Improved Veritrek ROM software to support future missions

This CCRPP is targeted towards NASA and Department of Defense (DoD) customers that benefit from: 1) reduced computational burden and cost of traditional thermal design, analysis, test, and verification and 2) new analysis capabilities that help enable future missions. These benefits will be achieved by improving Veritrek, a reduced-order modeling (ROM) software previously developed through a NASA SBIR Phase I/II. Veritrek is a software suite that gives users near real-time simulations (1000s of simulations per second) of high-resolution thermal models, by converting Thermal Desktop® models into a ROM format. By operating on the ROM, significant computational improvements are achieved. Although Veritrek’s existing capabilities benefit some NASA spacecraft thermal analysts, this is a small subset of users performing spacecraft thermal analysis work at early stages in the design cycle. The overall goal of the proposed work is improving the Veritrek software suite to appeal to a broader range of customers and applications (e.g. early design stage through on-orbit operations for thermal and other types of analysis across the aerospace & defense, automotive, and electronics & electrical industries). This goal will be achieved by way of three development tasks: 1) improve the computational efficiency of Veritrek, 2) capture more customers from Thermal Desktop® user base, and 3) capture customers from outside Thermal Desktop® user base. The addition of a thermal model correlation feature and uncertainty quantification capabilities will capture more Thermal Desktop® customers and provide immediate benefits to NASA customers (JPL, MSFC, and Goddard), while developing the ability to create ROMs from generic data sources will capture customers outside the Thermal Desktop® user base and benefit NASA (JPL and MSFC), DoD (USAF), and private sector customers. Completion of these development tasks will ensure a sustainable and profitable commercial product.

NASA JPL needs the proposed Veritrek computational efficiency improvements for the Mars 2020 and Europa Clipper missions, and uncertainty quantification capabilities to support the NISAR mission. NASA MSFC needs the proposed Veritrek model correlation feature for the Exploration Upper Stage program, computational efficiency improvements for the Lunar Lander program, and capability of building ROMs from generic data sources for the Environmental Control Life Support Systems program.

The US Air Force and Ball Aerospace need the proposed Veritrek computational efficiency improvements to rapidly evaluate and assess satellite and constellation designs. Sierra Nevada needs the proposed Veritrek model correlation feature for the Dream Chase program. Analytical Space needs the proposed capability of building ROMs from generic data sources for their SmallSat systems analyses.

This is a mature technology (TRL 9) — the realistic path in is usually NASA's Technology Transfer Program: licensing an existing NASA patent, or a Space Act Agreement to use NASA facilities/expertise directly. NASA also runs a startup licensing program with no upfront fee for companies formed to commercialize a specific NASA technology.

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