A design knowledge support system for Space Station Freedom and beyond?

A design knowledge support systems (DKSS) for Space Station Freedom is discussed which is intended to contribute to the success of the Space Station project by helping engineers refine the design without repeatedly 'reinventing the wheel'. The design knowledge necessary to accomplish this task encompasses what the substance of a design is, how it has evolved to its current configuration, and why it satisfies requirements of the design. Use is made of design knowledge capture (DKC), the process of collecting, analyzing, and maintaining design knowledge in a systematic machine-interpretable form. A DKSS is a set of automated tools that supports the DKC process.<
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