Block 01 · TT&C FlatSat Integration Kit — Engineering Demonstrator v0.1

Modular subsystem blocks
for recurring LEO missions

Recurring LEO SmallSat programmes spend weeks on the same integration workload every time: interface alignment, command/telemetry mapping, inhibit verification, EGSE setup, and generating the evidence that the configuration actually works. Block 01 packages that entire layer — CAN · UART · CSP OBC adapter, S-band radio interface, EGSE software, automated test scripts, and a real verification report — so missions configure and verify a proven baseline.

SPACECRAFT BUS OBC EPS ADCS PAY OBDH TT&C GROUND STATION LINK ESTABLISHED TESSERAL ORBITAL Repeatable TT&C integration layer ICD · CMD/TM · EGSE TEST PROC · VERIF MATRIX configurable mission interface package S-BAND LINK

Too much TT&C integration work is still treated as mission-specific

Across recurring LEO small satellite programmes, teams still repeat the same interface clarification, EGSE setup, command/telemetry mapping, inhibit verification, and evidence-generation work. Tesseral Orbital Systems turns that repeated work into a reusable integration package.

ISSUE 01 / INTERFACE AMBIGUITY

Interfaces drift into AIT

Even when ICDs exist, mission-specific alignment often remains unresolved until AIT: message formats, connector assumptions, timing, inhibit polarity, and test procedures. Tesseral Orbital Systems pushes those definitions into a controlled baseline early.

ISSUE 02 / VERIFICATION WORKLOAD

Verification artefacts are rebuilt or heavily adapted

Test procedures, acceptance matrices, and command/telemetry dictionaries are repeatedly adapted mission by mission. Tesseral Orbital Systems packages them as version-controlled artefacts linked to the building block.

ISSUE 03 / INTEGRATION SCOPE

Sourcing hardware is only the start of TT&C integration

Acquiring a TT&C transceiver opens an integration campaign that typically takes weeks: OBC driver porting, CMD/TM mapping, inhibit verification, EGSE setup, test scripting, and evidence generation. Tesseral Orbital Systems packages all of it as a single validated artefact.

Block 01: The TT&C FlatSat Integration Kit

The TT&C FlatSat Integration Kit is a complete, validated integration package covering the full spacecraft-side TT&C layer: OBC adapter (CAN · UART · CSP), S-band radio interface, CMD/TM dictionary, ICD, EGSE software, automated test scripts, configuration templates, and a documented verification report — a single repeatable element that recurring LEO SmallSat missions configure and verify from a proven baseline.

TT&C BUILDING BLOCK v0.1 — ARCHITECTURE RF PATH (S-BAND) TRANSCEIVER ANTENNA I/F COTS / Partner-integrated hardware Uplink CMD · Downlink TM CONTROL BOARD CAN BUS RS-422 Primary spacecraft-bus interface Fallback / secondary interface POWER & INHIBIT I/F Regulated 3.3V / 5V power rails Inhibit line · Safe mode logic CMD/TM DICTIONARY Structured telemetry & command set Included ICD document package VERIFICATION & TEST PACKAGE EGSE SW TEST PROC VERIF MTX FLAT-SAT Aimed at reducing per-mission verification workload through repeatable test artefacts
RF

Validated COTS Radio Reference

Block 01 delivers a validated S-band RF integration path: interface characterisation, acceptance test evidence, and end-to-end flat-sat verification that the radio-to-OBC link performs correctly under realistic conditions.

IF

OBC Adapter Layer: CAN · UART · CSP

The integration layer between the TT&C radio and the OBC. CAN for primary spacecraft-bus control, UART for direct serial configuration, CSP for CubeSat Space Protocol-compatible OBC ecosystems — fully defined and documented in the ICD package.

ICD

ICD & Command/Telemetry Dictionary

Structured Interface Control Document and defined CMD/TM dictionary — intended to reduce interface re-definition work at the start of each integration campaign.

VX

EGSE Software & Automated Test Scripts

EGSE software, automated test scripts, and test procedures packaged as version-controlled artefacts. The verification matrix is pre-populated from the flat-sat campaign — AIV teams inherit a completed, evidence-backed test baseline from day one.

VR

Real Verification Report

The kit ships with a documented verification report from the flat-sat campaign — evidence that the configuration was assembled, tested, and signed off in a realistic setup. This is the artefact that compresses the first integration review cycle on the next mission.

Block 01 Targets the Subsystem Present in Every Mission

TT&C is present in nearly every LEO small satellite mission. Yet despite its recurring nature, the integration work remains custom on almost every programme: RF interface alignment, OBC driver porting, command/telemetry mapping, inhibit verification, EGSE scripting, and evidence generation.

TT&C is the highest-leverage entry point for the block family. Nearly 2,800 smallsats were launched in 2024 — 97% of all spacecraft by count — and the average mass is rising toward 223 kg, meaning more capable missions with tighter integration schedules. Every one of them has TT&C. Validating the kit approach here — with well-understood requirements, a constrained interface envelope, and a direct dependency from mission-level verification milestones — creates the reusable framework that subsequent blocks (EPS, ADCS, OBC, payload) replicate and extend.

