Concurrent engineering is a method of designing and developing products in the space sector. Contrary to traditional design methods, in Concurrent Engineering all subsystems are designed simultaneously, as specialists of all disciplines and subsystems collaborate all together in sessions conducted at a dedicated Concurrent Design Facility (CDF). This is a far more efficient way of designing as it allows challenging areas and mistakes to be identified earlier, but it has its challenges as well. Solutions in one area that could impact the design in another must be identified and communicated instantly. ESA’s Systems and Concurrent Engineering Section and the ESA Education Office created the ESA Academy Concurrent Engineering Workshop in 2016.
Through the Concurrent Engineering Workshop, students complement what they are learning at university by familiarising themselves with the concurrent engineering approach and its benefits, gaining first-hand experience with the Concurrent Model-based Engineering Tool (COMET), and identifying design drivers. Students receive a mission brief, then use concurrent engineering to create a spacecraft design.
The Workshop covers the following disciplines:
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Attitude and Orbital Control Systems (AOCS)
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Communications and data handling
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Configuration
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Structures
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Trajectory analysis
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Propulsion
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Optics and Sensors
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Power
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Thermal
Students are divided into teams to cover the different disciplines and design their subsystem using the Concurrent Engineering approach to comply with the mission requirements and prove feasibility.
During the Workshop, the following topics will be covered:
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Introduction to Concurrent Engineering and Requirements Management
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Get familiar with calculation sheets and Concurrent Model-based Engineering Tool (COMET)
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Introduction to the mission and mission requirements
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Concurrent engineering iterations
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Introduction to ESA, ESA Early Career Opportunities, and ESA Education
Deadline for applications: Closed
Click here to learn more about the ESA Training Programme Applications Procedure.
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