Model-based Advancements at Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company

Abstract

Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company (LMSSC) has been using modelbased tools with autogeneration of flight code for a decade. We are aggressively driving insertion of Model-based capabilities into all engineering and production disciplines using our digital tapestry, which links all stages of manufacturing – from initial concept and design to production and qualification. Our Space Vehicle Integration Lab (SVIL) has been the driving force for the embedded software migration to model-based technologies, with insertions into nearly every stage in the software life cycle from concept and requirements definition to program simulation and qualification. For embedded software, we have embraced the MathWorks Simulink model-based development tools and developed a framework in which to control the transformation of both our products and our workforce to these techniques using a consistent approach. In many cases the LMSSC has developed our own add-ons to the COTS tools available to ensure compatibility in our processes and to fill in gaps in the COTS tool capabilities. In that time the cost to develop software using model-based tools dropped 39%. Varieties of capabilities contributed to the reduction and were described in detail along with their contribution to the savings. LMSSC is pursuing a concept called Digital Tapestry. Digital Tapestry leverages the strengths of Model-Based Development to document, elaborate, and communicate the aspects of a system for all program stakeholders in a digital fashion. With detailed SysML models, the Digital Tapestry is enabling a capability called Configure to Order. Using the Configure to Order capability, expert engineers make decisions about mission capabilities and system components which when combined with the detailed SysML models rapidly and automatically elaborates the impacts to other subsystems and system components. Once the system impacts for a given change are reported, the new systems engineering products can be rapidly communicated by a set of tools developed to generate Matlab and Simulink code fragments from the SysML models. The activity models, internal block diagrams, and other interface specification models from SysML can be automatically converted to implemented Simulink and Matlab artifacts for incorporation in the system implementation and round-tripped to SysML when needed. LMSSC has seen the use of MathWorks Simulink increase dramatically in the last 7 years. Many adopting programs made rapid progress and developed novel and productive ways to use Simulink in software development and systems analysis tasks. However, while collaboration helped, limited standardization of the Simulink development among many groups (even in the same programs) led to Simulink models that were difficult to share and re-use. Seeing an opportunity to improve future performance, LMSSC embarked on the development of the