Integration and test readiness (a quick fit check so discovery is productive)

• Do you have a spacecraft simulator or equivalent test harness available for supplier-led integration and acceptance testing? Options: Yes — fully available for supplier use, Yes — available but with limited access or scheduling constraints, Planned but not yet available, No — not available, Prefer to discuss
• Are telemetry, command, and RF interface documents (packet definitions, modulation, frequency plans) finalized and available for vendor testing? Options: Yes — finalized and shareable, Mostly finalized, some items TBD, Draft or incomplete, Not available yet, Prefer to discuss
• Does the program require specific cybersecurity accreditation or export/security handling (for example a government impact level, security clearances, or ITAR-related controls) that would affect supplier access? Options: Yes — accreditation/clearance required (we will provide details), No specific accreditation required, Unsure / will confirm, Prefer to discuss

Budget

• Is there an allocated budget range for the ground segment work we would scope in full discovery? Options: <$250,000, $250,000–$1,000,000, $1,000,000–$5,000,000, >$5,000,000, Budget not yet allocated / TBD

Decision authority and influencers

• Who is the primary decision maker for selecting a ground segment provider, and which roles or teams typically influence that decision?

Timeline and procurement rhythm

• What is your hard launch date or the date by which the ground system must be ready? Options: Within 3 months, 3–6 months, 6–12 months, More than 12 months, Not yet defined
• What procurement path and expected decision timing should we expect (for example direct award, planned RFP, government procurement with security timelines)? Options: Direct negotiation / sole source, Planned RFP or competitive process, Government procurement with security clearance timelines, We are still deciding, Prefer to discuss

Getting your timeline and mission into focus

• Briefly describe the mission your ground system must support, including orbit class and the hard launch date.
• Estimate the number of daily and weekly contact passes you must support in the first 90 days after launch. Options: 0-5 per day, 6-10 per day, 11-20 per day, 20+ per day, Weekly only
• Which frequency bands and telemetry protocol standards does your spacecraft use? Options: S-band, X-band, Ka-band, CCSDS (standard framing), Custom / proprietary protocol, Not finalized
• List the roles that must sign off on ground acceptance and the order those approvals usually follow.
• What procurement band or budget range are you allocating for initial ground deployment and for annual operations? Options: Under $250k CAPEX, $250k to $1M CAPEX, $1M to $5M CAPEX, Over $5M CAPEX, TBD, will provide range later

If the ground system is late, what breaks first

• If the ground system is not ready by launch, what operational outcome would force program leadership to delay commissioning or replan the mission?
• Which mission phases are most time sensitive to ground readiness, and why? Options: Launch and early orbit commissioning, Routine ops after commissioning, Contingency and anomaly resolution, Science or commercial pass windows
• How many weeks of schedule buffer do you have between final acceptance and the first critical contact pass? Options: Less than 1 week, 1-2 weeks, 3-4 weeks, More than 4 weeks
• Walk through a past incident where ground readiness slipped, what broke, and how much it cost to recover.
• Are there contractual or regulatory hard gates that would stop acceptance if a specific test or certification is missing? Options: Yes, No, Not sure, need to check

Where integration risk lives

• Point to the single integration point between your simulator, RF front end, or telemetry processing that worries you most and explain why.
• Describe the simulator interface artifacts we will test against in factory, including message formats, timing constraints, and any custom error conditions.
• Identify the third-party systems that must be available during integration day one and who owns each interface internally. Options: Mission control system, Spacecraft simulator instance, Network time service, Cloud telemetry storage, Operator identity provider, RF licensing authority, Other
• Can your team provide a validated spacecraft simulator instance for factory acceptance testing or on-site integration, yes or no? Options: Yes, validated instance available, Yes, but validation required, No, not available
• If a required API or simulator endpoint is unavailable during factory testing, what contingency would stop the program or force a contract re-scope?

