Integral Systems
Encyclopedia
Integral Systems is a provider of satellite ground systems. Founded in 1982, the Columbia, Maryland-based company has supported over 205 satellite missions for communications, science, meteorological and earth resource applications. Integral's customer base extends internationally and includes government and commercial satellite operators, spacecraft
Spacecraft
A spacecraft or spaceship is a craft or machine designed for spaceflight. Spacecraft are used for a variety of purposes, including communications, earth observation, meteorology, navigation, planetary exploration and transportation of humans and cargo....

 and payload manufacturers and aerospace
Aerospace
Aerospace comprises the atmosphere of Earth and surrounding space. Typically the term is used to refer to the industry that researches, designs, manufactures, operates, and maintains vehicles moving through air and space...

 systems integrators. Integral Systems, Inc. offers a commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) software product line for command and control. Integral Systems employs approximately 769 people in the United States and Europe. Integral Systems operates through four business segments: Ground Systems – Government; Ground Systems – Commercial; Space Communications Systems, and Corporate.
The company is involved in contracts with governmental and commercial satellite operators, which currently include the US Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...

 and Northrop Grumman
Northrop Grumman
Northrop Grumman Corporation is an American global aerospace and defense technology company formed by the 1994 purchase of Grumman by Northrop. The company was the fourth-largest defense contractor in the world as of 2010, and the largest builder of naval vessels. Northrop Grumman employs over...

.

Integral owns four subsidiaries that provide a wide range of services and products to the satellite industry. SAT Corporation, a subsidiary of Integral, provides satellite and terrestrial communications signal monitoring systems to satellite operators. The Newpoint Technologies Inc. subsidiary supplies equipment monitoring and control software to satellite operators and telecommunications firms. Integral Systems’ RT Logic subsidiary builds telemetry
Telemetry
Telemetry is a technology that allows measurements to be made at a distance, usually via radio wave transmission and reception of the information. The word is derived from Greek roots: tele = remote, and metron = measure...

 processing systems for military applications such as tracking stations, control centers, and range operations. Integrals’ Lumistar, Inc., subsidiary primarily designs and manufactures board-level telemetry products for PCI, VME
VMEbus
VMEbus is a computer bus standard, originally developed for the Motorola 68000 line of CPUs, but later widely used for many applications and standardized by the IEC as ANSI/IEEE 1014-1987. It is physically based on Eurocard sizes, mechanicals and connectors , but uses its own signalling system,...

, cPCI, and ISA
Industry Standard Architecture
Industry Standard Architecture is a computer bus standard for IBM PC compatible computers introduced with the IBM Personal Computer to support its Intel 8088 microprocessor's 8-bit external data bus and extended to 16 bits for the IBM Personal Computer/AT's Intel 80286 processor...

 computer buses.

On July 27, 2011 Integral Systems merged with Kratos
Kratos Defense & Security Solutions
Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc, , headquartered in San Diego, California, provides National Defense, Information Technology, Assurance and Security Solutions for the U.S. federal government, commercial enterprises and state and local agencies...

.

Command and control software

EPOCH IPS, Integral Systems' COTS
Commercial off-the-shelf
In the United States, Commercially available Off-The-Shelf is a Federal Acquisition Regulation term defining a nondevelopmental item of supply that is both commercial and sold in substantial quantities in the commercial marketplace, and that can be procured or utilized under government contract...

 software product solution for satellite command and control is able to control an array of satellites with minimal personnel. A combination of EPOCH IPS’s open architecture, graphical user interface and automated monitoring and control features allows users to monitor and control both satellite and ground systems. EPOCH IPS’s architecture consists of several servers and user workstations all connected through an Ethernet local access network (LAN
Län
Län and lääni refer to the administrative divisions used in Sweden and previously in Finland. The provinces of Finland were abolished on January 1, 2010....

). EPOCH Integrated Product Suite contains EPOCH T&C Server and EPOCH Client, which are Integral Systems' real-time satellite data processing and control software products. EPOCH Integrated Product Suite provides satellite command and control capabilities, including telemetry processing and display, commanding and command verification (CV), ground-station control, alarm or event processing and data archiving. These functions are driven by the EPOCH Database product, allowing the system to support multiple satellites through database updates without modifying the run-time software.

