Evolution of the European Concurrent Design Tool for Space-based System-of-Systems studies

Abstract

One major element in Concurrent Design is the central data model. It allows the various disciplines to share the latest information and to make immediate use of them within their domain specific tools and models. As a successor of the Integrated Design Model, in 2014 the European Space Agency (ESA) released the Open Concurrent Design Tool (OCDT), which aims to be the reference and standard model for European entities performing space system studies during early as well as later phases. This tool, including its web-based server and user interface supporting elements (such as MS Excel Add-ins), is developed in a way that it is not only limited to space system and mission design, but can be used also in other fields such as System-of-Systems (SoS) architecture definition and evaluation, which is becoming an emerging topic for European and international collaborations. Instead of just looking at the technical aspects of a system, SoS-studies provide an opportunity to analyze how to share resources and assets amongst institutions, organizations or nations more efficiently and how to provide integrated and more advanced services. However, due to the different nature and rules of SoS, the OCDT requires certain adaptations regarding domain specific tool interfaces, dedicated data libraries, as well as a SoS-specific data flow and representations to the users. Several studies were performed on ESA’s side in advance, to prepare an initial set of requirements for such an evolution of the tools and processes which eventually led to a project called “Development and Validation of a Generic Systems‐of‐Systems Concurrent Engineering Model (CESoS)”. It has been established by ESA and awarded to a consortium which has experience in Concurrent Design, software development and system architecture definitions.