FireSat, Innoslate's Environmental Systems Engineering Project

Happy Earth Day from SPEC Innovations! Systems engineering can play a pivotal role in improving sustainability and a healthier planet.  Learn how to use Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) for environmental systems engineering with the project, FireSat.

Project FireSat models space satellites that detect forest fires. You'll learn how to gather requirements, create a behavioral process model and physical models, and then use a verification and validation method to ensure the modes meet the requirements.

New to MBSE? Check out the Ultimate Guide to MBSE to learn everything you need.

Gather Requirements

Start by building fire satellite system requirements documents and adding relationships such as traced to, verified by, and satisfied by. As you build, you can add live diagrams directly into the document.

Learn more with our 9 Methods to Gather Requirements.

Develop the Behavioral Models

Next, start modeling the process. The Design Reference Mission for FireSAT is similar to other scientific earth observation missions. The normal operations are preceded by a series of spacecraft and payload commissioning steps, followed by disposal, years in the future at the end of the mission. Our systems engineers drag and drop steps, decisions, and actors (assets) into the diagram.

Develop the Physical Models

Create a concept of operations diagram for the system using an asset diagram and adding images for your asset. This diagram shows the various components and conduits that make up the FireSat system, adding attributes for accurate simulation.

Test Your Models with Simulation

Then use the Discrete Event Simulator to check that our process model executes. Once it executes, we will check the variance of the cost, schedule, and performance in the Monte Carlo Simulator.

Verify and Validate the Results

Now that we know the process works, we create a test suite and track our test progress. Lastly, we will use a Traceability Matrix. This final step takes advantage of the built-in traceability assist and suspect assist, determining accurate traceability.

By utilizing requirements management, process modeling, asset allocation, cost simulation, testing, and much more, this project shows how systems engineers can make for a more sustainable and safer planet. Happy Earth Day from SPEC Innovations!