Advanced Concepts Group
The Advanced Concepts Group (ACG) of SpaceWorks Engineering provides conceptual and preliminary analysis and technical assessment of advanced space systems. The ACG specializes in delivering high value end-to-end analysis packages to our customers engaged in preliminary aerospace vehicle concept development, design space exploration, analysis of technical alternatives, independent concept review, or marketing new technologies or initiatives.
Our quick-response, preliminary analysis of advanced space transportation concepts includes both technical and programmatic assessments. Technical assessments cover concept weights, ascent and entry trajectories, propulsion, Computer-Aided Design (CAD) drawings, aerodynamics, thermal protection requirements, and abort assessments. SpaceWorks Engineering can perform both traditional deterministic and probabilistic analyses to explicitly evaluate system risk through uncertainty in key design variables. The firm's past experience includes conceptual and preliminary level modeling of a broad range of future space transportation and aerospace infrastructure concepts.
For customers interested in understanding the impacts of technology developments on future designs, the ACG offers the TechSim prioritization process to establish quantitative sensitivities of Figures of Merit (FOMs) with respect to changes in technology performance metrics. Our TechSim process can be run deterministically or probabilistically depending on customer requirements. Technology portfolio managers can use the TechSim process to prioritize their technology funding investments.
The ACG is well-versed in a wide range of design tools and software necessary to perform analyses at the conceptual and preliminary design level. These include a mix of industry-standard tools as well as internally developed software.
Our engineers are skilled in the use of standard aerospace industry preliminary design tools such as:
- POST, POST-II, OTIS, Chebytop, Copernicus, and IPREP for trajectories
- APAS, S/HABP, Missile DATCOM, HASC, and NASCART-GT for aerodynamics
- CEA, NEPP, RAMSCRAM, RJPA, and SRGULL for propulsion
- TPS-X for thermal protection systems
- AFWAT, LVA, INTROS, and GT-STRESS for launch vehicle structures
- Solid Edge and IDEAS for CAD and layouts
- PHX ModelCenter® for design tool integration
- OptWorks® and DOT for optimization
- ProbWorks® and Crystal Ball for probabilistic analysis
In addition, we have developed a range of in-house design tools to help us perform our job quickly and accurately. The ACG’s in-house design tools include REDTOP and REDTOP-2 for rocket propulsion, Sentry for Thermal Protection System (TPS) analysis, StageSizer and HabSizer for parametric weight estimation, and Bullseye for in-space trajectory analysis.
For a more complete briefing please see the ACG overview presentation (in pdf format) (0.99M).
