News

Peter Hinze (3^rd from right), MdB, Parliamentary State Secretary at the Ministry of Economy and Technology, Federal Government of Germany and Coordinator of Aerospace visiting the booth of Astos Solutions on the Airtec 2011

[2011-09-30] The "Deutsche Gesellschaft für Nachhaltiges Bauen" (DGNB, German Sustainable Building Council) granted their Gold level certificate to the building in which our office in Stuttgart is located. On the basis of 60 criteria and depending on the usage profile the DGNB auditors judge the candidates. Ecological, economic, sociocultural, functional and several technical aspects belong to the criteria.

[2011-08-22] Release 7.0.0 of our generic optimization and simulation suite GESOP has been published for Microsoft Windows. Compared to the last release 6.1.1 GESOP 7.0.0 comprises the following changes:

• The ASCII format for input and output files is now XML (replacing Viola)
• Batch Mode and Result Summary can be initiated from command line now
• New client/server interface between GUI and GESOP engine (preparation for multi-hosted simulations)
• New "If" element of the Batch Mode Inspector allows conditional batch processing and branches
• Added feature to print all the tabs of the Viewer by one action
• Automatic mesh refinement of CAMTOS can add also path constraint nodes now

[2011-08-05] ASTOS is now available for Apple Mac OSX, Microsoft Windows and also Linux. Remarkable changes of release 7.0.2 are:

• Connection setting of real parameters can be automatically changed in all phases.
• CAMTOS collocation will add also path constraint check points during mesh refinement.
• Added warning in case of missing path constraint check points.
• Added output of Hessian matrix density.
• License manager updated to Flexlm version 11.9
• Gesop server works now also on low performance single core computers.
• Improved Solid design booster model (units, normalized time, multiplicity different from 2).
• Filling ratio for linear and dual propellant design stages.
• Complex scaling for cost functions.
• Mars Climate Database atmosphere model, see Section 9.2.9 for more information.
• Improved mass estimation relation (MER).
• Inertia moments profile (e.g. function of time) for 6DOF.
• Load factor constraint include thrust and aerodynamics accelerations.
• Improved model parameter delta constraint to use multipliers.
• Auxiliary states also for orbital equation of motion.
• Mean anomaly (not only true anomaly) as orbital initial state.
• Kinetic energy threshold for fatality index computation (RAM).
• New extrapolation method (Nearest_Value) to avoid risks during extrapolation.
• Initial attitude (Rotation) as local Euler angle rates.
• Unused stages can be present in Model Browser without raising errors.
• Thrust angle model also for Y axis, moments added.
• Bridging function for aerodynamics coefficients.
• Uncertainty tables for aerodynamics and standard atmosphere.
• VEGA advanced test case in conventional launcher examples.
• Auxiliary functions for Euler angle, relative velocity and position in FL frame, launch-pad inertial frame.
• Pointing maneuver for Euler angle in L frame.
• Longitude of ascending node as max final/initial value in cost function.

[2010-10-22] The telephone numbers of our office in Stuttgart have changed. The new number is +49-711-892633-XX. The two-digits extensions stay the same. This change accompanies a migration to Voice-over-IP technology.

[2010-10-05] ASTOS is now available for Apple Mac OSX, Microsoft Windows and also Linux. Remarkable changes of release 7.0.1 are:

• new Batch Mode element "condition" that allows conditional processing of following batch elements (like an "if" statement)
• new steering loss state
• updated model database to XML format
• new re-enry safety assessment for air traffic, ship traffic and oil rigs (optional module)
• bugfix of gravity loss calculation
• new group of ground stations for Ariane (GTO)
• new axial, normal and lateral load factor constraints

[2010-05-01] A new major version of ASTOS has been released. Version 7.0.0 is available for Apple's MacOSX and Microsoft Windows. The Linux version will be released in the next two weeks.

The model configuration of ASTOS 7 is based on XML and not on VIOLA anymore. Automatic conversion tools will support our users two migrate to ASTOS 7. With this step we accommodate the widespread usage of XML while the interoperability with other tools is improved. Its new detailed design optimization and 6-dof simulation capabilities are the most noticeable new features of ASTOS 7.

[2010-03-01] ASTOS simulates the trajectory of an experimental rocket: the Clotho Project. Under the supervision of Mavericks Civilian Space Foundation, the required nominal trajectory and dispersion analysis has been performed to file the FAA Class 3 weaver.

The question was: Can a SONY VAIO laptop launch a rocket?

Of course, with the right software on it!

