Collaborative Multidimensional Trade Space Analysis Capability

The Collaborative Tradespace Capability (CTC) addresses critical areas of interest to NASA: improving model interoperability, managing varying levels of fidelity/uncertainty, characterizing and selecting optimum candidates, and rapidly and iteratively operating across a distributed collaborative environment. SSI and our partner Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) have shown through the Phase I effort, via research, proofs-of-concepts, and examples, that the CTC can be achieved at multiple levels of integration and automation to more rapidly update system models and use these integrated system models to assess design in performance, cost, and risk/schedule while also accounting for uncertainty using the Whole Systems Trade Analysis Tool (Tool) and other like multidisciplinary trades tools. This is accomplished by creating a high-level CTC design, improving System Model interoperability, leveraging commercial capabilities to compose digital threads, and accounting for uncertainty within the already powerful WSTAT capability, which accounts for cost, schedule/risk, and performance. The effort will extend NASAs DE capability by using and connecting current models with a System Model that will interface with the Whole System Trades Analysis Tool (WSTAT) with new uncertainty reduction methods. The CTC aims to be a 10x+ game changer in rapidly navigating architecture and technology trades, requirements development, and design optimization through an integrated lens of cost, schedule, and performance. The CTC enables efficient exploration of multidimensional trade spaces as large as 10150. The CTC enables distributed collaboration, rapid iteration, and using existing authoritative sources to improve NASAs ability to design successful missions. The Collaborative Tradespace Capability (CTC) addresses critical areas of interest to NASA: improving model interoperability, managing varying levels of fidelity/uncertainty, characterizing and selecting optimum candidates, and rapidly and iteratively operating across a distributed collaborative environment. SSI and our partner Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) have shown through the Phase I effort that the CTC can be achieved at multiple integration and automation levels to assess performance, cost, and risk/schedule design while also accounting for uncertainty. CTC will speed up design exploration and iterations while improving confidence levels in decisions across the lifecycle. The CTC aims to be a 10x+ game changer in rapidly navigating a design and programmatic decision space through an integrated lens of cost, schedule, and performance. The CTC enables efficient exploration of multidimensional trade spaces as large as 10^150. The CTC enables distributed collaboration, rapid iteration and uses existing authoritative sources to improve NASA missions. Objectives: Objective 1: Tailor CTC Design Model to fit within NASA’s Digital Engineering (DE) Ecosystem Objective 2: Define Interfaces from ASOT models to System Model to Trades Study Objective 3: Compose and Execute Digital Threads Across a Distributed DE Ecosystem Objective 4: Perform Trade Study Exploration Integration into DE Ecosystem   Deliverables: Q1D: Updated NASA Digital Ecosystem (S2) Model: ~High-Level Design: Req, Arch, I/Fs Q2D: Updated SysML ARGOS System (S1) Model: ~WSTAT profile and Usage Guideline  Q3D: Exemplar for Digital Thread Composer (DTC): ~ASOT model-> SysML -> WSTAT Interface Q4D: WSTAT Execution:  ~Exemplar Model, leverage WSTAT Profile and Interface Q5D: Initial SA & UQ Demonstration:  ~SA Method and UQ Analysis Q6D:Interim Integration Report: ~Updates to S1 and S2 Models, DTC, and SA/UQ status Q7D: CTC Demonstration: ~Integrated S1 Model(s), DTC, System Model, WSTAT Q8D: CTC Final Report + Prototype:  ~Prototype integration of all above

The proposed CTC product is a Digital Engineering (DE) capability enabling NASA to gain deeper insights into the value of system concepts and identify which technologies are essential to achieve system-level objectives while considering cost and schedule. It is suitable for any NASA project within or across its Centers where design options exist, iteration is necessary, uncertainty is high, and a complex programmatic and design space makes trade-offs challenging to assess.  There is a significant opportunity for CTC, given the thrust of Digital Engineering and System Modeling, which are not well connected to trade study tools integrating cost, risk/schedule, performance, and uncertainty. SSI is highly confident in bringing on current commercial clients as interested partners across Aerospace, Automotive, Medical, and Defense during a Phase II effort and beyond.

This is early/mid-stage (TRL 5) — the most realistic path in is NASA SBIR/STTR, which funds small businesses and research institutions to develop technology aligned with NASA's needs (equity-free, phased funding). Check whether a current SBIR/STTR solicitation topic overlaps with this project's technology area, or contact the project directly (above) to ask.

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