Overview

The design process is facilitated by co-location of specialists in one room with access to all necessary information and tools special software that enables instantaneous data exchange during the design processCDFs are now established in ESA and NASA research centers as well as in the industry.

These facilities are widely used to conduct preliminary design studies to estimate costs, consider trade-offs and review proposals.

Primary direction for CDF development : Improvement of quality of education.

Use of CDF at EPFL

EPFL is currently setting up a CDF to support a wide range of multi-disciplinary projects:
• Teaching of the Spacecraft System Engineering Class - to immerse students into the process of Spacecraft design.
• Support for the Swiss Cube project - unified implementation of computer models
• Teaching courses for the space related industry. Facilitate interaction between Swiss industries and the European Space Agency

Additional avenues for CDF use
• Remote sessions with subsystem specialists at off-site locations
• Other areas, such as Mechanical Design or other areas where complex systems are being developed.

Participation