PHM Technology software the basis of NASA’s Smallsat Reference Model for Safety and Mission Assurance

NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Centre (NASA GSFC) has developed a Smallsat Reference Model for Safety and Mission Assurance (SMA) using the MADe software developed by Melbourne-based PHM Technology.

NASA GSFC developed the Smallsat Reference Model to increase awareness and understanding of the technical engineering risks that can impact mission effectiveness and safety and has made it available to universities and public researchers seeking to develop and launch their own Smallsat / Cubesat missions.

The GSFC is a major NASA space research laboratory located near Washington and established in 1959 as NASA’s first space flight center. It employs approximately 10,000 civil servants and contractors, is a major US laboratory for developing and operating unmanned scientific spacecraft and conducts scientific investigation, development, manufacturing and operation of space systems, and development of related technologies.

“This reference model will allow users to jump-start their mission assurance and failure analyses,” said Ms Nancy Lindsey, GSFC Reliability, Maintainability, and Availability Subject Matter Expert. “Conducting these types of analyses will allow Smallsat/Cubesat mission developers to leverage a NASA starting point to assess the robustness/fault tolerance of their design and help ensure they don’t deploy space debris.”

“Obviously we are honoured that NASA decided to use the MADe platform to develop the SRM,” said Mr Chris Stecki, CEO of PHM Technology. “The Digital Risk Twin generated by MADe provides objective, model-based safety analyses concurrently with the design process – to ensure the appropriate visibility and traceability required to satisfy launch certification authorities such as NASA.”

PHM Technology (PHMT) has developed the Digital Risk Twin used to optimize the design and sustainment of complex, safety / mission critical systems. PHMT has developed an ecosystem of analysis and decision optimization tools that that digitize the RAMS function and provides Model-based engineering decision support solution to identify, analyse and mitigate engineering risk at each stage of the product lifecycle.