Software company Ansys is helping satellite operators protect critical data from the dangers of solar storms.
Ansys in October 2020 announced the $700 million acquisition of Analytical Graphics, which specializes in simulation software for the aerospace and telecom sectors.
Communications systems are
increasingly dependent on software as they become more advanced,
Haroon Rashid, senior advisory engineer at Canonsburg, Pa.-based Ansys, tells
Connectivity Business News in this episode of “The Dish” podcast.
“The objective of simulation is to help us
prepare for these events at all phases of our development of [communications] systems,” Rashid says.
Simulation software can help design satellites with components durable enough to withstand the harsh space environment and prepare them for the aftermath of
solar weather events, he says.
Ansys uses data collected by
NASA satellites to track
solar activity and develop simulation models so that satellite operators can prepare for various scenarios, he says.
For example, solar flares can extend millions of miles from the sun, trapping
charged particles in the ionosphere, which can affect the performance of communication systems, particularly satellites, Rashid says.
But satellite operators stand to lose more than money, Rashid says.
Tune into this episode of “The Dish” to hear more from Rashid on how simulation software can save a satellite operator’s mission.