Multi-Functional Guidance, Navigation and Control Simulation Environment - Rapid Prototyping of Space Simulations

Abstract

Experience from several major projects has resulted in a generic approach for development, integration, verification and validation of on-board software for Guidance, Navigation and Control, and Data/Handling systems. This approach contains inter- connected paths for rapid prototyping, control-algorithm design and verification, on-board software development, and integration thereof with dedicated (flight) hardware in the control loop. To allow for a modular design of a particular simulator that is independent of the chosen spacecraft, (space) environment and mission, a (large) number of elementary functions and models is available to the user through a number of model libraries, which can easily be combined by means of ‘drag and drop’. This paper will discuss the User Requirements and global architecture of the developed Generic GNC Simulation Environment, as well as the developed model libraries. Two example applications, i.e., the motion study of a satellite with two flexible solar arrays, and the performance evaluation of an adaptive re-entry guidance and control system shows the versatility of the developed Generic GNC Simulation Environment.