Software Systems Division
The Software Systems Division is responsible for the engineering of on-board software in all phases, including pre-development of software and independent verification of mission-critical software. Division activities cover areas such as the development and assessment of software engineering technologies, methods and tools.
System software co-engineering works in close collaboration with the avionics and data systems groups in ESA. Model-based approaches are the main methods to improve the efficiency of development and verification.
Main responsibilities
Main responsibilities
The development of EGSE systems and associated ground software products and technologies for functional validation makes up part of the required infrastructure developments and the support of AIT and AIV in ESA projects. This is performed in close collaboration with other groups to maximize synergies with ground control systems.
The division also deals with the research and development of methods and tools in support of Digital Engineering, including information modelling and system data repositories. This is used to support the design, development and verification process for space missions through modelling and simulation of these missions, including real-time test-bench and digital spacecraft technology.
Additional software applications include human-computer interfaces, scientific data processing and databases and support for science operation centres and downstream applications to provide the technology for data processing at mission level as well as for the engineering data during development and verification.
As part of the Division’s overall responsibilities, research and development of AI software and processing technologies for space applications is pursued to prepare these for future missions.
Finally, the division participates actively in the development of software engineering standards in the frame of ECSS and ESA Standardisation Boards.
Why it is needed
Software is ubiquitous in space systems and implements much of the functionality required to deliver mission products. Its quality and reliability is crucial for the functioning and survival of these systems and cannot be serviced easily in case of a malfunction. It is therefore essential to ensure the best possible engineering and validation of all SW products related to a space mission. At the same time, the pressure to reduce the schedule and cost of the related SW products without impacting this quality is increasing.
The SAVOIR initiative
Space AVionics Open Interface aRchitecture (SAVOIR) is an initiative to federate the space avionics community and to work together in order to improve the way that the European space community builds avionics subsystems.
The overall goal of the initiative is to streamline the development of avionics systems for space programmes, considering the need to increase efficiency and cost–effectiveness in the development process and taking into account the trend towards more functionality implemented by the onboard building blocks, i.e. HW and SW components – as well as increased complexity for overall space mission objectives.
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