Operational limits and site realities

• Point to the primary site constraint, physical or regulatory, that will most limit antenna performance or installation schedule.
• Select any site constraints from the list below that apply to your primary location. Options: Restricted site access windows, Pending RF licensing, Limited local power capacity, Foundation or soil restrictions, Environmental permitting required, Limited network bandwidth, None of the above
• What is the maximum permitted antenna height, elevation clearance, or restricted azimuth sectors at that site?
• Estimate the number of on-site technical staff with RF or systems integration skills who will be available during deployment. Options: 0, 1-2, 3-5, 6-10, More than 10
• Should site access windows shorten, can your team provide weekend or overtime coverage to preserve milestones? Options: Yes, can provide coverage, Maybe with notice, No, not possible

Known obstacles and how they stop you

• What upstream assumption about your spacecraft, simulator, or network, if wrong, would force you to pause or cancel an external ground segment plan?
• From the list below, select the risk categories you have already logged. Options: Interface specification gaps, Schedule slip, Funding shortfall, Regulatory delay, Personnel turnover, Simulator mismatch, RF propagation model uncertainty, Cybersecurity accreditation, None
• For the two highest risks you flagged, name each and rate probability and impact as low, medium, or high.
• Identify the test or acceptance requirement that, if it fails during end-to-end testing, would stop commercial acceptance.
• Are there unresolved export control, ITAR, or national security reviews that would block equipment shipment or on-site work? Options: Yes, blocking issues, Yes, but manageable with timeline, No outstanding reviews

The other options you are weighing

• List the external vendors, the incumbent, and any internal build options you are actively considering, and the main strength you see in each.
• Select the buying path you expect to follow for this procurement. Options: Open RFP, Sole source to incumbent, Direct purchase from shortlisted vendors, Internal build, Consortium procurement, Grant funded
• What would have to be true about your current approach for you to keep it instead of moving to an outside provider?
• Has anyone on your team proposed solving this with internal resources only, and if so what timeline and headcount did they estimate? Options: Yes, with timeline and headcount provided, Yes, but no firm estimate, No internal proposal
• Assuming a successful pilot demonstrates the key metric, which approval or procurement step would remain as the gating item to sign within the same month?

Clear success metrics and the deal breaker

• Name the one measurable acceptance metric that, if met, would make your team sign the final acceptance certificate immediately.
• Which of these success metrics do you require for operational go-live? Select all that apply. Options: RF margin at lowest elevation, Bit error rate threshold, End-to-end latency under X ms, Telemetry packet loss under Y%, Command latency under Z ms, Cybersecurity accreditation completed, Operator training completion
• For the top metric you selected, state the threshold value that must be met on the first five passes.
• Should the metric fall below the threshold by more than your stated margin, what immediate program action would you take? Options: Pause acceptance and triage, Accept with concessions and remediation plan, Request contract credit or penalty, Cancel procurement
• Provide the names and roles that will sign final acceptance and release final payment.

Operational readiness and gates

• Point at the single prerequisite that, if missing on day one, would stop deployment immediately.
• Which prerequisites are already satisfied, select all that apply. Options: Validated simulator available, Site power and foundation approved, RF license assigned, Network endpoints provisioned, Operator accounts and SSO configured, Cyber accreditation started, Export approvals obtained
• Estimate the number of dedicated FTEs your team can commit to integration and acceptance testing and the weeks they will be available.
• Who owns release of telemetry data during testing and do you have an internal SLA for access? Options: Program team, IT / network team, Operations team, Shared ownership with SLA, No SLA defined yet
• Provide any export, security, or facility approvals still pending and indicate their expected lead time in weeks.

Decision timing and next steps

• Assuming a pilot shows the required acceptance metric, what procurement or governance action would need to happen to sign within 30 days?
• Which internal stakeholders must be present for a final commercial and technical review? Select all that apply. Options: Program manager, CTO or head of engineering, VP of Operations, Procurement lead, Security officer, Legal counsel, Flight dynamics lead, Mission operations lead
• What contract terms or milestone payments would accelerate signing versus a longer review cycle?
• What single unresolved issue would keep you from approving a go-live date even if all technical tests pass?
• When would you be ready to run a factory acceptance test and what three deliverables must be ready beforehand?

