Collaboration between end users and procurement teams results in a faster, more efficient design process.
At the start of the pandemic, many corporate jobs embraced virtual collaboration tools to work from home. Shared file drives, messaging applications, and video conferencing took on a newly foundational role in traditional office work; teams who once relied on co-location, emailing completed documents and feedback, and in-classroom training all had to adapt to faster digital ways of working. Media coverage focused mainly on civilian applications and impacts, but, behind the scenes, the United States Space Force was realizing a virtual collaboration environment many years in the making.
More so than other military branches, the Space Force is less able to rely on ground-based training operations, both because space is a shared environment and because space-based training is more expensive to conduct and has higher risk to human life. In June 2022, space and emerging technology reporter Courtney Albon described how then-Lt. Gen. B. Chance Saltzman imagined an integrated, digital training environment for the Space Force through a National Space Test and Training Complex (NSTTC) for simulated activities and digital models. Now General and Chief of Space Force Operations, Saltzman has the authority to make that vision a reality.
How will this new setup benefit the design and electronics component procurement process?
A key aspect of Saltzman’s vision is applying User Experience (UX) best practices to the design process, inviting operators to inform requirements and provide feedback for continuous improvement. While not a novel approach in tech product environments, asking for usability feedback from operators in a hierarchical military environment is especially smart for two reasons. First, it invites equipment operators to look critically, voice concerns, and flattens the power structure to create a more equitable environment to find process flaws. Second, it acknowledges the operators as stakeholders and establishes a built-in process for generating buy-in for the finalized product selection, informing the procurement and acquisition process.
What are the implications for electronic component supply for future training and preparedness?
As the U.S. Space Force builds its testing and training enterprise, one outcome will be that new satellites and sensors are to be assessed in realistic simulated environments to develop familiarity and test for quality. This means that electronic components will be necessary in both physical and virtual environments—physical to build the models and testing environment as well as the NSTTC itself, and virtual for training engineers and operators to become intricately familiar with parts’ potential structural changes within a virtual environment. Access to high-fidelity training models will reduce costs and accelerate delivery of optimal combat capabilities, while greater visibility into parts will increase safety and improve emergency response behaviors.
As the Space Force continues to explore and push training into the digital and virtual realms, the need for electronic parts will no doubt increase. Having a trusted partner with access to a wide supply of tested, traceable components will be a cornerstone of making these new environments a reality.
Read more:
- Beyond ISO Standards: Electronic Components for Defense and Aerospace Should be Subject to Higher Standards of Quality Testing
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- What the CHIPS Act Means for the Defense and Aerospace Industries