Abstract: Abstract The design of a spacecraft is divided into several phases, as described in chapter 1: conceptual design, preliminary design, detailed design, fabrication and assembly, and integration and test. This chapter will address the integration and test phase, which includes assembling the various mechanical, electrical, and thermal subsystems into an integrated spacecraft and performing tests on the integrated spacecraft to ensure that it will operate properly in the environment in which it must function. This process includes transport to a launch site where the spacecraft will be mated to the launch vehicle and again tested to ensure that all spacecraft systems are functioning correctly and that the spacecraft-launch vehicle combination is ready for launch.

Abstract: Abstract In chapter 1, a brief introduction to axiomatic design was given. This chapter presents a more comprehensive description of axiomatic design using many examples. Axiomatic design has been used in designing a variety of different things: machines, software, organizations, systems, materials, manufacturing, complicated large systems and processes, and a variety of mechanical/electrical products. The purpose of this chapter is to provide a broad overview, which should help in understanding the materials presented in chapters 12–15. 11.2 Current State of Design Practice The ‘‘project of the first decade of the 21st century’’ may be the development of the Orbital Space Plane (OSP) of the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Agency (NASA). It is currently being designed to transport people and cargo from earth to the International Space Station (ISS) beginning in 2010. The OSP must be safe and robust, and satisfy all the functional requirements (FRs) of the mission. It must be developed in a relatively short period of time at a fraction of the cost that was incurred when NASA developed the Space Shuttle three decades ago. It must be able to perform its missions without extensive maintenance so as to eliminate the need to rebuild the vehicle each time it returns from its mission. (The current Space Shuttle requires 6 months of ‘‘maintenance’’ at a cost of over $350 million after each mission.) It is increasingly becoming apparent to NASA and a major aerospace company that the OSP cannot be designed and developed using the old paradigm. The old paradigm was an experience-based development process with repetitive ‘‘design– build–test’’ cycles repeated until the product no longer breaks down. The old paradigm of product development is not only expensive, but produces products that are unreliable and hard to maintain. An astronautics company is now applying axiomatic design in designing the OSP to reduce the time for development, lower the cost of development, and increase reliability, safety and maintainability, and robustness of the OSP. Axiomatic design is a rational way of developing a complicated system that satisfies FRs and constraints at low cost and on time.

Abstract: Abstract This chapter integrates the information presented earlier by illustrating the fundamentals of the conceptual design of a simplified spacecraft mission. A conceptual design is the initial step in the description of a space system in which the overall mission requirements are defined, the mission is described, a concept of operations defined, subsystem specifications determined, and initial characteristics and performance of each subsystem assessed. In addition, schedules, costs, and mission and development risks are identified. The simplified mission addressed here is one that engineering students in a senior design class could design and build over a period of about two years if supported by knowledgeable faculty and/or professionals from the space industry. It should be cautioned that the description as presented should not be construed as anything more than the first steps in a conceptual design that must go through the rigors of the preliminary and critical design phases. The emphasis in the following description is on the design of the spacecraft.

Abstract: Abstract In this chapter we will explore the world of embedded software systems, including a brief overview of past systems, current systems, and what we might expect in the future. A discussion of the benefits of embedded systems to overall spacecraft design and the attendant drawbacks will lead into the application of software engineering to the problems of developing embedded software systems. Development environments, simulation of developing hardware interfaces, and changing requirements will be discussed. Software development issues will be examined, including language selection and the ramifications of a bad choice, the reuse problem, and testing, testing, testing. Automatic code generation from various design sources will also be discussed. We will focus on the software aspects of these embedded systems, looking at the planning and development processes necessary to produce reliable and trusted spacecraft software.

Abstract: Abstract In considering missions of opportunity, very few investigators or program managers are interested in flying just the mechanical or structural system. The role of the mechanical system and structure is, however, an important one. The primary function of the structural subsystem is to provide the mechanical interface with the launch vehicle and structural support to all spacecraft subsystems. This structure must be sturdy enough to withstand the severe launch environment, yet have minimum mass and provide adequate protection of the sensitive payload so that the mission objectives can be successfully completed. Since many of the spacecraft subsystems may provide conflicting requirements, one of the primary tasks of the mechanical designer is to carefully coordinate inputs from each area and, after careful consideration, arrive at the most optimum configuration that will satisfy the mission requirements. In addition, the designer must package each subsystem’s hardware such that it fits into the launch vehicle envelope while allowing as much access as possible and providing the most optimum mass distribution.

Abstract: Abstract For at least as long as written history has existed, humanity has set its sights upon understanding the shape, scope, and history of the universe. To this task we bring our senses, our experience, and our reason. This was as true for ancient cosmologists as it is for modern scientists. Today, however, our senses are augmented by powerful tools, we benefit from the accumulated and recorded experience of many generations, and we have developed mathematical languages that provide an efficient means to systematize our reasoning.

Abstract: This course provides generic training in the use of IBS and INS. It is designed for officers in charge of a navigational watch on vessels that are fitted with such equipment. Its aims are to increase safety and to protect the environment. It does this by giving instruction on the understanding and safe use of such systems, including illustrations of dangerous or improper use.

Abstract: The general motivation of this research is to develop software to support the handling of the increased complexity of architectural design. In this paper we describe a system providing general support during the whole process. Instead of only developing design tools we are also addressing the problem of the operating environment of these tools. We conclude that design tools have to be integrated in an open, modular, distributed, user friendly and efficient environment. Two major fields have to be addressed - the development of design tools and the realisation of an integrated system as their operation environment. We will briefly focus on the latter by discussing known technologies in the field of information technology and other design disciplines that can be used to realise such an environment. Regarding the first subject we have to state the need of a detailed tool specification. As a solution we suggest a strategy where the tool functions are specified on the basis of a transformation, where a hierarchical process model is mapped into specifications of different design tools realising appropriate support for all sub-processes of architectural design. Using this strategy the main steps to develop such a support system are: implementation of a framework as basis for the integrated design system decision whether the tool specification are already implemented in available tools in this case these tools can be integrated using known methods for tool coupling otherwise new design tools have to be developed according to the framework