Lockheed Martin Corp. [LMT] is setting up a Space Vehicle Integration Laboratory (SVIL) to test satellites and space components before they launch, and to facilitate space vehicle component and flight software integration.

The lab will handle large, small, existing and future satellite development.

SVIL utilizes computer hardware and software technologies to provide users with the ability to more thoroughly understand how their space vehicle, at various stages of development, eventually will operate on-orbit.

This approach facilitates less complex development, and fosters close customer partnerships, with more transparency and long-term predictability.

The laboratory is to reduce risk in flight software-space vehicle hardware integration. It allows flight software developers to test and integrate early models of software in ‘flight-like’ conditions long before flight qualified hardware is available.

With the SVIL, hardware and software models are integrated at an earlier stage, allowing identification and troubleshooting of any issues near the beginning of the development cycle, to help build satellites faster, at lower cost, and with a higher confidence of mission success, according to Lockheed.

The SVIL, at the Lockheed facility in Denver, is remotely accessible and can be utilized by engineers across the company through a virtual logon.