Cover Story BOEING FRONTIERS 14 APRIL 2008 BOEING FRONTIERS Cover Story BOEING FRONTIERS Workers at the Satellite Development Center in El Segundo, Calif., work on a Wideband Global SATCOM satellite—a game-changing spacecraft for the U.S. Air Force. To the Help from right of the WGS satellite is a scale model of Syncom, the world’s first geosynchronous communications satellite. BOB FERGUSON PHOTO above Have Boeing satellites helped humanity? Absolutely—as demonstrated by their 2,500 years of accumulated service BY DE bb Y ARKELL surgeon in Los Angeles consults with physicians in Berlin by video conference. Driv- ing home from work, she enjoys her favorite music via satellite radio. 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 orbit 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 Hughes Aircraft Company 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 antenna 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 telephone 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, mobile telephony, Internet 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 orbits 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 moon, 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 computers 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.