EN.675.

600: Systems Engineering for Space Module 1 Homework

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Module 1 Homework consists of 4 problems for a total of 100 points.

Problem #1
10 points

To be a very good systems engineer, you must be committed to be an excellent communicator.

Make your discussions, your documents, your presentations, and your communiques` stand-
alone, unambiguous, clear, and crisp. And don’t leave the most important things to doubt. Why
not start practicing these principals with your homework submissions?

#1a (5 Points):
For an easy 5 points, please include a cover page with the following information:
1. Your name
2. Course number and name
3. Assignment number and title
4. Date of submission
5. (Also, include your name and a page indicator (Page x of y) on each page after the cover
page.)

#1b (5 Points):
For another easy 5 points, please ensure your submission is organized, neat, clear, and to the
point. Ensure there are no spelling or grammatical errors. And ensure the format is formal and
professional. Remember that this is a graduate level course.

Problem #2
30 points

What characteristics (at least two) of a geosynchronous earth orbiting (GEO) spacecraft would
you attribute to the spacecraft system as a whole rather than to a collection of its parts? Explain
why.

Grading considerations: This question is intended to cause you to explore “systems thinking”
and how systems engineers, while not exclusively, need to think about the “system as a whole.”
Chapter 1 of your text discusses this topic.

There can be lots of “gray” when describing characteristics of a “system as a whole” but
usually we are talking about system-level features, qualities, and/or capabilities, or about
system-level interfaces. And for this problem, those associated specifically with GEO spacecraft.

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Acceptable answers include, or are similar to, the following:

• Stays above the same area on the earth’s surface

• Orbital period matching the earth’s rotation period
• Continuous communications with users on the ground within certain geographical areas
• While not unique to a geo s/c, so not necessarily an answer to this specific question, but as a
general example, a characteristic of a system as a whole would be the moments of inertia of the
whole spacecraft, which is clearly a characteristic of the entire s/c and the specific
configuration/location of the pieces on the structure. The MOI of a collection of the parts piled on
the floor would be quite different that the MOI of the final configured as-built system.

Problem #3
30 points

Develop a context diagram for a NASA-sponsored low earth orbit (LEO) scientific spacecraft.

Grading considerations: Reference slides 7-10 of Lecture 1C, and Section 3.4 of the Kossiakoff
text. Use the format shown on slide 10 of Lecture 1C (which is similar to Figs. 3.2 and 3.3 in the
text).

Be sure to consider all the phases of a hypothetical mission: prelaunch, launch, orbit operations,
and disposal. There are many external actors or entities that interface or interact with a LEO
spacecraft during these phases. Try to identify the entities and the things transferred to/from
those entities.

The most important thing is to determine what is inside your system and what is outside. Keep
external actors and entities generic. Don't force a particular solution (e.g., GPS) onto your
design team. We will talk later in the semester how we use trade studies to determine what “the
best” solution is to your particular problem. This will become clearer as we study the “systems
engineering method.”

While displaying an understanding of the concepts of context diagrams is far more important at
this point than the nuanced details of a real s/c context diagram, you should be able to do some
research to identify the primary external actors and entities and the major interfaces and
interactions.

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Generic LEO Scientific Spacecraft Context Diagram

Navigation
Aids Sun Moon
Na Earth
Co vig
o pe at
ion
ra S Photons
tiv Gravity
e S igna Thermal Energy
ign ls Reflected light Gravity
GSE Grou als , Da Solar Wind Reflected Thermal Energy and Light
n ( ta
Syste d Support
if n
ee Atmospheric Drag
m Re
spon Equip. Inp de
d) Space
ses ut s
Environment
iation
al Rad
Therm
bris
on e
, D
Radiati

Shipping Mechanical Loads, Data

Container Mechanical Loads, Acceleration
LEO
Scientific
Scientific Observables Object(s) of
Interrogation/Stimulation Signal (if needed) Scientific
Interest