• success_criteria
• gaps
• decision_readiness
• stakeholders
• desired_state
• current_state
• success_criteria
• current_state
• desired_state
• gaps
• stakeholders
• decision_readiness
• current_state
• stakeholders
• decision_readiness
• decision_readiness
• decision_readiness
• decision_readiness
• decision_readiness

Environment and site access

• Which on-site environments will the deployment team need access to? (select all that apply — tells us which networks and procedures to request) Options: Production (live operations), Staging / pre-production, Factory-test only (no connection to live ops), Isolated test network (air-gapped), Other
• Are site-level remote access paths (VPN, jump host, or remote desktop) already provisioned for the deployment team? (so we can plan remote support) Options: Yes — credentials and access window confirmed, No — buyer IT will provision (we need the date), No — seller must request access from buyer IT, Not applicable — all work performed offline on-site
• If remote access will be provisioned by buyer IT, what date will access be available? (leave blank if already provisioned)

People and ownership

• Who is the primary on-site owner for site access and day-of approvals? Provide full name and role (so we know who signs gate/permit checks).
• Who is the named owner for RF licensing and spectrum coordination (person or office)? Provide name/role — this is required to confirm test authorization.
• Who is the facilities/safety owner responsible for lifts, cranes, and heavy equipment permits at the site? Provide name and role.

Facility and equipment readiness

• Which of the following facility requirements are confirmed at the site? (select all confirmed; any unchecked item will be scheduled as a prep task) Options: Concrete pad installed and certified, Power feed available with required breaker capacity, Grounding/earthing installed and verified, Rack space and HVAC for RF/processing equipment, Dedicated network handoff point / patch panel installed, None of the above / pending
• Is local RF spectrum authorization in place for the planned frequencies and power levels at the site? (license status directly affects whether on-air testing can occur) Options: Yes — license active and covers planned ops, Applied — approval expected (provide date in schedule question), No — buyer to obtain, Not required for planned low-power test activity

Timing and constraints

• Provide the earliest and latest site access windows and any blackout periods to avoid (date ranges). Be specific — this drives the deployment calendar.
• Are there program or regulatory milestones that must be cleared before on-site work (select all that apply)? (these are gating items for scheduling) Options: Security accreditation / authority to operate required, IT/network whitelisting required, Export / customs or import permits, Local authority permits or inspections, None

Configuration Details — Deployment (exact values the deployment build consumes)

• Enter the target environment name consumed by the deployment build (single token; Default: prod)
• Enter the base API endpoint URL for the ground-segment services the deployment will call (format: https://hostname[:port]/path; Default: https://api.ground.local)
• Primary antenna frequency band to configure (select one; consumed by antenna and RF module) Options: S-band, X-band, Ka-band, UHF, L-band, Other
• Antenna polarization to apply for the primary band (select one; consumed by RF alignment step; Default: RHCP) Options: RHCP, LHCP, Linear-vertical, Linear-horizontal, Dual-circular, Other
• Center RF frequency for the primary antenna in MHz (numeric; consumed by RF frontend config; Default: 2200)
• Enter the network endpoint URL the deployment will configure for telemetry ingestion (format examples: mqtt://broker.example.com:1883, wss://host.example.com/tm; consumed by telemetry ingestion module)
• Telemetry/command transport protocol the deployment should enable (select one; consumed by interface adapters; Default: CCSDS TM over UDP) Options: CCSDS TM over UDP, CCSDS TM over TCP, MQTT, WebSocket (WSS), File-based (SFTP), Other
• Integration user name or non-secret client identifier that the buyer will configure at the integration endpoint (format: single token; this is NOT a secret — consumed by auth mapping)
• Credential exchange channel for transferring the secret(s) at kickoff (select one; deployment will not accept secrets in this sheet; Default: buyer's secrets manager) Options: buyer's secrets manager, seller's secrets manager, secure portal upload, secure file transfer (SFTP), on-site handover
• Primary acceptance test vector location the deployment will fetch (format: HTTPS URL or s3://bucket/path or absolute filesystem path; consumed by acceptance tests; Default: https://example.com/testvectors/primary.json)
• Minimum pass elevation to use for acceptance test runs in degrees (numeric; consumed by pass-scheduling during integration; Default: 5)
• Minimum RF margin to accept at the configured minimum elevation (dB numeric; consumed by RF acceptance checks; Default: 3)

