Kennedy Space Center NextGen Website

For costs - see Models

The term "simulation" is used here in the sense of an abstraction, an elaborate thought experiment, where mathematical formulas come together to create a predictive framework for the analysis and understanding of future systems. A simulation is different than a model, with simulations generally focusing on processes, especially "where" and "when" these occur, for example one test on a launch vehicle stage completing and another starting.

Objectives in these space launch and processing simulations:

• Understand the effort and processes for preparing, launching and returning space transportation systems
• Understand space transportation systems characteristics and processing in relation to the goal of significantly more routine and affordable access to space

The system includes:

• The flight vehicle design, technology and technical characteristics
• The ground infrastructure, facilities and equipment
• The organization of government and industry partners; processes, practices and business approaches

Older (inactive/archival) simulations:

• Earth-to-Orbit (E2O) Supply Chain Simulation (2006-2009)

The Earth-to-Orbit (E2O) Supply Chain Simulation project begins by treating information flows (sustaining engineering, requirements management, configuration control, scheduling, planning, administrative, financial, etc.) as integral to material flows, such as flight and ground hardware processing, assembly, launch, return for refurbishment, reuse, disposition and servicing.

• Exploration Launch and Landing Analysis (ELLA) simulation (2006-2007)

Developed a discrete event simulation of the Constellation program Orion Ares I Ground Operations project. This includes all processing and flight and ground systems element integration post "DD250", that is post delivery of individual flight hardware elements to the Kennedy Space Center.

The software was created for NASA by Productivity Apex Inc., Mansooreh Mollaghasemi PhD, Chairman and CEO.

• Activity Based Costing (2004-2005)

Developed an integrated Activity Based Costing – Discrete Event Simulation (ABC-DES) system by incorporating an ABC methodology into the previously developed Space Shuttle simulation "Shuttle-Ops".

• Dr. Alex Ruiz-Torres, Edgar Zapata, "Simulation Based Operational Analysis of Future Space Transportation Systems," Winter Simulation Conference, Orlando FL, December 2000.
• Dr. Alex Ruiz-Torres, Carey McCleskey, "Operations Assessment of Launch Vehicle Architectures using Activity Based Cost Models," 2000.
• SpaceSim (2004-2007)


The SpaceSim Spaceport and Launch Systems Simulation

SpaceSim was created to provide insight for many aspects of decision making while early in the planning or development process. SpaceSim used a Java based platform, requiring no further software to run. The software was created for NASA by Nevins Software, with Mike Nevins as lead developer and product manager.

• Michael Nevins, "NASA Tech Briefs Summary: Simulating Operations at a Spaceport," 2007.
• Generic Simulation Environment for Modeling Future Launch Operations (GEM-FLO) simulation (2003)


The generic space launch simulation

GEM-FLO is a generic simulation of launch operations processing for space transportation systems. With a graphic user interface (GUI), an underlying discrete event simulation (DES) is easily populated with the description of the system of interest. The underlying simulation, a flexible structure, awaiting specific values and user choices, was created using Arena Simulation software by Rockwell Automation.

The software was created for NASA by Productivity Apex Inc., Mansooreh Mollaghasemi PhD, Chairman and CEO.

• David Miranda, Dr. Martin Steele, Sam Fayez, "Developing Flexible Discrete Event Simulation Models in an Uncertain Policy Environment," 2011.
• Linda Trocine, Nicholas Cummings, Ashley Bazzana, Nathan Rychlik, Kenneth LeCroy, Grant Cates, "Statistical and Probabilistic Extensions to Ground Operations' Discrete Event Simulation Modeling," American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics SpaceOps 2010.
• Dr. Martin Steele, Dr. Mansooreh Mollaghasemi, Ghaith Rabadi, "NASA Tech Briefs Summary: Generic Environment for Simulating Launch Operations," 2006.
• ShuttleOps simulation (1999-2002)


The Shuttle operations simulation

ShuttleOps is a discrete event simulation (DES) of the Space Shuttle ground processing operations, representing operations from the start of a launch flow through the return landing of the Shuttle orbiters. The DES was constructed using Arena Simulation, a software package from Rockwell Automation. A graphic user interface (GUI), pictured above, was also developed to provide an easier way of entering inputs into the underlying simulation. ShuttleOps was used to explore changes to the Shuttle ground operations processes, quickly providing insight into "what-if" scenarios such as changes in resources (such as the number of facilities or bays available, or vehicle fleet size), or off nominal probabilities, such as alternate launch site landings.

The software was created for NASA by Productivity Apex Inc., Mansooreh Mollaghasemi PhD, Chairman and CEO.

Grant Cates, "Space Shuttle Launch Probability Analysis: Understanding History so We Can Predict the Future," IEEE Aerospace Conference, 2014. [ABSTRACT ONLY]

Other Papers & Presentations:

• [Paper] [Presentation] Eric Staton, Grant Cates, Ronald Finn, Karen M. Altino, K. Lee Burns Ph.D, Michael Watson, "Use of DES Modeling for Determining Launch Availability for SLS," American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 2014.
• Martin Steele, "NASA Handbook for Models and Simulations, An Implementation Guide for NASA-STD-7009," NASA, 2013.
• Martin Steele, "Modeling and Simulation at NASA," 2009.
• NASA Space Exploration Logistics Workshop Proceedings, 2006.

External Links:

• The Interplanetary Supply Chain Management and Logistics Architecture at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology