The roles of modeling and simulation in assessing spacecraft Integration Readiness Levels

Introducing new technologies in Complex Products and Systems (CoPS) requires in-depth knowledge of technology and the system integration process. Technology Readiness Assessment (TRA) is a systematic evidence-based process that assesses technology maturity based on Technology Readiness Levels (TRL). System Readiness Assessment (SRA) is the process of conducting integrated assessments of a developing system to assess technology maturation and provide a systemic understanding of the development life-cycle. The Integration Readiness Levels (IRL) scale complements TRL in representing integration between technological elements in a system, and both scales are used in SRA to calculate system readiness metrics. SRA is expected to be an emerging systems engineering best practice and has evolved over the last decade. However, SRA does not explicitly guide whether simulation could comply with IRL dedicated to interface verification and validation. Modeling and simulation (M&S) play many roles in systems engineering. Digital and M&S technologies advancement, as Model-Based System Engineering (MBSE) and digital twins, may contribute to reducing space missions´ costs and schedule, along with trends in systems and technology reuse. This research identified the possible roles of modeling and simulation in assessing spacecraft Integration Readiness Levels. Results showed M&S possible roles for each IRL and whether the roles were essential or support to achieve IRL. Also, a link between system life cycle processes and these results contributes to the SRA research stream. A case study with the China-Brazil Earth Resources Satellite (CBERS) program was used to validate part of the proposed theory, in line with other cases extracted from the literature. This paper contributes to the SRA research stream with these theoretical and practical results, by suggesting future studies that could improve SRA practice and consequently support the decision-making on technology introduction in CoPS.