New Lunar Lander project relies on SPARK programming language
NASA grant funds US CubeSat research project.
Altran Praxis, the international specialist in embedded and critical systems engineering and assurance, today announced that its SPARK language has been selected by a new, NASA-funded US lunar mission. SPARK will be used to develop the software behind a CubeSat project being developed by a consortium comprising Vermont Technical College, Norwich University, St. Michael’s College, and the University of Vermont. Primary funding for this effort is being provided by the Vermont Space Grant Consortium under NASA grant number NNG05GH16H.
A CubeSat is a miniaturised satellite with dimensions of 10x10x10cm which can be doubled or tripled in length. Its combination of size and standardised components make it a much cheaper method of space research than traditional satellites. Consequently it has been rapidly adopted by universities and research institutions around the world for projects covering areas as diverse as earthquake detection and wildlife tracking.
SPARK is a high level programming language and toolset designed to support the development of software where correct operation is vital, for example in safety, security or other "must work" applications. SPARK was adopted for the CubeSat project because of Vermont Technical College’s experience in using SPARK and the related Ada programming language in developing mission critical control systems for a project to create Arctic sea ice monitoring buoys. Both the CubeSat and buoy systems face similar challenges in terms of coping with inhospitable conditions and the impossibility of fixing any software bugs when deployed.
The Vermont CubeSat project, led by Professor Carl Brandon of Vermont Technical College aims to launch by 2015. It is developing the first CubeSat that can be launched from a geostationary orbit to successfully land on the moon. The CubeSat electronics are based on a Texas Instruments (TI) MSP430 processor and the software will control navigation, communications, scientific instruments, camera and the CubeSat’s propulsion system.
"The scale and simplicity of the CubeSat concept opens up space to innovative projects such as ours," said Professor Carl Brandon, Professor of Physics, Vermont Technical College. "However the small size of the CubeSat shouldn’t mask the ambitious scope of what we are aiming to do. This means we needed to develop software that met the highest standards of integrity – you simply can’t fix software problems in space. SPARK was therefore the perfect choice for this project and is an integral part of our goal to land the first CubeSat on the Moon."
The proposed lunar lander will be a single unit CubeSat with four mini-thrusters on the bottom to maximise control and manoeuvrability. Two potential options for propulsion are being examined – a bi-propellant booster or a Xenon powered ion drive booster. The Xenon thruster can also be used for a triple CubeSat that would go to and orbit the moon. The team is currently working on initial designs for the spacecraft, with the aim of achieving further NASA funding in June 2011.
"To succeed scientific research needs to bring together innovation, new ideas and proven technology," said Keith Williams, Altran Praxis Managing Director. "This new lunar mission demonstrates the potential of the CubeSat concept when combined with advanced, high integrity software developed using SPARK. We wish the project team well in their ambitious moon mission."
Developed by Altran Praxis, the SPARK Toolset offers static verification that is unrivalled in terms of its soundness, low false-alarm rate, depth and efficiency. The toolset also generates evidence for correctness that can be used to build a constructive assurance case in line with the requirements of industry regulators and certification schemes.
About Altran Praxis
Altran Praxis is a specialist systems and software house, focused on the engineering of systems with demanding safety, security or innovation requirements. Altran Praxis leads the world in specific areas of advanced systems engineering and innovation such as: ultra low defect software engineering, Human Machine Interface (HMI), safety engineering for complex or novel systems and tools (such as SPARK) /methods for systems engineering. It offers clients a range of services including turnkey systems development, consultancy, training and R&D. Key market sectors are aerospace and defence, rail, nuclear, air traffic management, automotive, medical and security. The company operates globally with active projects in the US, Asia and Europe. The headquarters of Altran Praxis are in Bath (UK) with offices in Sophia Antipolis, London, Paris, Loughborough and Bangalore. Altran Praxis is an expertise centre within, and wholly owned by, Altran which is a global leader in innovation engineering and employs 18,000 staff across the world.
www.altran-praxis.com
Press contacts:
Leena Chauhan
Altran Praxis
press@altran-praxis.com
Chris Measures/Chrissie McGoldrick
Speed (for Altran Praxis)
altran-praxis@speedcommunications.com
Back to top