Concurrent Design Facility Research Articles

Magnetospheric Venus Space Explorers (MVSE) mission: A proposal for understanding the dynamics of induced magnetospheres

Induced magnetospheres form around planetary bodies with atmospheres through the interaction of the solar wind with their ionosphere. Induced magnetospheres are highly dependent on the solar wind conditions and have only been studied with single spacecraft missions in the past. Without simultaneous measurements of solar wind variations and phenomena in the magnetosphere, establishing a link between both can only be done indirectly, using statistics over a large set of measurements. This gap in knowledge could be addressed by a multi-spacecraft plasma mission, optimized for studying global spatial and temporal variations in the magnetospheric system around Venus, which hosts the most prominent example of an induced magnetosphere in our solar system. The MVSE mission comprises four satellites, of which three are identical scientific spacecraft, carrying the same suite of instruments probing different regions of the induced magnetosphere and the solar wind simultaneously. The fourth spacecraft is the transfer vehicle which acts as a relay satellite for communications at Venus. In this way, changes in the solar wind conditions and extreme solar events can be observed, and their effects can be quantified as they propagate through the Venusian induced magnetosphere. Additionally, energy transfer in the Venusian induced magnetosphere can be investigated. The scientific payload includes instrumentation to measure the magnetic field, electric field, and ion–electron velocity distributions. This study presents the scientific motivation for the mission as well as requirements and the resulting mission design. Concretely, a mission timeline along with a complete spacecraft design, including mass, power, communication, propulsion and thermal budgets are given. This mission was initially conceived at the Alpbach Summer School 2022 and refined during a week-long study at ESA’s Concurrent Design Facility in Redu, Belgium.

Coverage Analysis of Remote Sensing Satellites in Concurrent Design Facility

Coverage Analysis of Remote Sensing Satellites in Concurrent Design Facility

LUMIO: A CubeSat for observing and characterizing micro-meteoroid impacts on the Lunar far side

The Earth-Moon system is constantly bombarded by meteoroids of different size and impact speed. Observation of the impacts on the Moon can enable thorough characterization of the Lunar meteoroid flux, which is similar to that of the Earth. While Earth-based Lunar observations are restricted by weather, geometric and illumination conditions, a Lunar-based observation campaign can improve the detection rate and, when observing the Lunar far side, complement in both space and time the observations taken from Earth.The Lunar Meteoroid Impact Observer (LUMIO), one of the two winning concepts of the ESA SysNova Lunar CubeSats for Exploration challenge, is a mission designed to observe, quantify, and characterize the micro-meteoroid impacts on the Lunar far side. It is based on a 12U CubeSat that carries the LUMIO-Cam, a custom-designed optical instrument capable of detecting light flashes in the visible spectrum. The spacecraft is placed on a halo orbit about the Earth–Moon L2 point, where permanent full-disk observation of the Lunar far side can be performed with excellent quality, given the absence of Earth background noise. After passing Phase 0 and an independent feasibility study in the ESA Concurrent Design Facility, the mission has successfully completed its Phase A in March 2021. Although the Phase 0 design of the LUMIO spacecraft was assessed as feasible by the ESA CDF study, a number of critical issues were identified, which have been tackled by the Phase A design.The paper presents the outcome of this Phase A design effort for the LUMIO spacecraft. Particularly relevant changes or updates in the spacecraft design include: a consolidated design of the LUMIO-Cam, with longer baffle for straylight protection; a set of ADCS sensors and actuators with increased redundancy; a combination of Direct-to-Earth communication and inter-satellite link with a mothership in Lunar orbit; use of Earth ranging to complement and validate the current innovative autonomous navigation strategy based on optical observations of the Moon by means of the LUMIO-Cam; re-assessment of the COTS components selection for the power and propulsion systems.

Small Mars Mission Architecture Study

While the vast majority of ESA’s funding for Mars exploration in the 2020s is planned to be invested in ExoMars and Mars Sample Return, there is an interest to assess the possibility of implementing a small mission to Mars in parallel with, or soon after, the completion of the MSR programme. A study was undertaken in the Concurrent Design Facility at ESA ESTEC to assess low-cost mission architectures for small satellite missions to Mars. Given strict programmatic constraints, the focus of the study was on a low-cost (<250MEuro Cost at Completion), short mission development schedule with a cost-driven spacecraft design and mission architecture. The study concluded that small, low-cost Mars missions are technically feasible for launch within the decade.