~2,800
Smallsats launched in 2024 — 97% of all spacecraft by count
CAN·UART·CSP
OBC interface stack covered by the Block 01 adapter layer
6
Kit deliverables: OBC adapter · COTS radio ref · EGSE · test scripts · config templates · verification report
RF PATH Antenna interface, cable harness, RF budget verification
BUS I/F CAN · UART · CSP bus configuration, OBC adapter, address mapping, timing
POWER Rail interface, inhibit logic, safe/arm state management
CMD/TM Command dictionary, telemetry mapping, FDIR integration
VERIF Test procedures, acceptance criteria, EGSE setup, review boards
DOCS ICD, test evidence, discrepancy reports, traceability matrix

Each of these touchpoints is typically addressed independently per mission — even when a COTS radio is used. The TT&C FlatSat Integration Kit pre-solves and packages all of them as a single repeatable artefact.

TT&C Building Block v0.1 — S-band Engineering Model

The first Tesseral Orbital Systems product concept is an engineering demonstrator and pretotype. Its purpose is to turn the S-band TT&C interface envelope and verification baseline into a repeatable package that can later mature toward qualification.

Hardware Layer

RF & Electronic Hardware

  • S-band TT&C RF path — COTS or partner-integrated transceiver
  • Control / interface board with CAN and RS-422 transceivers
  • Power conversion and inhibit interface circuitry
  • Physical enclosure / mechanical mockup for integration discussions
  • Defined connector and harness interface envelope
Software & Firmware

On-board Software Elements

  • Basic command handling and telemetry reporting firmware baseline
  • CAN bus driver and protocol stack (primary interface)
  • RS-422 fallback communication handler
  • Safe mode / inhibit state machine
  • EGSE-compatible test mode and loopback diagnostics
Interface & Documentation

ICD & Command/Telemetry Package

  • Interface Control Document (ICD) — mechanical, electrical, data
  • Structured command dictionary with parameter definitions
  • Telemetry dictionary with engineering unit conversions
  • Power interface specification and inhibit logic description
  • Connector pinout and harness interface drawing
Verification Package

Test & Acceptance Artefacts

  • EGSE / ground test software for functional and performance testing
  • Test procedures for acceptance and integration verification
  • Verification matrix tracing requirements to test results
  • Flat-sat demonstration configuration and test sequence
  • Test evidence templates and discrepancy report baseline

ENGINEERING STATUS:   The TT&C Building Block v0.1 is an engineering demonstrator and pretotype. Its scope is integration architecture, interface definition, EGSE workflow, flat-sat logic, and verification evidence. Qualification, environmental testing, and flight acceptance are planned development steps, not current-stage claims.

From Pretotype to Validated Block — Then Expand the Family

The Block 01 roadmap is structured around progressive demonstration confidence — from interface definition through flat-sat validation toward a qualification-ready TT&C building block. Each phase builds the validated framework that the block family will extend to additional subsystems.

CURRENT
Phase 0 — Pretotype

Interface Definition & Architecture Pretotype

Define the kit scope and interface envelope. Build the engineering demonstrator around a validated COTS radio with CAN · UART · CSP OBC adapter. Develop ICD, CMD/TM dictionary, configuration templates, and EGSE software baseline. Engage early mission partners to validate the pain point and kit structure.

NEXT
Phase 1 — Engineering Model

S-Band Engineering Model & Flat-Sat Demonstration

Execute the flat-sat demonstration campaign: assemble the full kit (COTS radio + OBC adapter + EGSE + test scripts), run automated test scripts, and generate the verification report with real test evidence. This is the milestone that makes Block 01 a credible, repeatable commercial product.

PLANNED
Phase 2 — Qualification Baseline

Environmental Testing & Verification Campaign

Subject the EM to a relevant environmental test programme, such as thermal-vacuum and vibration where applicable, to characterise behaviour and establish a qualification baseline. Update the verification matrix with test results and maintain ECSS-style documentation discipline.

ROADMAP
Phase 3 — Mission Application

First Mission Integration Partnership

Integrate the validated TT&C building block into a real LEO small satellite mission as a flight model candidate. Collect integration feedback, measure recurring effort reduction versus baseline, and iterate toward a repeatable commercial product offering.

Start with Block 01 on your next flat-sat.

Tesseral Orbital Systems is building a family of modular subsystem integration blocks for recurring LEO SmallSat missions. Block 01 — TT&C — is the entry point: a complete integration element covering interfaces, ICD, CMD/TM dictionary, EGSE, and verification evidence.

For recurring LEO SmallSat teams, the target is simple: fewer late interface surprises, faster bench readiness, and less repeated work around ICDs, CMD/TM dictionaries, EGSE setup, inhibit verification, and acceptance evidence.

Start a Pilot →
Interest
Flat-sat pilot · Mission partnership · AIT collaboration
Stage
Engineering demonstrator & pretotype — Europe-based