11-07-18

Contact:
Ann McDonough
Object Management Group
+1-781-444 0404
[email protected]


Object Management Group Issues Request for Proposals for CubeSat System Reference Model
Seeks proposals to capture CubeSat requirements in a standard format that is readily accessible and understandable by vendors and developers

Needham, MA – November 7, 2018 – The Object Management Group® (OMG®) an international, open membership, not-for-profit technology standards consortium, has issued the CubeSat System Reference Model (CSRM) RFP. The RFP solicits proposals to standardize CubeSat development based on the OMG Systems Modeling Language™ (SysML®) to lower the cost of development and increase the quality of CubeSat spacecraft and ground system design.

A 1U CubeSat is 10x10x10 centimeters with a mass of about 1.3 kilograms. CubeSat units can be joined to form a larger satellite such as 2U, 3U and 6U. Their small payload makes standalone launch cost-prohibitive but allows CubeSats to join launches from other organizations at a significantly reduced cost. The Nanosatellite and CubeSat Database reports that CubeSat launches tripled from 2016 to 2017 to nearly 300 launches. The number of CubeSats and the number of organizations developing CubeSats have increased dramatically. One of the great benefits to the CubeSat paradigm is the rapid deployment of new technology to on-orbit operations, especially compared to larger, expensive, and intentionally long-lived satellites. Satellite missions share many common elements, though the mission may be quite different. Re-inventing or re-documenting those common elements increases the production time for a new mission. Even within an organization however, there may be no common reference model for CubeSat design, reducing reuse, slowing development times, and forcing duplicate research for multiple teams to remain current on the latest innovations.

Brad Kizzort, co-chair of the OMG Space Domain Task Force, lead author of the RFP and chief technologist at Harris Corporation, an OMG member company, said, “Both start-up and mature satellite development organizations can benefit from leveraging an effective common model structure and framework to reduce the design and development cost of a new satellite mission without jeopardizing successful deployment and operation. The CSRM should also allow organizations to extend the knowledge base with component libraries from their own mission-unique subsystems and experience, enhancing internal reuse and transfer of institutional knowledge to successive programs.”

Both members and non-members of OMG may show their interest in participating in the process by submitting a Letter of Intent by February 28, 2019. In order to become a submitter, individually or as part of a submission team, companies must become members of OMG by the initial submission deadline of November 11, 2019. For more information about the CubeSat System Reference Model RFP, visit https://www.omg.org/hot-topics/cube-sat.htm.

About OMG
The Object Management Group® (OMG®) is an international, open membership, not-for-profit technology standards consortium with representation from government, industry and academia. OMG Task Forces develop enterprise integration standards for a wide range of technologies and an even wider range of industries. OMG's modeling standards enable powerful visual design, execution and maintenance of software and other processes. Visit www.omg.org for more information.

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