Assembly, Integration, and Testing (AIT) processes occur during the phases C and D of the engineering processes of a given flight vehicle. System integration processes take place at the level of engineering models, structural and thermal models, and qualification models of flight vehicles.The current ATD tools cover the phases 0, A, and part of the phase B (B1) for design, and development of flight vehicles. Beyond those phases, the current toolset is not able to cover tasks of system integration and testing (phases C, D).

Security is becoming increasingly important in all of ESA's missions, rather than just in specific missions (Galileo, Copernicus) as was the case in the past. Therefore, the European space industry need to have a well-defined and standardized approach to assess the security processes of its suppliers, especially in terms of software development, where many security vulnerabilities can be introduced.

The aim of this activity is to:

The objective of the SysAOCS project was to investigate the use of SysML to digitalize the AOCS/GNC description. The project started in February 2022 and was organized into 4 tasks running for a total duration of 1 year. The first task was devoted to the investigation of previous related activities and the selection of two study cases. Among the different SysML methodologies, the SysML ESA Solution was selected and used to build a dedicated AOCS/GNC profile.

Assessments to Prepare and De-Risk Technology Developments - Characterisation of a Liquid Crystal on Silicon Based Laser Beam Steerer for Applications in Free Space Optical Satellite Communications in Low Earth Orbit. 

Achievements and status: ​

In this activity, a proof of concept of an attitude control system based on artificial intelligence, as an alternative to current state-of-the-art systems based on model approaches, was developed and tested in a simulator and in the engineering model of ESA's OPS-SAT.