author: Bart Postma
title: AADL Modelling and Analysis of Dependable Space Systems
keywords:
topics:
committee: Joost-Pieter Katoen ,
Viet Yen Nguyen ,
Yuri Yushtein ,
Jaco van de Pol
started: November 2010
end: August 2012
type: Master project (ESA)

Description

Achievement of mission objectives and its success relies on the dependability and safety of space systems. This has led to an increasing prominence of on-board systems that deal with the Detection, Isolation and Recovery of hardware and software faults, (i.e. FDIR systems). The FDIR system monitors, acts and responds actively to all space systems functionalities and increases system-level operational endurance and effectiveness beyond nominal conditions. In current industrial practices, FDIR systems are however verified and validated with aged labor-intensive analyses that lack mathematical rigor needed to ensure thoroughness. Meanwhile FDIR requirements are becoming increasingly stricter, especially those for deep-space missions. Industrial practice needs to modernize and employ newer analysis methods in order to fully comprehend the FDIR systems to come.

The objective of the master final project is to improve the space system engineering process by investigating the integration of formal methods into the process. The activities to meet this objective are 1) develop a formal model of a FDIR system 2) verify the formal model by using the COMPASS toolset 3) define how, when and why formal methods can improve the space system engineering process 4) pinpoint deficiencies in and suggest solutions upon the state of the art formal methods by identifying justifiable needs during the space system engineering process.