Integral Systems’ mission-planning software, OASYS, provides support for spacecraft orbit determination and control, including measurement set reductions, orbit determination, ephemeris propagation, maneuver planning and orbit events or reports. OASYS allows users to control either a single aircraft or an entire fleet in any earth orbit, including low earth, geosynchronous and Molniya
Molniya (satellite)
Molniya was a military communications satellite system used by the Soviet Union. The satellites were placed into highly eccentric elliptical orbits known as Molniya orbits, characterised by an inclination of +63.4 degrees and a period of around 12 hours...

-type orbits. Trending and statistical analysis of the information recorded in the real-time EPOCH IPS archives is provided by Archive Browser and Extractor or ABE, Integral Systems' offline analysis product. ABE can automatically extract key data with summary level statistics, advanced statistical processing techniques and graphical data visualization. Integral Systems' Archive Manager executes archive data product generation, storage, storage management and retrieval. The Archive Manager also administers online storage and retrieval of terabytes of satellite data on RAID
RAID
RAID is a storage technology that combines multiple disk drive components into a logical unit...

 and NAS
Network-attached storage
Network-attached storage is file-level computer data storage connected to a computer network providing data access to heterogeneous clients. NAS not only operates as a file server, but is specialized for this task either by its hardware, software, or configuration of those elements...

 storage units.

Development services and systems integration

Integral Systems offers services that support mission-specific requirement for government and commercial customers. Several of Integral Systems' contracts feature an individualized service factor, which may include development of software applications to interface with and augment the COTS software products, integration of third-party hardware and software, and custom software development. Integral Systems also has post-delivery warranties and maintenance service for most of its turnkey systems.

Commercial communications satellites

Integral Systems' satellite command and control products are provided for a variety of communications satellites. The ground equipment monitor and control software is also useful to satellite operators to control the ground equipment in the control center and remote equipment sites. Integral Systems also offers satellite signal processing hardware, primarily for military systems, to process satellite signals between command and control systems. Integral Systems' products are used to control communications satellites for most major satellite manufacturers, including Boeing
Boeing
The Boeing Company is an American multinational aerospace and defense corporation, founded in 1916 by William E. Boeing in Seattle, Washington. Boeing has expanded over the years, merging with McDonnell Douglas in 1997. Boeing Corporate headquarters has been in Chicago, Illinois since 2001...

, Lockheed Martin
Lockheed Martin
Lockheed Martin is an American global aerospace, defense, security, and advanced technology company with worldwide interests. It was formed by the merger of Lockheed Corporation with Martin Marietta in March 1995. It is headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, in the Washington Metropolitan Area....

, Space Systems Loral, Orbital Sciences, EADS
EADS
The European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company N.V. is a global pan-European aerospace and defence corporation and a leading defence and military contractor worldwide...

, and Alcatel
Alcatel
Alcatel Mobile Phones is a brand of mobile handsets. It was established in 2004 as a joint venture between Alcatel-Lucent of France and TCL Communication of China....

. Other customers include SES Astra
SES Astra
Astra is the name for the geostationary communication satellites, both individually and as a group, which are owned and operated by SES S.A., a global satellite operator based in Betzdorf, in eastern Luxembourg. The name is sometimes also used to describe the channels broadcasting from these...

, ProtoStar
ProtoStar
ProtoStar Ltd is a private company incorporated in Bermuda, with U.S. operations based in San Francisco, California and Asian operations based in Singapore. ProtoStar intended to operate an initial fleet of three geostationary satellites. Two satellites were acquired and launched...

, Echostar, SES Americom
SES Americom
SES Americom was a major commercial satellite operator based in the United States. Formerly RCA Americom and GE Americom, the company became one of the principal parts of SES S.A.....

, Loral Skynet, Shin Satellite
Shin Satellite
THAICOM Public Company Limited, was formerly known as Shin Satellite Plc , is Thailand's first satellite operator. It is a subsidiary of Shin Corporation, the biggest telecommunications conglomerate in Thailand...

, Binariang Satellite Systems, Asiasat
AsiaSat
Asia Satellite Telecommunications Co. Ltd. is a commercial operator of communication spacecraft. AsiaSat is based in Hong Kong with two major shareholders, CITIC and General Electric.-Satellites:...

, SatMex
Satmex
Satmex is a commercial company from Mexico that operates space satellites that provide services to the Americas.-History:...

