General purpose modeling and domain specific simulation: A framework for space mechanisms design

The process of writing requirements specifications, designing, developing, and verifying high precision pointing space mechanisms currently relies on a domain specific simulation-centric approach extensively applied since the very early stages of a project. Space mechanisms requirements specifications often are driven by domain specific features, with many significant uncertainties, and requirements conflicts due to the lack of a holistic perspective. Specific domain simulations are run repeatedly under the given conditions. Such a process is highly inefficient for a company that either writes a requirements specification (manages subcontractors) or designs space mechanisms itself. A general purpose modeling method is proposed to accompany domain specific simulation methods. The resulting framework is proposed to be applied to high precision mechanisms of scientific space missions. Survey of the stakeholders and comparison of methodologies during the conceptual identification of the framework foster an object oriented model-based system engineering methodology and the general purpose SysML modeling languages as the basis for the general purpose modeling part of the framework. The domain specific simulation part is based on the implementation of existing tools under the overall supervision of the general purpose models.