SBIR-STTR Award

A major step in fulfilling NASA’s technology needs to increase system autonomy and resilience is to connect fault management (FM)/System Health Management (SHM) to systems engineering (SE) and operations. There are recent trends to improve SE through the use of models to create model-based SE (MBSE) and connect FM to SE and operations. One such approach for performing a rigorous SE is the Goal-Function Tree (GFT) representation using Systems Modeling Language (SysML) that was developed at NASA JPL and MSFC. Despite their inherently close relationship to SE in practice, SHM/FM practices have remained disjoint and not tightly integrated with SE. Historically, SHM has been designed into the system only after the nominal system is designed, which essentially makes it a band-aid of the problems without consideration of how these might have been prevented or mitigated. Between SE and SHM/FM, separate sets of Subject Matter Experts (SMEs), knowledge repositories, modeling methodologies and analyses processes with non-relatable results are typical. This lends itself to a large technology and knowledge gap between the two sets of practices that result in significant inefficiencies throughout the life cycle, from design through verification and validation (V&V) through operations. Qualtech Systems, Inc. (QSI) plans to integrate TEAMS® analytic capabilities with GFT to provide a multidisciplinary solution that connects an important SE approach with a tool that provides analytic capabilities for FM design and operations. It intends to integrate SHM/FM directly within SE from the beginning of a project, thereby suitable for FM of future spacecraft. This effort: (1) performs FM design analysis of a system design modeled in GFT, (2) enables FM design to be evaluated in an operational context by performing SHM functions, (3) supports Trade Studies to evaluate merits of FM architecture; and (4) enables “System” level assessment and visualization of FM qualities modeled in GFT. Potential NASA Applications (Limit 1500 characters, approximately 150 words): QSI's technology will enable NASA to better plan and execute future Space Missions. It's applications include verification testing of NASA’s next generation launch vehicle such as the SLS, cis-lunar infrastructure including the Gateway and deep space human exploration such as the Habitat. Exploration Upper Stage is also a target. TheGateway spacecraft has vehicle models, which can be integrated in the MBSE environment and evaluated against FM robustness. Europa is a candidate for demonstrating FM capabilities within GFT driven MBSE practices. Potential Non-NASA Applications (Limit 1500 characters, approximately 150 words): The technology can be applied to DoD’s Mission planning and Rapid design of space missions / satellites including Geosynchronous earth orbit (GEO), Medium earth orbit (MEO), and Low earth orbit (LEO), commercial space launch vehicles (e.g., SpaceX), NORAD, Space Command ground segments, JSF, Navy shipboard platforms, submarines, BMD systems, UAVs, UGVs and unmanned submersible vehicle markets. Duration: 6

One of NASA’s major technology needs is to increase system autonomy and resilience. To accomplish this, an important task is to connect fault management (FM) to systems engineering (SE) and operations. In highly reliable systems there must be some means to detect and respond to failure of those functions. Identifying and allocating the requirements and functions for these capabilities is the job of SE. There are recent trends to improve SE through the use of models to create model-based SE (MBSE). An approach for performing SE is the Goal-Function Tree representation, an improved variant of the classical functional decomposition which can be used for analysis of the physical system, and provides a physically accurate representation of requirements traceability in functional success space. Despite their close relationship to SE in practice, SHM/FM practices have remained disjoint. Historically, SHM/FM has been designed into the system only after the nominal system is designed, which essentially makes it a band-aid of the problems without consideration of how these might have been prevented or mitigated. This lends itself to a large technology and knowledge gap that result in significant inefficiencies throughout the life cycle. QSI plans to integrate TEAMS® with GFT to provide a multidisciplinary solution that connects an important SE approach with a tool that provides analytic capabilities for FM design and operations. It intends to integrate FM directly within SE from the beginning of a project, thereby suitable for FM of future spacecraft. This SBIR: (1) performs FM design analysis of a system design modeled in GFT, (2) enables the FM design to be evaluated comprehensively in an operational context by performing FM functions supporting extensive set of component-level physical and functional failure scenarios, (3) supports Trade Studies to evaluate merits of FM architecture; (4) enables “System” level assessment and visualization of FM qualities modeled in the GFT. Anticipated

Benefits:
This FM capability is relevant to future SMD/HEOMD missions, such as Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle, Human Landing System, Orion Crew Vehicle, and EUS system of SLS. Artemis Mission – Lunar Lander, cis-lunar infrastructure including Gateway and deep space human exploration such as Habitat, and Moon to Mars mission are prime targets. Other targets include Deep Space missions such as Europa Orbiter, InSight lander mission, and Mars Science Laboratory. Earth orbiters such as Landsat-9 are also targets. Arcus X-ray telescope is another target platform. Commercial space launch vehicles (e.g., SpaceX), Geosynchronous earth orbit (GEO), Medium earth orbit (MEO), Low earth orbit (LEO), Space Command ground segments, DoD, USAF, US Navy, commercial aviation, military systems e.g., NORAD, JSF, Navy shipboard platforms, Submarine Commands, BMD systems, UAVs, UMGs, model-based design of space missions/satellites, supporting infrastructure Space services.