Flight Software Development

Overview

Flight software development for spacecraft demands expertise beyond traditional software engineering. Code must execute correctly in radiation environments, operate reliably for years without maintenance, meet hard real-time deadlines, and handle unexpected anomalies autonomously—all while running on resource-constrained processors with limited memory.

FSW Engineering brings decades of combined experience developing flight software for Earth orbit missions, deep space probes, and crewed spaceflight. We write code that meets the stringent quality standards required for spaceflight while delivering within schedule and budget constraints.

Capability Sets

01

Flight Software Implementation Support

C/C++ flight software development support, working with program teams to mature code toward production use, with practical inline documentation and alignment to applicable aerospace coding standards (for example, MISRA, JPL, NASA).

02

Verification and Test Support

Support for unit and integration test development and execution, expanded incrementally with program teams to help meet coverage and verification objectives appropriate to the system and assurance level.

03

Design Artifacts and Technical Rationale

Support for software design artifacts such as interface definitions, state machines, algorithm descriptions, data structure notes, and design rationale suitable for reviews and implementation alignment.

04

Build and Configuration Management Guidance

Advisory support for build and configuration management practices, including version control workflows, reproducible builds, and configuration discipline, informed by continuous compliance principles (see Ernst et al., ASE 2020).

Core Capabilities

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Command and Data Handling: Consulting on telecommand processing, telemetry generation, and onboard data management approaches

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Fault Management: Guidance on health monitoring strategies, anomaly detection approaches, and autonomous safing procedures

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Real-Time Operating Systems: Experience with Linux, VxWorks, and RTEMS for flight applications, including board support and hardware interface design

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Mission-Specific Applications: Consulting on science data processing, payload management, and proximity operations software

Development Process

Requirements to Design

Collaborative translation of requirements into detailed software designs, including algorithm selection, data structure definition, and interface specification.

Implementation

C/C++ implementation aligned with applicable coding standards (MISRA-C, JPL C Coding Standard), supported by peer reviews, static analysis, and participation in continuous integration workflows.

Unit and Integration Testing

Collaboration on unit and integration testing to support coverage goals and requirements verification for safety-critical software./p>

Qualification and Delivery Support

Support for final qualification and delivery activities, with an understanding of Certification of Flight Readiness (CoFR) goals, assisting teams with documentation completion and as-built configuration readiness.

Languages and Platforms

FSW Engineering develops flight software using industry-standard languages including C and C++ with MISRA compliance for safety-critical embedded systems. Platform expertise spans real-time operating systems such as VxWorks, RTEMS, and Linux. Experience includes working with modern flight software frameworks such as NASA's Core Flight System (cFS) and JPL's F Prime. Development practices incorporate static analysis tools to identify potential defects and ensure code quality throughout the software lifecycle.