OPENSPACE 23: The Satellites that Are Shaping Our Future | Page 24

Ilaria Roma
Systems Engineer and CDF Team Leader
“the cdf is transforming the digital space
practices”
ESA’s Concurrent Design Facility (CDF)
has become a reference point for the
application of the concurrent design and
engineering methodology to space mission
design. Since its creation in 1998, the CDF
has defined the future of more than 200
potential space missions.
I
laria Roma, Systems Engineer and Team Leader of the
Concurrent Design Facility (CDF) at ESA, has been working
for the CDF for over 10 years. Together with her colleagues,
she is involved in the assessment of the technical and financial
feasibility of future space missions and new spacecraft
concepts. We talked with her about the impact of concurrent
engineering on the space mission lifecycle and discussed the
future of the CDF in the years ahead.
What is the role of the CDF on the overall space
mission lifecycle? What is the added value of the
CDF?
The CDF is the cradle for many ESA mission concepts. It
has its role at Phase 0/Phase A level, the very first assessment
of the mission concept. Since its creation in 1998, the CDF has
reduced the design time by a factor of four and the cost by
a factor of two. The quality of the studies has also improved,
providing quick, consistent, and complete mission design. In
addition, the team specialists are more aware of the impact of
their design decisions on the overall system, and the customer
is part of the design team, which is essential to make sure that
his or her needs are addressed in the best way. The feasibility
studies also offer an opportunity for capitalizing on the agency’s
knowledge for further reusability in future missions.
Credit: ESA.
Ilaria Roma, Systems Engineer and CDF Team Leader,
during a concurrent design session.
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How has concurrent design changed the way space
missions are designed?
Concurrent design is based on the principle of having all
the design team in the same place at the same time, making