Optimum preliminary design of ion thrusters in concurrent design facility

In recent years, the development of new satellites has accelerated, especially for small satellites like university-class Cubesats, due to low design and manufacturing costs. The preliminary design of these spacecraft requires the utilization of new tools that improve the interrelation among the different subsystems and optimize the design. One of the most suitable approaches is the concurrent design facility, which connects specialists of each subsystem in the same room to facilitate the communication among them. This method provides different preliminary designs for the complete system by an iterative process in a reduced time, taking into account the simultaneity with the designs of the subsystems. One of the main subsystems of a spacecraft is the propulsion system, which plays a key role in the success of a mission by allowing the spacecraft to reach the final destination. Electric propulsion has become an interesting option due to the high value of the specific impulse, which provides the necessary velocity increment with a lower propellant mass compared to the traditional chemical rockets. The purpose of this paper is to present the equations implemented in the propulsion module of the concurrent design facility to obtain optimum designs of ion thrusters, which supposes a novelty compared to the traditional design approach of these systems, where there is no interaction with the design of the rest of subsystems. The objective is to help the designer to select the best options in a fast and easy way and improve the efficiency of the iterative work of the concurrent design facility.

CONCURRENT CONCEPTUAL DESIGN SEQUENCING FOR MBSE OF COMPLEX SYSTEMS THROUGH DESIGN STRUCTURE MATRICES

AbstractWhilst Concurrent Conceptual Design (CCD) has been performed for many years at facilities such as: the Concurrent Design Facility at ESA and the Project Design Center at JPL-NASA, the sequencing know-how resides in their communities of practice. This paper strives to explain how a sequencing algorithm based on Design Structure Matrices can be used as an instrument to facilitate the interaction between disciplines during CCD studies for Model-Based systems exemplified with two case studies.

An international and interdisciplinary approach on learning how to design a space station

The Space Station Design Workshop (SSDW), instigated by the Institute of Space Systems (IRS) at the University of Stuttgart, is an international and interdisciplinary workshop, targeted to undergraduate and graduate students as well as young professionals. The first workshop started in 1996, and except for some small breaks, it has taken place on a yearly basis. Currently, 40 participants are divided into two teams, which within six days have to fulfil one goal: to design a space station. The goal of the workshop is to obtain creative solutions from young and fresh minds, but also to enable students to learn by doing how an interdisciplinary and international project works. Several tools are provided by the IRS for the entire week: internal/external experts on the required fields; a concurrent design facility and specialized software. As the conceptual design needs to be created in a short period of time, the entire process is monitored by the IRS staff. This guidance should however not compromise the creativity and the “out-the box thinking” of the participants. The experience of previous editions and the lessons learned help improving this guidance process year after year. This paper explains the teaching approach using the activities during the SSDW 2017 as an example, starting from the mission statement to the final presentation. As a conclusion, the evaluation and opinions of the experts, the students and the organization staff are presented, as well as the main lessons learned, including how they can be implemented to further improve the SSDW.

Space Hardware Advanced Manufacturing Engineering: SHAME to miss out on a potential game changer?

