The Project Test Bed and Its Application to Future Missions

R. Franco & J. Miró

This article presents the concept of the Project Test Bed (PTB) and its application in support of two ESA missions — the PROBA (Project for On-Board Autonomy) technology mission and the Land Surface Processes and Interactions Mission — during their early project phases. As a multi-purpose simulation and verification platform, the PTB includes a system simulator, an Electrical Ground Support Equipment and Monitoring Control System (EMCS) and real flight hardware like the on-board computer. It therefore has the potential to support systems-engineering activities throughout the spacecraft-development life cycle and of being reused from one mission to another, as reported here.