PROJECTS
Our scientific software support is based on understanding customer needs. We provide system health management for mission critical systems, near real-time 3D data visualization in unstructured environments, astronaut decision support tools. Our quality control software and scientific toolkits analyze terabytes of data with pinpoint accuracy. We provide full-time, part-time and project-based scientific consultation and creative public relations services. We build the bridge from your scientific goals to quality results.
AHCI/SCOPE
Customer: ESA ESTEC
Partners: TNO D&V, TNO BMI
2003-2005
Time is a scarce and expensive resource aboard challenging scientific environments such as the International Space Station (ISS). The training and preparation of astronauts for on-board missions can take up a large amount of this resource, as do the actual maintenance, operation and troubleshooting involved with such missions. The ESA is researching ways in which a more efficient, effective, and easy to learn human operation can be realized.
S[&]T was the technical lead for the Advanced HCI Crew Informatics project (AHCI). In AHCI an operation-centred software engineering design method was developed, taking human activities regarding the execution of an experiment as a basis for the interface between the human and the experiment control hardware and software. S[&]T built a generic application framework for supervising the execution of such experiments, called SCOPE (Supporting Crew OPErations), and used it to implement support for two experimental payloads.
The research performed in AHCI has formed a basis for further evolution of ESA’s thinking on astronaut support and astronomy. The SCOPE software continues to be used as a component or implementation vehicle for other projects (such as MECA).
BEAT
Customer: ESA
2001 - present
The Basic Envisat Atmospheric Toolbox project (BEAT) is one of the three ESA funded end-user toolboxes that were developed for the ENVISAT mission. BEAT aims to provide scientists with tools for ingesting, processing, analyzing, and visualizing atmospheric remote sensing data.
The project consists of several software packages, with the main packages being BEAT and VISAN. The BEAT package contains a set of libraries, command line tools, and interfaces to IDL, MATLAB, Fortran, and Python that allow a user to access data from a range of atmospheric instrument product files. The VISAN package contains an application that can be used to visualise and analyse the data that you retrieve using the BEAT interface.
The primary instruments supported by BEAT are GOMOS, MIPAS, and SCIAMACHY (ENVISAT), GOME (ERS-2), OMI, TES and MLS (Aura), and GOME-2 and IASI (MetOp).
Support for GOME-2 and IASI in BEAT was funded by EUMETSAT.
All BEAT software is provided as Open Source Software, enabling user community participation in further development and quality improvement.
Links: BEAT website
BRAT
Customer: ESA
Partners: CLS
2006 - present
The Basic Radar Altimetry Toolbox (BRAT) provides scientists with tools for ingesting, processing, analyzing, and visualizing altimetry data. BRAT is one of the Open Source, freely available, ESA end-user toolboxes. The primary missions supported by BRAT are Cryosat-2, ENVISAT, ERS-1 and 2, Topex/Poseidon, Geosat Follow-on, Jason-1, and Jason-2. BRAT is funded by both CNES and ESA.
Links: BRAT website
ETECA
Customer: ESA ESTEC
Partners: Astrium Space Transportation, TNO D&V, Space Applications Services
2008-present
As also seen in the MECA project, crew autonomy for planetary exploration missions is an area of great interest to the ESA. In complex spacecraft with complex functions and thousands of parameters monitored, this can be very challenging and even critical in case of an emergency occurring when ground support is not available. In the ETECA project Decision Support Tools (DSTs) need to be developed, including user interfaces, that will support the crew in their decision-making process.
A Columbus-like orbital space station is the target for a proof-of-concept design and evaluation of a DST for increased crew autonomy. S[&]T will be performing the ETECA literature study on current and emerging DST approaches, and is responsible for developing a diagnostic DST component for the proof-of-concept demonstrator software.
This project is in the start-up phase.
Future Launchers Preparatory Programme (FLPP)
Customer: XXXTBD
Partners: XXXTBD
XXXTBD
ESA, in its preparation for a next generation of launchers, had identified Engine Health Management as a critical technique whose technical readiness level (TRL) needed to be increased. S[&]T, as part of an industry consortium, has been tasked to develop and implement new techniques and algorithms to monitor and manage, in real-time, the health of cryogenic rocket engines. A variety of solutions have been investigated and tested, including parity space approaches, artificial neural networks, data fusion, etc.
Prototype software for monitoring the health of the Vulcain 2 thrust chamber has been delivered and independent tests produced good results. Currently, the prototype is converted to the real-time domain while at the same time other approaches are being investigated to deliver a real-time solution that can be tested on the Vinci test campaign in the end of 2008.
G2DP
Customer: EUMETSAT
Partners: KNMI, BIRA
2007 - 2008
The GOME-2 Data Processor tools project was a joined effort between KNMI, BIRA, and S[&]T to provide EUMETSAT with both a Level 1-2 total column and profile data processor for operation in their Cal/Val environment. The data processors are used to evaluate the quality of the GOME-2 Level 1B product before release, monitor the quality during the instrument lifetime, and to help in the seleciton of optimal settings of the instrument and level 0-1 processing. The ozone profile data processor was based on the "Opera" software from KNMI and the total column processor on the "GDOAS" software from BIRA. The role of S&T was to adapt both software components to allow a perfect integration in the EPS Calibration and Validation Facility of EUMETSAT.
