Data Management, Collaboration, and Model Integration for Space Exploration System Analysis and Design

Abstract

This paper looks at the impacts of an enhanced data management approach within SpaceNet, an open source logistics simulation tool for analyzing space exploration logistics. SpaceNet requires input data to specify nodes, edges, resources, and elements used in a space exploration definition. These types of data are commonly stored in a database for use across several exploration scenarios. However, managing the data in raw spreadsheet formats can be error-prone due to notations and data conventions, time-consuming to specify crossreferenced objects for hierarchical data representations, and cannot leverage collaboration between multiple users without manual integration. A SpaceNet data editor was developed to simplify data management and improve efficiency. The data editor provides a user interface to visualize cross-referenced objects, interpret data conventions, and provide automatic validation to reduce possible errors. An experimental case study is performed to quantitatively measure the effectiveness of the data editor interface to reduce time required to input data for inexperienced users. The results indicate the data editor provides a 40% reduction of the required time to complete the campaign definition task as well as an elimination of convention-related errors incurred during the campaign definition phase. Furthermore, an extension to the data editor to include element sizing models is introduced. An example is demonstrated using the functional capabilities of Excel to allow the creation of new element sizing models without requiring a specific knowledge about SpaceNet’s object programming language. The application of these design methods to SpaceNet show a contribution towards the global view of the system by providing a scalable method to integrate new element design models and help combine the collaborative interaction with the necessary detailed analysis. Nomenclature