Infusing Space Modeling and Simulation with Automation, Optimization, Experimentation, and Advanced Analytic Capabilities

This proposal emphasizes Focus Area (FA) 22 – Space Technologies. A comprehensive set of modeling and simulation (M&S) tools are the primary means to analyze Space systems and operations and develop Space capabilities and requirements. This effort will significantly enhance the Space M&S hierarchy by providing automation, optimization, experimentation, and advanced analytic capabilities to existing M&S tools. In Phase I, OptTek will integrate its simulation optimization and analysis software, called OptDef, with the Synthetic Theater Operations Research Model (STORM), the primary campaign level model used by United States Space Force (USSF)/S5/9A (the Defense end-user), so that analysts may perform more robust and comprehensive campaign-level studies and analyses. Mission and campaign models, like STORM, are typically large and complex simulations that can take weeks to months to build a scenario and then days to weeks to execute a statistically valid set of simulation runs. Thus, it is important that analysts have the tools to execute the minimally sufficient number of simulation runs to meet their objectives and to extract as much information as possible from the executed simulation runs. OptDef will allow USSF/S5/9A to manage and automate a large number of simulation runs, generate and execute statistically valid design of experiments, and perform optimization studies using Space M&S. Additionally, OptDef provides post-run tools to identify the most influential decision variables and the good and bad regions of the solution space, perform statistical analyses, and visualize M&S results for improved verification & validation (V&V) and decision making.