, Orbital Sciences, Optus
Optus
SingTel Optus Pty Limited is the second largest telecommunications company in Australia, and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Singapore Telecommunications...

, Worldspace
WorldSpace
1worldspace, formerly known as 'WorldSpace', is a currently defunct satellite radio network that provided service to over 170,000 subscribers in eastern and southern Africa, the Middle East, and much of Asia with 96% coming from India...

, Sirius Radio, JSAT Corporation
JSAT Corporation
JSAT Corporation is satellite operator with a fleet of 8 satellites in orbit. According to a 2004 report, JSAT was the fifth largest satellite operator in the world, ranked by 2003 fiscal year revenue...

, B-SAT Corporation, and ChinaSat
Chinasat
Chinasat is a family of communications satellites operated by the China Direct Broadcast Satellite Company. The series was previously operated by the China Satellite Communications Corporation, and before that the China Telecommunications Broadcast Satellite Corporation, which was owned by China's...

.

Military applications

The United States military also uses Integral Systems' products to control military communications satellites. Integral Systems provides ground systems equipment and software for multiple Department of Defense
United States Department of Defense
The United States Department of Defense is the U.S...

 programs. The majority of Air Force and Navy satellite control systems are products of Integral Systems. Customers include many prime contractors, like Lockheed Martin Corporation, Boeing Satellite Systems, Honeywell International, Inc., Northrop Grumman
Northrop Grumman
Northrop Grumman Corporation is an American global aerospace and defense technology company formed by the 1994 purchase of Grumman by Northrop. The company was the fourth-largest defense contractor in the world as of 2010, and the largest builder of naval vessels. Northrop Grumman employs over...

, and Raytheon Company. Integral Systems is a prime contractor for the Command and Control System– Consolidated (CCS-C) contract to upgrade the Air Force’s satellite command and control system for the DSCS, Milstar, AEHF, and Wideband Global SATCOM system
Wideband Global SATCOM system
The Wideband Global SATCOM system is a satellite communications system planned for use in partnership by the United States Department of Defense and the Australian Department of Defence. The system is composed of the Space Segment satellites, the Terminal Segment users and the Control Segment...

 satellites. Integral Systems has also been the prime contractor in a contract with Space and Missile Systems Center
Space and Missile Systems Center
The Space and Missile Systems Center is a part of Air Force Space Command of the United States Air Force. SMC is the Air Force’s product center for the development and acquisition of space and missile systems...

 (SMC), on behalf of the United States Air Force, Air Force Space Command
Air Force Space Command
Air Force Space Command is a major command of the United States Department of the Air Force, with its headquarters at Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado. AFSPC supports U.S. military operations worldwide through the use of many different types of satellite, launch and cyber operations....

, for the first developmental step (Block 10) of the Rapid Attack Identification Detection Reporting System
Rapid Attack Identification Detection Reporting System
The Rapid Attack Identification Detection Reporting System, also known as RAIDRS is a ground-based space control system that provides near real-time event detection.-Mission:...

 (RAIDRS) program. Integral Systems' programs are used to receive telemetry data from the space lift ranges during launch of military satellites and to test satellites at the place of manufacture.

Remote sensing and meteorology

Integral Systems, Inc. builds command and control systems as well as payload and image data processing systems for meteorological satellites. The company has provided ground systems for the United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration , pronounced , like "noah", is a scientific agency within the United States Department of Commerce focused on the conditions of the oceans and the atmosphere...

 (NOAA), including both their Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite
Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite
The Geostationary Satellite system, operated by the United States National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service , supports weather forecasting, severe storm tracking, and meteorology research. Spacecraft and ground-based elements of the system work together to provide a continuous...

 (GOES) and Television Infrared Observation Satellite (TIROS) programs. Its systems support mission operations, instrument data processing, simulation and flight software validation, having built the complete command and control system for the United States Air Force Defense Meteorological Satellite Program
Defense Meteorological Satellite Program
The Defense Meteorological Satellite Program monitors meteorological, oceanographic, and solar-terrestrial physics for the United States Department of Defense. The program is now run by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The mission of the satellites was revealed in March 1973...

 (DMSP), whose operations were transitioned to civilian control under NOAA's aegis.

