the world instantly. one that really made things happen. He was I saw the programming, broadcast via satellite. the one who worked behind the scenes in Syncom, the world’s first geostationary com- At the end of such a struggle it was a moment Washington, D.C., with both the Department munications satellite, was borne of Rosen’s where I was really proud. of Defense and NASA personnel to get us the ingenuity. Launched in 1963 when Rosen was external support we needed. Q: What might the future have in store? an employee of Hughes Aircraft Company (now part of Boeing), it enabled the first overseas Q: Did you have any idea how your invention A: I see the pace of satellite innovation slowing phone call between heads of state and brought would change the world? down. I believe there’s a limit to what we can do and there’s definitely a limit on the band- TV programming to the from the A: I’m not surprised how important satellites other side of the planet. width and orbit slots available to us. The hot have become to our lives today. Early Bird, the new area is the Internet. That technology hasn’t His soft-spoken, unassuming voice belies first commercial satellite, derived from Syncom, even reached its adolescence, whereas satellite decades of technological innovation and was a gigantic leap forward. That satellite had technology is much more mature. know-how that many of us likely will never the capacity of all communications cables that understand. Rosen retired in 1993 and currently had been laid to date. Technology has increased —Debby Arkell consults with Boeing on new satellite designs rapidly since then, and there’s been a cumula- and to lend his expertise in problem investiga- tive effect. tion. Following is an excerpt from my conversa- tion with Rosen. Q: What was the of the first geosyn- chronous communication satellite? A: The story of Syncom began at Hughes with the cancellation of one of our department’s biggest projects—an advanced for an in- terceptor that was being designed to counter a fleet of high-speed Soviet bombers—and with the launch of Sputnik, the world’s first artificial satellite. My department head challenged me to find a new project that would capitalize on some of our radar technology. I conferred with two colleagues, and both inde- pendently suggested to me the new project be Now retired, Harold Rosen continues a communication satellite. Both pointed out the in an advisory role with Boeing. Behind then-sad state of international communications. Rosen is a photo of him taken during the , when he was displaying the Telephony was hard to schedule and expensive, Syncom satellite prototype. and transoceanic television was impossible. This excited me. I began to learn all I could Bob Ferguson photo about what appeared to be an important and relevant field, and our work got under way. Q: What was Syncom’s biggest challenge? A: Once I was convinced we had a practical, viable design, the biggest challenge was to get the internal and external support we needed for

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