Current and future Air Force missions cover a diverse set of spacecraft requirements from LEO (SIBRS Low, DMSP, Space Base Laser) to MEO (GPS) to GEO (SBIRS High, DSCS, DSP, Milstar). The specific missions cover communications, earth surveillance, weather, and navigation. New and innovative approaches to earth surveillance include constellations of earth observing spacecraft 'Flying in Formation'. Each spacecraft will have unique design specifications on actuators, sensors, dynamics, control functions and flight software. Traditionally, these spacecraft simulations have been divided into files, modules or classes which are compiled and linked to form a monolithic simulation application. This static approach requires re-compilation or re-linking for each different spacecraft and typically has 'limited-to-none' capability to provide visual 3D dynamic displays of the spacecraft dynamic motion. Star Technologies Corporation (STC) proposes to apply the latest software architecture, Component Object Model, or COM software technology to the development of a 'COM Attitude Control System Simulation/Trainer'. This COM software architecture will enable the User to build COM objects that can be assembled without re-compiling or re-linking. In essence, COM provides a software 'Plug-N-Play' capability which can dynamically plug/unplug objects into/from the application such as environments, sensors, actuators, dynamics, control functions, 3D images and displays.
Benefits: The 'COM Attitude Control System Simulation/Trainer' architecture will provide a methodology for the rapid prototyping of various spacecraft (or any vehicle) attitude control simulations by assimilation of COM objects at run time. The addition of new COM components or the replacement of existing COM components will enable spacecraft simulations to evolve over time as well as support current operational spacecraft. Various 3D Visualization COM objects can be made available as well to present the actual spacecraft dynamic motion. Previously, development of a spacecraft attitude control system would apply 80% of the effort toward the development of a detailed spacecraft simulation while 20% went to the actual control system design and analysis. This 'COM Attitude Control System Simulation/Trainer' architecture will reduce the cost and time-to-develop sophisticated spacecraft simulations to less than 20% of the effort, leaving the remainder of the effort for control system design and analysis. The COM simulation architecture will enable component manufacturers to provide sensor or actuator models as COM components thereby protecting any proprietary information while making their specific sensor or actuator model available as a plug-in. Star Technologies Corporation has contacted such manufacturers as Barnes Engineering who are in agreement with the providing such a COM plug-in component. The COM simulation architecture has the potential of supporting a variety of commercial as well as government spacecraft and launch vehicle simulation developments.
Keywords: spacecraft, attitude dynamic simulation, guidance, navigation and control, spacecraft dynamic tool, attitude, 3d spacecraft visualization, training simulation, dynamics and controls analysis