[2009-12-18] ASTOS 6.1.2 has been released. ASTOS has now further features to simulate and optimize sounding rockets, e.g. models for the Yo-Yo effect and also for spin motors. Other remarkable changes are:

• inertial navigation controller (set at launchpad)
• one new test case (sounding rocket)
• geodetic constraints and auxiliary functions (heading, yaw)
• new air-path auxiliary functions

[2009-11-09] ASTOS 6.1.1 and GESOP 6.1.1 has been released. ASTOS can now simulate and optimize the trajectory of sounding rockets. Other remarkable changes are:

• an improved import of text files
• additional test cases
• more auxiliary functions
• improved documentation
• new constraints

[2009-07-17] ASTOS 6.1.0 has been released. New features like an automatic mesh refinement for control grids are marking this new version of ASTOS. Other remarkable changes are:

• 3D plot
• improved Batch Mode functionality
• derivative check for CAMTOS
• improved memory management
• improved error messages

[2008-12-01] Astos Solutions GmbH has been selected as prime contractor for the ESA project: "Mathematical Optimisation Methods for Concurrent Early Design of Trajectory, Propulsion and Aerothermodynamics". This contract is just the icing on the cake of the several-year experience of Astos Solutions in the field of concurrent design optimization as support to ESTEC. The 10 months contract will highly improve the concurrent design optimization capability of ASTOS (AeroSpace Trajectory Optimisation and Simulation) in the fields of propulsion, aerodynamics, TPS and structure. Moreover these improvements will be inserted in the new release of ASTOS.

[2008-11-21] The business development section of the city of Stuttgart sent out invitations to the Stuttgart Aerospace Day 2008 that took place at the Stuttgart Engineering Park (STEP). Some of the LRBW members and LRBW coordinator Anita Vogl were among the guests. Stuttgart as a location for aerospace industry and the activities of the aerospace and geodesy school of the University of Stuttgart were the topics of the day.

STEP will open the new house of aerospace on January 1^st 2009. Three companies to be located there gave presentations: Astos Solutions GmbH and furthermore TimeTech GmbH, a developer of precise time measurement systems, and Dassault Systems AG, a company famous for their 3D simulation and development software.

[2008-11-20] With the new year 2009 Astos Solutions' office in Stuttgart will move into a new building. The new office is located in the Aerospace Center of Stuttgart, Meitnerstrasse 10, which is part of the Stuttgarter Engineering Park (STEP). It is not far away from our old office in Nobelstrasse 15.

The new office provides best infrastructure: meeting and conference rooms for up to 650 persons, less than 500m to highway and S-train station with direct link to city and airport, in the vicinity of the University of Stuttgart, the Fraunhofer institute and DLR. Due to the fast growth of our company the old office in Stuttgart became too small.

[2008-11-04] After ASTOS 6.0.0 also GESOP 6.0.0 has been released. Now also non-aerospace users may benefit from the new features of the redesigned graphical user interface. Enhanced plotting capabilities, batch processing for Monte-Carlo analyses and many improvements of the optimization and simulation core distinguish from GESOP 6 and the past releases.

[2008-10-08] The release 6.0.0 is marking a milestone in the development of ASTOS. A completely redesigned graphical user interface and many new features decorate this release.

[2008-10-01] Astos Solutions has been selected as partner in the Hiper (High Power Electric propulsion: a Roadmap for the future) project funded by the European Commission under Framework Programme 7 (FP7). HiPER is a 3-year collaborative research programme led by Alta (Pisa) and run by 20 partners from six EU countries, including seven SMEs, four large companies, three universities, four research centers and two governmental organisations. It will initiate technological and programmatic consolidation in the development of innovative electric propulsion technologies and related power generation systems to fulfill future European space transportation needs, with activities ranging from Hall, gridded ion and MPD thruster improvement, to advanced solar power generation and nuclear power sources for spacecraft. Astos Solutions is responsible for the trajectory optimization.

[2008-06-08] Astos Solutions has been selected for the trajectory computation in the phase A of the Lunar Exploration Orbiter (LEO) project. After the computation performed during a Phase 0 study, Astos Solutions has reinforced its collaboration with EADS-Astrium (prime) in a DLR (German Aerospace Agency) project. Astos Solutions is responsible for the launcher selection, the Earth-to-Moon transfer and injection as well as for a Monte-Carlo analysis of the stability of the selected lunar orbits.

[2007-11-05] Astos Solutions is responsible for the selection, design and analysis of the optimal trajectories for the transfer arcs of the ASTEX mission. ASTEX is a feasibility study about a scientific exploration mission to conduct a NEA double rendezvous mission, commissioned by the German aerospace organization DLR. Astos Solutions will collaborate with the Max-Planck Institute for Solar System Research (prime). The main tasks performed are:

• The creation of an asteroid database containing information like orbital and physical properties of the asteroids and delta-v to rendezvous with an asteroid.
• Identification of possible missions of two target asteroids under consideration of spacecraft constraints (e.g. propellant mass).
• Computation of the necessary delta-v for the complete transfer.
• Detailed feasibility analysis of the finally selected missions.
• Inspection of orbits at the asteroids (orbit around small bodies).

[2006-10-01] In the last years optimization techniques became more and more popular and the demand for optimization software and services has gained since new fields of application could be found. Due to the growing market the TTI department Astos Solutions has been hived off and a new company named Astos Solutions has been founded. Astos Solutions will overtake sales, support and development of ASTOS and GESOP. The development and support team of TTI is taken over, so that know-how and experience are preserved and coevally boosted by new team members.