PAGE CONTENTS
Objectives
The project aims to design and develop an open-source satellite mission and communications analysis simulation tool. This too addresses the industry’s main pain points and attempt to tackle them efficiently. The simulator is designed following the Agile Development methodology, aiming to create a set of core functionalities that turns this tool into a competitive product. When the tool’s initial version is completed, a more extensive Software Development Plan of the Full Version is compiled, focusing on the potential next steps to help turn the Full Version of the Simulator into a usable commercial product. In addition, for the needs of this project and to facilitate a better user support experience, a detailed user guide is compiled, and a series of video tutorials is released to provide users with informative training sessions. Once the tool is ready, the reaching out and dissemination part will be initiated. This includes promoting the tool to different online platforms, creating and running an online community dedicated to the tool, and generating a list of potential users that could become the community’s first members.
Challenges
This project’s key challenges are identifying and defining the industry’s pain points precisely and creating a simulator tool to tackle these efficiently. This means the simulator tool should be user-friendly, robust, diverse, cross-platform and affordable to become highly competitive with existing tools. Striking the right balance between versatility and cost-effectiveness. Another challenge is building a community around the tool, especially in the early development phases.
System Architecture
Beginning from a high-level architecture perspective and for the project’s needs, the re-purposing of existing open-source modules/libraries/code in a novel way takes place. Additional development is taking place where needed. This is the most efficient way forward for the project way as it emphasizes community building, as well as fosters a strong upstream/downstream relation among projects. The architecture of this project envisions a modular hosted microservices system with a web-based user interface that can be hosted and served to the end users.
Plan
Phase 1: User Needs and Planning
1.0Survey of other tools, defining user needs, requirements and features.
2.0 Tool production assessment and validation costs (future hosting, distribution, promotion, and maintenance).
Milestone 1: Verification and acceptance of URR, FAR
Phase 2: Design and Development of the Simulator
3.0 Designing the Simulator Tool.
4.0 Software Development Plan Update.
Milestone 2: Verification and acceptance of SSR
5.0 User Guide and Video Tutorials Preparation.
Phase 2: Next Steps and Outreach
6.0 Community building.
Milestone 3: Verification and acceptance of the outputs and all deliverables (Final Review)
Current Status
At this point, the first phase of the activity has been completed. This includes the survey and assessment of the existing simulator tools. An assessment of the User Needs and requirements as defined by the interviewees. A list of the Software Requirements for a Full version of the Simulator and a preliminary assessment of community creation, building and maintenance. Once Phase 1 is completed successfully, and upon approval by the Agency, the next steps take place, including the actual design and development of the simulation tool.
