A knowledge-based systems engineering tool for global design tradeoffs

Exploring tradeoffs is the main activity in design. Therefore, a design environment must assist designers in building software models that can be used in tradeoff studies. The importance of integrating models, providing communication among sets of models, and verifying the correctness and scope of the models are described. The VEHICLES design environment, which is built to support the design of space systems and exemplifies a knowledge-based approach to satisfying these requirements on a design environment, is presented.<
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