Satellites are the most dynamic segment of the space industry, driven by increasing demand for services related to communication, navigation, and earth observation as well as the rising importance of space for security and defense. At the same time, the new “space race” to the Moon and the growing interest in in-orbit servicing has increased the demand for space transportation vehicles. TTTECH Aerospace meets the demands of these applications with its MYTHOS family of Deterministic Ethernet switches. These high-speed, managed network switches provide the reliable digital backbone for onboard avionics in space transportation vehicles (including launchers and landers), space stations, and now also satellites. They support standard Ethernet as well as mixed-criticality networks via TTEthernet®.
TTTECH Aerospace first developed the TTESwitch MYTHOS HiRel for launchers with Réaltra Space Systems Engineering, which will be used, for example, in the Ariane 6 on-board camera system. To meet the growing demand for Ethernet-based onboard communication systems for satellites, space stations, and transportation/exploration vehicles, TTTECH Aerospace has then developed the TTESwitch MYTHOS Space, which offers extended reliability and radiation-hardening. Both switch variants are manufactured in Europe and are based on TTTECH’s flight-proven TTEthernet Controller.
Ivan Masar, Senior Product Manager Space at TTTECH Aerospace, explains: “Customers are looking for solutions based on standard technologies that are easy to configure and use. Our compact MYTHOS switches support Gigabit Ethernet and mixed-criticality communication. With our two variants, we can support different market segments. Firstly, launchers and transport vehicles, which have short mission times and need cost-efficient off-the-shelf equipment. Secondly, satellites, space stations and exploration vehicles, which have longer mission durations and higher requirements in terms of durability and radiation-tolerance as they are operating in higher orbits from LEO to MEO.”
There is a clear shift towards building satellite systems based on Ethernet rather than legacy space data buses. There are several reasons for Ethernet gaining traction: It is a standardized, widely used networking technology that offers high performance (data rates of 1 Gbit/s, 10 Gbit/s, and more) and scalability. Ethernet can also be the basis for deterministic networking (like TSN and TTEthernet) to build modern, data-driven, and increasingly autonomous space systems. Space transportation vehicles also benefit from deterministic networks, as they enable interoperability, upgradability, and expansion of systems while at the same time ensuring reliable transmission of mission-critical and supporting data.
The TTESwitch MYTHOS Space is a standalone unit in a compact box and available as an off-the-shelf product. It has a proven radiation-hardened design and supports Gigabit speeds as well as mixed-criticality traffic – standard Ethernet (IEEE 802.3), rate-constrained (ARINC 664 part 7), and Time-Triggered Ethernet (SAE AS6802) – on one physical infrastructure. The switch enables customers to easily connect devices like onboard computers, mass memory units, and payloads (e.g., cameras or synthetic aperture radars) to a single onboard data network. Legacy data interfaces can be replaced with Ethernet, which simplifies design and verification. The TTESwitch MYTHOS Space has short lead times, with engineering models already available. Qualified models will ship in the first half of 2027.
The MYTHOS switch ties in with TTTECH Aerospace’s portfolio of flight-proven TTEthernet end system controllers, embedded software, and system/network scheduling tools. TTTECH Aerospace offers architecture and integration support including the design, configuration, and verification of complete avionics networks. It plans to add new variants of MYTHOS in the future to extend the basic switching functionality and enable:
- Bridging from legacy interfaces (MIL1553, RS422, SpaceWire) to Ethernet, allowing easy re-use of available legacy qualified equipment and integration into Ethernet networks.
- Addition of processing capability for direct payload processing (edge computing) in space.
- Additional interface to GNSS receivers to provide precise timing information to the network.
Learn more:
TTESwitch MYTHOS Space TTESwitch MYTHOS HiRel
Release of new, compact Ethernet switch for space transportation
Find out more about our offerings for the launch vehicle and space transportation and satellite markets.