Advanced Manufacturing is widely used with features and applications playing a game changing role in our daily life. The European Space Agency has initiated in April 2016 a multi-disciplinary approach exploring the impact of infusing Advanced Manufacturing into space practices. A Concurrent Design Facility study was performed investigating potential design methodology amendments produced by introducing Advanced Manufacturing techniques into the design space. Innovative materials and processes were added to the conventional design parameters usually populating the systems design trade-spaces. This enabled multifunctional solutions, previously inconceivable, with a redefinition of interfaces and related requirements, shifted from ‘discipline’ boundaries to ‘units’ or ‘assembly’ boundaries. The Concurrent Design Facility Study identified the core domains of expertise required in a ‘Design for Advanced Manufacturing’ frame, governed by a flexible, open-minded systems engineering coordination. Early involvement of material and process engineers in the design proved to be an essential ingredient of the ‘Design for Advanced Manufacturing’ recipe. The design freedom brought by Advanced Manufacturing calls for unconventional design solutions, creativity becomes a need and infusion from non-space is invaluable. Biomimicry and architecture principles enriched the concurrent design environment, which proved to be very well suited with the needs and objectives of the new design methodology. This article reports the Concurrent Design Facility study conduct, as first attempt to understand Advanced Manufacturing impact on design methodology, the study cases selected for analysis, the observations on the methodology and on the interactions among the specialists in the team. The study outcome is reported, including an overview of benefits, disadvantages and points for further investigation in relation to the study cases assessed. In addition, the paper proposes recommendations for injecting Advanced Manufacturing into the project life cycle, from early design up to procurement phases and ultimately to the assembly, integration and verification phases, indicating required modelling tools, technologies and redefined engineering roles and expertise.

Preliminary Design Method of a Turbopump Feed System for Liquid Rocket Engine Expander Cycle

The present research effort deals with simplified theoretical models for the preliminary design and performances assessment of centrifugal pumps for liquid rocket propulsion. These models have been developed within the Concurrent Design Facility, under development at the Italian Aerospace Research Centre (CIRA), in the framework of the HYPROB program. In particular, this work is aimed at developing a theoretical model, via the implementation of a MatLab code, capable to predict the geometry and performance of centrifugal turbopumps, thus providing useful indications for the preliminary design of the turbopump feed system.

Simplified spacecraft vulnerability assessments at component level in early design phase at the European Space Agency's Concurrent Design Facility

During recent years, the state-of-the-art risk assessment of the threat posed to spacecraft by micrometeoroids and space debris has been expanded to the analysis of failure modes of internal spacecraft components. This method can now be used to perform risk analyses for satellites to assess various failure levels – from failure of specific sub-systems to catastrophic break-up. This new assessment methodology is based on triple-wall ballistic limit equations (BLEs), specifically the Schäfer-Ryan-Lambert (SRL) BLE, which is applicable for describing failure threshold levels for satellite components following a hypervelocity impact. The methodology is implemented in the form of the software tool Particle Impact Risk and vulnerability Analysis Tool (PIRAT).During a recent European Space Agency (ESA) funded study, the PIRAT functionality was expanded in order to provide an interface to ESA's Concurrent Design Facility (CDF). The additions include a geometry importer and an OCDT (Open Concurrent Design Tool) interface. The new interface provides both the expanded geometrical flexibility, which is provided by external computer aided design (CAD) modelling, and an ease of import of existing data without the need for extensive preparation of the model.The reduced effort required to perform vulnerability analyses makes it feasible for application during early design phase, at which point modifications to satellite design can be undertaken with relatively little extra effort. The integration of PIRAT in the CDF represents the first time that vulnerability analyses can be performed in-session in ESA's CDF and the first time that comprehensive vulnerability studies can be applied cost-effectively in early design phase in general.

A CDF framework for aerospace engineering education

Concurrent Design Facility (CDF) is an effective IT environment to apply Concurrent Engineering principles. In aerospace engineering education, CDF can be invaluable by enabling student teams to gain cross-discipline skills and at the same time stay at the cutting edge of technology. This paper gives an overview of CDF configurations in use at different industries, research organisations and universities around the world and concludes with a proposal for a relatively a low cost CDF framework based on cloud computing which is particularly suitable for aerospace engineering education. An important aspect of CDF is collaboration between multidisciplinary specialists or virtual specialists within one environment, which requires dedicated hardware or software to exchange file, manage knowledge, collaborative work on writing report, and even remote communicate with other work teams. Emergence and development of cloud computing has made these requirements relatively easy to be fulfilled. Some public cloud computing servers, such as Google Drive, SkyDrive, Dropbox, Mendeley, can be used in CDF to save cost on hardware and software related to data, file, and information exchange. Google Talk and Skype can be used for communication with remote work teams. This CDF framework has many potential benefits, such as reduced cost of hardware, software and support, reduced preparation time, and easy to deploy.

