A Reference Architecture for Cubesat Development
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Air Force Institute of Technology AFIT Scholar Theses and Dissertations Student Graduate Works 3-2020 A Reference Architecture for Cubesat Development Luke J. Farrell Follow this and additional works at: https://scholar.afit.edu/etd Part of the Systems Engineering and Multidisciplinary Design Optimization Commons Recommended Citation Farrell, Luke J., "A Reference Architecture for Cubesat Development" (2020). Theses and Dissertations. 3232. https://scholar.afit.edu/etd/3232 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Student Graduate Works at AFIT Scholar. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of AFIT Scholar. For more information, please contact [email protected]. A REFERENCE ARCHITECTURE FOR CUBESAT DEVELOPMENT THESIS Luke J. Farrell, Second Lieutenant, USAF AFIT-ENV-MS-20-M-199 DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE AIR UNIVERSITY AIR FORCE INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT A. APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE; DISTRIBUTION UNLIMITED. The views expressed in this thesis are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the United States Air Force, Department of Defense, or the United States Government. This material is declared a work of the U.S. Government and is not subject to copyright protection in the United States. AFIT-ENV-MS-20-M-199 A REFERENCE ARCHITECTURE FOR CUBESAT DEVELOPMENT THESIS Presented to the Faculty Department of Systems Engineering Graduate School of Engineering and Management Air Force Institute of Technology Air University Air Education and Training Command In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in Systems Engineering Luke J. Farrell, BS Second Lieutenant, USAF March 2020 DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT A. APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE; DISTRIBUTION UNLIMITED. AFIT-ENV-MS-20-M-199 A REFERENCE ARCHITECTURE FOR CUBESAT DEVELOPMENT Luke J. Farrell, BS Second Lieutenant, USAF Committee Membership: Dr. D. R. Jacques Chair Dr. B. J. Ayres Member Dr. R. G. Cobb Member AFIT-ENV-MS-20-M-199 Abstract Developing a space vehicle is a complex and detailed process, and while CubeSats are smaller and more accessible than traditional satellites the design process is relatively unchanged. Creating a viable space vehicle design requires detailed analysis of a set of mission needs in order to define the mission, with this need set used to then create the specific mission requirements. These requirements are used to formulate a concept of operations, and then move into developing a physical system for executing the mission. The successful production of CubeSats within an organization is contingent upon the accurate execution of the general CubeSat Development Process. This research presents a tool to facilitate more complete, streamlined, and transferable products throughout the course of a general CubeSat Development Process. The reference architecture is capable of displaying both organizational and systems level architectures, both linked together and in support of consistent and repeatable structure to be given to users intending to produce a complete mission and system design. The architecture incorporates a suite of repositories to assist users in hardware integration and requirements traceability, including component, activity, and regulatory libraries; in addition to parametric diagrams to facilitate requirements verification and constraint analysis. iv Acknowledgments I am forever grateful to my partner in life for all the love, support, and patience she provided me throughout my time at AFIT. I would also like to express immense gratitude to my thesis advisor, Dr. Jacques, for his steady guidance and assistance throughout this venture, and again to my committee for their insights and support. Finally, a round of thanks to all of the people who helped me along the way at AFIT; I never walked alone. Luke J. Farrell v Table of Contents Page Abstract .............................................................................................................................. iv Table of Contents ............................................................................................................... vi List of Tables .......................................................................................................................x I. Introduction .....................................................................................................................1 General Issue ................................................................................................................1 CubeSat Definition .......................................................................................................2 Spacecraft Design Sequence.........................................................................................3 Problem Statement........................................................................................................3 Investigative Questions ................................................................................................4 Research Objectives .....................................................................................................4 Methodology.................................................................................................................5 Assumptions .................................................................................................................5 Implications ..................................................................................................................6 Preview .........................................................................................................................7 II. Literature Review ............................................................................................................8 Chapter Overview .........................................................................................................8 CubeSats .......................................................................................................................8 Systems Engineering Design Process .........................................................................10 Model Based Systems Engineering ............................................................................14 Systems Modeling Language Overview .....................................................................16 Reference Architecture ...............................................................................................17 Small Unmanned Aircraft System Reference Architecture ........................................19 vi Relevant CubeSat Reference Architecture Research .................................................21 Summary.....................................................................................................................24 III. Methodology ...............................................................................................................25 Chapter Overview .......................................................................................................25 System Inputs .............................................................................................................25 Desired System Outputs .............................................................................................31 Selection of a Reference Architecture ........................................................................34 Creating the Architecture ...........................................................................................35 Intended Use ...............................................................................................................36 Summary.....................................................................................................................36 IV. Analysis and Results ...................................................................................................38 Chapter Overview .......................................................................................................38 Package Hierarchy ......................................................................................................38 Organizational Level Architecture .............................................................................39 System Level Architecture .........................................................................................45 Extent of Component Repositories .............................................................................52 Use of Parametric Diagrams to Simulate Results.......................................................56 Capturing Mission Inputs: Firefly Use Case ..............................................................59 Summary.....................................................................................................................63 V. Conclusions and Recommendations ............................................................................64 Significance of Research ............................................................................................64 Investigative Questions Answered .............................................................................65 Limitations ..................................................................................................................67 Recommendations for Future Research......................................................................67 vii Summary.....................................................................................................................69