CNES has signed an agreement with satsearch to develop tools and processes to support future space systems engineering.
This effort ties in with satsearch’s push towards Data-Driven Design (D3) for the space industry. The relationship will be initiated by a project to build a native integration of satsearch’s supply chain database into CNES’s Integrated Design Model (IDM) concurrent engineering software.
The Integrated Design Model (IDM) suite of tools, developed by CNES and currently in use at its Concurrent Engineering (CE) Centre in Toulouse, includes an editor (IDM-CIC) and a viewer (IDM View) that offer engineers a powerful way to design and validate space mission concepts during pre-phase A studies. The architecture of the software implements a shared XML file, which acts as a database. Management of roles provides the flexibility to organize collaborative work for CE sessions. IDM also enables 3D geometric modelling that allows engineers to assess key budgets and gain deeper insights by coupling to tools for structural, thermal and radiation analysis. The 3D models also enable parameterized functions to test a space system’s kinematic behavior.
Satsearch’s mission is to build the global supply chain platform for the space industry, indexing all of the products, services and technologies offered by suppliers all around the globe. Currently, over 5,000 products and services from over 700 suppliers are available through satsearch. Satsearch aims to streamline the matchmaking process between stakeholders and has launched a RFI/RFQ engine to accelerate supply chain transactions. Users all over the world use satsearch on a daily basis to find the right products and services.
The IDM-satsearch integration is enabled by the fact that IDM has been built to support a rich ecosystem of plugins. This agreement signals the intent from both organizations to offer a complete, up-to-date and parametric parts library to IDM users, enabling them to natively explore the array of mission concepts made possible by suppliers across the globe. Both organizations are committed to developing tooling that embeds the satsearch platform within IDM, giving engineers the ability to seamlessly navigate the global space supply chain and execute comprehensive trade studies.
After the signature, CNES President Jean-Yves Le Gall commented that by partnering with satsearch, CNES is further increasing the power of the company's unique IDM space mission design tool and paving the way for the technology's wider use by space players around the world, notably in India where satsearch is well established. This partnership with a NewSpace start-up fully aligns with CNES’s mission to seek out the most remarkable innovations wherever they are located.
Kartik Kumar, CEO of satsearch, added that this agreement with CNES is further evidence of the growing interest in the satsearch platform and the firm's commitment toward building a strong partner ecosystem to bring supply chain digitalization to the space industry.