Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology MS 525/3660 4800 Oak Grove Drive, Pasadena, CA 91109, USA
Abstract:
An important goal of New Millennium is to research new methods of performing spacecraft and mission design. We have completed the first phase of our effort on how to make design tools such as analysis programs more available. We are now embarking with Stanford University on discovering methods to allow more project history and knowledge to be automatically captured and reused and with Ames Research Center on how to use virtual reality to enhance the visualization of new missions before any hardware exists. We are also trying to capture the design process in an electronic form so that computer aided optimization may lead to a vastly greater search of the possible designs which meet the design requirements.