Spacecraft Model-Based Systems Engineering

NASA continues to pursue improvements in small spacecraft capabilities and reliability, especially for the deep space environment. Small spacecraft can help NASA achieve science and exploration goals with novel and more affordable mission architectures, including architectures based on ensembles of small spacecraft or that augment larger conventional spacecraft with small spacecraft. NASA seeks innovative model-based systems engineering (MBSE) methods and tools to: Define, design, develop, analyze, execute, and validate future small spacecraft missions through development of advanced methods and tools that enable more rapid, comprehensive, deeper, and integrated spacecraft design across the entire project lifecycle from concepts through system operations and end of mission disposal. The capabilities should leverage MBSE approaches being piloted across NASA and enable agile integration of disparate model types and various discipline tools. Enable disciplined system analysis for the design of future missions, including modeling of decision and programmatic support for those missions. Such models might also be made useful to evaluate technology alternatives and impacts, science valuation methods, and programmatic and/or architectural trades, including potential mission architectures comprised of multiple spacecraft.