ESA GNC Conference Papers Repository

In nominal autonomous flight, ATV control is achieved by a flight control function (using computers, sensors and actuators) which is a part of the Flight Application Software (FAS) and includes nominal Guidance, Navigation and Control (GNC) algorithms. For validation and qualification of on-board algorithms included in the FAS, non real time and real time simulators have been developed. This paper provides an overview of the qualification process from first algorithms separated mock-up simulations up to the final validation phase of the complete integrated GNC software on different real time test benches. The first part of the paper describes shortly the ATV nominal GNC components. The second part is dedicated to the real time and non real time simulators (FES and ATVsim) development and validation phases which have followed the classic watershed approach. The third part of the paper deals with the overall qualification philosophy, whose main driver is to validate in an incremental and iterative manner GNC software from the unitary blocks up to the complete final validation on real time test benches: functional studies and validations on unitary mock-ups / unitary components tests / complete GNC software sizing unitary tests and Monte Carlo runs on FES / non-real time runs on FES cross-validation with real time tests on test bench / real time tests analysis. The fourth part gives major simulations results and GNC requirements verification methodology (both sizing cases and Monte Carlo runs), showing the coherency which is obtained between Critical Design Review results (simulations at unitary blocks level), FES simulations and real time tests.