Mechanical Loads, Data

Spacecraft
LV Mechanical Loads, Acceleration, Data
Return Link Signal
s
Forward Link Signals
Comm. S/C
T LM
Node Com &D
ma ata
nds
&D
ata MOC/
Operators
Note: In this version, Payload/Instruments are part of your system

Notes:
1. There isn’t an exact perfectly correct solution.
2. Context diagrams are developed early in the life cycle. They can, and should, be updated as your
knowledge of the requirements, constraints, functions, and potential solution sets evolve.
3. One of several critical purposes of the context diagram is to define what is in your system, and
what is outside your system. In this particular example, it is clear that scientific observations are
made by your system, indicating that the payload/instruments are part of your system. It very
well may be that you are being asked to explore the development of a LEO scientific spacecraft
and not the payload/instruments. If that was the case, where a prime contractor may perform
integration of your spacecraft with instruments developed by others, then you would show the
instruments outside your system. Obviously, if you are responsible for the management and
integration of the instruments, independent of who develops the actual instruments, then you
would indicate they are inside your system (by NOT showing them as external to your system).
Thus, a context diagram is an excellent communication tool for all your stakeholders.
4. Brainstorm what external entities or actors might be relevant and important to your system.
5. How to decide what’s important?
a. What interactions are important to ensure you meet the overarching user needs and high-
level system requirements and constraints?
b. What interactions will drive functional requirements and/or the ultimate design?
c. What interactions might drive technical complexity, and therefore “driving requirements”
and risk?
d. What interactions might create cost, schedule, and/or safety challenges or risk?
6. Some potential “traps” and typical mistakes:
a. Ensure nothing that is part of “your system” is shown outside your system
b. Ensure the interactions are associated with your completed system, not those associated
with developing your system

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c. The s/c actually interacts with the communication entry point (could be a ground entry
point (GEP) or a Space Entry Point (SEP) like TDRSS). Unless you’ve been directed to
use one or the other, you don’t know which one will be “the best solution” until you
perform the necessary trades studies. The point is, keep the external entities and the
interactions generic for now. Don’t box your development team into a pre-ordained
solution that is often “biased” by your (potentially incorrect) assumptions, your (possibly
limited) experiences, past solutions you’ve developed or have become aware of, etc.
d. A tricky external entity or actor are the operators or users. They do not interact with the
spacecraft directly (how could they!); the commands they send, and telemetry they
receive, get to the spacecraft via some interface to some entity/entities (e.g., mission
operations center (MOC) and the communications node) that, in turn, interacts with the
spacecraft.

Problem #4
30 points

Develop a hierarchical description for the spacecraft from Problem #3 to at least three levels
(system, subsystem, component). If you are new to spacecraft design, you will find Table 14-6
in your text Space Mission Engineering: The New SMAD very helpful.

Grading considerations: Reference the slides in Lecture 1D, and Chapter 3. Use the format
shown in Fig. 9.2 of the text, or similar. (You don’t have to read Chapter 9 at this time; just look
at Fig. 9.2)

Application of the concept of hierarchical decomposition is far more important than the actual
spacecraft composition shown in your hierarchy. You will develop a better understanding of the
latter as you progress through this course and the SSE program. But, again, you should be able
to do some research to identify the primary subsystems used in spacecraft and their primary
components.

Here are a couple of acceptable solutions

Here is a student submission from a previous class. Note that some of the principal components
of some of the subsystems are missing; e.g., there is more to a communication subsystem than
just an antenna and a power amplifier, such as a receiver and an exciter. Recall that in grading
considerations, it was noted that the specific details of the spacecraft composition were of lesser
concern than understanding the concept of what a system hierarchy is.

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Here, from NASA SE Handbook, shows a spacecraft at the second level. For this HW problem,
you would then further decompose the spacecraft subsystems. But if your “system” was the
“Flight Segment” vs. a spacecraft, then this diagram does show 3 levels of decomposition and
this diagram would answer the mail.

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Another example from a student submission:

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