Space Cockpit
Role: User Experience (UX) Researcher
Platform: WebGL on secure military networks
Development Platform: Unity3D
Team Size: 4 to 10
Development Time: Joined August 2020 and left January 2022
A Space Domain Awareness application designed for the United States Space Force Guardians. Built with a focus on short training time and ease-of-understanding for Guardians without previous aerospace experience to be able to easily view and analyze their satellites and ground-based radars in the space environment.
Team Composition: Researcher/Designer, Engineers
About the Project
Designed for the Guardians in the United States Space Force (USSF), Space Cockpit is an advanced visualization application designed to provide the tactical space operator with comprehensive Space Domain Awareness. Space Cockpit provides a comprehensive tool for Space Force Guardians to view and analyze their assets in the space environment. Leveraging the User-Centered Design approach, Space Cockpit was built to shorten training times and enhance user-friendliness for operators with little-to-no conventional aerospace training.
Project Contributions
Role: User Experience (UX) Researcher
Work:
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Conducted user research to identify pain points in end users’ current workflows and possible improvements
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Designed new features and improvements
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Programmed new features
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Bug and quality assurance testing
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Reviewed and approved new feature additions and changes to the application design and construction
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Liaised with primary customers and stakeholders to provide updates on the application’s progress and future plans
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Led application demonstrations for higher-up military personnel including several 3-star Air Force and Space Force Generals
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Wrote a proposal driven by my user research that won over $1 million from the SBIR program
UX Research
This project is under an NDA. All descriptions of my work are left vague to adhere to the contract. Press releases are linked below for additional information.
Space Cockpit Overview
Space Cockpit is a space domain awareness application designed to provide the tactical space operator with a common operating picture of the space environment. This application fuses live DoD and commercial satellite data with 3-D gaming technology and machine learning to equip satellite operators with the tactical and visual information they need to manage space assets. Operators can visualize an asset’s location in orbit, simulate an asset’s future environment, and track an asset’s proximity to other space objects. This application is deployed on Platform One and available to the DoD.
Development on Space Cockpit began in 2019 by Saber Astronautics at the innovative DoD software factory, Space Camp. Focused on a user-centered design approach, Space Cockpit integrates end-users into all steps of its development to ensure that the application will solve the pain points that operators encounter with their current workflows and programs. Designed for users with little to no previous astronautics knowledge, Space Cockpit has reduced training times to just 45 minutes or less compared to competitive applications that can take up to weeks or even months to gain proficiency.
User Interviews and Usability Tests
I joined Saber Astronautics' Space Cockpit team in August 2020, right after the official creation of the Space Force. Before the Space Force, Space Cockpit was initially in development for an Air Force Space Wing. However, with the creation of the sixth military branch, our primary Space Wing customer was restructured into a Space Delta. As a result, we gained many squadrons with different objectives and focuses.
My first task on the team was to learn about these new squadrons and their needs. Once I understood the project and created the test plans, I met with operators to discuss their roles, current workflows, pain points, and priorities. After conducting this research, I compiled a list of recommendations and suggestions for improving the project to fit the newly formed Space Delta. With this data and analysis, I collaborated with the development team to discuss implementing and prioritizing the new user-defined features and improvements. I led the creation of six major features and improved many more.
Screenshot of Space Cockpit
Additional Work
Communication with the Primary Customer
I met with the stakeholders from the primary Space Delta customer every week. In these meetings, we discussed the current progress of Space Cockpit, including recently completed features, in-progress features, any bugs, major blockers, and user research resources and findings. Through constant communication with the POC, I was able to resolve issues before they became major problems and relay high-priority information to the development team to ensure deadlines were met.
Bug Testing, Design, and Finished Feature Reviews
Every day, I spent a couple of hours testing the application. For any bugs or possible improvements I found, I documented them with reproduction steps, screenshots, and videos. My efforts helped the team identify and test hundreds of bugs.
Through user testing, I discovered numerous ways to improve the application's usability. As a UX Researcher, I led the creation of six major features. One significant feature I spearheaded was the Controls panel. With two different camera modes with varying controls, I designed a panel that displayed the controls for each camera mode and allowed users to remap the controls, tailoring Space Cockpit to their needs. Whenever a Jira ticket was completed, I reviewed it to ensure all acceptance criteria were met and verified that the new feature was bug-free.
Developing New Features
Beginning in July 2021, I expanded my role to include writing code and developing new features alongside my other responsibilities. With Space Cockpit being accessible via a URL, I programmed a feature that allows third-party DoD applications to seamlessly integrate a visualization from Space Cockpit into their applications. This URL API utilizes HTML Query String Parameters, enabling developers to specify which space assets should be added to the scene and which visualization tools should be activated.
Additionally, I paired with the Lead Developer on the project, and together, we programmed seven features with unit tests since August 2021 (as of October 2021). We practiced test-driven development within our DevSecOps pipeline, ensuring robust and reliable code.
Demos and Business Development
One month into my time at Saber Astronautics, I began assisting my coworker with demos of Space Cockpit to key military personnel and eventually conducted demos independently. During my time on the project, I presented the application to multiple three-star generals at major military summits and events.
In addition to my work on the Space Cockpit development team, I joined the Business Development team and contributed to smaller project teams as they secured funding contracts. My contributions included writing proposals, identifying potential customers, communicating with stakeholders, and conducting user interviews for new projects. Notably, one proposal I authored for Space Cockpit, driven by my user research, won over $1 million in funding from the SBIR program.
At a Space Cockpit demo with General John F. Thompson (October 2020)
Press Releases
The following links contain articles released about Space Cockpit (dated written dd/mm/yyyy):
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"Space Cockpit a new way to visualize space operations" (Published 03/12/2020)
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"Microsoft's Flight Simulator 2020 Blurs the Line Between Tools and Toys" (Published 20/10/2020)
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"SATELLITE SYSTEMS, SATCOM AND SPACE SYSTEMS UPDATE" (Published 01/05/2020)
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"USAF awards Rhea Space Activity with LUNINT contract" (Published 24/04/2020)
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"Emerging Lunar Intelligence Field to Shape Space Ops" (Published 21/04/2020)
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"The Air Force Wants a Way To Monitor Traffic...Around the Moon" (Published 16/04/2020)
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"Air Force Developing Technology to Track Space Traffic Near Moon" (Published 15/04/2020)
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"Air Force eyeing technology to monitor space traffic near the moon" (Published 14/04/2020)
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"US success continues for Saber Astronautics" (Published 09/04/2020)
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"USAF Awards Saber Astronautics with Contract for VR Space Ops Center" (Published 18/03/2020)
