MSC. Software Solutions Tackles Design Hurdles at NASA
by Kathryn Tomiello
Monday, May 21, 2007
NASA's THEMIS program was developed to discover answers to questions about factors that influence the operation of other space satellites, ground power grids, communications, and other factors affecting our lives here on Earth.
When NASA commenced the mission in March 2003, it selected Swales Aerospace to build the Probe Bus and Carrier. Swales, who has been providing services for study, design, development, fabrication, integration, testing, verification, and operation of space flight as well as ground system hardware and software since 1978, turned to MSC. Software to expedite the development and validation processes involved in the THEMIS project.
"MSC. Software modeling tools were used extensively to validate the Probe Bus deployment clearances analysis," said Michael Cully, THEMIS program manager for Swales Aerospace. "These tools were a critical element in solving a difficult problem. They served as the only means of validating that the design met all critical clearance requirements, as a system deployment test of all the Probes on the Probe carrier was not possible."
The launch marked the first ever simultaneous deployment of five NASA satellites from a single launch vehicle.
THEMIS Satellite Constellation
Swales Aerospace
5050 Powder Mill Road
Beltsville, MD 20705
Tel: 301.595.5500
Fax: 301.902.4114
Web: www.swales.com
MSC. Software Corporation
2 MacArthur Place
Santa Ana, CA 92707 USA
Tel: (714) 540-8900
Fax: (714) 784-4056
Web: www.mscsoftware.com
About MSC. Software
MSC. Software Corporation is a global leader of enterprise simulation solutions, that help companies make money, save time and reduce costs associated with designing and testing manufactured products. MSC. Software works with thousands of companies in hundreds of industries to develop better products faster by utilizing information technology, software, services and systems.
THEMIS mission
Web: www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/themis/main/index.html
: : Design World: :