Simulation – Digital Mission Engineering

Digital mission engineering (DME) software has become a must-have tool for engineers who design and operate mission-critical systems across space, air, sea and land domains – such as satellites, aircraft and maritime vessels, all of which deal with complex and dynamic operational environments.

DME tools allow for the design and validation of today’s large interconnected systems, where the interaction of assets across physical domains is both complex and ever-changing. Modelling these systems in a physics-accurate environment enables a crucial understanding of both system performance, and ultimately, mission success.

With a mix of posts from LEAP’s expert team, along with examples from our customers around Australia and New Zealand, this blog will explore how (from chip to mission) advanced DME simulation tools are transforming the engineering landscape and helping engineers to ensure they deploy their products successfully, getting it right the first time.

Orbit Determination: An Introduction with ODTK

Orbit determination serves as a foundational cornerstone to almost all modern telecommunications systems. It allows us to accurately discern not only the current, but the future position of satellites in orbit, a vital component to being able to transmit and receive data from these satellites, avoid collisions up in space and plan future space exploration missions. This post explains how orbital determination works and how the Ansys Orbit Determination Tool Kit (ODTK) helps to simplify what can be an incredibly difficult undertaking.

Satellite Design with Digital Mission Engineering: Part 3 – Conjunction Analysis

Having discerned a suitable satellite constellation for coverage over specific user-defined regions of interest in part two, part three will see us compute a conjunction analysis for the proposed LEO constellation.

Satellite Design with Digital Mission Engineering: Part 2 – Constellation Coverage Analysis

In part one of this satellite design series, we explored the modelling of a physics accurate RF Comms link between ground facility and LEO satellite. However, rarely do modern LEO satellites work in isolation. Instead, they work as part of a larger constellation, continuously exchanging data to fulfil their intended mission. Part two of this series explores the design of a larger LEO constellation and how Ansys STK allows for the qualitative and quantitative analysis of user-specified regions of interest to discern how effective a given constellation will be.

Satellite Design with Digital Mission Engineering: Part 1 – RF Comms Link

This is the first instalment in our 3-part DME Series that will explore the design of a LEO satellite constellation, exploring the implementation of Ansys STK to tackle common design challenges, including the design of a reliable RF communication link, the evaluation of LEO constellations for specific coverage metrics, and the conjunction analysis of the proposed constellation to ensure satellite survivability.

GUEST BLOG – Navigating the Future: LEO-PNT Systems Improve Satellite Orbits

In the world of satellites, there’s a new game-changer: Low Earth Orbit (LEO) constellations joining hands with Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS). What does this mean for us? In this guest blog, Dr. Amir Allahvirdizadeh, Research Fellow at Curtin University explains how LEO-PNT systems help solve numerous challenges when operating in critical environments, ensuring greater reliability and precision than ever before.

Digital Mission Engineering for Aviation-Based Systems: Part 3 – LEO Constellation and Comms

In this final instalment of our 3-part series the DRM is expanded to incorporate a communications relay from the intercept aircraft to a ground facility. This link is facilitated via a phased array mounted on top of the aircraft and a LEO constellation which serves as a relay between the aircraft transmitter and ground facility receiver. The goal here is to evaluate the access intervals between assets and ensure that the aircraft can maintain a satisfactory communication link to the ground facility.

Digital Mission Engineering for Aviation-Based Systems: Part 2 – Intercept Aircraft

In this second article in our 3-part series, the DRM is expanded to include an intercept aircraft, to be launched if/when the radar’s PDet (Probability of Detection) exceeds a certain user defined threshold. At this point in time, the interceptor shall execute a rendezvous with the target aircraft, before returning to the airstrip a short time later.

Digital Mission Engineering for Aviation-Based Systems: Part 1 – Radar Detection

This 3-part series will explore how DME can be applied to the radar detection of an aircraft, which in turn will trigger the dynamic intercept of that aircraft. This post explains how to set up radar detection and interpret the results as well as how to factor in radar jamming technology and the impact it may have on the resulting data. Throughout this mission, our system will be assessed on its ability to maintain crucial communication links between its multiple assets.

What is Digital Mission Engineering?

Traditionally, engineering processes tend to be segmented, operating in isolation from one another. This typically leads to drawn out project timelines, doubling up on work, and miscommunication between team members. Digital Mission Engineering seeks to bring the entire engineering process into one continuous process through the use of digital modelling, simulation and analysis to incorporate the operational environment and evaluate mission outcomes at every phase of the lifecycle.