Use of Service-Oriented Architecture in Satellite Interoperability

This paper investigates the use of SOA promises for the modular and reusable software design of satellite systems. It is the common belief that SOA is an architectural style for transactional business applications. Nevertheless, it can also be used to design real-time systems such as satellites. Using the inherent capabilities of SOA, the architectural modeling of both space and ground segments of a satellite system can exploit loosely coupled and more reusable software building blocks. It may further facilitate the separation and composition of non-functional issues such as interoperability and security during the architectural modeling of satellite systems. The paper puts special emphasis on such non-functional issues while introducing a service-oriented software vision.