Eric Spittle - LinQuest: Digital Engineering Capabilities and Space Commerce

On this edition of The Ex Terra Podcast, Tom Patton talks with Eric Spittle, Chief Technology and Innovation Officer of LinQuest Corporation about Digital Engineering and its relationship to Space Commerce.

The LinQuest mission is to be a national security space leader that enables defense and intelligence missions through advanced digital solutions and the development, integration, and operation of mission critical systems. But they don’t focus solely on defense. Their model-based systems engineering (MBSE) approach also applies to commercial space companies looking to utilize their digital engineering capabilities to solve complex problems.

LinQuest’s unique MBSE methodology is at the forefront of OSD’s Digital Engineering Strategy and provides solutions across the entire program lifecycle, going beyond “traditional” MBSE capabilities by incorporating powerful tools in a seamless MBSE framework.

LinQuest leads military SATCOM development through architecture design, engineering, prototyping, integration, testing, and operations for current and next generation space-based communications systems. The company also enables planning, architecture, development, operation, logistics, and sustainment of Space Force and Air Force systems through deep subject matter expertise, advanced analytic solutions, and the development and deployment of tactical space superiority systems.

In its integration laboratory in Chantilly, VA, LinQuest creates digital threads of 5G User Equipment (UE) to RAN and Cell Base Station (gNodeB) access through terrestrial and NTN (satellite and UAV) emulation and over-the-air testing with a full suite of network and cybersecurity emulation, analysis, and test equipment. These tests are all remotely accessible through a web-based portal for Lab-as-a-Service (LaaS).

How does what happens in space affect your everyday life? The Ex Terra podcast is dedicated to introducing you to many of the interesting people involved in the commercial space industry, and taking you behind the scenes with many of the companies making significant contributions to the new space economy. The podcast is available on Anchor, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Breaker, Overcast, Pocketcasts and Radio Public.