• Integration Test Plan Alignment
• On-site RF and Antenna Integration Working Session
• Remote Flight Control Interface Validation
• End-to-End Integration Pass Validation and Triage
• Integration Sign-off and Handover

• Publish the readiness decision and the prioritized residual issue list to the shared workspace.
• Update the interface control document with any agreed parameter or sequence changes.
• Open defect tickets for firmware or protocol fixes with severity and target resolution dates.
• Recap outstanding issues from prior sessions
• A documented readiness decision is recorded, with the next steps for conditional or no-go outcomes.
• A prioritized list of residual issues with acceptance criteria and target remediation dates is agreed.
• Verification plan and dates for confirming remediation are set if conditional go is declared.
• Confirm scope and success criteria
• Schedule verification windows for any conditional remediation items with target dates.
• Create follow-up test procedures required to validate remediations after fixes are applied.
• Review completed test evidence and closed items
• Integration completion report is approved and signed in the shared workspace.
• Handover package contents are confirmed and a delivery timeline is set.
• A post-integration support window and escalation path are agreed and recorded.
• Assemble and deliver the handover package including test artifacts, configuration baselines, and operator runbooks.
• Publish the integration completion report and archive all test logs to the project repository.
• Provide the post-integration support contact list and the agreed support window documentation.
• A single, finalized integration test plan and schedule is agreed with explicit pass/fail criteria for every test case.
• List of required access items and test data is complete and delivery dates for each item are set.
• Known risks and contingency steps are documented so tests can proceed without repeated scheduling delays.
• Publish the finalized integration test plan and schedule to the shared workspace.
• Provide simulator access credentials, interface control document excerpts, and required test vectors before the first test window.
• List and confirm delivery dates for any site equipment or spare parts needed for on-site tests.
• Site setup and safety confirmation
• RF baseline measurement report completed and recorded to the shared workspace.
• All deviations outside acceptance thresholds are captured in a defect list with remediation actions and timelines.
• On-site parameter changes and final antenna settings are recorded as the configuration baseline.
• Record and upload RF measurement logs, alignment photos, and the RF baseline report to the project repository.
• Schedule any required corrective site visits and order parts needed for hardware remediation.
• Capture environmental and site condition notes that may affect RF performance during later reviews.
• Verify remote connectivity and security posture
• All critical telemetry and command test cases are recorded as pass or fail with supporting logs.
• Timing and latency measurements are captured and compared to acceptance thresholds.
• A list of interface defects with proposed remediation actions is created for any failed cases.
• Provide packet traces, telemetry dumps, and command acknowledgement logs for any failed or disputed test cases.
• Review test matrix and pass/fail criteria
• Execute full end-to-end mission scenarios
• Confirm handover package contents
• Execute telemetry streams and command sequences
• Execute baseline RF measurements
• Align antenna and RF chain
• Measure timing and latency metrics
• Agree post-integration support and escalation path
• Agree schedule, roles, and access
• Triage failures and set priorities
• Identify risks and contingency steps
• Determine readiness decision
• Sign-off and next steps to deployment
• Document discrepancies and immediate fixes
• Document anomalies and required interface changes
• Sign-off on the test plan

• Obtain written RF transmission authorization for the site
• Verify Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) and site safety clearance for energization
• Deliver RF margin verification report
• Complete telemetry and command interoperability test report
• Produce end-to-end network latency and jitter measurement report
• Execute cybersecurity acceptance tests and obtain written accreditation or residual-risk acceptance
• Confirm operator training completion and competency sign-off
• Verify critical spares inventory and tested software rollback procedure
• Establish and validate post-commissioning monitoring and escalation plan
• Hold joint Go/No‑Go commissioning review and record formal acceptance decision