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NewSpace Startup Sizing a Constellation

Challenge

The Problem

A five-person startup was designing a 24-satellite LEO constellation for maritime tracking. They had requirements in Google Sheets, orbit analysis in MATLAB scripts, link budgets in a different spreadsheet, and no formal risk register. The engineering team was moving fast, but every design change required manual updates across four disconnected tools.

Solution

How SMAD Portal Helped

SMAD Portal replaced all four tools. The team set up their constellation parameters, ran orbit analysis with the built-in calculators, linked requirements to subsystem budgets, and established a risk register — all in the first two weeks. When the customer requested a coverage change that affected the orbit altitude, the impact on link budgets, power budgets, and ground station visibility was visible within minutes.

Results

Outcomes

  • Consolidated 4 separate tools into one platform in two weeks
  • Orbit change impact analysis completed in minutes instead of days
  • First formal SRR deliverable generated from live mission data
  • Full mission traceability established from Day 1

"We went from "I think we updated the link budget" to "the link budget updated itself when we changed the orbit." That is the difference."

CTO & Co-FounderMaritime LEO Startup

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