Development of Collaborative Engineering Environments for Spacecraft Design

Abstract

The hazards of ionizing radiation in space continue to be a limiting factor in the design of missions, spacecraft, and habitats. Shielding against such hazards is an enabling technology in the human and robotic exploration and development of space. If the design of the radiation shielding is not optimal for the mission, then excess mass will be launched, mission costs will be higher than necessary, and useful payload will be reduced. This reduced mission capability scenario can be repeated for other technical design disciplines. These other disciplines can also effect each other’s requirements. A collaborative engineering environment can optimize ALL design parameters for cost (or another parameter) producing a spacecraft that will meet all mission requirements at the minimum cost. This paper describes two environments that include space radiation analyses and the inclusion within a larger optimization methodology.