SAFE-V launcher validation framework and controller optimization

Although traditional validation process has historically produced sufficiently safe and reliable systems, they may be not sufficient for emerging Guidance Navigation & Control (GNC) systems, for new requirements for exploration missions or for next generation launchers. Spacecraft autonomy and safety requirements are always increasing for such missions, therefore, the number of tests, their complexity and their duration also increase. The main consequence is the increase of the level of effort (and the cost) required to manage and perform the V&V process; thus, current V&V technologies may either be inadequate or will simply become unaffordable. In this paper, we give an overview of the SAFE-V enhanced framework that upgrades the whole traditional Design Verification and Validation (DVV) strategies for advanced GNC systems: from specifications, validation plan, validation methods and tools, design to analysis. To illustrate the potential interests of this framework, an application of multi-objective optimization control design is presented showing iterative design cost reduction and performance improvement with fixed or varying level of requirement.