18–20 Oct 2016
European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC)
Europe/Amsterdam timezone

Programme

Tuesday 18 October 2016

SAVOIR STATUS, HARMONISATION PROCESS of CRITICAL AVIONICS TECHNOLOGIES and MODEL BASED AVIONICS

Background
A significant effort is being deployed by Agencies and Industry to streamline the development, validation and operation phases of spacecraft, with particular focus on the Avionics. This effort is being coordinated by ESA in the form of the "Spacecraft Avionics Open Interface Architecture" (SAVOIR) initiative. SAVOIR brings together ESA and industry experts in an open forum and is gaining significant momentum. Based on establishment of reference architectures, it provides the ground for the identification of building blocks interacting through standardised interfaces, service access points and protocols across hardware and software boundaries.

Objective
The objective of this annual SAVOIR session is to update the avionics stakeholders with the progress done over the last year and to discuss the next steps.

Organisation
A programme has been defined during the SAVOIR Advisory Group (SAG) meetings held in 2016.

  • Status of the working groups (Masais, Union, Operability, handbooks)
  • Result of the Avionics harmonisation
  • Electronic Data Sheet
  • Model Based Avionics

Convenors: Jean Loup Terraillon, Kjeld Hjortnaes, Philippe Armbruster, Alain Benoit

Coordinators: Jean Loup Terraillon, Jorgen Ilstad


Wednesday 19 October 2016

MEGA-CONSTELLATIONS, COMPACT SPACECRAFT AVIONICS and MIXED CRITICALITY SYSTEMS

Background

The satellite market is evolving rapidly and concepts of mega-constellations involving 100’s of satellites have been proposed and are in some cases currently under development. There are many challenges to overcome for such large constellations to become a reality. During the second day of ADCSS we shall touch upon particular aspects for what concerns the on-board data handling system requirements for these types of satellites.

The availability of multicore processors as well reconfigurable FPGAs for space, opens new possibilities to implement functions often processed locally at sensor or unit level to be executed either fully or partially in the central computer; such functions often belong to different criticality domains (e.g. OBC and payload processing). Besides these possibilities, new challenges are also introduced, especially in ensuring that the various functions do not interfere with each other.

Objective

The scope of the second day of ADCSS is focused on the challenges and opportunities of having higher integration of functions in to the on-board computer as opposed the more traditional distributed architecture. OBC equipment suppliers will give their views on challenges and opportunities with current state of the art building blocks and future needs. The last session of the day is dedicated to challenges on the execution of SW of mixed criticality on the same processor in particular on multi-cores CPU’s.

Organisation

The program for the 2nd day contains the following main sessions:

Session 1: Avionics in mega constellations satellites

The view from industry and agency representatives will be given on the challenges to be overcome with mega-constellation satellites for what concerns the on-board data handling system.

Convenors: J.Ilstad

Coordinator: G.Magistrati, J.Ilstad

Session 2: Compact on-board computer architectures

Invited talks from industry’s leading on-board computer manufacturers will share their views on how the spacecraft development costs can benefit from building blocks enabling integration of more functions as part of the on-board computer. 

Round Table - Higher Integration - cost saving at the expence of reliability?
 

Convenors:  G.Magistrati

Coordinator: G.Magistrati, J.Ilstad

Session 3: Mixed criticality systems issues in relation to space craft avionics

Invited talks from industry and research institutes will introduce the challenges in mixing applications of different criticality on the same hardware device; the state of the art of the solutions identified to those challenges are also presented.

Round Table - Mixed  Critical Systems - are we ready for tomorrows platforms?

Convenors: M.Verhoef, J. Lopez Trescastro

Coordinators: M.Verhoef, J.Ilstad, L.Fossati


THURSDAY 20 October (AM)

AVIONICS SYSTEMS for EXPLORATION MISSIONS

Background

The ESA exploration program comprises complex and challenging missions as well as technology development in leading areas. Exploration missions and technologies are ambitious and expensive and demand high performing avionics systems to realize them.

Missions range from the exploration of the planets, moons, and minor bodies (asteroids and comets). The most recent complex scenario is the one of the Moon village proposed by the ESA Director General.

In the area of technology, a new European Exploration Envelope Programme (E3P) will be presented by ESA in the 2016 Ministerial Council for approval. This program allocates for the time period 2017-2020 for technology development. It would replace MREP-2 and would play a key role for avionics systems of the future of exploration.

Objective

The overall objective of this session are:

  • To review the challenges and achievements from past successful exploration activities (missions, mission studies, research and development work, hardware developments, etc.) in the three areas of GNC, data handling and on-board software.
  • To share the lessons learnt during the development, implementation and operational use of exploration missions and technologies in the area of avionics.
  • To discuss the current avionics needs and requirements raised by the upcoming exploration missions and technology to interplanetary and small body destinations, and discuss shared priorities and possible roadmaps for future endeavours.
  • To highlight problems and solutions in the areas of autonomy and FDIR of avionics systems for exploration missions

This session shall cover the 3 legs of avionics: GNC, data, and software and would allow to identify technological gaps where new avionics solutions for exploration need to be developed, or where existing ones need to be extended.

The missions and scenarios to target are the Moon exploration (including the upcoming technologies for the village and the planned space station in L2), as well as exploration of Mercury, Didymos asteroids, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn.

The session will end with a round table for discussion about Avionics Systems for Exploration Missions.

Round Table - Avionics Systems for Exploration Missions

 

Organisation

Invitated of speakers

ConvenorsJohann Bals (DLR), Michel Delpech (CNES), Guillermo Ortega (ESTEC)

Coordinator: Guillermo Ortega


THURSDAY 20 October (PM) 

Automated Code Generation for AOCS

Background

AOCS design validations makes commonly use of model-based tools. These tools have been completed by Automated Code Generation (ACG) toolboxes which allow to produce SW code from simulation models. ACG is now used on several ESA satellite platforms (e.g. SGEO, Euclid, JUICE…) for generating (part of) the AOCS applicative SW starting from AOCS simulation models. This trend is currently being deployed in an increasing number of System and AOCS Prime companies of ESA member states.

Objective

The use of ACG tools induces new rules on AOCS modelling activities and impacts the AOCS development cycle.

The objective of this ADCSS session is to investigate the impact of ACG use for ESA spacecraft AOCS as well as to share returns of experience on the following topics:

  • AOCS development cycle, in particular AOCS validation, AOCS SW production and testing
  • Modelling rules for ACG: do’s and don’t
  • Tailoring of ECSS coding standards
  • New borders between specification and code
  • Modularity/versatility wrt mission specificities, industrial layout

Round Table - Automated code generation for AOCS: return of experience, benefits and challenges

Organisation

Invited speakers 

Convenors: M.Hernek, B. Girouart

Coordinator: B. Girouart