Scientific research

Integral Systems has supported a variety of diverse and complex science
missions. The company has supported more than a dozen missions for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), including the Small Explorer 
(SMEX) missions, International Solar-Terrestrial Physics
International Solar-Terrestrial Physics Science Initiative
The International Solar-Terrestrial Physics Science Initiative is an international research collaboration between NASA, the ESA, and ISAS. Its goal is to study phenomena related to the Sun, solar wind and its effects on Earth....

 (ISTP) missions,
X-ray Timing Explorer (XTE) and Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission
Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission
The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission is a joint space mission between NASA and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency designed to monitor and study tropical rainfall. The term refers to both the mission itself and the satellite that the mission uses to collect data...

 (TRMM).
Projects range from the development of distributed command and control systems
to validation of complex embedded flight software.

SAT Corporation

SAT Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Integral Systems, is a worldwide supplier of automated RF signal monitoring systems for satellite and terrestrial spectrum management applications. These systems are used by satellite owners and operators, teleport and gateway earth station operators, communication service providers and users, and government regulatory and security agencies. The systems are communication management tools for commercial network owners or operators and telecommunications service providers to guarantee and maintain the quality of the service they provide. As a leading integrator of RF monitoring systems, SAT has systems installed in approximately 50 countries. Although custom system capabilities are available, SAT systems are usually offered in a range of standard configurations with optional add-ons. Customers vary from global satellite network operators to international common carriers, down to small private networks that use a partial transponder.

SAT is a Channel Partner of Agilent Technologies. SAT's systems components, such as spectrum analyzers, power meters, signal generators and workstations are supported on a global basis.
SAT products are available for UNIX and NT operating systems. Most SAT systems are provided on a turnkey contract basis.

In 2010 SAT corporation announed the acquisition of CVG-Avtec.

Newpoint Technologies

As an industry leader in satellite and terrestrial network management systems for control of data, Internet, broadcast, telecom, and hybrid networks, Newpoint has been the industry's dominant supplier of software and systems for equipment M&C (Monitoring and Control). Newpoint Technologies, Inc. is a recipient of Satellite Communications Magazine's prestigious "Most Innovative Product" award in 1999. Newpoint's customers are commercial satellite operators, telecommunications companies, and broadband service providers. Newpoint’s variety of services varies from out-of-the-box software to complete turnkey solutions that manage large enterprise-level infrastructure systems. Newpoint, a subsidiary of Integral Systems founded in 1982, has built more ground systems for a greater variety of satellites than any other company worldwide.

RT Logic

RT Logic is a leading supplier of signal processing systems with applications in satellite test, launch, and on-orbit operation of satellites. Founded in 1997 by five employees, the company has grown to more than 150. RT Logic has delivered more than 3000 Telemetrix systems to aerospace and government customers, making their products pervasive throughout the space industry. RT Logic designs, develops, and delivers innovative signal processing systems for the space and military communications industry.
RT Logic's Telemetrix product line controls multiple satellites through the AFSCN and NASA TDRSS networks, and reside in more than 30 Air Force, NASA, and commercial control centers. Telemetrix products can range from low-rate telemetry monitoring, tracking, and commanding (TT&C) command and control systems up to high data rate receivers for mission data ground stations. Telemetrix products are used for satellite test, launch vehicle telemetry, on-orbit satellite control, as well as satellite communications (SATCOM), airborne communications, and spectrum monitoring/interference detection.

Lumistar

Lumistar, Inc is located in Carlsbad, California and was founded by a group of experienced telemetry engineers who wanted to create a "customer friendly" telemetry company. Integral Systems' wholly owned subsidiary Lumistar offers a wide selection of products that process telemetry down-links for the flight, test, airborne, and satellite ground station markets. These include board-level and system-level products for frequency conversion, receiving, diversity combination, modulation/demodulation, bit/frame synchronization, simulation, and test transmitters. Lumistar also has an extensive software selection from board-level drivers to system-level control of device parameters allowing for the efficient integration of their products into larger applications.

Accolades

Integral Systems was selected co-winner of NASA's Software of the Year Award in 2001. Integral Systems subsidiary, Newpoint Technologies, won Satellite Communications Magazine's prestigious "Most Innovative Product" award in 1999. Integral Systems has been named Deloitte's Maryland Technology Fast 50 Ranking for Sixth Consecutive Year. Integral Systems is on the Washington Post's 200. Integral has been named 51st on Forbes Magazines "Americas 200 Best Small Companies".
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