Space Object Threat Assessment (SOTA)
Overview & Challenge
The Space Object Threat Assessment (SOTA) product helps to decrease risk to satellite missions and increase survivability against threats. The vulnerability analysis performed in SOTA studies one or more threat actors against one or more space objects, assesses the possible threat paths, analyzes orbit regimes for all objects, provides a risk-based valuation for each pair of space objects analyzed, and expresses results in plots, orbit displays, and reports. It supports real-time data, simulated data, offline analytical studies, training, and exercise activities. Hundreds of millions of orbital calculations are performed and results are supplied fast to preserve a defensive operational timeline.
SOTA’s design needed to be revisited to improve the overall usability of the product. The goal was to make it easier for operators to use the product, so that they could focus on the data instead of struggling with the user interface.
Details
User Interviews
Operators were spoken with who used the current tool to discuss and eventually address their pain points. Some of these pain points were:
- Lack of logical workflow order
- Cluttered and overwhelming UI
- Lack of globe preview of the threat assessment during setup
- Lack of an easy reset for scenario
- Lack of clear indication of greatest threat
- Not color-blind friendly
- Lack of notifications archive; only single instance pop-ups
- Lack of dark theme (this was important to them as they work in a dark environment)
Design Iterations & Final Designs
Designs were sketched out and vetted with stakeholders and operators. There were several iterations of designs before there was an agreement between all involved parties. A final design was created with redline specifications for the developers to use.
This was created while working at Analytical Graphics Inc. (now AGI, An Ansys Company).