Paper Session II-B - Simulating Shuttle and Derivative Vehicle Processing at Kennedy Space Center
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1991 (28th) Space Achievement: A Global The Space Congress® Proceedings Destiny Apr 24th, 2:00 PM - 5:00 PM Paper Session II-B - Simulating Shuttle and Derivative Vehicle Processing at Kennedy Space Center Soheil Khajenoori Department of Computer Engineering, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL Gregory L. Heileman Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of New Mexico, Alburquerque, NM Follow this and additional works at: https://commons.erau.edu/space-congress-proceedings Scholarly Commons Citation Khajenoori, Soheil and Heileman, Gregory L., "Paper Session II-B - Simulating Shuttle and Derivative Vehicle Processing at Kennedy Space Center" (1991). The Space Congress® Proceedings. 10. https://commons.erau.edu/space-congress-proceedings/proceedings-1991-28th/april-24-1991/10 This Event is brought to you for free and open access by the Conferences at Scholarly Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in The Space Congress® Proceedings by an authorized administrator of Scholarly Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. SIMULATING SHUTTLE AND DERIVATIVE VEHICLE PROCESSING AT KSC Mark D. Heileman, RE. Darrell G. Linton, Ph.D., P.E. Advanced Programs Office Department of Computer Engineering John C. Winkler Soheil Khajenoori, Ph.D. Gregory L. Heileman, Ph.D. Advanced Programs Office Department of Computer Department of Electrical and Space Systems Division Engineering Computer Engineering Rockwell International University of Central Florida University of New Mexico Florida Operations Orlando, Florida Albuquerque, New Mexico ABSTRACT INTRODUCTION Rockwell International Space Systems Division is The launch site manager is faced with a complex teamed with the University of Central Florida on a world in which to make decisions. A formal and research project to develop an automated simulation efficient technique is needed to augment the manager's system to model ground processing scenarios for the experience in decision making. The technique must Shuttle and Shuttle-derived vehicles. This simulation be formal (precisely documented) so that it can be system is necessary to evaluate launch site facilities learned quickly and applied to new situations. The requirements and estimate life-cycle costs of future technique must be efficient so that its cost does not space programs. increase in proportion to the complexity of the situation. Computer simulation is a technique that This paper presents the results of initial simulation fulfills these needs. Computer simulation is a formal modeling of the orbiter processing critical path at decision-making aid, adaptable to the complexities Kennedy Space Center (KSC). An approach is and change of the launch site environment which can presented for the planned capabilities to simulate be developed and communicated efficiently [5]. mixed fleet processing and to perform sensitivity, capacity, cost, and risk analyses. Potential expert The National Aeronautics and Space Administration system applications for the simulation system are (NASA) has no comprehensive means of simulating presented, such as a resource allocation tool for stand- and quantitatively analyzing launch vehicle processing down periods or a long-range scheduling tool for requirements at the KSC. Currently, ground future programs like the Space Exploration Initiative. operations planning is accomplished using computer scheduling tools. The conceptualization of future The simulation model will be developed using the programs makes use of qualitative expert knowledge object-oriented languages MOD SIM II and C+ + . and cost modeling. Although the current approach This model is different than other software tools has proven successful on the National Space currently used for planning at KSC in that it is Transportation System (NSTS) program with a fleet stochastic rather than deterministic. A deterministic of three Space Shuttle orbiters, the Space Exploration model assumes all parameters of the model are known Initiative and increased Space Shuttle launch rates constants. A stochastic system defines the operations will add complexity to ground processing activities. process using an indexed collection of random In order to manage this increase in ground processing variables. The modeling system will be expandable complexity, a comprehensive simulation capability is using object-oriented inheritance techniques in which needed. The initial goal of this project is to develop facilities and vehicles are modeled as templates. This the software tools to fulfill this need. The long-term system is different from other planning systems used research objective is to provide the capability of at KSC in that supplemental vehicle and/or facility modeling processing scenarios for future programs 1 data can be introduced during program execution. launch vehicle requirements. Without such tools, This technique allows effective modeling of dynamic less than optimal approaches to ground processing launch site environments for future programs. requirements planning will result, wasting scarce resources and subsequently losing opportunities. 5-0 SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT METHODOLOGY Table 1. Artemis Characteristics The goal of this project is to develop the software tools necessary for simulating ground flow processing ARTEMIS activities for both current and future programs at the Scheduling tool Deterministic model KSC This simulation capability will allow User needs to receive training engineers at the NASA to effectively model and All analyses manually manipulated quantitatively assess the options available in the Tool assumes fixed assets Output is "waterfall" type milestone charts costly and complex operations involved in the ground Output accuracy depends on users' knowledge processing of space vehicles. Best used for near-term planning_______ The modeling capabilities that will be provided hi Table 2. GOCM Characteristics this initial research phase include the ground processing requirements of the current Space Shuttle GROUND OPERATIONS COSTMOCEL (GOCM) as well as three recently proposed Shuttle-derived Spread-sheet algorithm vehicles. A discussion of Deterministic model the ground processing User must understand computer spread-sheet techniques requirements for each of these vehicles follows. In All analyses manually manipulated addition the simulation system will allow the case Facility capacity not considered Output is scenario cost profile study of mixed fleet processing operations involving Can be used for near- or long-term planning_______ these launch vehicles. The life-cycle costs of each approach will be used as an evaluation criterion [12]. Table 3. Launch Vehicle Processing Simulation System Characteristics The simulation system software will be developed using object-oriented software construction LAUNCH VEHICLE PROCESSING techniques. This software methodology was SIMULATION SYSTEM developed specifically to increase the reusability of Object-oriented simulation model software Stochastic (or probabilistic) model components. Such an approach offers a User friendly front end capability not available using traditional software - Menu-driven technology ~ the ability to easily modify or extend - Graphical user interface Easily expandable system the usefulness of existing software components. The - Facilities and vehicles modeled as templates result is a flexible simulation environment not - Object-oriented inheritance capability constrained by the limitations of System capabilities: today's software - Sensitivity analysis (mapping) development methods. An object-oriented approach - Capacity analysis offers the capability of user modification to the - Cost analysis -• Risk analysis simulation system software to account for facilities or - Mixed fleet processing scenarios not considered at the time of system Best used for long-term planning________ development Software Methodology. The design of the simulation Tables 1 and 2 describe the capabilities of software system using object-oriented software construction planning tools currently used at KSC. Table 1 techniques reduces contains the difficulties involved in the characteristics of the Artemis scheduling simulating complex ground processing scenarios. In tool. This is the tool currently used by the Mission this case the system architecture Planning is based on the Office for Space Shuttle manifest planning. classes of data (i.e., objects) the system manipulates as opposed to the functions the system is required to Table 2 contains the characteristics of the Ground perform. The rationale Operations for this approach follows Cost Model (GOCM). GOCM was from the observation that as software system originally developed on the Lotus 1-2-3 spread-sheet requirements change or evolve, application program. the functions that the system performs may change drastically; however, the classes of data that the system manipulates remain Table 3 shows the launch vehicle processing much more stable. In the object-oriented simulation system design of characteristics. This is a such a system, more flexibility is returned. The goal stochastic model; it contains random variables to of this approach is to describe allow the software system to be launch vehicle processing durations. The easily extended to improve its functionality, or reused two software tools discussed above are deterministic, in other systems. Ideally the extension they do not or account for chance or probability. reusability of the software does not require a 5-10 knowledge of the details of