Using requirements-induced complexity to anticipate development and integration problems: Analysis of past missions

Alejandro Salado, Roshanak Nilchiani

    Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contributionpeer-review

    Abstract

    Conventional approaches to system design use requirements as boundary conditions against which the design activity occurs. Decisions at a given level of the architecture decomposition can result in flowing down conflicting requirements, which are easy to fulfill in isolation but extremely difficult when dealt with simultaneously. This is particularly critical to space systems, where decisions at a given level of the architecture are often unchangeable once development begins at lower level assemblies. Designing against such sets of requirements can considerably limit system affordability. Evaluation of the anticipated impact of such dependencies is usually performed qualitatively. The lack of quantitative impact analyses on project resources results more often than desired in overlooked design decisions that make projects suffer from these conflicts during the entire system development. We suggest a System Development Complexity Framework that supports analytical evaluation of conflicting requirements before detailed development of lower elements is initiated and during their initial development by evaluating the complexity induced by a set of requirements that need to be fulfilled simultaneously, the effects of the architectural design, the effects of technology and component selection, and the effects of project environment. Using such framework the present research analyzes past space missions and evaluates the correlation between requirements tension points and resulting success and failure levels.

    Original languageEnglish
    Title of host publicationAIAA SPACE 2013 Conference and Exposition
    StatePublished - 2013
    EventAIAA SPACE 2013 Conference and Exposition - San Diego, CA, United States
    Duration: 10 Sep 201312 Sep 2013

    Publication series

    NameAIAA SPACE 2013 Conference and Exposition

    Conference

    ConferenceAIAA SPACE 2013 Conference and Exposition
    Country/TerritoryUnited States
    CitySan Diego, CA
    Period10/09/1312/09/13

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