Daniel Twigt, ATG-Europe
Daniel Twigt, ATG-Europe
Stefan Brouwer, ISISpace
Petra Ten Hove, NLR
Laurens Mathot, ATG-Europe
Manav Lakhwani Daswani, ATG-Europe
Additintal Authors: Emiel den Exter, ATG-Europe
Michiel Vullings, ATG-Europe
Coen Vos, ISISpace
Simone Caso, NLR
Daniel Twigt, MSc, ATG-Europe
Satellite Assembly, Integration, and Testing (AIT) is a critical phase in satellite manufacturing, ensuring the functionality and reliability of space-bound assets. AIT engineering requires a diverse skill set including the system knowledge, procedural expertise, tool proficiency, and safety awareness. The high costs of materials and the limited availability of essential hardware often create challenges for hands-on training, particularly in specialized environments such as adequately equipped cleanrooms. To address these challenges, the Virtual Reality (VR) application ICARUS was developed with the aim to provide an immersive environment that allows users to train both AIT procedures and cleanroom operation in general.
ICARUS was developed using an industry standard game engine (Unreal Engine). Such a game engine provides a wide array of pre-built tools and features specifically designed for game and VR development, such as a physics engine and real-time rendering systems. Secondly, a ‘training needs analysis’ (Training Needs Analysis – NLR, 2024) was conducted to identify the training needed to develop the competencies CubeSat manufacturers require to perform their tasks effectively. Following this, training scenarios based on real-world situations were developed, incorporating AIT procedures and satellite (CAD) models to achieve a high level of fidelity (Stoffregen et al., 2003). The ICARUS Minimum Viable Product (MVP) was developed with a focus on several use cases. These use cases included virtual training for mechanical assembly and integration in environments with recurring operations, as well as virtual training for cleanroom operations in similar settings. The MVP also supports knowledge retention by providing a virtual representation of the customer’s guidelines and best practices for recurring tasks. Additionally, the MVP enables the virtual evaluation of new hires for AIT engineering and cleanroom positions, ensuring that new users (e.g., employees) are adequately trained and assessed before assuming their roles. Key features included gowning and cleaning processes and equipment (such as cleaning wipes and air blowers), safety protocols and equipment (including ESD bracelets and grounding cables), procedure viewing and annotation, and tooling (such as screwdrivers and torque wrenches). The system simulates satellite assembly using a real-world 1U CubeSat model, with tasks like cable routing, applying Kapton tape and epoxy, and conducting verification processes (including measuring and weighing), providing users with an immersive, hands-on learning experience.
To test the useability and usefulness of ICARUS, a validation campaign was carried out involving various (space) industry parties. During this campaign, evaluation questionnaires were used to assessed satisfaction, usability, and effectiveness of the VR tool, as well as the realism of the VR environment and the clarity of the training provided. Open-ended questions allowed participants to provide additional feedback and suggestions for improvement. Besides the feedback of the participants, a training specialist observed the sessions to check whether all training objectives could be achieved.
Based on the outcome of the validation campaign, it is concluded that ICARUS’ functionality is considered suitable for general AIT and cleanroom training, with most of the trainees agreeing that the cleanroom environment and workflow are realistically resembled. Furthermore, ICARUS is considered user-friendly by most of the trainees. Lastly, ICARUS is considered valuable for initial training and familiarization, making it a useful supplement to traditional methods. Indeed, most trainees would feel more confident in completing similar tasks in real-life, after following a training in ICARUS.
References
Stoffregen, T., Bardy, B., Smart, J., & Pagulayan, R. (2003). On the Nature and Evaluation of Fidelity in Virtual Environments (pp. 111–128). https://doi.org/10.1201/9781410608888.ch6
Training Needs Analysis —NLR. (2024). Royal Netherlands Aerospace Centre. Retrieved April 25, 2024, from https://www.nlr.org/training-needs-analysis-tna/