The European Space Agency (ESA) is Europe’s gateway to space. Its mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world.
Find out more about space activities in our 23 Member States, and understand how ESA works together with their national agencies, institutions and organisations.
Exploring our Solar System and unlocking the secrets of the Universe
Go to topicProtecting life and infrastructure on Earth and in orbit
Go to topicUsing space to benefit citizens and meet future challenges on Earth
Go to topicMaking space accessible and developing the technologies for the future
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Targets set out in ESA’s Technology Strategy require a fundamental revolution in the way that technology is developed. Model-based system engineering (MBSE) could be the answer.
Traditionally, system engineering is based on documents, but space systems are becoming too elaborate to manage with documents alone. The workings of a space mission are increasingly complex, entangled, and full of exceptions and dependencies, making text descriptions inadequate to describe their behaviour completely and consistently.
Over a decade ago, ESA began pushing core MBSE technologies and coordinating activities within Europe, with the aim to reduce documentation, make data more accessible, and ensure digital continuity throughout the lifecycle of a space mission, across disciplines and throughout supply chains.
But what exactly is MBSE? Find out here.