Systems-of-Systems (SOS) Engineering

**Chapter 2**

Perspective

**1. Background and introduction**

*John D. Nguyen*

**Abstract**

**17**

Systems-of-Systems Taxonomy:

This chapter discusses the taxonomy of Systems-of-Systems (SOS) with a focus

including SOS and Family-of-Systems (FOS), will be presented. The chapter defines taxonomic categories considering dimensions in the classification of space and airborne SOS based on their acquisition strategy, operational mode, and problem domain. Commercial and military acquisition strategies will be addressed along with their intentional operational modes and problem domains. The space and airborne systems discussed will be Satellite Communication (SATCOM) systems, sensing and imaging satellite systems and Positioning-Navigation-and-Timing (PNT) satellite, and military and commercial aircraft systems. The chapter provides

on space and airborne systems perspective. A discussion with a broad view of taxonomy with considerations for space and airborne systems classification,

examples on notional military SATCOM and manned aircraft systems.

**Keywords:** space systems, systems-of-systems (SOS), satellite communication, sensing and imaging satellite, positioning-navigation-and-timing (PNT) satellite, family of system (FOS), SOS engineering, constituent systems, acquisition, autonomy of constituents, application domains, standards, operational Independence, managerial Independence, evolutionary development

The term "Taxonomy" used in this chapter will be borrowed from the definitions presented in Refs. [1–3], but with an emphasis on space and airborne perspective. This chapter defines taxonomy as a hierarchical structure framework to classify space and airborne systems terms into parent-and-child relationships, where each level of a hierarchy can be referred to as a "Category." In this chapter, "Systems" will be categorized as Systems of Systems (SOS) and Family of Systems (FOS). For general military space systems, military space FOS can be categorized as (i) Satellite Communication (SATCOM) systems, (ii) Sensing and Imaging satellite systems, and (iii) Positioning-Navigation-and-Timing (PNT) satellites. Practically, civilian space FOS can be categorized as (i) commercial FOS of Broadcasting satellites, (ii) commercial FOS of Wideband Internet satellites, and (iii) commercial FOS of Data, Video, Audio Communications satellites. In general, commercial space FOS can be categorized as (i) NASA FOS of Near-Earth Missions, (ii) NASA FOS Deep Space missions, and (iii) NOAA FOS Earth Surveillance satellites. SOS can be a

Space and Airborne Systems

## **Chapter 2**
