Trade space visualization applied to space flight engineering design

Spaceflight engineering design problems often contain correlations and tradeoffs that may or may not be obvious or well-understood. As design problem complexity increases, decision makers find it more and more difficult to grasp these trade-offs effectively. The rapid growth of computing power now allows the simulation of millions of design alternatives. Understanding the trade-offs associated with these alternatives has never been more important. Trade space visualization tools are being developed to aid decision makers by allowing them to effectively explore a design space and identify the underlying trade-offs and nuances to a specific problem. These tools provide enormous potential in evaluating complex dynamical systems in spaceflight, among others. This work reviews the work done at the Pennsylvania State University using the Applied Research Lab Trade Space Visualizer (ATSV) to various complex spacecraft engineering problems. Examples presented include optimal impulsive and continuous-Thrust orbit transfers, interplanetary trajectory design, and spacecraft design.