Creating advanced architectures for space systems - Emergent lessons from new processes

Techniques are considered for developing clean sheet designs of advanced architectures for space systems. The terrestrial observer swarm A, an ionospheric mapping system using a swarm of small satellites, is used as an example. A process for exploring open-ended trade spaces is briefly described, and its application to the system followed. The utilities and costs of 1380 possible architectures are calculated. The trade space is explored; the two primary missions of the system are found to drive the architecture in opposite directions, suggesting a rethinking of the mission mix. This tension is coupled to the available funding level because larger, more expensive swarms can do both missions. The process is observed to require careful definition of a set of utility metrics to capture user needs, and updating of the design parameter set to be explored, as understanding of the system and its technical challenges emerges. Overall, both the process used and the swarm technology considered are found to be useful for defining and understanding a large set of available architectures.