DELMIA Mockups Speed Development for Space Exploration

By DE Editors

Dassault Systemes’ (DS; Auburn Hills, MI) DELMIA software is helping Lockheed Martin Space Systems Co. (LMSSC; Bethesda, MD) work more closely with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

The simulation software is DELMIA DPM (Digital Process for Manufacturing) and V5 Human for ergonomic analyses, which is behind the focus on mockups for the crew exploration vehicle to be used in moon-landing missions and Orion, America’s next-generation space exploration project, which is part of the Constellation program to explore the solar system.

The Lockheed Martin Corp. unit and NASA are partnering in human-factors simulations to develop Orion’s command module. NASA and LMSSC, using DELMIA’s solutions, are building a virtual, or digital, mockup of the crew exploration vehicle in Littleton, Colorado, and a physical mockup at NASA’s Johnson Space Center (JSC) in Houston, Texas.

The simulation data is used at JSC to refine the physical Orion mockup, which is built full-scale. The JSC mockup also helps the crew trainees and NASA evaluate the design of the control systems. These simulations will help avoid the wasted time and excess cost of repeated rebuilds and modifications of the physical mockup.

For details, contact Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co.

Sources: Press materials received from the company and additional information gleaned from the company's website.