Web-based operation of interactive sharable environment for collaborative spacecraft design

A web-based interface has recently been added to an advanced integrated environment being developed at JPL that links collaborators who wish to perform interactive design analyses and/or mission simulations. The environment, described previously, utilizes commercial technology (such as 3D visualization) where applicable, but key pieces are currently provided by software developed in-house, e.g., for user interaction and spacecraft modeling. Within the environment, a mission scenario can be built and exercised at various levels (e.g., macro or micro simulation, modeling or analysis), and existing tools preferred by can be integrated "in-place". Mission (e.g., target body, space environment), spacecraft information (e.g., drawings, structures), and payload information (e.g., subsystem or instrument models) can be connected into a simulation which can now be executed by collaborators using only their web browsers. In addition, web-based tools provided by collaborators can be integrated into the environment and remotely executed. This allows interaction of the users with components of particular interest to each, while others can view the "big picture" results of the interactions, and make recommendations such as parameter trades or component alternatives. Components of this environment are currently being developed by several NASA centers who wish to leverage each other's strengths; and a shared information infrastructure facilitates the connections (e.g., access to databases of designs, products, models and data). We believe that the collaborative process is most successful when the participants can immediately see the collective results of their separate inputs; therefore our goal was to facilitate real-time collaborative interactivity. We discuss the problems and achievements from early utilization of this evolving interactive environment.