Universidad de la Plata Helps Build Space Satellite with Dassault Systèmes Solutions

ENOVIA V6’s Openness Facilitates Design and Testing Work with CATIA PLM Express and SIMULIA

VELIZY-VILLACOUBLAY, France and BUENOS AIRES, Argentina — May 10, 2011 — Dassault Systèmes (Euronext Paris: #13065, DSY.PA), a world leader in 3D and Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) solutions and Universidad Nacional de la Plata (UNLP) today unveiled their key contributions to Project AQUARIUS - SAC-D, a satellite mission that uses scientific applications that will help predict climatic changes accurately. UNLP used Dassault Systèmes solutions to design, develop, test and manage two of the seven major instruments constituting the SAC-D Aquarius project.  

SAC-D is the result of an international partnership between the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA); Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC); Jet Propulsion Center (JPL) and Argentina’s National Commission for Space Activities, known by its Spanish acronym of CONAE or Comisión Nacional de Actividades Espaciales.

Students at UNLP’s  Faculty of Engineering and Aeronautics Department used Dassault Systèmes’ ENOVIA V6 for live online collaboration and program management; CATIA PLM Express for the design of multiple structure modules; and SIMULIA for satellite structural calculations.  The Dassault Systèmes solutions helped simplify the complex tasks involved in conducting multiple version reviews, tracking and approving design, document, and drawings changes.

“This is the first time NASA has outsourced scientific components to CONAE and UNLP, and because of our 3D PLM expertise and training, we were able to actively participate in all stages of design, production and testing of these two key instruments and beyond to delivery,” stated Alejandro J. Patanella, executive director, Faculty of Engineering and Aeronautics Department, Universidad de la Plata.  

The two SAC-D instruments developed and tested included a microwave radiometer (MWR) to help measure elements such as wind speed and ice concentrations, and an infrared camera (NIRST), new technology to help identify hot spot activities such as fires and volcanoes. Additionally, CONAE and UNLP were in charge of the mechanical testing and validation of most of instruments outside SAC- D platform.

Using ENOVIA V6, Project SAC-D’s product and design objectives were successfully met by ensuring consistent workflow processes to track information, documentation, and requirements needed throughout the project in a secured, online, collaborative platform. Other contributing success factors included the protection of intellectual property and access control to all design work, as well the implementation of a business process management system for the capture and re-use of knowledge to ensure process unification and standardization.