European Space Agency’s launcher multibody dynamics simulator used for system and subsystem level analyses

Virtual simulation is currently a key activity in the specification, design, verification and operations of space systems. System modelling and simulation support in fact a number of use cases across the spacecraft development life cycle, including activities such as system design validation, software verification and validation, spacecraft unit and sub-system test activities, etc. As the reliance on virtual modelling, simulation and justification has substantially grown in recent years, a more coordinated and consistent approach to the development of such simulation tools across project phases can bring substantial benefit in reducing the overall space programme schedule, risk and cost. By capitalizing on the ESA (European Space Agency) Structures and Mechanisms division’s strong expertise in dynamics (multibody software), a generic multibody flight simulator was created to simulate a wide variety of launch vehicle dynamics and control problems at system level since 2001. The backbone of the multibody dynamics simulator is DCAP (Dynamic and Control Analysis Package), a multibody software, developed by ESA together with industry, with more than 30 years heritage in space applications. This software is a suite of fast, effective computer programs that provides the user with capabilities to model, simulate and analyze the dynamics and control performances of coupled rigid and flexible structural systems subjected to possibly time-varying structural characteristics and space environmental loads. The simulator uses the formulation for the dynamics of multi-rigid/flexible-body systems based on Order(n) algorithm. This avoids the explicit computation of a global mass matrix and its inversion, and the computational burden in these schemes increases only linearly with the number n of the system’s degrees of freedom. A dedicated symbolic manipulation pre-processor is then used in the coding optimization. With the implementation of dedicated interfaces to other specialised software (such as NASTRAN, CATIA, MATLAB/Simulink, etc.), it is possible to reproduce in detail most of the key subsystems and disciplines (such as trajectory, structures, configuration, mechanisms, aerodynamics, propulsion, GNC, propulsion, etc.) of the launcher in a single simulation. The simulator has been also tuned in order to be used in the studies on new launch vehicle feasibility concepts performed at ESA’s Concurrent Design Facility. Furthermore, the code has been adjusted to tackle specific events, such as multi-payload separation dynamics (Swarm, Galileo, etc.), thrust vector control subsystem studies (such as GSTP3, GSTP4, Vega), lift-off analysis (such as Vega, etc.), general loads (Vega, etc.). In this paper, an overview of the launcher multibody dynamics simulator capabilities is presented by illustrating some examples.

Interior] Configuration options, habitability and architectural aspects of the transfer habitat module (THM) and the surface habitat on Mars (SHM)/ESA's AURORA human mission to Mars (HMM) study

This paper discusses the findings for [Interior] configuration options, habitability and architectural aspects of a first human spacecraft to Mars. In 2003 the space architecture office LIQUIFER was invited by the European Space Agency's (ESA) AURORA Program committee to consult the scientists and engineers from the European Space and Technology Center (ESTEC) and other European industrial communities with developing the first human mission to Mars, which will take place in 2030, regarding the architectural issues of crewed habitats. The task was to develop an interior configuration for a transfer vehicle (TV) to Mars, especially a transfer habitation module (THM) and a surface habitat module (SHM) on Mars. The total travel time Earth—Mars and back for a crew of six amounts to approximately 900 days. After a 200-day-flight three crewmembers will land on Mars in the Mars excursion vehicle (MEV) and will live and work in the SHM for 30 days. For 500 days before the 200-day journey back the spacecraft continues to circle the Martian orbit for further exploration. The entire mission program is based on our present knowledge of technology. The project was compiled during a constant feedback-design process and trans-disciplinary collaboration sessions in the ESA-ESTEC concurrent design facility. Long-term human space flight sets new spatial conditions and requirements to the design concept. The guidelines were developed from relevant numbers and facts of recognized standards, interviews with astronauts/cosmonauts and from analyses about habitability, sociology, psychology and configuration concepts of earlier space stations in combination with the topics of the individual's perception and relation of space. Result of this study is the development of a prototype concept for the THM and SHM with detailed information and complete plans of the interior configuration, including mass calculations. In addition the study contains a detailed explanation of the development of the Design process including all suggested design and configuration options.