COSMO-SkyMed Mission Simulator

As Spaceborne Earth Observation Systems become more and more complex, the capability to assess their performance and thus the profitability of the investment becomes more critical. Dual-use systems, satisfying both civilian and military needs, are characterized by an even higher degree of complexity. This article describes the main features of the COSMO- SkyMed Mission Simulator, a software tool developed in the design phase of COSMO-SkyMed system and widely used to predict its performance, to drive trade-offs and to perform analyses on the dual use critical points. The simulation capability ranges from the satellite ephemerides propagation, up to the prediction of subsystem behaviour in response to a certain plan of activities scheduled. One of the main features of the Mission Simulator is the implementation of exactly the same planning algorithm present in the COSMO Mission Planning and Control Centre, leading to the generation of mission plans with the same logic of the real system, a feature that enhances the validity of the simulations.