GECA
Customer: ESA
Partners: Logica, BIRA, BAE, CLS, KNMI, RAL, UoL
2007 - present
The Generic Cal/Val Analysis Environment (GECA) is a project with two main components: the GECA Cal/Val Data Centre (GVDC) and the Quality Information and Action Protocol (QIAP). The GVDC is the third-generation cal/val data centre and provides various functions to support the calibration and validation proces of ESA sensors, covering both current and future ESA Earth Observation missions. The GVDC provides hosting and retrieval of correlative data, but also provides functions for analysis, collocation, and inter-comparison of data. The Quality Information and Action Protocol will be a standard for the electronic transmission of quality information and corrective actions towards the analysis environment of EO data users. GECA will both define this standard and provide a ground-segment function that implements this standard. QIAP will provide a uniform description of quality and corrective actions regarding data products with a focus on non-integrated quality information.
GUT
Customer: ESA
Partners: DNSC, CLS, NOCS, POL, UR
2007 - present
The GOCE User Toolbox (GUT) is a toolbox containing algorithms for the exploitation of GOCE level 2 and ERS-ENVISAT altimetry. It provides functions for both the geodesy and oceanography communities. One of the primary oceanagraphic variables that GUT can provide is the mean dynamic topography (MDT).
Links: GUT website.
MECA
Customer: ESA ESTEC
Partners: TNO D&V, OK Systems, Astrium Space Transporation
2005-2008
During human Moon/Mars exploration missions, the current concept of operations, heavily relying on ground control and ground support will no longer be valid due to e.g. the long communication delays. The crew will need to take more autonomous decisions. ESA is interested in boosting the cognitive capacities of human-machine teams during lunar/planetary exploration missions in order to cope autonomously with unexpected, complex and potentially hazardous situations. The Mission Execution Crew Assistant (MECA) project is intended to perform research into advanced crew autonomy based on human-machine partnerships.
S[&]T helped design and build a proof-of-concept Demonstrator application that was evaluated in a formal test environment in order to evaluate and refine the MECA Requirements Baseline.
The MECA Requirements Baseline and proof-of-concept demonstrator software were successfully developed, tested, evaluated and delivered to the ESA. In two new projects the demonstrator will be further developed to achieve a higher level of operational readiness and become part of experiments on the ISS and terrestrial mission simulations (such as Mars-500).
Links: MECA website
QCC
Customer: ESA
Time span: 2007 - present
The Quality Control for Cryosat (QCC) is a ground segment component that provides basic systematic NRT product Quality Control at processing centers. It screens each product directly after it has been generated by a data processor and provides a quick verification of the format and data content. Based on the global quality statement of the product that is provided by the QCC (e.g. "Passed" / "Failed") the ground segment is able to direct the further dissemination of the product.
QDOAS
Customer: BIRA-IASB
2007
BIRA-IASB is the owner and maintainer of the WinDOAS software, an open source and freely available DOAS retrieval application with a friendly user interface. One of the restrictions of the WinDOAS software is that it is limited to the Windows operating system, and since there was an increasing interest to have the application also available for other platforms, such as Linux, BIRA-IASB turned to S[&]T. Together with BIRA-IASB, S&T migrated the WinDOAS application to an application based on the cross-platform application framework Qt. This successor to WinDOAS is now available as QDOAS.
Links: QDOAS website.
Tangram
Customer: ASML
Partners: XXXTBD
XXXTBD
ASML is the leading manufacturer of lithography systems for the semiconductor industry. This industry demands rapid innovation, short time-to-market, and high availability. To reduce test and integration time, and operational downtime, ASML needs fast and efficient methods to troubleshoot and diagnose its systems.
Model-Based Diagnosis (MBD) is method that provides fast and efficient diagnosis. In MBD, a diagnosis is automatically inferred from a compositional, functional model and real-world observations. MBD is faster and less error-prone than human reasoning. In contrast to symptom based methods, MBD captures correct system functionality and therefore isolates all faults that cause deviating system functionality, including unknown ones. MBD also adapts better to evolving system design as models are derived from that design.
In cooperation with Delft University of Technology and the Embedded Systems Institute, S[&]T has successfully demonstrated MBD, implemented with the Lydia toolset. This has culminated in the development of a model-based Board Dump tool that reduces the diagnosis time of the ASML wafer stage subsystem from hours to mere minutes.
TELEMOS
Customer: NIVR
Partners: NLR
2008-2009
NIVR has established the national PEP programme to assist Dutch industry to prepare for ESA tenders. The TELEMOS (Tele-operations and Model-based Supervision of Instruments for Planetary Exploration) project covers technology development for tele-operations combined with autonomous operations. In the TELEMOS project, S[&]T and NLR work together to increase the Technical Readiness Level of S&T's MBR technology, which is part of S[&]T's in-house developed suite of System Health Management (SHM) tools.
An S[&]T literature review confirmed the added-value of using MBR as part of SHM for interplanetary systems. S[&]T and NLR are currently building a relevant case study to demonstrate the capabilites of using MBR in an ExoMars context.